soil science
Climate change and soil erosion feed into one another in an environmental feedback loop that can have big consequences for Iowa land, but an Iowa State University agronomist is developing new models to illuminate these complex interactions.
Agronomy faculty and graduate students had the opportunity to sit down with World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Rattan Lal for an informal conversation about agronomy and soil science. Tuning in virtually from the Ohio State University, faculty and graduate students had the unique opportunity to engage in discussion with the world renowned scientist.
Comparison of Biofuel Systems (COBS)
This project seeks to identify and develop cropping systems that produce large quantities of biofuel feedstocks while protecting soil and water resources and increasing biodiversity on the Iowa landscape.
Colloid-Mediated Transport of Hormones with Land-Applied Manure
Endocrine-disrupting hormones may enter the environment via land application of livestock manure. With respect to both livestock production and soils, Iowa is the prototype for agriculture in the Midwest. Our hypothesis is that the risk of hormone transport can be better understood by knowledge of the mechanisms of sorption, desorption, and transport of colloid-hormone complexes.
Determining soil water evaporation and subsurface evaporation zones
Evaporation from the soil largely determines water availability in terrestrial ecosystems and the partitioning of solar radiation between sensible and latent heat. It is key to hydrology and climate. The evaporation process is complex, involving movement and phase change of water, varying with depth and time. Following water inputs, evaporation occurs at the soil surface, controlled by atmospheric demand. As surface soil water is depleted, evaporation becomes soillimited and shifts below the surface; nonetheless it is generally viewed as a strictly surface process.
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