Expanded Agronomic Log — 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Data in the KBS LTER core database may not be published without written permission of the lead investigator or project director Full terms of use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 whole agronomic log for the LTER site as one big table.

This datatable is part of the Main Cropping System Experiment Field Logs and treatment descriptions dataset. This dataset includes information about the LTER main site treatments, agronomic practices carried out on the treatments and approved site use requests.

Most long-term hypotheses associated with the KBS LTER site are being tested within the context of the main cropping systems study. This study was established on a 48 ha area on which a series of 7 different cropping systems were established in spring 1988, each replicated in one of 6 ha blocks. An eighth never-tilled successional treatment, is located 200 m off-site, replicated as four 0.06 ha plots.

Cropping systems include the following treatments:

  • T1. Conventional: standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • T2. No-till: standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation no-tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • T3. Reduced input: low chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994)
  • T4. Biologically based: zero chemical input corn/soybean wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994)
  • T5. Poplar: Populus clones on short-rotation (6-7 year) harvest cycle
  • T6. Switchgrass (converted in 2018 from continuous alfalfa, replanted every 6-7 years)
  • T7. Early successional community: historically tilled soil
  • T8. Mown grassland community: never-tilled soil.

For specific crops in a given year see the Annual Crops Summary Table.

In 1993 a series of forest sites were added to the main cropping system study to provide long-term reference points and to allow hypotheses related to substrate diversity to be tested. These include:

  • TCF. Coniferous forest: three conifer plantations, 40-60 years old
  • TDF. Decidious forest: three deciduous forest stands, two old-growth and one 40-60 years post-cutting
  • TSF. Mid-successional forest: three old-field (mid-successional) sites 40+ years post-abandonment.

All share a soil series with the main cropping system treatments, and are within 5 km of all other sites.

For each system (and for a number of microplot treatments nested within the main treatment plots) the following baseline variates are being measured (described in greater detail in other data set descriptors):

  • plant characteristics, including species distributions and abundances, net aboveground productivity by functional group (crop vs. non dominant biomass, selected non dominant biomass), economic yields, tissue C and N contents, seed bank composition;
  • soil chemical and physical characteristics, including soil moisture, pH, inorganic N and P pools, total C, N, and P pools, bulk density;
  • soil biological characteristics, including microbial biomass C and N, N mineralization rates (buried bags), microbial populations, invertebrate populations; and
  • insect and pathogen dynamics, including distributions and abundances of major insect pests and predators and of Fusarium pathogens.

Note

Experiment: Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)
Data available from: May 1988 to March 2020
Dataset: KBS004
Datatable ID: KBS004-008.100
Repository link: http://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e5642426f9200404b6ba3af45ad9c423
Related Tables:
Personnel:
Last Updated 2020-07-10
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
2022-10-04 T1 Pesticide application Herbicide application to T1 plots (reps 4, 1, 5, 2, 6). Round Up power max at 44 oz per acre (1.5 lbs per acre) and Ammonium Sulfate at 3.4 lbs per acre were applied as a burndown. 2-4D was not applied to T1 plots because of the low perennial weed pressure and the upcoming tillage. Rate of spray was 20gal/acre on JD rate controller. Application began at 12:20 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 64.4°F, wind speed 4.56 mph, wind direction West, humidity 43.6% Application concluded at 4:30 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 70.5°F, wind speed 6.06 mph, wind direction West, relative humidity 29.0%, and sunny. REI: 4 hours. Application was completed using the 30ft top air sprayer and the John Deere 5220 tractor. Application in T1R6 was not completed same day, ran out of product. Remainder of T1R6 was sprayed next day, 10/5/22. Application began with the remainder of T2R6 from the previous application. T1R1 John Deere 5220 Tractor 5570
2022-10-04 T1 Weed control Herbicide application to T1 plots (reps 4, 1, 5, 2, 6). Round Up power max at 44 oz per acre (1.5 lbs per acre) and Ammonium Sulfate at 3.4 lbs per acre were applied as a burndown. 2-4D was not applied to T1 plots because of the low perennial weed pressure and the upcoming tillage. Rate of spray was 20gal/acre on JD rate controller. Application began at 12:20 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 64.4°F, wind speed 4.56 mph, wind direction West, humidity 43.6% Application concluded at 4:30 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 70.5°F, wind speed 6.06 mph, wind direction West, relative humidity 29.0%, and sunny. REI: 4 hours. Application was completed using the 30ft top air sprayer and the John Deere 5220 tractor. Application in T1R6 was not completed same day, ran out of product. Remainder of T1R6 was sprayed next day, 10/5/22. Application began with the remainder of T2R6 from the previous application. T1R1 Roundup Power Max (glyphosate 48.7%) 44.0 ounce Top Air Sprayer 5570
2022-10-04 T1 Weed control Herbicide application to T1 plots (reps 4, 1, 5, 2, 6). Round Up power max at 44 oz per acre (1.5 lbs per acre) and Ammonium Sulfate at 3.4 lbs per acre were applied as a burndown. 2-4D was not applied to T1 plots because of the low perennial weed pressure and the upcoming tillage. Rate of spray was 20gal/acre on JD rate controller. Application began at 12:20 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 64.4°F, wind speed 4.56 mph, wind direction West, humidity 43.6% Application concluded at 4:30 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 70.5°F, wind speed 6.06 mph, wind direction West, relative humidity 29.0%, and sunny. REI: 4 hours. Application was completed using the 30ft top air sprayer and the John Deere 5220 tractor. Application in T1R6 was not completed same day, ran out of product. Remainder of T1R6 was sprayed next day, 10/5/22. Application began with the remainder of T2R6 from the previous application. T1R1 Ammonium sulfate (AMS) 3.4 pound Top Air Sprayer 5570
2022-10-04 T1 Pesticide application Herbicide application to T1 plots (reps 4, 1, 5, 2, 6). Round Up power max at 44 oz per acre (1.5 lbs per acre) and Ammonium Sulfate at 3.4 lbs per acre were applied as a burndown. 2-4D was not applied to T1 plots because of the low perennial weed pressure and the upcoming tillage. Rate of spray was 20gal/acre on JD rate controller. Application began at 12:20 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 64.4°F, wind speed 4.56 mph, wind direction West, humidity 43.6% Application concluded at 4:30 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 70.5°F, wind speed 6.06 mph, wind direction West, relative humidity 29.0%, and sunny. REI: 4 hours. Application was completed using the 30ft top air sprayer and the John Deere 5220 tractor. Application in T1R6 was not completed same day, ran out of product. Remainder of T1R6 was sprayed next day, 10/5/22. Application began with the remainder of T2R6 from the previous application. T1R1 Roundup Power Max (glyphosate 48.7%) 44.0 ounce Top Air Sprayer 5570
2022-10-04 T1 Pesticide application Herbicide application to T1 plots (reps 4, 1, 5, 2, 6). Round Up power max at 44 oz per acre (1.5 lbs per acre) and Ammonium Sulfate at 3.4 lbs per acre were applied as a burndown. 2-4D was not applied to T1 plots because of the low perennial weed pressure and the upcoming tillage. Rate of spray was 20gal/acre on JD rate controller. Application began at 12:20 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 64.4°F, wind speed 4.56 mph, wind direction West, humidity 43.6% Application concluded at 4:30 pm, weather conditions at the time were: 70.5°F, wind speed 6.06 mph, wind direction West, relative humidity 29.0%, and sunny. REI: 4 hours. Application was completed using the 30ft top air sprayer and the John Deere 5220 tractor. Application in T1R6 was not completed same day, ran out of product. Remainder of T1R6 was sprayed next day, 10/5/22. Application began with the remainder of T2R6 from the previous application. T1R1 Ammonium sulfate (AMS) 3.4 pound Top Air Sprayer 5570
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