Speaker: Dr. Emmanuel Ayipio, Postgraduate Fellow, Auburn University Description: Aquaponics combines recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with soilless horticulture. A successful aquaponics system is hinged on nutrient cycling. Therefore, managing nutrients levels becomes essential for a successful aquaponics operation. Low nutrient concentrations can be a limiting factor to achieving potential yields in aquaponics. Unlike conventional hydroponics systems where nutrient recipes exist, plant production in aquaponics depends on the RAS component. Nutrient loadings differ among RAS due to differences in fish species, feeding rates, density and are mostly outside the control of the soilless Horticulturist. Also, aside low nutrient concentration, there is daily variability in nutrient concentration which makes nutrient management a challenge. In this webinar, I will share the experiences I gained from our pilot-scale commercial aquaponics operation at Auburn University. I will highlight some of the successes and failures of our system. The talk will mostly focus on pH management, substrate choice, hydroponics system type, irrigation scheduling and their effect on productivity of selected crops. Some of the key observations were that 1. pH had no significant effect on nutrient uptake, 2. pinebark substrate can substitute for perlite but depends on number of plants per container, 3. the deep-water culture is preferred over NFT (nutrient film technique) and substrate culture in aquaponics, and 4. in the NFT system, hydraulic retention time affects nutrient availability.
Speaker: Dr. Karl Guillard Nitrogen fertilization for higher-cut turfgrasses such as lawns, parks, institutional grounds, etc., typically follows long-standing practices that have not changed much in the last several decades. Fertilizer applications are generally made at predetermined rates [usually around 1 lb N per 1,000 sq. ft (49 kg N per hectare)] on or around benchmark calendar dates or events throughout the growing season, e.g., Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day. Depending on turfgrass species and intended use, fertilization can occur once to four times or more during the growing season. The rates and timing are common across wide ranging geographical locations, soils, and climate conditions. From a scientific perspective, this is not logical and suggests that the current fertilization approach is subjective and essentially guessing. Sometimes the turfgrass manager will guess the appropriate rate correctly, but there is a high probability that the rate will not be optimum and either higher or lower than what the turfgrass stand needs to meet growth, performance, and/or aesthetic goals. In this talk, I will review the past and current work from my laboratory researching new soil tests, sap nitrate tests, and reflectance meters to objectively guide and improve nitrogen fertilization of higher-cut turfgrasses.
Sarah's research involves using plants to clean water. She is passionate about mentoring young faculty and graduate students to help them succeed in the future.
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Cutulle, Assistant Professor, Clemson University Description: This seminar will provide a data summary of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in the Southeast with a focus on work conducted in Dr. Cutulle's lab. Topics will include local carbon source optimization, cover crops used to facilitate ASD, impact of plastic mulch selection on ASD, and other topics.
Join USDA NIFA staff to discuss some of their competitive grant programs focused on horticulture. This workshop will examine ways to get an insider’s perspective on how to write a competitive grant, the grant application review process, and the importance of impact reporting. While the focus of the workshop will be on the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), we will also cover other grants of interest such as the AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS), the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), and the Organic Transitions Program (ORG). Whether you’ve been awarded NIFA grants before or not, this workshop will have something for you: sharing essential information on how to be successful throughout the granting process. Speakers: Jessica Shade, Thomas Bewick, Megan O'Reilly, Mathieu Ngouajio
