Issue to be addressed: Field Crops Program, related to Goal 1                              EFFECTIVE 7/1/04
The field crop program brings together a multi-disciplinary team of scientists to study all aspects of field crop production, including: developing new varieties; improving cropping strategies; protecting the environment; managing financial risks; reducing crop losses caused by nematodes, insects and weeds; and identifying the genes that improve natural resistance to damage caused by nematodes, insects and diseases.

These studies span the full range of field crops that play a major role in South Carolina, such as cotton, soybean, corn, and wheat. In addition, scientists are investigating methods for establishing flax as a new crop with significant economic potential for the state’s agricultural and textile industries.

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PERFORMANCE GOALS

Output Indicators:
1. Develop a flax harvesting procedure that uses only conventional farm equipment for the harvesting of both plant stems and seeds

2. Optimize the cleaning processing for flax fiber for use in textiles, composites and paper products.

3. Develop research data sets to quantify the yield enhancement, input requirements, soil quality improvements, and environmental impacts of new cropping practices, precision farming technologies, transgenic varieties, and systems that integrate the three approaches.

4. Evaluate grain yield of released varieties and advanced experimental strains of barley, oat, triticale, and wheat in statewide performance trials.

5. Evaluate bushel weight, plant height, maturity, pest resistance, and straw strength of small grains as these factors contribute to production potential.

6. Develop computer models to enhance the understanding of and ability to conserve native plants and pollinators in agricultural landscapes.

7. Determine the feasibility of using transgenic cotton varieties in ultra-narrow row production in South Carolina.

8. Determine the ability of cotton varieties to recover from different severity levels of hail damage.

9. Assess plant growth regulator effects on cotton plant growth and development.

10. Enhance understanding of plant-microbe interactions at the molecular level in order to enhance utilitarian functions performed by microorganisms in the rhizosphere.

11. Evaluate and identify cost-effective weed management systems, including herbicides, for agronomic crops

12. Evaluate potential of non-chemical weed control tactics and herbicide- tolerant crops for reducing herbicide use and input costs associated with weed control.

13. Develop technologies needed for implementation of site-specific detection and management of cotton and soybean nematodes.

14. Develop soil type and nematode distribution maps using electrical conductivity technology coupled with remote sensing via aerial photography to allow identification of problem sites within fields without intensive grid sampling.

15. Determine whether yield losses due to Columbia Lance and Soybean Cyst Nematodes are more severe in wide- or narrow-row soybean cropping systems.

16.Enhance the productivity and/or profitability of soybeans grown on the southeastern Coastal Plains by developing innovative integrated weed management practices that can effectively reduce in-crop herbicide usage.

17. Develop high-yielding soybean cultivars, both conventional and glyphosate-tolerant, adapted to South Carolina and other areas of the Southern U.S.A.

18. Develop soybean cultivars or germplasm with resistance/tolerance to Root-Knot, Soybean Cyst, and Columbia Lance Nematodes, and other economically important pests.

19. Develop germplasm and cultivars with altered seed composition for specialized, high-value markets.

20.Develop new integrated pest management strategies (IPM) to effectively utilize new technologies such as transgenic cottons while solving problems such as insecticide resistance.

21. Assess levels of IPM adoption among South Carolina cotton growers and the determinants of IPM adoption.

22. Determine the overall economic and environmental impacts of the cotton IPM Program. 

Outcome Indicators:
1. The successful introduction of flax into SC will have very positive effects on the state. It will provide new jobs in a rural area that has high unemployment. It will provide growers with a new winter crop in their rotation. It will add jobs in support industries such as mechanical/electrical contractors, freight haulers and personnel services.

2. The innovative set of production practices we are developing for crop production on the Coastal Plain will dramatically reduce the amount of water, sediment, and nutrients that move off-site during rainfall events. Besides conserving and protecting natural resources, these practices may also be of value in reducing problems associated with pollutants in runoff water originating from animal waste.

3. An unbiased source of small grain variety/strain performance in South Carolina for growers, seedsmen, and Extension personnel will be provided.

4. An understanding will be provided of interactions between native plants and their pollinators in agricultural landscapes. Computer models will be available as tools to examine the impact of habitat fragmentation and reductions in pollinator numbers on native plant populations. These computer models can aid in developing management plans for agricultural landscapes that promote the persistence of native plant species and their pollinators.

5. South Carolina cotton producers will benefit from production systems that increase or maintain yield and quality while reducing production costs.

6. Characterization of the genes involved in pathogenecity and host range of Ralstonia solanacearum will aid in the development of novel control strategies for this important world-wide plant pathogen.

7. Site-specific management of cotton and soybean nematodes will optimize profits while minimizing the environmental impacts of production practices.

8. Effective integrated weed management strategies will minimize herbicide usage while ensuring adequate season-long weed control. This research will reduce the number of glyphosate applications needed for effective weed management in soybean crops grown in the southeastern U.S.

9. Enhanced understanding of the genetics of resistance to stressors will facilitate development of soybean germplasm and cultivars with improved seed yield and pest resistance and with the desired seed composition traits.

10. Data will enable cotton producers to fully utilize beneficial insects in their pest management strategies. This will allow further reductions in pesticide use and thereby protect environmental quality.

11. The weighted list of cotton IPM practices developed for the cotton survey will provide a valuable means to periodically evaluate levels of IPM adoption and to assess the impacts of IPM programs.

12. Beneficial insects, transgenic cotton varieties and new safe insecticides will allow farmers to control pests in profitable production systems.

Key Program Components:
Research projects will focus on: developing strategies for crop production and pest management that enhance both productivity and profitability, identifying cropping methods that improve environmental quality, and examining new crops that could benefit the state’s economy.

Internal and External Linkages:
 

Target Audiences:

Program Duration: