AMES, Iowa — The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place Nov. 3 at noon CDT will feature Steven J. Hall, associate professor, department of ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Iowa State University. Hall’s team takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding soil organic matter dynamics, production of greenhouse gases, and nutrient cycling and water pollution, in agricultural and natural ecosystems in Iowa and across North America.
In the webinar, “Environmental Impacts of Poorly Drained Agricultural Soil,” Hall will discuss the role soil drainage characteristics play in nutrient loss to water systems and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems. Focusing on poorly drained soils that do not support robust – or sometimes any – crop growth, Hall will highlight ways that land use and nutrient management decisions could reduce the disproportionate share of landscape-scale losses attributable to these underproducing areas.
“Low-lying areas, such as the prairie potholes that are common in Iowa, occasionally flood or simply do not drain well, inhibiting crop growth and therefore reducing the utilization of fertilizer applied to them,” said Hall. “This sets the stage for higher rates of leaching of nutrients into drainage water and emission of nitrous oxide gas into the atmosphere. Such poorly drained soil areas should be targeted for alternative management to improve environmental outcomes.”
Participants in Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinars are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
Webinar Access Instructions
To participate in the live webinar, shortly before noon CDT Nov. 3:
Click this URL, or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172
Or, go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 364 284 172
Or, join from a dial-in phone line:
Dial: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923
Meeting ID: 364 284 172
The webinar will also be recorded and archived on the ILF website, so that it can be watched at any time. Archived webinars are available at: https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.
A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU) has been applied for. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live webinar.
About Iowa Learning Farms:
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources, EPA Section 319 Grant Program and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms