Planting Details — Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)

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A record of the seed and seeding rate for MCSE Treatments in all Replicate Blocks (1-6) at the LTER Main Site. Consult table KBS004-008 or browse the aglog at https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu if needed.

This datatable is part of the Agronomic Practices of the Main Cropping System Experiment dataset.

This dataset includes information on the agronomic practices of the Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE), including the LTER Main Site treatments (T1-T8) and the Mid-successional (TSF) and Forested (TCF, TDF) sites.

Most long-term hypotheses of the KBS LTER are tested within the context of the MCSE. The LTER Main Site contains 7 different cropping systems (T1-T7) established in 1988 on a 48-ha area divided into 6 replicate blocks (R1-R6) of seven 1-ha plots. Each system is replicated in each block. The eighth system (T8) is a mown grassland on never-tilled soil, located 200 m off-site and replicated in four 0.06 ha plots.

Current MCSE treatments at the LTER Main Site include:


  • Conventional (T1): standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • No-till (T2): standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation no-tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • Reduced Input (T3): low chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994), with a center prairie strip planted in each replicate in 2019
  • Biologically Based (T4): zero chemical input corn/soybean wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994), with a center prairie strip planted in each replicate in 2019
  • Poplar (T5): Populus clones on short-rotation (6-7 year) harvest cycle
  • Switchgrass (T6): planted in 2019 and converted in 2018 from continuous alfalfa, replanted every 6-7 years)
  • Early Successional (T7): early successional community on historically tilled soil abandoned in 1989 and burned annually since 1997
  • Mown Grassland (Never Tilled; T8); successional community on never-tilled soil, mown annually since 1960

In 1993 three additional successional sites were added to the MCSE to provide reference communities for population and process comparisons. All are within 3 km of and share the same soil series as the LTER Main Site. These include:


  • Mid-successional (TSF): three old-field sites on historically tilled cropland abandoned in the 1950s and 1960s
  • Coniferous Forest (TCF): three conifer long-rotation plantations established in 1965
  • Deciduous Forest: three deciduous forest stands, two old-growth and one logged once ca. 1960

For each treatment (and for some, microplots nested within treatment plots) the following variates are routinely measured (described in greater detail in associated datasets):


  • plant characteristics including species distributions and abundances, aboveground net primary production by function;
  • soil chemical and physical characteristics, including soil moisture, pH, inorganic N pools, total C and N, and bulk density;
  • soil biological characteristics including greenhouse gas fluxes, soil leachate, N mineralization potential (buried bags); and
  • insect dynamics including distributions and abundances of major insect pests and predators.

Note

Experiment: Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)
Data available from: November 1988 to November 2019
Dataset: KBS004
Datatable ID: KBS004-013.137
Repository link: http://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e5642426f9200404b6ba3af45ad9c423
Related Tables:
Personnel:
Last Updated 2024-03-18
Variate Description Units
obs date The observation date
Treatment experimental treatment
Replicate LTER Replicate
Plot LTER Plot
Material material used
Rate rate of application
Unit units per acre
propagules per acre the number of propagules (seeds or plants) planted per acre
propagule rate estimation flag a flag to indicate if the number of propagules has been estimate and 'E' indicates and estimated values based on the source_for_estimation and a an empty values indicates a reported value.
source for estimation references for the conversion from the reported planting rates to the propagules_per_acre column
Comment aa note about the sample
source the source URL for the observation

