• 1998, PhD, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. 
  Dissertation title: The influence of elemental sulfur amendments on soil chemical properties and rice growth.
  Advisor: Dr. Richard Norman
• 1989, M.S, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. 
  Thesis title: Impact of shoot growth and environment on rice root growth, determined using several root study techniques.
  Advisor: Dr. Craig Beyrouty
• 1986, B.S, Murray State University, Murray, KY.
  

• 2009-present, University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Stn  Fayetteville, AR
  Professor - Director of Soil Testing (20% Teaching, 50% Research & 30% Service)
• 2004-2009, University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Stn  Fayetteville, AR
  Associate Professor- Director of Soil Testing (20% Teaching, 50% Research & 30% Service)
• Feb. 2001-2004, University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Stn  Fayetteville, AR
  Assistant Professor - Director of Soil Testing (20% Teaching, 50% Research & 30% Service)
• 1995 - 2001, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Serv.  Stuttgart, AR
  Extension Agronomist - Rice (100% Extension)
• 1990 - 1995, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension  Stuttgart, AR
  Area Extension Agronomist - Rice (100% Extension)
• 1989 - 1990, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Jefferson County, AR       
  County Extension Agent - Agriculture (100% Extension)

CSES 4224 & 4220L - Soil Fertility (Fall Semesters)

Description:

Study of the soil's chemical, biological and physical properties, and human modification of these properties, as they influence the uptake and utilization of the essential nutrients by plants. Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 2 hours per week. Corequisite: CSES 4220L. Prerequisite: CSES 2201L and 2203.

Lecture and Laboratory Objectives:

• Learn the fundamental principles and concepts of soil fertility, plant nutrition, and plant fertilization,
• Develop the skills to evaluate and apply information from soil, plant, and byproduct analyses for nutrient management,
• Use information resources to collect background information for nutrient management,
• Learn to diagnose plant nutrient deficiencies,
• Learn to interpret information from routine plant, soil, and manure analyses, and
• Gain experience in collecting, processing and extracting/digesting plant and soil samples submitted for routine analyses.

Topic Outline:

• Introduction to Plant-Soil Relationships
• Soil Testing and Evaluation of Soil Fertility
• Development of Recommendations (Correlation and Calibration)
• Soil Acidity - Liming and Acidification
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Calcium & Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Micronutrients

• Evaluation of soil fertility, fertilizers, and fertilization strategies that promote efficient nutrient uptake by agricultural crops with emphasis on warm-season forages (e.g., bermudagrass), rice, soybean, and wheat production systems
• Development of nutrient management recommendations using soil testing and plant analysis with emphasis on phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, boron, and zinc
• Assessment of nutrient availability in poultry litter and other organic nutrient sources
• Identification of yield-limiting factors 
• Diagnosis of plant nutrient deficiencies
• Interactions between plant nutrition/fertilization practices and pest management

Current Graduate Students

• Brett Gordon (Masters, CSES) Project: Determination of the nitrogen fertilizer value of fall-applied fresh broiler litter for winter wheat production.

Graduated Students

• Joni Ross (Masters 2004, CSES) Project: Soybean seed boron concentration and yield as affected by boron fertilizer rate and application time.
  Bobby Golden (Masters 2005, CSES) Project: The preflood urea-nitrogen equivalence of pelleted and fresh poultry litter applied preplant compared to urea applied preflood.
  Jason McGee (Masters, 2007) Project (non-thesis): Rice phosphorus uptake and yield as affected by phosphorus fertilizer rate and application time.
  Brian Pugh (Masters 2008, CSES) Project: Characterization of soil potassium pools and rice potassium uptake by rice grown on a potassium sufficient Dewitt silt loam during the growing season.
  Colin Massey (Masters 2009, CSES) Project: Bermudagrass yield, nitrogen uptake, and ammonia volatilization as affected by nitrogen source.
  Elliot Maschmann (Masters 2009, CSES) Project: Rice grain yield, potassium uptake, and stem rot disease index as affected by potassium fertilizer rate, application time, and fungicide rate.
  Bobby Golden (Ph.D. 2009, CSES) Project: Rice nitrogen uptake and grain yield as affected by commercially available polymer-coated urea fertilizers applied preplant compared to urea applied preflood for rice grown in a direct-seeded, delayed-flood production system.

