Research Projects

2018

Improving Cereal Rye Cover Crop BMPs to Increase Adoption of Cover Crops by Iowa Farmers
Investigators:
Alison Robertson, Mark Licht, J. Arbuckle, Michael Castellano, Liang Dong, Bob Hartzler, Erin Hodgson, Andy Lenssen, Marshall McDaniel, Tom Moorman, Alejandro Plastina
Influence of Spatial Planting Arrangement of a Winter Cereal Rye Cover Crop on Corn Productivity
Investigators:
Alison Robertson , Andy Lenssen, Tom Moorman
Monetizing Soil Health: An Innovative Strategy to Drive Greater Adoption of Cover Crops and No-Till
Investigators:
Alejandro Plastina, Marshall McDaniel, Wendong Zhang
New Technologies to Reduce Barriers to Implementation of Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies
Investigators:
Michael Castellano, Liang Dong, Peter Kyveryga
Quantifying Hotspots of Nitrate and Dissolved Phosphorus Losses from Cropped Depressions and Impacts at the Catchment Scale
Investigators:
Steven Hall, William Crumpton, Matthew Helmers
Quantifying the Effects of BMPs on Sediment and Phosphorus Delivery to a Range of Eastern Iowa Rivers
Investigators:
Keith Schiling, Matthew Streeter, Calvin Wolter
Understanding Farmer and Landowner Decision-Making and Message Preference Concerning Conservation Practice Adoption in the Clear Creek Watershed
Investigators:
Mary Losch, Andrew Stephenson
Using the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) to Optimize the Allocation of Scarce Conservation Funding
Investigators:
John Tyndall , Adriana Valcu-Lisman , Yongjie Ji , Emily Zimmerman

2017

Amounts and Forms of Dissolved Phosphorus Lost with Surface Runoff as Affected by Phosphorus Management and Soil Conservation Practices
Investigators:
Antonio Mallarino, Mazhar U. Haq
Baseline Assessment of Geisler Farm Site: Collection of Pre-BMP Monitoring Data
Investigators:
Keith Schilling, Chris Jones, David DeGeus, Anthony Seeman, Jake Geisler
Delivery-Scale Evaluation and Modeling of Nutrient Reduction Practices
Investigators:
Chaoqun Lu, William Crumpton, Matt Helmers
Does Quantity and Quality of Tile Drainage Water Impact In-stream Eutrophication Potential? Evidence from a Long-term Biofuel Cropping Systems Experiment
Investigators:
Marshall McDaniel, Mriganka De, Michael Thompson, Matt Liebman, Matthew Helmers
Impacts of Cover Crops on Phosphorus and Nitrogen Loss with Surface Runoff 2017
Investigators:
Antonio Mallarino, Matthew Helmers, Richard Cruse, John Sawyer, Dan Jaynes
Improving the Effectiveness of Conservation Programs through Innovative Reverse Auctions and Sensible Enrollment Restrictions
Investigators:
Wendong Zhang, Gregory Howard
Limiting Nitrogen Immobilization in Cover Crop Systems
Investigators:
Michael Thompson, Matt Liebman, Matthew Helmers
Successful Voluntary Watershed Improvement Projects: Do Short-Term Adoption and Outreach Lead to Attitude Changes and Long-Term Sustainable Practice Adoption?
Investigators:
Jacqueline Comito, Jamie Benning
Total Phosphorus Loads in Iowa Rivers and Estimation of Stream Bank Phosphorus Contribution
Investigators:
Keith Schilling, Calvin Wolter, Tom Isenhart
Water Quality Evaluation of Prairie Strips Across Iowa
Investigators:
Matthew Helmers, Lisa Schulte Moore, Matt Liebman
Woodchip Bioreactors for Improved Water Quality 2017
Investigators:
Michelle Soupir, Natasha Hoover, Thomas Moorman, Thomas Isenhart

2016

Building Cost-Effective Prairie for Multiple Nutrient Reduction Practices
Investigators:
Justin Meissen, Ashley Kittle
Establishment and Monitoring of Saturated Buffers
Investigators:
Thomas Isenhart, Dan Jaynes
Evaluating the Nutrient Processing Capacity of Roadside Ditches
Investigators:
Keith Schilling, Matthew Streeter, Laura Jackson, Marty St. Clair
Evaluation of Measurement Methods as Surrogates for Tile-Flow Nitrate-N Concentrations 2016
Investigators:
John Sawyer, Matthew Helmers
Impacts of Prairie Pothole Hydrology on Field-Scale Losses of Nitrogen and Dissolved Phosphorus
Investigators:
Steven Hall, Amy Kaleita, Michelle Soupir
Improving the Capacity to Detect Load Reductions
Investigators:
Michael Castellano, Sotirios Archontoulis, Bill Crumpton, Matthew Helmers, Chris Jones, Fernando Miguez, Keith Schilling
Land Tenure and Nutrient Management Practices: Identifying Economic Barriers and Incentives for Landowners and Tenants to Meet Growing Soil and Water Conservation Needs
Investigators:
Wendong Zhang, Alejandro Plastina
Phosphorus Contributions from Eroding Iowa Stream Banks
Investigators:
Peter Moore, Thomas Isenhart, John Thomas, Keith Schilling, Calvin Wolter, John Kovar, Richard Schultz, Jason Palmer
Potential Monomethylmercury Production in Bioreactors and Wetlands Intercepting Elevated Nitrate Loads in Iowa
Investigators:
William Crumpton, Michelle Soupir, Casey Judge
Woodchip Bioreactors for Improved Water Quality 2016
Investigators:
Michelle Soupir, Natasha Hoover, Thomas Moorman, Thomas Isenhart

