Science Policy Report

Address all comments to the Science Policy Office at:
sciencepolicy@sciencesocieties.org

24 July 2019

In This Issue:

Policy News

Science and Society News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Policy News

Negotiations between Congressional leadership and the administration have at last resulted in a budget and debt ceiling deal that, if adopted, will set up science agencies for moderate funding increases in fiscal year 2020 and 2021. Under the deal, the nondefense cap — which covers most federal research funding agencies including, USDA, NSF, and DOE-Office of Science — will rise by 4.5 percent in FY 2020, but remains nearly flat, with a less than one percent increase for FY 2021. The House is expected to vote on the deal today or tomorrow before leaving for August recess. The Senate, which is still in session next week, will likely follow the House vote and will develop its FY 2020 bills during the August recess. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA encourages all members to reach out during the August recess, when Members will be in their home districts and states, to talk to your Representative and Senators about the importance of federal research funding. Read the full article.
 

Two research agencies at the Agriculture Department will uproot from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City in the fall. But many staffers have decided to give up their jobs rather than move, prompting concerns of hollowed-out offices unable to adequately fund or inform agricultural science. About two-thirds of the USDA employees declined their reassignments, according to a tally the department released Tuesday. Ninety-nine of 171 employees at the Economic Research Service will not move and151 of 224 employees declined to relocate at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read the full article.
 

The proposed White House panel that would conduct an “adversarial” review of climate science is dead for now, as President Donald Trump grapples with negative perceptions of his environmental record at the outset of his reelection campaign. The months-long push from within the National Security Council to review established science on climate change divided White House advisers and generated sharp opposition from researchers across the country. The effort, led by a physicist overseeing technology issues at the NSC, William Happer, stalled indefinitely amid internal disagreements within the White House, according to two sources. Read the full article.
 

Science and Society News

High nutrient loads to streams, lakes, and oceans are known to adversely affect water quality and may potentially cause algae blooms. Agricultural subsurface drainage systems provide a more or less direct conduit for excess water and nutrients from fields to surface water. Therefore, in-field, as well as edge-of-field mitigation measures that can assist in reducing the loss of nutrients, are needed. In an article recently published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, results from a three-year-long Before-After Control-Impact study of controlled drainage as a mitigation measure on four fields plots were reported. The study showed that controlled drainage significantly reduced the drain outflow and nitrogen and phosphorus loss relative to conventional drainage. Read the full article.
 

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National Science Foundation Director France Córdova issued a “Dear Colleague” letter emphasizing the agency’s commitment to “secure, open international collaboration” in the wake of escalating concerns over foreign influence. The letter further outlines a series of procedures, policies and projects that the NSF is undertaking or plans to undertake to protect scientific integrity and security. The agency will continue to request that PIs disclose current and pending funding support from domestic and foreign sources. In addition, the NSF is developing new reporting requirements of biographical information — such as disclosing all appointments — to accompany grant proposals. For NSF personnel and scientists serving as rotators at the agency, the NSF now has a policy that prohibits these employees from participating in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Finally, the NSF has commissioned a study by the JASON scientific advisory group to assess the risks associated with balancing scientific transparency and security. Read the letter here.
 

Farmers are used to dealing with weather, but climate change is making it harder by altering temperature and rainfall patterns, as in this year's unusually cool and wet spring in the central U.S. In a recently published study, I worked with other scientists to see whether climate change was measurably affecting crop productivity and global food security. Researchers tracked yields of the ten crops that provide the bulk of global food calories and found that while some crops in certain regions benefit from climate change, net yields of rice and wheat decline. The net annual decline in all ten crops studied translates 35 trillion calories lost per year—enough to feed 50 million people. Read the full article.
 

Allowing cover crops to grow two weeks longer in the spring and planting corn and soybean crops into them before termination is a strategy that may help no-till farmers deal with wet springs, according to Penn State researchers. The approach, known as planting green, could help no-till farmers counter a range of problems they must deal with during wet springs. These problems include soil erosion, nutrient losses, soils holding too much moisture and causing a delay in the planting of main crops, and main-crop damage from slugs. Read the full article.
 

Field, Lab, Earth is the podcast all about past and present advances in the fields of agronomic, crop, soil, and environmental sciences. A joint production of the Tri-Societies, the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, it features interviews with authors published in our journals, books, and magazines. Find this and all episodes here.
 

The Soil Health Institute (SHI) has released PROGRESS REPORT: Adoption of Soil Health Systems Based on Data from the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture. The analysis includes a state-by-state breakdown of both cover crops and no-till production. In relation to soil health-promoting practices, the main data that the Census provides is on use of cover crops and tillage. Overall, the 2017 Census of Agriculture showed considerable progress with soil health practices from 2012 to 2017, with 5 million additional acres of cover crops and 8 million additional acres of no-till in the U.S. Read the full article.
 

The new Riley Memorial Foundation report, "Cooperative Extension and Public Outreach: Advancing Agriculture and Improving Lives," highlights the special, unique functions of Extension programs administered by land-grant universities and the outreach functions of non-land-grant colleges and nonprofit organizations. In the report, RMF partners with land-grant universities, non-land-grant colleges of agriculture and nongovernmental organizations to increase understanding of how Extension and outreach engage stakeholders, distribute scientific knowledge and improve the lives of both rural and urban people of all ages. Read the full article.
 

