Nutrient Management
 The faculty in Nutrient Management conducts research on the biological and chemical pathways of nutrient cycling in soils, including how environmental factors affect the rates of nutrient cycling. Research objectives include the development of remote sensing methods and other protocols for mapping the spatial variability of soil properties, which in turn affects the spatial variability of plant available nutrients. Maps of soil properties are also useful for their practical use in precision farming. Specific nutrient research projects deal with cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in soil, including studies to quantify the rates of nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter and the rates of ammonia volatilization from surface applied urea fertilizer and animal manures in both forest and pasture environments. One of the goals of the nitrogen research is to develop practical methods for determining sustainable nitrogen fertilizer rates for crop production. Research is also in progress on the development of better methods for the routine determination of soil pH and lime requirement for use in soil testing laboratories and the possible extension of this technology for field measurement using Near Infrared Reflectance Technology.
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