ISCA SUMMER MEETING

 

The ISCA Summer Meeting will be held on August 23^rd in Quincy, IL and August 24^th in Marion Co., Mo.  On the 23^rd, ISCA members will meet at 7:00 p.m. for dinner at the Holiday Inn in Quincy.  A presentation on the GIS system of Adams County or possibly another topic will follow the dinner.  On August 24^th, Don Walker will lead a septic installation tour in Marion County, Mo.

 

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn (217- 222-2666) for $79.50.  Call Scott Wegman at (217) 223-3670 at work or at (217) 223-0383 at home if you are interested in camping or have other questions related to the Summer Meeting.

 

Cost of the meal is $10.00.   The entrees are BBQ Chicken, Stuffed Pork Chop or Prime Rib.  Please, make checks payable to ISCA and RSVP to Scott Wegman by August 16^th.  Please, indicate which meal you would prefer on the enclosed form.

 

A list of hotels/motels in the Quincy area has been enclosed if you prefer to stay at another location.

 

Inside This Issue
1	New ISCA Members
3	Soil Productivity Ratings
4 12	ISCA Minutes ISCA Meeting Form

NEW ISCA Members

 

The Ethics, Certification, and Membership Committee would like to welcome a returning Full Member and two new Associate Members to ISCA.

 

Chris Cochran

Chris returns as a Full Member to ISCA.  Chris is a Charter member of  ISCA and spent the early years of his career working in Illinois.  He received his BS in Forest Science from the University of Illinois.  He worked with SCS in Illinois as a party member in Kane County and Champaign County soil surveys before serving as the Area Soil Scientist in Macomb.  

                In 1980, Chris headed west to Arizona and continued working for SCS/NRCS.  While in Arizona he was sent on several mapping details and mapped in North Dakota and New Mexico, as well as in Arizona.  Chris served as an NRCS interagency liaison with the US Army at both Fort Huachuca and the Yuma Proving Ground for six years in Arizona.  At Fort Huachuca, he coordinated the development of their conservation and compliance programs.  He did much the same at Yuma Proving Ground and also coordinated the development of wind erosion and vehicular dust studies and models.  Chris received several Army citations for his work in locating tank test areas during Desert Storm.  He also was awarded for his work as a member of the US Army’s Wind Erosion Advisory Group.

                Chris kept his connection with ISCA by becoming an Out-of-State Member during his 20-year absence from Illinois.  In 2001 he returned to Illinois and wasted no time in becoming involved again with ISCA.  In his first year back, Chris volunteered to serve as chair of the Program Committee.  He volunteered to fill that position for a second year under the current Executive Council and so he remains the chair of the Program Committee.  Chris continues to work for NRCS and now serves as MLRA Project Leader in Charleston.  He resides in Champaign with his wife, Elissa, of 18 years and his

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two children, David and Tiffany.  We welcome

Chris’ return to Illinois and his reinstatement as a Full Member.

 

Roy Mahnesmith

Roy is a new Associate Member.  He has Bachelor degrees from both Illinois State University (LAS) and from Western Illinois University (Ag. Sciences).  He also has two Masters degrees to his credit: an MS from Northern Illinois University in geography and an MS from the University of Illinois in agronomy.  (I wonder if he plans to attend EIU and SIU to hit all the state schools?)  Roy resides in Princeton and is currently working with the LaSalle County Health Department as an Associate Environmental Health

Inspector.  He is working towards becoming a Sanitarian, as well.  Parts of his job responsibilities include inspecting food establishments and conducting on-site investigations for sewer and septic installations.  He also has been conducting soil and landscape analysis for proposed subdivisions.

                Before his employment with LaSalle County, Roy worked with several natural resource projects in the state.  For a while, he worked as a resource conservationist with the Tazewell County SWCD.  During that time he developed an “Intro to Soils” curriculum for elementary-age students.  In the late 70’s and early 80’s, he worked with the Spoon River Watershed Tributary project and Court Creek tributary.  According to Roy, this was one of the first watershed projects that focused on a watershed associated with a stream, instead of a watershed associated with a lake.