In northern climates, the harvest date of annual cereal cover crops planted after winter wheat for fall forage production is dictated by the date of the first killing frost. The year-to-year variability of the harvest date may cause uncertainty in the yield potential and quality of the forage since harvest date is no longer dictated by stage of development. In an article recently published in Agronomy Journal, researchers report on multi-year trials conducted in Ontario, Canada where forage yield and quality of barley, oat, and an oat–pea mixture planted after winter wheat harvest were measured. Planting cover crops after winter wheat can serve a dual purpose by providing soil health and other agronomic benefits as well as a good source of forage. Read the full article.
 

The University of Alaska board of regents, facing deep budget cuts exacted by the governor that will eliminate about 40% of the university’s state funding, voted at an emergency meeting on Monday to declare the academic equivalent of bankruptcy reorganization. The drastic move is necessary, regents said, because of line-item spending vetoes by Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy that slashed $130 million from the university system. The cuts could have lasting impacts on the University system’s ability to study aspects of the changing Arctic climate. Read the full article.

 

Non-point source (NPS) pollutant surface water loading from agricultural lands is of particular concern in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States as its watersheds provide critical habitat for threatened salmonid species. Currently, pesticide impact on aquatic resources is primarily estimated from limited surface water monitoring, largely without sufficient understanding of associated land use practices. The resulting uncertainty requires conservative assumptions regarding the potential for aquatic life exposure and harm. In an article recently published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, researchers report on an application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which seeks to integrate institutional and local knowledge to sufficiently simulate watershed ecohydrology and pesticide transport in support of land management decisions. Read the full article.
 

ASA and SSSA offer free trial memberships that provides an in-depth look our associated benefits, without the up-front commitment of member dues. The Trial Memberships, gives the opportunity to take a tour, become familiar with ASA, SSSA, our members, and our benefits. If you like what you see and believe, as we do, that this is a valuable addition to your networking and information needs, join and become a member. Already a member? Then invite a colleague to join our Societies and spread the word by sharing these links to future members for details! ASA Membership and SSSA Membership.
 

International Corner

The initially warm relations between Mexico’s academic community and the country’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have decidedly cooled. A package of harsh austerity measures implemented on 3 May, has had a deep impact on federally funded laboratories and institutes; it includes a 30% cut to fuel for vehicles and office supplies and a 50% cut to international travel funds and payments to contract workers. Scientists say the cuts are a serious threat to the future of Mexican research. Read the full article.
 

The global food system needs to change to make sure people have enough food to eat in 2050 without destroying the planet, according to “Creating a Sustainable Food Future,” a World Resources Report. Reducing food waste, eating more plant-based food instead of animal-based food, reducing agriculture-related carbon emissions, and investing in bioengineered/genetically modified plants are some of the possible changes mentioned in the report. Read the full article.
 

Earlier this month, banana growers in Latin America got some worrying news. Officials in Colombia said four plantations had been quarantined after the possible appearance of a banana fungus that has already caused devastating losses in Asia. Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4) kills the plants by clogging their vascular system. The discovery, which hasn’t yet been confirmed, has put countries in the region on high alert. Neighboring Ecuador, for example, is the largest banana exporter in the world, and preventing TR4 from entering the country has become “my No. 1 priority,” says Ecuador’s minister of agriculture and livestock, Xavier Lazo Guerrero. Read the full article.

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) provide opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills to the federal policymaking process. Fellows serve yearlong assignments in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government in Washington. Each year, the program adds to a growing corps over 3,000 strong of policy-savvy leaders working across academia, government, nonprofits and industry to serve the nation and the world. Deadline, November 1. Read the full announcement.
 

The Cedar Tree Foundation is inviting applications for its Regenerative Grazing Initiative. Regenerative grazing is a valuable tool that can help land managers increase soil organic matter and improve overall soil health, thereby achieving multiple environmental benefits while increasing resilience to floods and droughts. These environmental benefits include reduced erosion and runoff from farm fields, increased biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and increased carbon sequestration. By increasing the number of farmers, ranchers, and other land managers using regenerative grazing practices, the foundation aims to achieve broad recognition by farmers of the value of regenerative grazing for building soil health. For 2019 the Foundation is seeking opportunities to support tribal partners who will advance grazing practices on land within reservation boundaries. Deadline, August 12. Read the full announcement.
 

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking proposals for cooperative agreements to help address Maryland’s most pressing natural resource concerns. NRCS will select proposals that leverage USDA and partner resources to effectively implement projects. Successful proposals will address at least one of the following. Increase the number of applications for USDA NRCS Agriculture Conservation Easement Program – Wetlands Reserve Easements. Provide in stream monitoring for assessing changes in the surface water quality in response to the implementation of conservation practices in the Catoctin Creek watershed in Frederick County, MD. Provide direct technical services to assist producers in planning and/or implementing conservation practices throughout Maryland. Develop the tools, technologies, and strategies to support next-generation conservation efforts on working lands in Maryland and develop market-based solutions to resource challenges. Conduct an economic analysis on high priority best management practices in Maryland such as nutrient management, manure storage, animal mortality, cover crop, heavy use area protection (HUAPS) and others. Provide professional training sessions for partner employees on topics related to conservation planning and agriculture. Work with NRCS to ensure the courses align with the Certified Planner curriculum. Provide training and expert guidance on irrigation system planning, design (including but not limited to micro irrigation), and Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Plan development. Deadline, August 13. Read the full announcement.
 

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students and recent graduates to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 17 participating DOE laboratories/facilities. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission. Deadline, October 7. Read the full announcement. 
 

Sources: RollCall; Washington Post; ScienceInsider; NSF; Physics.org; PSU News; Soil Health Institute; Purdue News; Riley Memorial Foundation; World Resources Institute; AAAS; USDA;

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.