SEPTAGE AND RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NORTH CAROLINA

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Rubin ◽  
J. T. Lyon
2012 ◽  
Vol 128 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 59-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. O'Driscoll

Abstract Over the last two centuries, agricultural drainage in eastern North Carolina has transformed extensive wetlands to productive croplands. At the start of the drainage movement in the early 1900s, approximately 200,000 hectares (one half million acres) of drained agricultural lands existed in North Carolina. The 1909 North Carolina Drainage Act allowed for more extensive drainage projects. Drainage districts provided effective drainage outlets for farms and reduced flooding for the district. The districts dramatically increased the extent of drained lands during the 20th century. Currently, it is estimated that over 2 million hectares (five million acres) of drained agricultural lands exist in North Carolina, with the majority in the Coastal Plain. Agricultural drainage has contributed to huge gains in agricultural productivity in the region. However, this drainage has contributed to regional stream water quality impairment, altered stream hydrology, and wetland conversion. Over the last three decades, much work has been focused on reducing watershed nutrient exports in eastern North Carolina. Several major strategies have been used to decrease the environmental impacts of agricultural drainage, including: agronomic management practices; controlled drainage; riparian and wetland buffers; and channel alterations. Management of agricultural drainage during the 21st century will play a crucial role in regional stream, wetland, and coastal ecosystem health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 2223-2234
Author(s):  
Seth J Dorman ◽  
Dominic D Reisig ◽  
Sean Malone ◽  
Sally V Taylor

Abstract Economically damaging infestations of Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), tarnished plant bug, were sporadic in Virginia and North Carolina cotton before 2010. Given the sudden rise of L. lineolaris as an economic pest in these states, regionally specific management practices (i.e., chemical and cultural control) are needed to help producers protect yield potential while minimizing input costs. Field experiments were conducted in Virginia and North Carolina in 2018 and 2019 to 1) determine the effects of various management practices on L. lineolaris density, plant injury (i.e., square retention, internal boll injury), and lint yield, 2) calculate the economic trade-offs between integrated pest management (IPM) systems approach and current management practices for L. lineolaris in these states, and 3) evaluate economic benefits associated with various sampling thresholds. Lygus lineolaris populations peaked mid-season (i.e., August) during cotton flowering in both states. Weekly scouting and applying foliar insecticides when the current University Extension recommended economic threshold was reached was the most critical management treatment in maximizing economic returns. Additional costs among various IPM practices did not translate into significant yield protection and economic gains. Moreover, there were additional economic benefits associated with protecting glabrous and longer maturing varieties in Virginia. Lygus lineolaris density varied significantly between states; therefore, management recommendations should be modified based on the growing region. Results from this study will be used to create an IPM strategy to help cotton producers effectively manage this insect pest in the Southeast.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Fielding ◽  
Frederick Cubbage ◽  
M. Nils Peterson ◽  
Dennis Hazel ◽  
Brunell Gugelmann ◽  
...  

Woody biomass has been identified as an important renewable energy source capable of offsetting fossil fuel use. The potential environmental impacts associated with using woody biomass for energy have spurred development of biomass harvesting guidelines (BHGs) in some states and proposals for BHGs in others. We examined stakeholder opinions about BHGs through 60 semistructured interviews with key participants in the North Carolina, USA, forest business sector—forest managers, loggers, and forest landowners. Respondents generally opposed requirements for new BHGs because guidelines added to best management practices (BMPs). Most respondents believed North Carolina’s current BMPs have been successful and sufficient in protecting forest health; biomass harvesting is only an additional component to harvesting with little or no modification to conventional harvesting operations; and scientific research does not support claims that biomass harvesting negatively impacts soil, water quality, timber productivity, or wildlife habitat. Some respondents recognized possible benefits from the implementation of BHGs, which included reduced site preparation costs and increases in proactive forest management, soil quality, and wildlife habitat. Some scientific literature suggests that biomass harvests may have adverse site impacts that require amelioration. The results suggest BHGs will need to be better justified for practitioners based on the scientific literature or linked to demand from new profitable uses or subsidies to offset stakeholder perceptions that they create unnecessary costs.