                During his studies at NIU, Roy did some field mapping at Matthiesen State Park in LaSalle County and discovered that limestone and sandstone were also part of the 94G Shale Rockland map unit that had previously been mapped.  He also found some areas of wetland seeps (Histosols) and riverine deposits that had not been identified in the county soil survey.

                Roy has already been active in ISCA.  He volunteered to assist with the soil pit at last year’s ILICA show near Peoria.  When Roy is not volunteering in a pit, working or attending school he enjoys reading historical fiction, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.

 

Jessica (Jesse) Kurylo

Jesse is another new Associate Member.  Jesse, who grew up on a farm in New Jersey, came to Illinois via Virginia where she attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  At Virginia Tech, she completed a double major: Crop & Soil Environmental Science and Environmental Science – Land Resource Management.  She has been working for the IDNR Illinois Natural History survey through a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.  She has been with INHS for about two years.  Her major duties include the delineation of hydric soil map units; wetland identification, mitigation, and monitoring; and conducting research projects related to wetlands and hydric soils.  Before coming to Illinois, she was in charge of a soil lab for Engineering Consulting Services in Virginia.

                Jesse is excited about soil science and has enjoyed seeing the variety of soils of Illinois.  Virginia was not a great place to find glacial till and loess, so these are new experiences for her.  In her recent past, she also developed presentations about soils for kids and for kids with disabilities or special needs.  Jesse gets so excited about the soil that she sometimes wears it as “warpaint” or makeup and feels that a clean field soil scientist is almost a disgrace!

                Jesse purchased a home in the Champaign/Urbana area, so in her spare time she is busy with home repairs and other maintenance.  She doesn’t have too much spare time, however, because Jesse is also a member of Company B of Unit 634 of the National Guard in Champaign.  Her unit is part of the Forward Support Battalion.  She is in her sixth year with the Guard and has already re-upped for additional time.  Other activities Jesse enjoys are fitness related and outdoor activities, such as spelunking, skiing (water and snow), hiking and camping.  In Virginia, the Appalachian Trail was almost in her backyard, so it has been an adjustment for her to find substitute opportunities for outdoor entertainment in central Illinois.  Hopefully, she will find central Illinois activities (like watching the corn grow) as thrilling as the Appalachian Trail and will become a long-standing Full Member of ISCA.  We are excited to have Jessica and her enthusiasm in our organization!

 

Submitted by Mark Bramstedt

 

SOIL PRODUCTIVITY RATINGS

 

Illinois is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, as a result of a favorable

humid climate, deep soils with good water-holding capacity, a favorable topography, and the use of improved crop-management technology. Within the state, climate and length of crop-growing season vary significantly depending on region.  As a consequence of the variability of climate, soils and management, differences in crop production and soil productivity exist.  Soil productivity refers to the capacity of soil to grow crops or plants under specified environmental conditions and is influenced by soil properties, climatic conditions and management inputs.

 

The University of Illinois, College of ACES recently released two publications which provide soil productivity ratings for all Illinois soils.  Bulletin 810 Average Crop, Pasture, and Forestry Productivity Ratings for Illinois Soils provides the 10-year average crop yields under the average management used by all Illinois farmers in the 1990s.  Bulletin 811 Optimum Crop Yields for Illinois Soils provides the 10-year average crop yield under an optimum level of management.

 

Sources of crop yield data for validation included the following: the previously published 1970s crop, forage, and timber yields in Circular 1156, Soil Productivity in Illinois, the supplement “Productivity of Newly Established Illinois soils, 1978-1994", Illinois Agricultural Statistics Staff records (1969-1999), aggregate Illinois Farm Business Farm Management records (1976-1997), Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station agronomic research center plots (1990-1999), Illinois Experiment Station managed variety trials (1990-1999), check plots on farmer fields (1990-1999), and wide spread use of crop yield monitors coupled with global position satellite system (1997-1999) by both farmers and researchers. In addition, field measurement checks under an optimum level of management were made on 18,000 acres on 1400 parcels and included 3 to 5 years of corn and soybean yield data for 90 soil types.

