The Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department's faculty and staff at the Eastern Shore AREC strive to fulfill the College of Agriculture’s key initiative of agricultural profitability and environmental sustainability. Major tasks are to assist producers, agency personnel, and other stakeholders with production, environmental, and political issues as they arise. Through troubleshooting and stakeholder contacts, topics for applied research for nutrient and soil management are discovered and research projects are implemented. Assisting producers with nutrient and soil management concerns is the major focus of my research and Extension programs, which will increase producer’s productivity, efficiency, and profitability while increasing environmental sustainability. Research and Extension programs focus on all major vegetable and agronomic commodities in Virginia, including barley, cotton, field corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, sweet corn, snap beans, and tomatoes. Various studies we have implemented compare new and alternative fertilizer sources as well as new techniques for fertilizer application. Fertilizer management in conservation tillage oriented systems is a major focus to assist producers with evolving Extension recommendations. Environmental integrity of fertilizer programs is being tested through various methods of groundwater monitoring. Reducing nutrient loss is important environmentally and agronomically to increase overall fertilizer use efficiency. Research is presented at producer oriented and scientific venues. This work is/was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project VA-135889.
