Summertime means ... Field Days!
Extension agents, Kansas landowners and other members of the public are invited to attend any one of our field days around the state. With so many to choose from, why pick just one?
In Russell County, be a part of a Tailgate Talk on July 28, focused on protecting water quality, creating alternative watering sources for livestock, and other topics.
Goering Farms in McPherson will host a field day event on Thursday, July 29, featuring methods to convert traditional cropland to a year-round grazing system.
The Flickner Innovation Farm in Moundridge will host a field day event on Tuesday, August 31, highlighting current work by local producers, industry members and Kansas State University researchers to conserve water use while improving water quality and soil health.
Flickner Innovation Farm
Save the date for our upcoming field day! We are excited to welcome the community back to the farm for an in-person field day on August 31, 2021.
The Flickner Innovation Farm is a site where agronomists, watershed specialists and industry leaders can conduct studies on a large-farm setting to identify the most efficient technologies and techniques for Kansas producers to use on their own farms. This long-term project will be studying the effects of various precision agriculture techniques and comparing different types of imagery to identify crop conditions. Several K-State scientists are using the Innovation Farm for their own research: one research team hopes to develop interpretations for the newest types of soil and tissue tests, and will use these to determine the effects of long-term cropping systems on fertilizer requirements for Kansas crops. Another group is investigating strategies to identify soil moisture pattern to optimize the use of soil moisture probes.
Leading the way through key research
Kansas State University researchers are filling research gaps by studying how to cover crops and phosphorous management strategies interact to influence soil health. Thanks to a $490,541 Seeding Solutions grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), university researchers will work to optimize phosphorus management strategies in cover crop systems, preventing the costly overuse of fertilizer. The Kansas Soybean Commission, Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Fertilizer Research Fund are providing $500,000 in matching funds for a $990,541 total investment.
Project director Nathan Nelson and his research team will study six soil treatments to determine the effect of cover crop planting and optimal timing and placement of fertilizer on soil health and water quality. By identifying mechanisms that affect phosphorus availability and cycling, Kansas State researchers are developing bold management strategies that enhance soil health, reduce environmental impacts and bolster farmer profitability.
Read the full FFAR press release here.
Partner with us
Kansas State University established KCARE in order to coordinate and enhance the research, extension, and teaching activities that focus on environmental issues relating to agriculture. KCARE supports research spanning multiple departments and disciplines: soil science, smoke management, cropping systems, water quality and irrigation, fertilizer research, and climate studies.
It is our privilege and pleasure to work with research and extension faculty, students, and members of our community to explore new ways to create quality solutions for the environmental issues our state faces now and into the future. Through our partnerships, we are helping Kansas agriculture remain successful and sustainable.
Copies of the KCARE logo are available for interested stakeholders. Possible uses include as a link to the KCARE website on personal or departmental webpages, or on brochures or handouts including KCARE-supported research. Contact KCARE for more information.
