The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
ANNUAL REPORTING FORM
 
Michael Buschermohle, Professor
Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science
Annual Performance Period: January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006


A. SUMMARY AND IMPACTS.

1. Summary. Provide an overall summary (500 words or less) of your accomplishments during the reporting period.

I have delineated my extension program into three main initiative areas. These three areas are closely related and all work toward my overall goal of increasing awareness and adoption of precision agriculture technologies, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Awareness and Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies:

The first initiative area is to provide technical and educational assistance to county extension agents and to producers who are interested in or who wish to adopt precision agriculture technologies that are profitable and practical for their farming operation. This past year, I presented information on precision agriculture technologies at 3 multi-county meetings and provided technical assistance to numerous growers, agents, experiment station superintendents, crop consultants and fertilizer dealers as part of this educational effort.

One of the potential benefits of yield monitors is to conduct on-farm research. On-farm research allows producers a more accurate comparison of cultural practices or varieties that are specific to their fields. However, on-farm research must be properly designed to remove sources of variation that might confound the interpretation of the results. This year, I worked with 4 large cotton producers to implement on-farm fertility trials.

Awareness and Adoption of Geographic Information Systems:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are software that allows users to store, manage and use spatial data sets. These tools are useful not only to agricultural producers who are implementing precision agriculture technologies, but to any user who can utilize geographically varying information. One of the GIS products available on the market is Arcpad 7.0. I developed an intensive on-line course, titled “Learning How to Use ArcPad 7.0”. This on-line course teaches users how to run the ArcPad software program on their PDA, in conjunction with their GPS receiver, to collect, edit and manage many types of geospatial data. The course is divided into 8 learning modules and uses four and a half hours of interactive video to demonstrate the procedures and techniques needed to become proficient in using this software. This on-line course will be used for agent in-service training this year. In addition, this on-line course will be utilized in two undergraduate courses: BsET326 GIS and GPS Applications in Agriculture and Environmental Science (UT Knoxville) and AGET 782 - Advanced Precision Technologies for Agriculture and Natural Resources Management (UT at Martin)


Applied Research:
A percentage of my time this year was spent in developing an applied research program in the area of variable rate nitrogen application. With today’s high cost of nitrogen fertilizer, the variable rate application of nitrogen could have the potential to reduce input and labor costs, maximize productivity, and reduce the impact over-application may have on the environment. Funding from Cotton Inc was secured to initiate a 3-year project to determine if variable rate (VR) nitrogen application is economically feasible for Tennessee cotton producers. The main objective of this project is to determine the feasibility of using remotely sensed NDVI images, soil bulk electrical conductivity maps, directed in-field sampling for soil nitrate levels, or some combination to creating variable rate fertilizer nitrogen application maps.


2. Impacts. List up to three significant impacts of your program. Impact statements should be one to three sentences and should be written in a way that would be meaningful to the public.

Increasing electrical safety awareness and a better understand of proper household wiring techniques are key factors in reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses due to electrical hazards. At the start of the 2006 4-H Electric camp, only 30% of 264 4-H members attending knew that overhead power lines were not insulted and could cause severe shocks and only 37% had a clear understanding of proper household wiring techniques. As a result of attending the 4-H Electric Camp, over 70% of these 4-Her’s now have a better understand of overhead power line safety and 73% a clearer understanding of proper household wiring techniques.




B. PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS (EXTENSION, RESEARCH AND TEACHING). As applicable, list title, names of participants (PIs, Leaders, Co-PIs, Co-leaders, Collaborators etc.), project number, sponsor, your role ( leader/co-leader/collaborator) and your percent effort on the project as stated in the project description or document.

4-H Electric Camp
Role: Program Coordinator
Collaborators
Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association
TVA

Evaluating the Potential for Using Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) and/or Soil Electrical Conductivity Maps to Predict Variable Rate Applications of Nitrogen for Tennessee Cotton Production

Role: Project Coordinator - Percent effort 25%
Michael Buschermohle, UT Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science

Project Team:
John B. Wilkerson, UT Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
Hugh J. Savoy, UT Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science

Extension Demonstration Projects

Mapping Dogwood Trees on the Knoxville Dogwood Trails

Role: Training Master Gardeners on how to collect geospatial data - Percent effort 5%

Project Team
Robin Nelson, Dogwoods Arts Festival Coordinator
David Vandergriff, Knox County Extension Agent
Michael Buschermohle, Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
Wayne Clatterbuck, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
Mark Windham, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Bill Klingeman, Plant Sciences
Darell Hensley, Entomology and Plant Pathology

C. INSTRUCTION, TEACHING AND EXTENSION EDUCATION. Detail credit and non-credit instruction and teaching activities.

1. College credit instruction. List courses in which you were an instructor or guest lecturer during the current calendar year. Include special topics, independent study and internship courses. Provide course number and title, your involvement, semester(s), credit hours and number of students. Please append a summary of teaching evaluations (student and/or peer) if this information is available.

