Agronomic Field Log (Expanded) — Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)

Data in the KBS LTER core database may not be published without written permission of the lead investigator or project director Full terms of use

The expanded log of agronomic activities on MCSE treatments, including the materials applied, rate of application, and equipment associated with the agronomic activity

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: May 1988 to March 2020
Dataset: KBS004
Datatable ID: KBS004-008.137
Repository link: http://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e5642426f9200404b6ba3af45ad9c423
Related Tables:
Personnel:
Last Updated 2024-03-18
Variate Description Units
obs date observation date
treatment experimental treatment
observation type type of activity recorded
comment a description of the activity performed
name plot name where the activity occurred
material material applied if any
rate rate at which the material was applied
units rate units
equipment equipment used
observation id observation id. This can be used to retrieve the original observation at http://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/

Data Excerpt

obs_date treatment observation_type comment name material rate units equipment observation_id
2024-03-07 T3 Burning Burned prairie strips located in the LTER main site treatment 3 and 4, all replications, reps: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Order of Burning: T3R5, T4R5, T3R4, T4R3, T3R2, T4R2, T3R1, T4R1, T3R3, T4R4, T4R6, T3R6 Started burning at 1:00 p.m. and finished at 4:40 p.m. this was just burning time and does not include setup and cleanup. Weather conditions at 1:00 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 44.7° F; Wind Direction (out of): East; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 7.58 mpg, at 10m height 9.11 mph; Humidity: 70.4%. Weather conditions at 4:40 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 47.8° F; Wind Direction (out of): Southeast; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 5.12 mph, at 10m height 6.35 mph; Humidity: 70.3%;. LTER lab group completed the burning in prairie strips. T3R2P 6120
2024-03-07 T3 Burning Burned prairie strips located in the LTER main site treatment 3 and 4, all replications, reps: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Order of Burning: T3R5, T4R5, T3R4, T4R3, T3R2, T4R2, T3R1, T4R1, T3R3, T4R4, T4R6, T3R6 Started burning at 1:00 p.m. and finished at 4:40 p.m. this was just burning time and does not include setup and cleanup. Weather conditions at 1:00 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 44.7° F; Wind Direction (out of): East; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 7.58 mpg, at 10m height 9.11 mph; Humidity: 70.4%. Weather conditions at 4:40 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 47.8° F; Wind Direction (out of): Southeast; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 5.12 mph, at 10m height 6.35 mph; Humidity: 70.3%;. LTER lab group completed the burning in prairie strips. T3R3P 6120
2024-03-07 T3 Burning Burned prairie strips located in the LTER main site treatment 3 and 4, all replications, reps: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Order of Burning: T3R5, T4R5, T3R4, T4R3, T3R2, T4R2, T3R1, T4R1, T3R3, T4R4, T4R6, T3R6 Started burning at 1:00 p.m. and finished at 4:40 p.m. this was just burning time and does not include setup and cleanup. Weather conditions at 1:00 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 44.7° F; Wind Direction (out of): East; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 7.58 mpg, at 10m height 9.11 mph; Humidity: 70.4%. Weather conditions at 4:40 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 47.8° F; Wind Direction (out of): Southeast; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 5.12 mph, at 10m height 6.35 mph; Humidity: 70.3%;. LTER lab group completed the burning in prairie strips. T3R4P 6120
2024-03-07 T3 Burning Burned prairie strips located in the LTER main site treatment 3 and 4, all replications, reps: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Order of Burning: T3R5, T4R5, T3R4, T4R3, T3R2, T4R2, T3R1, T4R1, T3R3, T4R4, T4R6, T3R6 Started burning at 1:00 p.m. and finished at 4:40 p.m. this was just burning time and does not include setup and cleanup. Weather conditions at 1:00 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 44.7° F; Wind Direction (out of): East; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 7.58 mpg, at 10m height 9.11 mph; Humidity: 70.4%. Weather conditions at 4:40 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 47.8° F; Wind Direction (out of): Southeast; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 5.12 mph, at 10m height 6.35 mph; Humidity: 70.3%;. LTER lab group completed the burning in prairie strips. T3R5P 6120
2024-03-07 T3 Burning Burned prairie strips located in the LTER main site treatment 3 and 4, all replications, reps: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Order of Burning: T3R5, T4R5, T3R4, T4R3, T3R2, T4R2, T3R1, T4R1, T3R3, T4R4, T4R6, T3R6 Started burning at 1:00 p.m. and finished at 4:40 p.m. this was just burning time and does not include setup and cleanup. Weather conditions at 1:00 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 44.7° F; Wind Direction (out of): East; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 7.58 mpg, at 10m height 9.11 mph; Humidity: 70.4%. Weather conditions at 4:40 p.m.: Mostly cloudy; Temperature: 47.8° F; Wind Direction (out of): Southeast; Wind Speed (5 minute average): At 3m height 5.12 mph, at 10m height 6.35 mph; Humidity: 70.3%;. LTER lab group completed the burning in prairie strips. T3R1P 6120
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