Those big windmills popping up around the countryside are a growing source of electrical power, but they also provide income to the landowners on which they stand. Some parts of the country would like to get in on that act, but they are areas not normally known for consistent winds. Research at Ohio University is taking a unique approach to look at the potential for wind power in a new place - Appalachian Ohio.

In the study researchers and students created a Wind Energy Assessment Visualization project for the region. WEAV measures wind energy data for two years at heights above large turbine blade tips and uses computer modeling to find the best wind resources in across more than 2,000 square miles for the region.

Rough terrain is a challenge for locating wind turbines, creating uncertainty about the potential for wind energy in the region. This work has potential for other parts of the country where wind power might be a benefit. The Appalachian Ohio area is close to major cities and has the high voltage transmission capacity - finding the right locations for turbines is the challenge.

The researchers note that if just 1% of the area were identified as great for wind power, it would be a boon for the region. That would be a 20-square-mile area for wind turbines. This is the first such program to look at "marginal" areas for wind turbines; but it has potential for other similar terrain areas of the U.S.

Source: Ohio University

Farming Methods and Weed Seeds

Weeds keep coming back every year thanks to the persistence of weed seeds in the soil. Conventional and organic farmers each have their own ways of dealing with the issue - is one better than the other? A new study reported in the current issue of Weed Science looks at the question.

Researchers aimed to determine weed seed viability under both types of farming over a two-year period in two separate locations. To compare the systems, the researchers buried seeds of two types of weeds - smooth pigweed and common lambsquarters - in mesh bags. The tests - conducted in Maryland and Pennsylvania - tested seed viability by retrieving the seeds every six months over a two-year period.

Depth of seeds, environmental conditions and soil management are among the factors that affect seed persistence. In conventional soil management, tillage can manipulate the depth of the seeds and environmental conditions that influence weed seed persistence. Organic soils have higher biological activity, with more carbon, moisture and microbial activity that could lead to greater seed decomposition.

The organic soils in the study were higher in total soil microbial biomass than the soils of the conventional farming tests. But test results didn't lead research to conclude that this microbial biomass impacted seed mortality.

In the study, pigweed seeds showed a shorter lifespan under the organic system in two of four experiments. Organic system lambsquarters seeds had a shorter lifespan in just one of the four experiments, while conventional methods had the shorter lifespan in two of four experiments.

In essence, the results are ambiguous. Neither system showed higher impact than the other for eliminating weed seeds deep in the soil - which would control weeds at their source. Expect more work in this area for the future.

Source: Weed Science Society of America

Cell Phones and Privacy - an Opinion

Last week came news that your iPhone and your Android phone know where you are - always. And that law enforcement and evil direct marketers are "exploiting" that information to their advantage.

As usual privacy wonks are all worked up because no one should know anything about you, where you are or what you do. In fact cell phones have been gather this kind of data for years - and most newer phones (iPhones or not) have GPS locators in them which have also benefited folks when necessary. Yet many remain concerned since apparently the systems track which applications - or apps - you're using too.

This is a tough one. These are great technologies and if you're not running a criminal enterprise, should you worry? Do I care if someone knows I'm reading a big science fiction series on my Kindle app (both iPad and iPhone)? Or that sometimes I like to use the USA Today app to keep up on the news? Frankly, no.

The privacy advocates will have their day in public (no irony), and changes will happen. For now, the rewards outweigh the risks given that these handheld tools can give you information you need everywhere. And in these days of volatile markets, knowing the CBOT price of corn at Noon may make a difference in your risk management plan - as just one example.

So don't let the privacy fears keep you from looking at upgrading your phone when your contract opens up - you'll find plenty of value in these new tools.

You can still sign up for one of the three ag tours Farm Progress is offering this year and early in 2012. Just visit AgToursUsa.com for more information.