Course number and title Involvement Semester Credit
hours
Number of
students
         

2. Formal continuing education (certification programs, seminar series, in-service training, field days, faculty and/or staff training, journal club, etc.). Provide descriptive title of activity, your involvement, number of participants or students involved, number and duration of each session.

Descrip. title, including dates Involvement Number of students
or participants
Number of
sessions
Duration of each
session (hours)
NCGA Stoneville Cotton Ginning Shortcourse Electrical Applications Level 1 06/15/05Coordinator3713
NCGA Stoneville Cotton Ginning Shortcourse Electrical Applications Level 2 06/14/05 Coordinator2913
NCGA Stoneville Cotton Ginning Shortcourse Electrical Applications Level 3 06/13/05 Coordinator3813

3. Extension presentations and workshops. Indicate title, type, and scope of presentation; number of times presented; attendance estimates. Include evidence of effectiveness (e.g. evaluation summaries) where applicable.

Title/Type of presentation Scope Number of times presented Total attendees
Choosing a GPS Receiver for Precision Agriculture Applications West TN Grain Conference, Dryersburg, TNMulti-county272 
Grain Drying and Storage Management West TN Grain Conference, Dyersburg, TNMulti-county256 
Variable Rate Fertilizer Application Cotton Focus, Jackson, TNMulti-county1326 
Using ArcPad for Geographic Information Systems Applications TAAA&S AM/PIC, Paris, TNState138 
Electrical Applications in Swine Buildings National Pork Board Safety Meeting, Memphis, TNNational176 
4-H Electric Camp Update TN Municipal Electric Power Association Annual Meeting, Nashville, TNState157 
The Wonders of Electricity, Gibbs Elementary School Science in the Library ProgramCounty3126 
How Airplanes Fly, Gibbs Elementary School Science Program County124 
Understanding Precision Agriculture Technologies Tennessee Farmers Co-Op Precision Agriculture Workshop ,Jackson, TNMulti-county129 

4. Public addresses to lay audiences (TV/radio presentations, service groups, etc.). Indicate title, type, scope of presentation; number of times presented; attendance estimates. Include evidence of effectiveness (e.g. evaluation summaries) where applicable.

Title/Type of presentation Scope Number of times presented Total attendees
       

5. Presentations at professional meetings, without published abstracts. List presenter, co-authors (if any), title, date and name of meeting (list scientific oral or poster presentations having published abstracts or proceedings at D5).

6. Student mentoring. Fill in the boxes to indicate number of students in each category.

Level of students No. of students advised No. of active graduate committees on which you served as:
Major professor Committee member
Undergraduate      
Masters      
Doctoral      

7. Student or commodity club activities (e.g. club advisor, team competitions, honor or professional societies, etc.). List the club or group; your role with the club or group; and the activities, honors or awards received by this group under your mentorship.

Gamma Sigma Delta - Banquet Chairman

8. Other instructional and teaching activities.


D. PUBLICATIONS. List only publications that were published during the annual reporting period (for #8, submitted during reporting period). Format citations as typical and appropriate for outlet. If a co-author(s) is a student or was working under your direct supervision, place an asterisk after that person's name.

1. Refereed articles or refereed reviews appearing in peer-reviewed professional journals.

Yu, M., A. R. Womac, I. Cannayen, P. D. Ayers, and M. J. Buschermohle.  2006.  Switchgrass ultimate stresses at typical biomass conditions available for processing.  Biomass and Bioenergy 30(3):214-219.

2. Book chapters or books.

3. Bulletins, reports, circulars, pamphlets, factsheets.

Buschermohle, M. J.  2006.  Capturing Data in ArcPad 7.0 Help Quide 2006 BESS 13 University of Tennessee Extension. 

Buschermohle, M. J.  2006.  Learning How to Use Arcpad 7.0 Instruction Manual 2006 BESS 12 University of Tennessee Extension. 

4. Popular press, trade, UTIA magazine or newsletter articles.

5. Abstracts from scientific or discipline meetings, papers from conference proceedings, etc.

6. Theses/Dissertations completed by students that you directed.

7. Other publications.

8. Articles submitted during the reporting period that are in review, in press or rejected. Please do not list articles in preparation.


E. FUNDING. Format each entry as a citation, include as applicable: investigators (with percent effort shown on grant or contract document), title, source/agency.

1. Grant and contract proposals submitted but not awarded during this reporting period. Indicate date of submission and status (still pending, rejected).