Data Excerpt

obs_date treatment replicate plot material rate unit propagules_per_acre propagule_rate_estimation_flag source_for_estimation comment source
2023-06-14 T4 R3 T4R3 Corn- Organic Viking O.45-97UP 32000.0 seeds 32000.0 Planted corn in the LTER Main Site T4 plots, all replications in the order of (4, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) . Equipment Used: JD 7330 tractor and JD 1730 planter (with Dawn automatic down-pressure and seed depth systems and Dawn hydraulic row cleaners) T4 rep 4 and 1/4 (5 passes) of rep 1 were planted 6/14/23 T4 reps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all planted on 6/15/23 Planting Population: 32,000 seeds/A. Planting Depth: 1.75-2 inches. Row Spacing: 30 inches. Planting of T4 plots was delayed this year due to prolonged lack of soil moisture. Weather conditions on 6/14 at 1:00 pm: Temperature: 64.0°F Wind Speed: 6.08 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 10:15 am Temperature: 58.0°F Wind Speed: 3.53 mph Wind Direction: Southeast Relative Humidity: 98.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 5:30 pm: Temperature: 68.1°F Wind Speed: 12.83 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.6% https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5908
2023-06-14 T4 R4 T4R4 Corn- Organic Viking O.45-97UP 32000.0 seeds 32000.0 Planted corn in the LTER Main Site T4 plots, all replications in the order of (4, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) . Equipment Used: JD 7330 tractor and JD 1730 planter (with Dawn automatic down-pressure and seed depth systems and Dawn hydraulic row cleaners) T4 rep 4 and 1/4 (5 passes) of rep 1 were planted 6/14/23 T4 reps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all planted on 6/15/23 Planting Population: 32,000 seeds/A. Planting Depth: 1.75-2 inches. Row Spacing: 30 inches. Planting of T4 plots was delayed this year due to prolonged lack of soil moisture. Weather conditions on 6/14 at 1:00 pm: Temperature: 64.0°F Wind Speed: 6.08 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 10:15 am Temperature: 58.0°F Wind Speed: 3.53 mph Wind Direction: Southeast Relative Humidity: 98.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 5:30 pm: Temperature: 68.1°F Wind Speed: 12.83 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.6% https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5908
2023-06-14 T4 R1 T4R1 Corn- Organic Viking O.45-97UP 32000.0 seeds 32000.0 Planted corn in the LTER Main Site T4 plots, all replications in the order of (4, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) . Equipment Used: JD 7330 tractor and JD 1730 planter (with Dawn automatic down-pressure and seed depth systems and Dawn hydraulic row cleaners) T4 rep 4 and 1/4 (5 passes) of rep 1 were planted 6/14/23 T4 reps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all planted on 6/15/23 Planting Population: 32,000 seeds/A. Planting Depth: 1.75-2 inches. Row Spacing: 30 inches. Planting of T4 plots was delayed this year due to prolonged lack of soil moisture. Weather conditions on 6/14 at 1:00 pm: Temperature: 64.0°F Wind Speed: 6.08 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 10:15 am Temperature: 58.0°F Wind Speed: 3.53 mph Wind Direction: Southeast Relative Humidity: 98.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 5:30 pm: Temperature: 68.1°F Wind Speed: 12.83 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.6% https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5908
2023-06-14 T4 R2 T4R2 Corn- Organic Viking O.45-97UP 32000.0 seeds 32000.0 Planted corn in the LTER Main Site T4 plots, all replications in the order of (4, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) . Equipment Used: JD 7330 tractor and JD 1730 planter (with Dawn automatic down-pressure and seed depth systems and Dawn hydraulic row cleaners) T4 rep 4 and 1/4 (5 passes) of rep 1 were planted 6/14/23 T4 reps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all planted on 6/15/23 Planting Population: 32,000 seeds/A. Planting Depth: 1.75-2 inches. Row Spacing: 30 inches. Planting of T4 plots was delayed this year due to prolonged lack of soil moisture. Weather conditions on 6/14 at 1:00 pm: Temperature: 64.0°F Wind Speed: 6.08 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 10:15 am Temperature: 58.0°F Wind Speed: 3.53 mph Wind Direction: Southeast Relative Humidity: 98.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 5:30 pm: Temperature: 68.1°F Wind Speed: 12.83 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.6% https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5908
2023-06-14 T4 R5 T4R5 Corn- Organic Viking O.45-97UP 32000.0 seeds 32000.0 Planted corn in the LTER Main Site T4 plots, all replications in the order of (4, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) . Equipment Used: JD 7330 tractor and JD 1730 planter (with Dawn automatic down-pressure and seed depth systems and Dawn hydraulic row cleaners) T4 rep 4 and 1/4 (5 passes) of rep 1 were planted 6/14/23 T4 reps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all planted on 6/15/23 Planting Population: 32,000 seeds/A. Planting Depth: 1.75-2 inches. Row Spacing: 30 inches. Planting of T4 plots was delayed this year due to prolonged lack of soil moisture. Weather conditions on 6/14 at 1:00 pm: Temperature: 64.0°F Wind Speed: 6.08 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 10:15 am Temperature: 58.0°F Wind Speed: 3.53 mph Wind Direction: Southeast Relative Humidity: 98.0% Weather conditions on 6/15 at 5:30 pm: Temperature: 68.1°F Wind Speed: 12.83 mph Wind Direction: West Relative Humidity: 67.6% https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5908
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