Long Term
Soil Fertility Experiments at Oklahoma State University 1. ASA Centennial Calendar, Featured Experiments (site with original pictures)
2. PDF file from the ASA Centennial
3. PDF, ASA Centennial (#2)
4. Soil Classification, ALL Sites
5. Regional Wheat and Regional Corn (PLOT PLANS + trt structure)
6. Stillwater Oklahoma, Agronomy Experiment Station
7. Lake Carl Blackwell Experiment Station
8. PPT File of Long Term Trials in Oklahoma, 2020
9. OSU Drone Research
Aerial View, Lake Carl Blackwell Experiment Station
Long-Term Experiment Founding Fathers
A.C. Magruder, Horace Harper, Dr. Billy Tucker, Dr. Robert Westerman
Dr. Billy Tucker (BS, OSU, 1952, MS, 1953, PHD, Univ. Illinois, 1956)
Dr. A.C. Magruder, 1867-1924
Mr. Horace Harper, 1896-1961
Dr. Billy Tucker, 1928-2014
Dr. Robert L. Westerman
YOU TUBE Stories
Stillwater (DATA)
Lahoma (DATA) (Pictures)
Perkins N&P
ALL Lahoma Experiments
Magruder Plots
LATITUDE: 36, 7.1844, N
LONGITUDE: 97, 5.3190, W
Annual Rainfall: 33 inches per year
(825 mm)
Mean Annual Temp: 59F, 15.5C
Kirkland silt loam
(fine, mixed, thermic Udertic Paleustolls)
lbs P2O5/ac * 0.436 * 1.12 = kg P/ha
lbs K20/ac * 0.830 * 1.12 = kg K/ha
| OSU Ongoing Long Term Experiments | ||||
| Experiment | Location | Focus | Crop | Year Est. |
| 222 | Stillwater | NPK | wheat | 1968 |
| 301 | Efaw | Municipal wastes | wheat | 1993 |
| 302 | Efaw | Animal wastes | wheat | 2000 |
| 406 | Altus | NPK irrigated | wheat | 1965 |
| 407 | Altus | NPK dryland | wheat | 1965 |
| 439 | Altus | NPK | cotton | 1971 |
| 501 | Lahoma | NPK | sorghum (1970-2004) canola (2005-present) | 1970 |
| 502 | Lahoma | NPK | wheat | 1970 |
| 503 | Lahoma | P Source Method | wheat | 1970 |
| 504 | Lahoma | P Source | wheat | 1970 |
| 505 | Lahoma | N Source | wheat | 1970 |
| 601 | LCB | Zero-Till Topdress | wheat | 2001 |
| 702 | Perkins | N and P Rates | wheat | 1998 |
| Magruder Plots | Stillwater | NPK-lime | wheat | 1892 |
Magruder Plot Pictures
Publications
Nitrogen Balance in the Magruder Plots Following 109 Years in Continuous
Winter Wheat J. Plant Nutr. 26:1561-1580.
(pdf)
Use of Stability Analysis for Long-Term Soil Fertility Experiments. Agron J. 85:159-167
The Magruder Plots, Untangling the Puzzle. 2007. Agron J. 1191-1198
The Magruder Plots:
Environmental
Production History 1892-2017
In 1892,
A.C. Magruder initiated a soil fertility experiment which would be
continued for more than 100 years. The Magruder plots were initially
established to evaluate wheat production on native prairie soils without
fertilization. Although several changes have been made to the initial
trial, the Magruder plots remain the oldest continuous soil fertility
wheat experiment west of the Mississippi River. One of the key findings
of the Magruder Plots has been the sustained wheat production of more
than 16 bu/ac, following more than 100 years without any fertilization.
Not until the last 5-10 years have we seen any benefit of K
fertilization. Early on,
the response to P fertilization was notable (P-only versus the check).
As issues of sustainability and environmental safety become
increasingly more important, trials such as the Magruder Plots will be
further explored.
Procedures
Initially
only one plot was established to evaluate native wheat production
without the application of organic or inorganic fertilizers from 1893 to
1898. From 1899 to 1929, half of the experimental area was fertilized
with barnyard manure while the other half received no fertilization. In
1930, Dr. H.J. Harper established ten separate fertilization treatments
on these plots which would continue to 1947. Due to a university
construction decision for a new dormitory, plots from six of the ten
treatments were moved (surface 0- 16") following wheat harvest in 1947
to its present location on the Agronomy Research Station (Figure 1). The
subsoil at the new location was noted to be very similar to that of the
original site located just west of present day Stout Hall.
