Identifying Priorities for Iowa's Future November 2003

Natural Resources and Environment/Engineering Support Systems $12,991,000 in FY02 expenditures The Questions Experiment Station researchers work in areas that are both practical and fundamental, short-term and far-reaching. What key questions are researchers addressing for Iowans? Water Quality and Air Quality--$7,845,000 How can recommendations for fertilizer and herbicide applications be improved? $1,256,000 How can measurements of agriculture’s impacts on water quality be improved? $2,662,000 Can a real-time, rapid test for soil nitrogen availability be developed for different soil and climate conditions? $112,000 What technology and management practices can be developed to reduce odors, gases and other airborne emissions from concentrated livestock production facilities? $664,000 What are the basic chemical and biological processes controlling the function of pesticides, organic chemicals, trace metals, surfactants and microorganisms? $1,629,000 How can environmental impacts be reduced in horticultural crop production? $1,146,000 How can the value of watershed level planning and community-based educational efforts be communicated more effectively? $89,000 What technologies, including biosolids applications, are available for producers to add value to agricultural and waste products? $287,000 New Economic Opportunities--$515,000 Are environmentally friendly soy-based adhesives as good or better than traditional products, and can processes be improved for creating bonded-wood products? $191,000 How can rapidly growing tree species be genetically improved for faster growth as well as disease and insect resistance, and can they be grown intensively in an environmentally friendly manner? $324,000 Biodiversity and Climate Change--$4,631,000 Can perennial plants and wetlands remove nonpoint source pollutants from surface waters while providing habitat for diverse organisms? $967,000 Can biodiversity in urban and suburban areas be maintained or enhanced through community tree care and planting programs? $96,000 How can pheromones, genetic analyses and other scientific methods be employed against destructive insect pests such as gypsy moth and bark beetles? $741,000 How can an examination of natural processes be used to better understand the distribution, abundance and richness of wildlife and plant species? $669,000 Can landscape-scale computer models be developed for a more integrated and systematic approach to restoration ecology and wildlife management? $96,000 Can computer models reliably predict potential climate changes in the Midwest as well as assess the impact of shelterbelts on crop yields? $2,062,000 Selected Impacts Research results often improve understanding, help solve practical problems and build to greater discoveries. Here are selected examples of Experiment Station research results and Extension and outreach activities that have impacted Iowans. Riparian buffers are more than 95 percent effective in removing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from drainage waters, while at the same time improving soil quality, diversity of soil microbes and wildlife habitat. ISU’s Bear Creek Watershed Project was one of 12 projects nationwide selected as a “National Restoration Demonstration Watershed” under the federal Clean Water Action Plan. The work by ISU researchers has provided much of the science now guiding the National Resource Conservation Service’s National Buffer Initiative. Tom Isenhart and Dick Schultz have shared buffer strip research results with landowners and natural resource professionals. Results of research on subsurface banding of nutrients, precision agriculture technologies and environmental impacts of phosphorus fertilization have changed fertilizer recommendations and led to the first Iowa Phosphorus Risk Index. Water movement in soil is key to the availability and loss of nutrients and agricultural chemicals. Two techniques have been found to accurately measure water movement in soils. Data collected with these methods will allow better models of water and chemical movement to be developed and tested. New adhesives made from soy protein have been developed and are being commercialized. Wood and other plant fiber, such as cornstalks, have been used to create components for office furniture. Woody crops are a largely unexplored income opportunity. Research has produced fast-growing cottonwoods and hybrid poplars with improved disease and insect resistance, making it possible to intensively grow trees without excessive pesticide use. In a local watershed project, a citizens’ council was formed to make decisions on reducing the negative impact of nutrient application and agricultural practices on water quality. On the basis of research data collected in the study, the council decided to reduce the watershed’s nutrient losses by half of the current levels. Producers in the watershed have been implementing technologies to meet the goal. Agricultural & biosystems engineering faculty Jim Baker, Stu Melvin, Steve Mickelson, Ramesh Kanwar and Jeff Lorimor work with faculty in other departments and field specialists to conduct extension water-quality workshops and field days, plus make presentations at local, national and international conferences. Faculty in other departments, including John Downing, Bill Crumpton and Joe Morris, have led other outreach efforts in water quality. The Heartland Integrated Water Quality Coordination Initiative and the Tribal College Community Natural Resources Education Program are two examples of efforts to extend water quality management and planning information on a regional basis and improve understanding for the need for watershed-based planning and pollution reduction approaches. The Heartland Initiative is led by Jerry Miller and John Lawrence. The Tribal College Program is coordinated by Harold Crawford. Dwaine Bundy, Steve Hoff, Jeff Lorimor, Hongwei Xin, Wendy Powers and Joe Colletti are among the faculty actively engaged with livestock producers to communicate research findings on air quality issues associated with confined animal production. Elywnn Taylor deals with questions on global climate and pending climate changes in his extension-sponsored weekly radio call-in program and makes numerous presentations around the state. Paul Wray and Carl Mize present workshops on shelterbelt and windbreak construction. Wray coordinated Forestry Field Days in 10 locations. After the field days, 97 percent of participants reported they had a better understanding of their woodlands; 49 percent placed a woodland in the Forest Reserve; 67 percent developed a woodland management plan; and 75 percent implemented management changes. Soy-based adhesives and how they can be used by local industry for testing and evaluation have been part of the efforts of Doug Stokke and Monlin Kuo. The NatureMAP program is led by Jason O’Brien and Jim Pease. Pease also leads Extension’s Master Conservationist program. Partners Many individuals and groups support Experiment Station research and education in ways that go beyond dollars. Here are a few examples. Nearly 100 farmers and landowners have provided access to their land for research. Iowa Department of Natural Resources has provided equipment, personnel and supplies such as seedlings and fish. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Fish and Wildlife Service have provided lab and field facilities, maps and personnel, and site preparation work. Municipalities’ support has included the City of Ames providing access to the Ada Hayden Lake area. Company support has included Pure Fishing providing raw materials for habitat research and Rubbermaid Home Products conducting industrial test molding. Groups such as the Iowa Egg Council, the Iowa Poultry Association, The Nature Conservancy and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation have provided land or facility access for research. The Pekin School District and its vocational agriculture instructor provided 25 acres for a controlled drainage study over the next five to 10 years. Approximately 30,000 feet of tile was provided by Prinsco Tile Inc., as well as surveying and layout. Tile installation was provided at no cost by local contractors. Des Moines Metro Waste Agency, Bluestem Solid Waste Agency (Cedar Rapids), and the City of Davenport Composting Facility supplied compost and trucking for erosion research sponsored by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Transportation. Seven local research farm associations have provided land to researchers to work on regional agricultural topics dating backto the 1930s. Work has centered on crops, soils, water quality and livestock.

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