 

Our approach to estimating yields included the development of crop yield-soil property models using stepwise multiple regression of established crop yields and soil properties, calculating the magnitude of crop yield change during the last 22 years and comparing updated yields with 1990s farmer reported crop yields on a county basis.

 

Current crop and forage rotations were determined for 2 soil regions (northern and southern) in Illinois and published in Bulletin 810. As a result of the federal Farm Bills and state T by 2000 programs with conservation provisions Illinois farmers have changed practices and crop rotations.  By reducing the use of row crops, farmers have been able to meet tolerable soil-loss standards.

 

Productivity indices provide a single scale with which soils may be rated according to their suitability for several major crops under specified levels of management.  Differences in crop yield and soil productivity may be represented by soil productivity indices.  The soil productivity rating is an index that ranks soils types on the basis for the productive capacity of a soil.  Productivity ratings are a good indicator of the suitability of soils for crop production.  They are useful in determining the best use and management of soils.  Crop productivity indices are given for the various soils.  A simplified method of adjusting both yields and productivity indices for slope and erosion is provided. The 1990s soil productivity indices were calculated for 786 soil types using average 1990s cropping patterns, which reflect soil conservation concerns, and yields of corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, grain sorghum and forage crops under either a average (Bulletin 810) or optimum (Bulletin 811) level of management.

 

Forestry productivity data and site index value estimates for 7 important tree species were developed to quantify the effects of soil properties on tree growth.  Statistical models were used to quantify the relationship between soil properties and expert-derived values for tree growth.  The projected productivity timber site indices will be useful to land managers who wish to allocate time and other resources to land based on the potential productivity of the site.

 

Update grain-crop yields for Illinois soils based on current farmer and Crop Science fields were collected to assure the availability of current and reliable soil productivity information for many uses such as tax assessment and soil management decisions including the determination of the amount of amendments to apply. The productivity data was needed for wise land-use planning, sustainable farm management, and accurate land appraisal. Crop yields are important for economic decision-makers, as well as for farm owners and operators, because yield performance may influence decisions about levels of agricultural imports and adoption of new technologies.   Further, information about past, present, and future crop yields may be used as a basis for land valuation, crop insurance, nutrient management plans, protection of prime farmland, and other related farm business.

 

Copies of the Bulletins can be obtained by calling toll free 800-345-6087.  The cost per copy of Bulletin 810 is $3.00 and Bulletin 811 is $2.50.  They are also available in .pdf files on-line at web site http://www.nres.uiuc.edu/soil productivity at no charge. These up-to-date, on-line versions are being maintained for use by various groups including tax assessors, land appraisers, federal and state agencies, foresters and farm managers.

 

 

Submitted by Dr. Ken Olson, UIUC

 

MINUTES

ISCA COUNCIL MEETING

MAY 17, 2002

NRCS STATE OFFICE, CHAMPAIGN, IL

 

Present:

Lester Bushue, President

Karla Hanson, Past-President

Dale Calsyn, Vice-President

Charles Frazee, Treasurer

Bob Tegeler, Secretary

Gerald Berning, Chairperson Certification Board

 

The Council Meeting was called to order by President Lester Bushue at 10:10 AM.

Secretary's Report - Bob Tegeler.  The minutes were approved as written.  Bob mentioned that one non-certified member has not paid the dues for 2002, to date.  He will send a reminder to that member.  Bob also mentioned that membership cards have been sent to the 55 non-certified

members, who have paid their dues for 2002.

Treasurer's Report - Charles Frazee.  The treasurer's report showed a balance of $9,158.87 as of May 16, 2002.  Charles reported that the Macoupin Co. Soil and Water Conservation District purchased some state soil bookmarks.  Charles also mentioned that he submitted 78 subscriptions for Soil Survey Horizons.  The Treasurer's report was approved as written.

Certification Board - The Executive Council approved Steve Elmer as a member of the ISCA Certification Board.  A discussion ensued concerning the inclusion of ARCPACS Certified Soil Classifiers on the hardcopy list of Certified Soil Classifiers, who are consulting in Illinois. 

