Center for Agro-Ecology Updates

 

Hughes Center Holds Convening Of Climate Researchers

What does science tell us about how farmers can adapt to changes in our region’s climate? This is one question that the Maryland Agriculture Climate Vulnerability Assessment aims to answer. But in order to get closer to answering that question, we should first identify where agricultural research related to climate currently stands in Maryland. The Hughes Center convened researchers from across Maryland and the region at the Department of Agriculture in September to discuss the current state of climate research related to agriculture. In addition to representatives from different higher education, government and nonprofit institutions across the state, the researchers who participated were varied in their disciplines and topics of scientific interest.  Ernie Shea, Hughes Center Board of Directors Vice President and co-chairman of the climate assessment’s Project Leadership Team, said the day's goal was to listen, learn and understand the researcher’s work in the climate space. Shea said changes in climatic conditions are a “threat multiplier to the viability of agriculture to impact the adjacent systems of the environment” and that the Hughes Center has been involved in conversations about being better prepared for further changes. “We started a conversation about what could we do as an arm of the University of Maryland that connects with producers across the state and serves as a bridge between the extension of the research work that is undertaken by the College of Agriculture (and Natural Resources) and the producers on the ground that are experiencing life every day and are trying to be as efficient and sustainable as possible. We concluded that maybe we should use our strength, our science, to get an update on changing climatic conditions.” During the convening, attendees heard from Dr. Laura Bowling, Purdue University’s Natural Resources and Environmental Science director and professor of agronomy. Bowling led the development of the agriculture portion of Indiana’s climate assessment. She spoke about Indiana’s experience in developing their assessment, how they managed stakeholder outreach, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with their efforts. They also heard from a panel of farmers representing a diversity of sectors throughout the state. The farmers shared information on what they have seen on their farms regarding changes and discussed how researchers in the room could help provide the agriculture industry support. “This convening was one step toward creating a community of researchers who can coalesce around addressing climate’s impact on Maryland agriculture,” said Hughes Center Executive Director Kate Everts. “We are grateful to have the participation of the many experts who took the time to attend this event.” The Maryland Agriculture Climate Vulnerability Assessment is estimated to take two years to complete. As the Hughes Center continues to reach out as part of this effort, both researchers and farmers are identified as key stakeholders for input in assessment. You can watch a video of the research convening through the link below

Center Holds Dedication In Memory of Drs. Brinsfield and Taylor-Rogers

Current and former Hughes Center Board members and Wye Research and Education Center colleagues gathered in Queenstown this September to remember the lives of Dr. Russ Brinsfield and Dr. Sarah Taylor-Rogers, both of whom were longtime colleagues and leaders in their fields. Unfortunately, both passed away in 2021. Two benches have been placed in the garden area of the Wye Research Education Center’s main entrance. They serve as a reminder of their guidance and dedication to the success of the Hughes Center and the Wye Research and Education Center. Dr. Brinsfield was a nationally recognized scientist and scholar who performed critical work on agriculture’s impact on the environment and was the director of the Wye Research and Education Center since its inception in 1982.

During his tenure as the Wye Research and Education Center director, Dr. Brinsfield working alongside colleague Dr. Ken Staver, was an integral figure in the research and establishment of cover crops as a best management practice for improving Chesapeake Bay water quality. Maryland’s cover crop program remains extremely popular and successful and is nationally recognized for its efficiency in reducing agricultural nutrient losses. Dr. Brinsfield later co-founded the Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, serving as the executive director until he retired from the Center and the WREC in 2015. His vision in establishing the Hughes Center was to solve problems facing agriculture and the environment by bringing together Marylanders with diverse points of view and by supporting needed research on agroecological issues to inform policymakers. Dr. Taylor-Rogers dedicated herself to protecting our natural resources and the environment and fulfilled that duty in public service positions throughout her career. She could engage diverse stakeholders and find common ground to build progress, and she wasn’t afraid to think outside the box to find solutions to issues. Dr. Taylor-Rogers was director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resource’s Coastal Zone Management Program from 1979-84, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission from 1984-94, and then assistant secretary for DNR’s Resource Management Service until she was appointed DNR secretary in 1999. She came to the Center as a research assistant after serving as DNR’s first woman secretary until 2001, and later became the assistant director of the Hughes Center and held that title until becoming acting director in 2015. She retired in 2017 but was asked to come back briefly as the acting director in 2019.

Honoring Outgoing Board Members

The Hughes Center in September honored several outgoing members of its Board of Directors.

Robert Butz owns Windridge Farm with his three brothers and farms in Montgomery and Frederick counties. His family also runs the Butz Foundation, a charitable organization his great-grandfather started. As a Hughes Center Board member, Butz helped introduce the Hughes Center to the agriculture community in Central Maryland when first beginning Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Workshops (WIP). These workshops are an effort in conjunction with the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Department of Agriculture to provide outreach as a method to advance the goals within the WIP. Nancy Nunn, Hughes Center assistant director, thanked Butz for providing his support of the workshops through his actions to engage the agriculture community. “His efforts and those of other Board members played an important role in establishing the credibility of the Center as an unbiased convener for these workshops,” Nunn said.

Jay Falstad is the executive director of the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association. The organization works within Queen Anne’s County to encourage the preservation of the landscape and to raise awareness of threats to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Falstad’s connection with the Hughes Center began around 2008 when Queen Anne’s County was updating its comprehensive plan, and he worked on issues with the late Dr. Sarah Taylor-Rogers, who was working with the Center at the time. She was later one of the people who recommended he join the Board of Directors. During his time on the Board, Falstad said that besides Taylor-Rogers, he got to work with the late Dr. Russ Brinsfield, a nationally recognized scientist and former Hughes Center and Wye Research and Education Center, and also the late Governor Harry Hughes, the Center’s longtime president. Both Brinsfield and Hughes co-founded what was then known as the Maryland Center for Agro-Ecology, now the Hughes Center. In reflection during the September ceremony, Falstad said he considers himself lucky to have gotten to work with all three of them and more leaders from the Hughes Center Board who have since passed.

Trey Hill runs Harborview Farms in Rock Hall, Md., a grain farm known for installing innovative agricultural practices. Hill runs his farm with a philosophy dedicated to responsible farming in a manner that provides co-benefits to the environment and his operation, or agroecology, which is a cornerstone of the Hughes Center’s mission. “Very few farmers are as thoughtful and forward-thinking as Trey in combining proven practices with new technology and techniques, all with an eye toward improved environmental outcomes,” said Kate Everts, Hughes Center Executive Director. “The work of the Hughes Center has greatly benefited from his input and leadership.”  The Hughes Center’s Board of Directors is also seeing the departure of its legislative representatives, Sen. Addie Eckardt of the Mid-Shore and Del. Jim Gilchrist of Montgomery County. The Center’s legislative representatives — one from the Senate and the House — are designated by their respective body leaders.  The Center wishes to express its sincerest gratitude to all outgoing Board members for all their work between and during meetings and for taking the time to participate in issues critical to Maryland agriculture, forestry and the communities that surround them.

Drone Imagery In Saltwater Intrusion Research

Drones and satellites add a critical component to mapping salty soils

By Carrie Anderson

Dr. Jarrod Miller spent the summer of 2022 with his eyes in the sky, tracking drones as they fly up and down the fields of Dorchester and Somerset counties. An assistant professor and Extension specialist in agronomy at the University of Delaware, Miller is the lead drone pilot of a team working to track saltwater intrusion onto farmland along the Chesapeake Bay.  Miller worked as an agriculture extension agent in Somerset County before his work in drone imagery. He said that even in 2014, saltwater intrusion was on the radar of concerned farmers in the area. Around the same time, Miller teamed up with Dr. Kate Tully at the University of Maryland to seek funding for research on the complex issue. The two now work with colleagues at George Washington University and the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology on a project examining the extent of saltwater intrusion’s impact on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Miller has to plan his excursions with care and consideration. Any condition can change the drone imagery — for example, cumulus clouds — can create large shadows over fields, disrupting the sunshine reflection and therefore skewing data collection. The night before fieldwork, Miller downloads maps with pre-selected points, as cell service in the fields can be unreliable. Because the drone is limited in battery life, ground control points are specified within the field where plant health and soil data collection is also taking place.  Recently, drones have been used more frequently in agricultural research. They can be inexpensive, easy to use and incredibly precise in imagery collection. The data provided is versatile and used for a number of different research projects. The drone shows a simple yet detailed representation of the problem that cannot be seen at eye level. It can measure plant height precisely, over whole fields, able to see past the green ground cover of crop canopy. While crops may seem healthy, the drone can reveal patterns of declining plant height which can indicate a salty or flooding field. “The vantage point is much different from the ground, and everything becomes so clear immediately. Within 30 seconds out in the sky, you can see the bad part of a field,” Miller said.

Read More On Saltwater Intrusion Here

Visit Our Website

Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology | 410-827-6202 | hughescenter@umd.edu

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.