Professional Involvement/Memberships:

• Soil Science Society of America
• Associate Editor S4/S8 Division, Soil Science Society of America
• American Society of Agronomy
• Southern Branch American Society of Agronomy, Secratary (2005-2006), Vice President/Program Chair (2007-2008), President (2008-2009), & Past President (2009-2010) 
• Rice Technical Working Group
• Soil and Plant Analysis Council
• Arkansas Plant Food Society 
• Certified Crop Advisor, National and State (since 1994)
• SERA IEG-6
• Gamma Sigma Delta

• Robert E. Wagner Young Scientist Award (2006), Potash and Phosphate Institute 
• John W. White Outstanding Team Research Award (2004, Rice Production), University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
• Early-Career Technology Transfer Award (2003), Southern Branch American Society of Agronomy
• J. Fielding Reed Fellowship (1997), Potash and Phosphate Institute
• Outstanding Senior in Agronomy Award (1985-86, Murray State University), American Society of Agronomy  

Refereed Journals Before 2001

• Slaton, N.A. and C.A. Beyrouty.  1992. Rice shoot response to root confinement within a membrane.  Agron. J. 84:50-53.
• Slaton, N.A., C.A. Beyrouty, B.R. Wells, R.J. Norman and E.E. Gbur.  1990.  Root growth and distribution of two short-season rice genotypes.  Plant Soil 121:269-278.
• VanDevender, K.W., T.A. Costello, J.A. Ferguson, B.A. Huey, N.A. Slaton, R.J. Smith, Jr. and R.S. Helms.  1994.  Weed management support system for rice producers.  Applied Engineering in Agric. 10(4):573-578.

2001

• Slaton, N.A., R.J. Norman, and J.T. Gilmour.  2001.  Oxidation rates of commercial elemental sulfur products applied to an alkaline silt loam from Arkansas.  Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65:239-243.
• Slaton, N.A., C.E. Wilson, Jr., S. Ntamatungiro, R.J.Norman, and D.L. Boothe.  2001.  Evaluation of zinc seed treatments for rice.  Agron. J. 93:152-157.

2002

• Perschbacher, P.W., G.W. Ludwig, and N. Slaton. 2002.  Effects of common aerially applied rice herbicides on the plankton communities of aquaculture ponds. Aquaculture. 214:241-246.
• Slaton, N.A., C.E. Wilson, Jr., R.J. Norman, and E.E. Gbur, Jr. 2002. Development of a critical Mehlich 3 soil zinc concentration for rice in Arkansas. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 33:2759-2770.
• Slaton, N.A., C.E. Wilson, Jr., R.J. Norman, S. Ntamatungiro, and D.L. Frizzell,  2002.  Rice response to phosphorus fertilizer application rate and timing on alkaline soils in Arkansas.  Agron. J. 94:1393-1399. 

2003

• Brye, K.R. and N.A. Slaton. 2003.  Carbon and nitrogen storage in a typic Albaqualf as affected by assessment method. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 34:1637-1655.
• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, M. Savin, R.J. Norman, and D.M. Miller. 2003. Effect of land leveling on soil physical and biological properties. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 67:1405-1417.
• Fageria, N.K., N.A. Slaton, and V.C. Baligar. 2003.  Nutrient management for improving lowland rice productivity and sustainability.  Adv. Agron. 80:64-152.
• Norman, R.J., C.E. Wilson, Jr., and N.A. Slaton. 2003. Soil Fertilization and Mineral Nutrition in U.S. Mechanized Rice Culture. p.331-412. In C.W. Smith and R.H. Dilday (eds.). Rice: Origin, History, Technology, and Production. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ.
• Slaton, N.A., R.D. Cartwright, J. Meng, E.E. Gbur, Jr., and R.J. Norman. 2003. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate, method of application, and fungicide rate on rice grain yield and sheath blight severity. Agron. J. 95:1489-1496.
• Slaton, N.A., S.D. Linscombe,  R.J. Norman, and E.E. Gbur, Jr. 2003. Effect of seeding date on rice yields in Arkansas and Louisiana.  Agron. J. 95:218- 223.

2004

• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, and P. Chen. 2004. Can crop productivity be predicted by soil characterization after land leveling? Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM2004-0908-01-RS.
• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, M. Mozaffari, M.C. Savin, R.J. Norman, and D.M. Miller. 2004. Short-term effects of land leveling on soil chemical properties and their relationships with microbial biomass. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 68:924-934.
• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, R.J. Norman, and M.C. Savin. 2004.  Short term effects of poultry litter form and rate on soil bulk density and water content. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 35 (15-16):2311-2325.
• Slaton, N.A., K.R. Brye, M.B. Daniels, T.C. Daniel, R.J. Norman, and D.M. Miller. 2004. Balance Between Nutrient Inputs and Removals for Nine Geographic Regions in Arkansas. J. Envir. Qual. 33:1606-1615.
• Slaton, N.A., E.E. Gbur, Jr., R.D. Cartwright, R.J. Norman, K.R. Brye, and R.E. DeLong. 2004. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate and method of application on rice grain yield and kernel smut.  Agron. J. 96:1489-1496.

2005

• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, and R.J. Norman. 2005. Penetration resistance as affected by shallow-cut land leveling and cropping. Soil Tillage Res. 81:1-13.
• Slaton, N.A., K.R. Brye, R.K. Bacon, and M. Mozaffari. 2005.  Correlation and calibration of Mehlich-3 phosphorus recommendations for winter wheat following rice in Arkansas.  Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal: 36(7/8):993-1004.
• Slaton, N.A., E.E. Gbur, C.E. Wilson, Jr., and R.J. Norman. 2005. Rice response to granular zinc sources varying in water-soluble zinc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 69:443-453.
• Slaton, N.A., R.J. Norman, and C.E. Wilson, Jr. 2005. Effect of zinc source and application time on zinc uptake and grain yield of flood-irrigated rice. Agron. J. 97(1):272-278.

