News Release

October 22, 2015—Scientists at the Synergy in Science ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN will explore the concept of a Solar Corridor Crop System (SCCS) to help meet the food needs of a growing population.

According to the symposium organizer, LeRoy Deichman, “using the Solar Corridor Cropping System, we make more efficient uses of the resources – light, water, air, etc, to grow the same yield. We leave half of the land area for a companion crop, fallow, or conservation use (the area between the 60" rows). At the same time, we get equal crop quality, and have improved vital components of soil quality.”

“The Solar Corridor Crop System concept seeks to maximize the efficiency of capturing solar radiation and improving crop yields,” says presenter Harold Reetz. “Crop production at its most basic is the process of capturing CO₂ with sunlight energy through photosynthesis – and moving solar energy to chemical energy to create carbohydrates in the plants. Growing crop also produces additional biomass (stalks, stems, leaves, roots, etc.), which adds to soil organic matter and other valuable benefits. By managing natural resources and production inputs (seeds, chemicals, etc.), we can increase the efficiency of the crop production system. The Solar Corridor Crop System attempts to optimize the interactions of many factors to make most efficient use of the solar energy available throughout the growing season.”

The Solar Corridor Crop System (SCCS) symposium will be part of the Synergy in Science ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN. The symposium will be held Wednesday, November 18, 2015. The Synergy in Science meeting is sponsored jointly by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.

Both Deichman and Reetz are Certified Crop Advisers through the American Society of Agronomy CCA program (https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/).

For more information about the Synergy in Science 2015 meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/. Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by Nov. 1, 2015, is required. Visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/newsroom for registration information. For information about the IYS symposium, visit https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2015am/webprogram/Session14504.html .

To speak with one of the scientists, contact Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org to arrange an interview.