2015

Conservation Practices Inventory for Select Iowa HUC 12 Watersheds
Investigators:
Robin McNeely, Josh Obrecht, Amy Logan, Calvin Wolter, Adam Schnieders
Cover Crops Influence Nutrient Cycling, Yield and Diseases of Corn and Soybean
Investigators:
Alison Robertson, Leonor Leandro, Andrew Lenssen, Tom Kaspar, Tom Moorman
Evaluation of Stacked Conservation Practices on Phosphorus and Sediment Loss
Investigators:
Richard Cruse, Daryl Herzmann, Brian Gelder, Amy Kaleita, Robin McNeely, Amy Logan, Thomas Isenhart, Calvin Wolter
Identifying and Quantifying Nutrient Reduction Benefits of Restored Oxbows
Investigators:
Keith Schiling, Nathan Young, Christopher Jones, Keegan Kult, Karen Wilke
Impacts of Cover Crops on Phosphorus and Nitrogen Loss with Surface Runoff 2015
Investigators:
Antonio Mallarino, Matthew Helmers, Richard Cruse, John Sawyer, Dan Jaynes
Linking Nutrient Reduction Practices with Biomass Energy: Quantifying Thermal Energy Demand and Supply Capacity for Representative Farms in Eastern Iowa
Investigators:
Laura Jackson, Kamyar Enshayan
Quantification of Nutrient Reduction Practices Benefits from the Hillslope to the Watershed Scale
Investigators:
Antonio Arenas, Keith Schilling, Larry Weber
Quantifying Temporal and Spatial Variability in NO3-N Leaching Across Iowa
Investigators:
Sotirios Archontoulis, Matthew Helmers, Michael Castellano, Peter Kyveryga, Adam Kiel, Roger Wolf
Reducing Nutrient Losses While Increasing Farm Profit Through Precision Conservation
Investigators:
Andy VanLoocke, Emily Heaton, Dave Muth, Lisa Schulte Moore, Sotirios Archontoulis, Ingrid Gronstal Anderson
Scientific and Technological Tools to Implement Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy 2015
Investigators:
Doug Schnoebelen, Larry Weber, Adam Ward
Utilizing Beef Stocker Cattle to Enhance the Value of Cover Crops
Investigators:
Mahdi Al-Kaisi, David Kwaw-Mensah
Water Quality Performance of Prairie Strips
Investigators:
Matthew Helmers, Todd Sutphin, Anthony Seeman
Woodchip Bioreactors for Improved Water Quality 2015
Investigators:
Michelle Soupir, Natasha Hoover, Tom Moorman, Thomas Isenhart

2014

Developing Remote Sensing Protocols for Inventory of Nutrient Management Practices
Investigators:
Brian Gelder, Sarah Porter, Amy Kaleita, Calvin Wolter, Richard Cruse, Thomas Isenhart, Mark Tomer, Peter Wolter, David James
Developing Remote Sensing Protocols for Inventory of Permanent Vegetative Practices
Investigators:
James Giglierano, Amy Logan, Sarah Porter, David James, Thomas Isenhart
Drainage Water Quality Impacts of Current Future Agricultural Management Practices
Investigators:
Matthew Helmers, Michelle Soupir, Antonio Mallarino, Carl Pederson
Measuring the Effectiveness of Stacked Nutrient Reduction Practices
Investigators:
Keith Schilling, Wren Almitra, Doug Schnoebelen
Modeling of Nitrate Loads and Concentrations in the Raccoon River
Investigators:
Gabriele Villarini, Christopher Anderson, Christopher Jones, Keith Schilling
Nutrient Trading in Iowa: A Pilot Study in the Catfish Creek Watershed
Investigators:
Larry Weber, Chad Drake
Phosphorus Loss from Ephemeral Gully Formation and Sediment Transport
Investigators:
Richard M. Cruse, Eric Hurley, Antonio Mallarino, Matthew Helmers
Prairie Seed Mixes for Contour Buffer Strips: On-Farm Demonstration and Workshops
Investigators:
Daryl Smith