2006

• Brye, K.R., B.R. Golden, and N.A. Slaton. 2006.  Poultry litter decomposition as affected by litter form and rate prior to flooding for rice production. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 70:1155-1167.
• Brye, K.R., N.A. Slaton, and R.J. Norman. 2006. Soil physical and biological properties as affected by land leveling of a clayey Aquert.  Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 70:631-642.
• Golden, B.R., N.A. Slaton, R.J. Norman, E.E. Gbur, Jr., K.R. Brye, and R.E. DeLong 2006. Recovery of N in fresh and pelleted poultry litter by rice. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 70:1359-1369.
• Griggs, B.R., R.J. Norman, C.E. Wilson, and N.A. Slaton. 2006.  Ammonia volatilization and nitrogen uptake by conservation and conventional tilled delayed flood rice. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 70:745-751.
• Ross, J.R., N.A. Slaton, K.R Brye, and R.E. DeLong. 2006.  Boron fertilization influences on soybean yield and leaf and seed boron concentrations. Agron. J. 98:198-205.
• Slaton, N.A., C.E. Wilson, Jr., R.J. Norman, and R.E. DeLong. 2006. Correlation of soil pH and Mehlich-3 phosphorus with postflood rice phosphorus concentrations in Arkansas. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 37:2819-2831.

2007

• Bushong, J.T., R.J. Norman, W.J. Ross, N.A. Slaton, C.E. Wilson, Jr., and E.E. Gbur, Jr. 2007. Evaluation of several indices of potentially mineralizable soil nitrogen.  Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 38 (19-20):2799-2813.
• Moldenhauer, K.A.K., J.W. Gibbons, F.N. Lee, J.L. Bernhardt, C.E. Wilson, R.D. Cartwright, M.M. Anders, R.J. Norman, N.A. Slaton, M.M. Blocker, A.C. Tolbert, K. Taylor, and J.M. Bullock. 2007. Registration of ‘Francis’ rice. Crop Sci. 47:443-444.  
• Moldenhauer, K.A.K., F.N. Lee, J.L. Bernhardt, R.J. Norman, N.A. Slaton, C.E. Wilson, M.M. Anders, R.D. Cartwright, and M.M. Blocker. 2007. Registration of ‘Wells’ rice. Crop Sci. 47:442-443.
• Moldenhauer, K.A.K., F.N. Lee, J.W. Gibbons, J.L. Bernhardt, R.J. Norman, N.A. Slaton, C.E. Wilson, R.D. Cartwright, M.M. Anders, M.M. Blocker, A.C. Tolbert, and J. Bullock. 2007. Registration of ‘Ahrent’ rice. Crop Sci. 47:446-447.
• Slaton, N.A., R.E. DeLong, R.J. Norman, R.D. Cartwright, and C.E. Wilson, Jr. 2007. Cultivar and seeding date effects on kernel smut of rice in Arkansas. Agron. J. 99:521-529.

2008

• Bushong, J.T., T.L. Roberts, J.W. Ross, R.J. Norman, N.A. Slaton, and C.E. Wilson, Jr. 2008.  Evaluation of distillation and diffusion techniques for estimating hydrolyzable amino sugar-nitrogen as a means of predicting nitrogen mineralization.  Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 72:992-999.
• Harper, T.W., K.R. Brye, T.C. Daniel, N.A. Slaton, and B.E. Haggard. 2008.  Land use effects on runoff and quality, on an eastern Arkansas soil under simulated rainfall.  J. Sustain. Agric. 32(2):231-253.
• Seay, R., and N.A. Slaton. 2008. Bermudagrass yield response to nitrogen and potassium fertilization in Northwest Arkansas. Forage and Grazinglands. doi: 101094/FG-2008-0818-01-RS.
• Yan, W., Hesham A. Agrama, N.A. Slaton and J.W. Gibbons. 2008. Soil and plant materials associated with rice straighthead disease induced by arsenic. Agron. J. 100:1655-1661.

2009 

• Golden, B.R., N.A. Slaton, R.J. Norman, C.E. Wilson, Jr., and R.E. DeLong. 2009. Evaluation of polymer-coated urea for directed-seeded, delayed-flood rice production. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 73:375-383.
• Milus, E.A., R.D. Cartwright, C.S. Rothrock, M. Anders, and N. Slaton. 2009. Impact of cropping sequences and alternative hosts on take-all management of winter wheat in Arkansas. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-2009-0512-02-RS.

• Slaton, N.A., B.R. Golden, R.J. Norman, C.E. Wilson, Jr., and R.E. DeLong. 2009. