The overall goal of the Soils Program at Hays is to identify and develop management practices which protect soil, water, and air resources while sustaining agronomic production and maintaining environmental quality. To achieve this goal, the Program strongly relies on basic and applied research principles. The program approach is based on the concept of multi-functionality in which soils are managed to provide a number of ecosystem services, including: 1) conserve and store water, 2) meet the increasing demands for food and fiber production, 3) filter and purify air and water, 4) store urban and industrial wastes, 5) sequester carbon (C) to offset the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, and NO₂) that contribute to projected global climate change, and 6) sustain wildlife habitat.

The Program specifically deals with soil management with an emphasis on applied soil physics. Basic and applied research in soil physics is being conducted for a better understanding of soil-water-plant relationships under different scenarios of tillage, crop, and residue management systems. Specific areas of research work involve soil hydrology, structure, compaction, water and wind erosion, and soil C dynamics in relation to crop production and ecosystem functions.

Currently, there are three major Projects designed to address three critical contemporary issues including: 1) management of crop residues under different tillage and cropping systems for cellulosic ethanol production, 2) growing bioenergy crops (e.g., warm-season grasses), and 3) compaction of agricultural soils. These projects are being conducted on a regional scale across a precipitation gradient and under contrasting soils in Kansas. Furthermore, the Program is also currently assessing soil physical properties, C sequestration, and greenhouse gas emissions under existing long-term experiments (deficit irrigation strategies, cover crops, tillage systems, and crop rotations) across the central Great Plains, and western Kansas in particular.

The specific objectives of the Current Projects are to:

1.   Evaluate changes in soil physical characteristics, water and wind erosion, soil water storage, soil C sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and grain and biomass yields under different scenarios of corn, wheat, and sorghum residue removal for off-farm uses to develop sound guidelines for residue management.

2.   Assess the potential of growing warm-season grasses (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, and eastern gamagrass) in marginal agricultural lands and Conservation Reserve Program lands as feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production and evaluate the impact of these energy crops on soil and water quality, C sequestration and dynamics, and water use and efficiency.    

3.   Assess impacts of soil compaction in interaction with variable rates of crop residue removal on soil properties, wind and water erosion rates, and crop production to develop recommendations for management of soil compaction.

4.   Model changes in soil organic C sequestration rates, soil attributes, agronomic yield, and water and wind erosion under different scenarios of crop residue removal, growing warm season grasses, and soil compaction levels. 

2003 Grazing Small Grain Forages Handout (PDF)
View detailed information on 2003 grazing small grain forages.  All recommendations based on small plot work and farmer usage.  

2002 Grazing Small Grain Forages Handout (PDF)
View detailed information on 2002 grazing small grain forages.  All recommendations based on small plot work and farmer usage.  

Mailing list for Small Grain Triticale and Rye (PDF)
Carlyle Thompson has put together a mailing list for small grain forage vendors.  Included are crop types, and contact information.  If you would like to add your company to the list, please contact Carlyle via e-mail.

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