Table 1. Changes in location and treatment modifications for Magruder plots,1892-present.
|
Year |
Trts. |
Nitrogen source |
N rate, lb. N/ac |
N rate, manure lb.
N/ac |
P source |
Row spacing inches |
Seed Rate lb/ac |
Loc. |
Seed Type |
|
1892-1898 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
7 |
75 |
Old |
SRWW |
|
1899-1912 |
2 |
Manure only |
- |
- |
- |
7 |
75 |
Old |
SRWW |
|
1913-1929 |
2 |
Manure only |
- |
120** |
- |
7 |
75 |
Old |
HRWW |
|
1930-1933 |
10 |
NaNO3
(16-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
7 |
75 |
Old |
HRWW |
|
1934-1945 |
10 |
NaNO 3(16-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
14 |
50 |
Old |
HRWW |
|
1946-1947 |
10 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
14 |
50 |
Old |
HRWW |
|
1948 |
6 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
7 |
75 |
New |
HRWW |
|
1949-1957 |
6 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
14 |
50 |
New |
HRWW |
|
1958-1967 |
6 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
33 |
120** |
OSP (0-20-0-12S) |
10 |
60 |
New |
HRWW |
|
1968-1993 |
6 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
60 |
240** |
TSP (0-46-0) |
10 |
60 |
New |
HRWW |
|
1994-pres |
6 |
NH4NO3(33.5-0-0) |
60 |
240** |
TSP (0-46-0) |
7.5 |
60 |
New |
HRWW |
Table 2. Soil fertility treatment effects on Magruder Plot wheat grain yields, Stillwater, OK, 1930-2004
|
|
Treatment lb/ac/yr |
1930-37 |
1938-47 |
1948-57 |
1958-67 |
1968-77 |
1978-87 |
1988-97 |
1998-04 |
||
|
1. Manure only + |
|
24.1 |
17.5 |
18.0 |
29.9 |
30.2 |
34.1 |
28.0 |
39.5 |
||
|
2. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
16.6 |
9.5 |
13.3 |
18.9 |
18.0 |
19.6 |
15.1 |
18.6 |
|
3. |
0 |
30 |
0 |
21.2 |
15.9 |
19.1 |
21.5 |
18.8 |
22.4 |
14.7 |
20.4 |
|
4. |
33* |
30 |
0 |
22.6 |
17.2 |
19.8 |
31.7 |
36.0 |
30.5 |
27.4 |
41.7 |
|
5. |
33* |
30 |
30 |
23.4 |
17.4 |
19.9 |
29.4 |
33.9 |
30.9 |
32.4 |
44.6 |
|
6. |
33* |
30 |
30+ lime |
22.3 |
17.3 |
22.5 |
33.0 |
37.6 |
33.0 |
32.9 |
45.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mean |
|
|
|
21.7 |
15.8 |
18.8 |
27.4 |
28.9 |
28.4 |
25.1 |
35.1 |
|
SED |
|
|
|
2.6 |
1.8 |
1.8 |
2.0 |
2.6 |
1.9 |
2.6 |
3.7 |
|
* N rate increased to 60 lbs N/ac in 1968. + Beef manure applied at a rate of 120 and 240 lb N/ac every fourth year for periods 1930-1967 and 1967-present, respectively. Lime (L) applied when soil analysis indicated a pH of 5.5 or less. |
|||||||||||
| NPKL plot: Lime only applied when soil pH < 5.5 | ||||
| applied once in 1954 and once in 2009 | ||||
Figure 1. Physical
location and treatment structure of the Magruder Plots, 1947-present,
Agronomy Experiment Station, Stillwater
|
Site |
County |
Unit Name |
Soil Classification |
|
Altus |
Jackson |
Hollister silty clay loam |
Fine,smectitic, thermic, Typic Haplustert |
|
Efaw |
Payne |
Norge loam |
Fine-silty, mixed, thermic, Udic
Paleustoll |
|
Grainola |
Fine, mixed, thermic, Vertic Haplustalf |
||
|
Ashport |
Fine-silty, mixed, thermic, Fluventic
Haplustoll |
||
|
Easpur laom |
Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic, Fluventic Haplustoll |
||
|
Lahoma |
Garfield |
Grant silt loam |
Fine-silty,mixed,superactive,thermic, Udic Argiustoll |
|
Pond Creek silt loam |
Fine,silty,mixed, active,thermic, Udic Haplustoll |
||
|
LCB (East) |
Payne |
Port silt loam |
Fine,silty,mixed,thermic,Cumulic Haplustoll |
|
Pulaski fine sandy loam |
Coarse-loamy,mixed,nonacid,thermic, Typic Ustifluvent |
||
|
LCB (West) |
Payne |
Port silt loam |
Fine-silty,mixed,thermic, Cumulic Haplustoll |
|
Oscar |
Fine-silty, mixed, thermic, Typic Natrustalfs |
||
|
Pulaski fine sandy loam |
Coarse-loamy,mixed,nonacid,thermic, Typic Ustifluvent |
||
|
Konawa soils |
Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic, Ultic Haplustalfs |
||
|
Teller soils |
Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic, Udic argiustoll |
||
|
Perkins |
Payne |
Konawa fine sandy loam |
Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic, Ultic Haplustalfs |
|
Teller fine sandy loam |
Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic, Udic argiustoll |
||
|
Stillwater |
Payne |
Norge loam |
Fine-silty, mixed, thermic, Udic
Paleustoll |
|
Kirkland silt loam |
Fine,mixed,thermic,Udertic,Paleustoll |
|
Experiment |
Established No-till |
|
502 |
Fall 2011 |
|
222 |
Fall 2011 |
|
601 |
Fall 2012 |
|
East Magruder |
Fall 2011 |
|
*406 |
Fall 2013 |
|
407 |
Fall 2013 |
|
*if adequate water in Altus reservoir, tillage
will be needed to make beds for late summer irrigation prior to
planting. Fall 2013, 406 wheat was completely no-till. |
|
|
Hennessey -Entire field has been no-till since
Fall 2011 |
|
Long-Term N Applied
doi
10.1007/s11119-010-9196-z.
Analysis of yield variability in winter wheat due to temporal variability, and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci. 53:435-442.
Optical Sensor Based Algorithm for Crop Nitrogen Fertilization Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 36:2759-2781 (pdf)
Soil-Plant Buffering of Inorganic Nitrogen in Continuous Winter Wheat. Agron J 1995 87: 827–834
Dr. Billy Tucker was an unsung hero. He initiated
many long-term experiments at OSU, almost all of which we continue today.
http://nue.okstate.edu/Long_Term_Experiments.htm
We exclusively used these applied
experiments to validate and calibrate the
Greenseeker
NDVI sensors that were developed at OSU.
Without them, it would have taken many more years of work to resolve yield
prediction and N responsiveness that are the benchmarks of our sensor-based
fertilizer rate recommendations. The most prominent of these was Experiment
502, that Dr. Tucker initiated in 1970 at the Lahoma Experiment Station.
Thanks also to the late Dr. Ray Sidwell, our 502 data set is the most
comprehensive, long-term winter wheat data set in the world (http://nue.okstate.edu/Long_Term_Experiments/E502.htm).
This includes soil test data dating back to 1970, and now calibrated NDVI
sensor readings (since 1996). In the spirit of Dr. Tuckers commitment
to cooperation, we share this
(THESE)
long-term data with whomever choses to use it.
Dr. Tucker also initiated Experiment 222 on the Stillwater Experiment
Station and that likewise continues today. All of the long-term
trials that Dr. Tucker initiated were applied, simple, yet incredibly
elegant in terms of their value and use, and
these trials will continue well
into the future. These trials have been maintained over time because
of the sustained efforts of Dr. Tucker, and one of his students, Dr. Robert
Westerman. He like Dr. Westerman received his PhD at the University of
Illinois. Both studied under Dr. Toby Kurtz, and both were students of
Dr. Roger Bray. Their tutelage has secured the application of the
sufficiency concept that we adhere to today.
The Magruder
Plots also continue to have current value, thanks also
to Dr. Tucker, Dr. Westerman, and others who recognized
how cumbersome environments are and how transitory two and three year
studies can be. Dr. Shiping Deng has over the years found free-living
N-fixing cyanobacteria in the Magruder Plots where no nutrients have been
applied. Continuing these long-term trials
WILL
never cease to deliver added clarity in our science, for which we have Dr.
Tucker to thank.
Forty Five years after Experiment
222 was started by Dr. Tucker, it is with heartfelt thanks that we salute
him for being an applied scientist. We salute him because he was
a
happy man, he laughed, he smiled, and he truly loved
our trade.
