Liquid fertilizers are best in calcareous soils, they say MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ganga Hettiarachchi knows that farmers want to be good stewards of the environment. And as a soil scientist at Kansas State University, she is in a good position to help them along the way. Hettiarachchi and former doctoral student Jay Weeks recently completed a study of how phosphorus – an important nutrient for growing farm crops – reacts in alkaline farmland,…

K-State’s Kirkham says reducing use of plastics may benefit agriculture MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State University crop physiologist has found that plastic products – which are well known to cause negative impacts on fish and other aquatic animals – also have an adverse effect on land-based organisms, such as farm crops. Mary Beth Kirkham, University Distinguished Professor in agronomy who specializes in the relationship between soil, plants and water, said that fact…

Dryland Soil Health Network meeting set for Feb. 18 in Hays HAYS, Kan. – There’s no teacher like experience, and like any profession, farmers learn from their own experiences plus those of fellow growers and researchers. With that in mind, K-State Research and Extension is launching the Dryland Soil Health Network to help facilitate information sharing and more. A kickoff meeting is set for Feb. 18 in Hays. The meeting runs from 10…

K-State faculty will discuss work at the Flickner Innovation Farm near Inman INMAN, Kan. ­– Kansas State University will be presenting current findings on irrigation and soil health based on research conducted at the Flickner Innovation Farm, near Inman. The farm is hosting the free workshop at the Inman Community Center, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on January 14. Lunch will be provided. More information, including registration, is available online from the…

The Kansas Agricultural Technologies Conference takes place Jan. 16-17 in Junction City JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Technology changes rapidly in every aspect of life. For farmers, keeping up with all changes in equipment, analysis methods and best practices can make a major difference in their productivity and, ultimately, their bottom line. From aerial crop-monitoring drones to driverless tractors, the present and future of Kansas agriculture takes center stage at the Kansas Agricultural Technologies…

Project is one of seven funded by the Irrigation Innovation Consortium MANHATTAN, Kan. – A project led by a Kansas State University agronomist that uses technology to study microclimate data is among seven ideas to be funded by the Irrigation Innovation Consortium, the group has announced. Eduardo Santos, an associate professor in the Department of Agronomy, is the lead researcher in a project titled Deployment and Maintenance of Flux Towers in Kansas to be…