Winter Rye Upsides – From Energy to Soil Quality
Penn State University’s Tom Richard and USDA’s Sabrina Ruis and Rob Malone will highlight the multiplicity of uses and benefits available with rye cover crops
Registration
Shortly before noon CDT, click the link below or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xtAwWXycQZW8iwtNLz34GA#/registration
Or go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter webinar ID: 999 3709 5398
Or join via phone: Dial: 646-876-9923 | Webinar ID: 999 3709 5398
The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place April 30, at noon CDT will feature Tom Richard, Professor Emeritus and agricultural engineer, Penn State University, Sabrina Ruis, soil scientist, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Rob Malone, agricultural engineer, USDA. Tom Richard directed the Center for Biorenewables at Penn State University for several years and led strategies for a more sustainable agriculture and the emerging bio-based economy. Rob Malone and Tom Richard co-led several published field and modeling studies on winter rye as an energy crop. Sabrina Ruis co-led several published studies on cover crop harvesting, investigating ecosystem services and soil quality.
In the webinar, “Winter Rye Energy Crops: biomass, forage, energy, nitrogen loads, economics, soil quality...,” Richard, Ruis and Malone will draw on research outcomes and field trials to illustrate the varied impacts on agricultural operations and profitability stemming from the implementation of winter rye cover crops. The discussion will highlight economic benefits available through harvesting winter rye for biofuel and livestock production which can economically increase total crop production as well as cellulosic energy production. In addition, the speakers will address the contribution of these crops to soil health and water quality initiatives.
"While cellulosic bioenergy production consistently falls well below U.S. goals, renewable natural gas produced through anaerobic digestion of agricultural residues such as winter rye is recently gaining momentum and shows promise," said Rob Malone. “Winter rye harvest can be effectively employed with positive effects on crop, soil, and water quality while providing opportunity to increase cellulosic bioenergy production."
Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
Up Next: Wednesday, May 7, “Debunking Wasp Pollination,” with Kate Borchardt, University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Upcoming Webinars in the Series:
May 14: Jenny Seifert, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Amy Skoczlas Cole, Trust in Food