Hans Kok
Saving Energy, Time, and Soil
How much is out there?
To find out how extension and education programs have worked, we sometimes have to resort to very simple methods; go out and look around! That is exactly what we are doing to find out how many farmers have adopted direct seeding and no-till practices in the Inland Northwest. Twice a year, we drive pre-set routes and observe tillage practices, crops, amount of crop residue on the surface, and GPS location. This data is analyzed to target educational programs.
Where did the straw go?
Many farmers have trouble with large amounts of wheat straw left after harvest; it plugs up their equipment and makes establishing the next crop difficult. Direct seed farmers keep all their straw on the surface, while other farmers plow under their straw, or sell it for animal bedding. With the straw alot of nutrients leave the field, and the quality of the soil diminishes. We are looking into the value of the straw in terms of dollars and nutrients, and benefits to the soil, both for irrigated and dryland farms.
Don’t start your engines!
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Direct seeders tell us they use alot less fuel to grow their crops, since they spend a lot less time on the tractor. We are quantifying how much they save and whether there are other ways to save energy on the farm. A large group of researchers and government agencies are also looking at the feasibility of biofuel production in the Pacific Northwest http://css.wsu.edu/biofuels.
Spicy!
No-till farmers rely on herbicides for weed control, just like other farmers. However, if a farmer wants to grow organic crops that is difficult. Together with the University of Idaho, we are looking into bio herbicides. In the field and in the greenhouse we are using mustard meal and mustard extracts to control weeds in organic no-till systems.
http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/mmorra/
Related Pages:
- Faculty Profile
- Pacific Northwest Conservation Tillage Information Resource
- Biofuels Cropping Systems Research and Extension Project
Contact Information
Hans Kok
Conservation Tillage Extension Specialist, WSU/UI
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, WSU
University of Idaho
PO Box 442339
Johnson Hall 169
Moscow, ID 83844
Telephone: 208-885-5971
Fax: 208-885-7760
E-mail: hanskok@wsu.edu
Hans Kok, Ph.D.
A native of the Netherlands, Dr. Kok received a Bachelors and Masters in Science from the Wageningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Idaho. Prior to his current Extension role, he worked as conservation tillage specialist for Monsanto for seven years. At Monsanto, he conducted EPA compliance checks for retailers, managed four research farms, conducted biotechnology training sessions, performed Human Resource functions, and interacted with state and local government entities. He taught Soil Management at Kansas State University and worked for the Kansas State Cooperative Extension Service for eight years. He has worked on erosion protection projects in Spain and Israel, and worked for the USDA-ARS in Washington State. Since 2004, Dr. Kok has held a joint position between Washington State University and the University of Idaho. He covers Extension programming for conservation tillage and bioenergy for both Idaho and Washington.
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