One objective of our soil physics program is to provide tools that enable decision makers to incorporate results obtained by scientists into their management decisions. Our intent is to incorporate the latest scientific understanding into a tool that can be used by a farm manager, a consultant, a regulatory agent, or a policy maker. In this way, informed decisions that consider both environmental and economic consequences can be made. The tools also provide a method for the user to consider alternate management practices that may be better economically and /or pose a lower risk to the environment. None of the tools make a decision for the user. They simply present information for the user to incorporate into the decision making. 

Pesticide Economic and Environmental Tradeoffs Decision-Support System: PEET

• Provides economic and environmental consequences of selecting different herbicides for weed control in crops.  

• Results are for user-specified soils or management units, management practices, pesticide prices, market prices, and a range of potential yields  

• Environmental hazard is evaluated for groundwater and incorporates the toxicity of the pesticide  

• Monte Carlo simulations were used so environmental hazard is presented at a user-defined probability level  

• Versions exist for use in Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris environments, the ArcView GIS platform, and the world-wide web.  

• Cooperative effort of scientists at the Univ. of Florida, North Carolina State University, and Oklahoma State University

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment in Canterbury New Zealand

• Integrated Java applet combining the CMLS simulation model with map-making objects to provide user with maps and tables of predicted model output  

• Incorporates Monte Carlo simulation  

• Includes additional maps of relevant soil and environmental factors  

• Includes applets illustrating important components in transport processes  

• Developed while on sabbatical leave at Lincoln Ventures Ltd. and Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand. Partial funding provided by the Canterbury Regional Council  

Soil Test Interpretation and Fertilizer Decision-Support System 

• Purpose: To enable farmers to interpret and utilize results from the OSU - OCES Soil Testing Laboratory for managing crop nutrients using calibrations carried out in Oklahoma 

• Allows farmer to compare nutrient requirements on different crops 

• Calculates cost of nutrient requirements supplied in form of fertilizer 

• Calculates manure requirements and value as a nutrient source

Water and Chemical Movement in Soils of Southeastern United States

• Synthesis of research findings of soil physicists in the region  

• Work spans more than 20 years  

• Is organized according to major land resource areas  

• Includes introductory chapters as well as specific experimental findings  

• Incorporates maps and tables of resources and practices