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 598D-598
Author(s):  
J.M. Kemble ◽  
E. Bauske ◽  
E. Sikora ◽  
G. Zehnder

IPM teams from Alabama, North Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee composed of growers, private consultants, and faculty defined IPM on fresh-market tomatoes and created a survey from this definition to evaluate the level of IPM used by growers in the southeastern U.S. The survey included three sections: cultural practices, pesticide application techniques, and specific pest management practices, and was distributed to tomato growers in the region by mail, at county meetings, and through other relevant venues. Additionally, growers were asked to identify problems (insect, disease, and nonpest, i.e., cultural) and beneficial technology or research developments. Results of the survey revealed that in North Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina more than 75% of the tomato acreage is in the medium or high IPM category. These states have met or exceeded the State IPM teams' criteria for practicing IPM and have met the Federal mandate of IPM implementation on 75% of the fresh-market tomato cropland. Tomato producers listed early blight, late blight and bacterial spot as their main disease problems; tomato fruit worm, thrips, and aphids as their primary insect problems; and poor weather conditions, government regulation, and labor issues as their primary nonpest problems. Producers throughout the region felt that the development of resistant varieties would help them increase production the most. The State IPM teams outlined a clear definition of IPM in fresh-market tomato production and the survey results established a baseline that can be used to measure the success of programs to increase IPM adoption. The results will aid in focusing the Extension/research agenda in the universities in the Southeast.


HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 558E-558
Author(s):  
Gary T. Roberson

Precision agriculture is a comprehensive system that relies on information, technology, and management to optimize agricultural production. While used for several years in agronomic crops, it is attracting increasing interest in horticultural crops. Relatively high per-acre crop values for some horticultural crops makes precision agriculture an attractive production system. Precision agriculture efforts in biological and agricultural engineering at North Carolina State Univ. are currently focused in two functional areas: site specific managment (SSM) and postharvest process managment (PPM). Much of the information base, technology, and management practices developed in agronomic crops have practical and potentially profitable applications in fruit and vegetable production. Mechanized soil sampling, and variable rate control systems are readily adapted to horticultural crops. Postharvest controls are widely used to enhance or protect product quality. These technologies and their applications will be discussed in this presentation. Yield monitors are under development for many crops that can be mechanically harvested. An overview of these developments will be discussed. In addition, low-cost technologies for entry into precision will be presented.


Author(s):  
Maria Zannes ◽  
Morton Barlaz ◽  
Marco Castaldi ◽  
Nickolas J. Themelis

The environmental impact and potential for utilization of the billions of tons of used products and materials discarded each year by humanity is immense. The sheer magnitude of the materials and complexity of waste management and reuse make the issue of quantifying impacts and best practices all the more difficult. In recognition of this task, the Earth Engineering Center (EEC) of Columbia University and the Environmental Engineering Group of North Carolina State University combined resources in 2008 to form a research organization that is focused on defining and promoting best practices for sustainable waste management. This is the Center for Sustainable Use of Resources (SUR; wwwSURcenter.org) and its mission is to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions and other life cycle impacts of various “waste” management practices; and use this information for advancing the best practical means for managing used materials, in the U.S. and globally. The SUR Center builds on the strengths of past research at Columbia and North Carolina State on recycling, composting, waste-to-energy, and landfilling. This paper describes some of the research work completed and underway at the Center.


2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 233-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Williams

The continued productivity, profitability and sustainability of animal production agriculture in most parts of the world will be dependent upon implementation of effective technologies and management practices to mitigate perceived and documented environmental impacts resulting from confined animal operation emissions. North Carolina State University Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC) program efforts to identify such technologies through support of research, development and demonstration projects involve collaborative efforts with approximately 20 other universities (nationally and internationally). Many of these projects are well beyond the laboratory developmental stage and some are yielding encouraging results. Performance data, to date, has shown that swine manure treatment systems including a covered in-ground anaerobic digester, a sequencing batch reactor, and an upflow biological aerated filter system significantly improved odor emission variables.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document