 

Currently an ARCPACS Certified Soil Classifier whose name is on the ISCA webpage list, was not allowed to conduct onsites in certain counties, since this individual's name was not on the hardcopy list.  Gerald Berning will contact those counties to inform them that the individual is in fact qualified to conduct onsites.  The Illinois Department of Public Health prefers to rely on the ISCA list of Certified Soil Classifiers rather than maintain a separate list of ARCPACS Certified Soil Classifiers.  ISCA will maintain a list of Consulting Certified Soil Classifiers, both ISCA and ARCPACS.  A motion was approved by the Executive Council to make the ISCA webpage map the primary source for the list of

Consulting Certified Soil Classifiers both ISCA and ARCPACS, who are conducting on-sites in Illinois; that the list will be updated as needed; and that ARCPACS Certified Soil Classifiers will need to contact ISCA if they want their name to appear on the ISCA webpage.

 

Standing Committee reports

Constitution, By-Laws and Legislative - No report.

Ethics, Certification and Membership - The Executive Council received an application for membership from Jessica Kurylo. Based on the recommendation of the committee, and a review of the application by the Executive Council; Jessica was approved as an Associate Member.

Finance - Dale Calsyn.  The members of the

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committee include John Doll and Bill Teater.  A discussion ensued concerning the Webpage monthly bills.  Charles Frazee has not received any bills to date.  Bob Tegeler will discuss the monthly billing with Bill Teater; he will also determine if Bill contacted the provider about the setup fee they were requiring ISCA to pay.  The Executive Council approved a motion designating the ISCA Vice-President as the Chairperson of the Webpage AD Hoc Committee.

Newsletter - No report.

Nominations -  Karla Hanson.  The members of the committee include Jeff Deniger and Cathy Swain

Public Relations and Education Committee/Special Appointee to State Advisory Commission on Private Sewage Disposal - No report.

Program - The Executive Council approved Scott Wegman as the Chairperson.  Lester Bushue will contact Scott about the upcoming Fall Meeting.  The date for the meeting will be August 24, 2002.  Lester was considering the Quincy, Illinois area as a meeting location, nothing definite to date.

Ad Hoc Committees

Historic - No report.

State Soil - No report.  A discussion ensued concerning a request by Chairperson Bob McLeese to merge the State Soil Committee into the Public Relations and Education Committee, since Drummer has been designated as the State Soil.  A motion was approved by the Executive Council to merge the State Soil Committee into the Public Relations and Education Committee.

Technical Criteria (Key to Wastewater Loading Rates) - No report. Bruce Putman has agreed to continue as Chairperson.  The Executive Council approved Bruce as Chairperson.  Lester mentioned the need for coordination of technical criteria between states.  Gerald Berning mentioned that the committee received comments from Missouri and Wisconsin when the keys to loading rates were reviewed.  The possibility of Bruce Putman meeting to review the keys with Classifiers from Indiana was discussed.  No decision was made at this time.  Gerald Berning suggested that the committee needs to continue to be active in regard to maintaining the keys and coordinating the keys with other states.

Old Business

Region 3 Soil Judging Contest - An Ad Hoc Committee will be set up for the contest.  Lester Bushue will determine a chairperson for the committee and update the Executive Council.  Karla Hanson will contact Bob McLeese to obtain more information about the contest.

Vehicle License Plates - Bob Tegeler mentioned that ISCA Member interest in the specialty license plates was low.  The Executive Council decided not to pursue specialty license plates.

ISCA Shirts - Bob Tegeler mentioned that the supply of ISCA shirts is low (only 4 left).  The Executive Council approved a motion to place an order for 12 shirts, 6 green and 6 blue.  Bob will place the order.

New Business

None.

 

The next ISCA Council Meeting will be held on July 19, 2002, at 10:00 AM, at the NRCS State Office in Champaign.

 

The meeting adjourned at 11:40 AM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Robert Tegeler, Secretary