Ferguson College of Agriculture

The overall goal of Jason Warren’s water conservation/management extension program is to help Oklahomans manage their soil and water resources to sustain productivity into the future while minimizing impact on the environment.

 

“In graduate school, I realized that this can only be achieved by developing and demonstrating the use of economically advantageous management strategies,” said Warren, Oklahoma State University soil and water conservation/management extension specialist and professor.

 

“The thing I love the most about this job is when a person realizes they can adopt a practice that is advantageous for the environment beyond their property or for the future managers of their property. It’s awesome to see them succeed and realize the benefits for themselves and others. I also like helping people overcome a problem or achieve a goal through education and utilization of scientifically sound information.”

 

Warren received a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences and a master’s degree in plant and soil sciences from OSU and a doctorate in crop, soil and environmental sciences from Virginia Tech.

 

Prior to Joining OSU, he spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Ag Research Service at the Animal Waste Management Research unit in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

 

His extension/research program at OSU includes efforts to understand cropland agriculture’s impact on greenhouse gases and the potential to utilize cropland to sequester CO2 as soil organic matter and irrigation management for center pivot and subsurface drip irrigation. This research is aimed at improving water productivity and efficiency through adopting technologies and management strategies. He is also working to develop soil health assessment tools that provide cost effective assessments of aggregate stability and microbial activity as CO2 burst analysis.

 

“I plan to continue our efforts to better understand how cropping systems management can impact soil water dynamics and soil health indicators,” Warren said. “Also, in an effort to bridge the gap between no-till management and conventional tillage, I will initiate efforts to demonstrate the use of conservation tillage that provides some benefits of tillage while maintaining surface residues, which can help conserve moisture and prevent offsite impacts from erosion and runoff.”

 

Warren previously worked with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to develop a protocol for the creation of carbon credits through the adoption of no-till management. Through that protocol, there has been an increase in no-till cropland acres from approximately 10% to 36%. This improves soil water dynamics, provides improved performance of cropping systems and reduces erosion and the pollution or rivers and reservoirs.

 

“I think that most everyone at OSU wants success for all.  At least I know that I do, and the people I work with everyday want success for each other and the people we serve.”