Funding
AFREC, MN Corn Growers Association. Start November 2019.
Project description
Working with Dr. Lindsay Pease at the NW Research and Outreach Center, Cates is investigating the changes in soil organic matter with newly-installed tile drainage outside of Crookston, MN. Since microbes mineralize carbon more quickly with more oxygen, we expect organic matter to decrease. However, which pools of organic matter are mineralized will have implications for long-term organic matter storage. We will also estimate the release of crop nutrients from organic matter mineralization, in order to inform fertilizer guidelines in newly-drained fields.