Hensley, D. (20%), Patrick, C. (10%), Flanders, K (10%), M. J. Buschermohle (10%).  Integrating IPM Strategies in On-Farm Stored Wheat in Tennessee and Alabama.  Southern Region IPM Special Grants Program.  12/5/06.  $51,274.  (still pending)

2. Grants and contracts awarded during this reporting period. List inclusive period of support (start and end dates) and total amount of award.

Buschermohle, M. J. (70%), J. B. Wilkerson (15%), H. J. Savoy (15%).  Evaluating the Potential for Using Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) .....  Cotton, Inc..  1/1/07-12/31/07.  $12,500.

3. Grants and contracts awarded in past years that continued into this reporting period. List inclusive period of support (start and end dates) and total amount of award.

Buschermohle, M. J. (25%), J. B. Wilkerson (5%), H. J. Savoy (10%).  Evaluating the Potential for Using Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) and/or Soil Electri.  Cotton Inc.  1/1/06-12/31/06.  $14,333.

4. Gifts. List recipients, donor, items or amount donated and dollar equivalent received during the reporting period.

TN 4-H Electric Camp Sponsorship
TVA $10,000
TECA $9,600
TMEPA $10,900


5. Grant reports submitted. List authors, title, to whom submitted, date submitted.

6. Other (e.g. sales, royalties).


F. OTHER CREATIVE ACTIVITIES.

1. Tech. advances (intell. prop., patent, copyright, products, processes, genetic lines/varieties).

2. Computer software (e.g. instructional or research software, CD ROMs).

Buschermohle, M. J.  2006.  UT Blackboard On-Line Course: Learning How to Use ArcPad 7.0. 

3. Educational tools.

4. Internet activities.

5. Other creative products and activities.


G. SERVICE. List client outreach activities (both public and private sectors) and professional service.
    
1. Client service.
 a. Commodity or discipline group service activities. List committees, offices held or other roles.

National Cotton Ginners Association
1994 - Present: Ginning Technology Committee - Extension Service Representative
1994 - Present: Cotton Ginning Short Course Committee - Extension Service Representative
1994 - Present: Air Pollution Control Committee - Extension Service Representative

Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists
Foundation Board
American Society of Agricultural Engineers
1997 - Present: PM50-Cotton Engineering Committee
2000 - Present: SE414 Solar Energy Committee


b. Clinical and diagnostic services. List type of service provided and client(s).

c. Service to individual producers, businesses, or corporations as a specialist, consultant or expert advisor (whether paid or unpaid). List your one-on-one service activities with this group of clients.

Provided technical assistance to producers on precision agriculture technologies to agents and service providers in the following counties:
Dyer - Variable rate application equipment
Fayette - GPS receivers
Gibson - Variable rate application equpment
Haywood - Variable rate application equipment
Lake - Variable rate application equipment
Madison - Variable rate application equipment
Tipton - Variable rate application equipment

d. Other (e.g. Ag Day activities, Varsity Visit, judging, presentations at clubs and K-12 schools).

Gibbs Elementary School Science in the Library Program
FFA Skills Day - Electrical Section Co-Coordinator
FFA State Fair Competition - Judge
Freshmen Engineering Balsa Competition

2. Professional service (for professional colleagues).
a. Within the university.
I. Committee work. Briefly describe your involvement during the reporting period.
i. University.

ii. UTIA.

UT Extension Row Crop Priority Team


iii. Department.

Curriculum Committee
Promotion and Tenure Committee
Social Coordinator

II. Other (e.g. technical assistance to colleagues, peer reviews,
mentoring of junior faculty, hosting visiting scientists).


b. Outside the university (e.g. committee work/offices in professional or public organizations or societies, editorship, editorial boards, review of manuscripts (indicate outlet) and project proposals (indicate agency), meetings organized, member of grant review panel or study section, moderator, etc.).

USDA Small Business Innovative Research Program - Reviewer



H. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (meetings, workshops, classes, trips, etc.). List the event or activity, sponsor, duration of event and your role.

Soil Electrical Conductivity Mapping Workshop 03/08/06
TAAA&S Annual Meeting and Professional Development Conference 04/19/06
8th International Conference on Precision Agriculture 7/23/06
Cotton Inc. Crop Management Seminar & Precision Cotton Workshop11/01/06



I. PERSONNEL SUPERVISION. List the postdoctoral fellows, research associates, research assistants, technicians, extension associates, extension assistants, graduate assistants, undergraduate students, clerical personnel or others that you supervised during the year.

ClassificationFTE's per semester
SpringSummerFall
Postdoctoral fellows      
Research associates, assistants, technicians      
Extension associates, assistants      
Graduate students, assistants      
Undergraduate students    
Clerical personnel      
Other      


J. HONORS AND AWARDS. List honors and awards received during reporting period, including the name of the organization presenting the award.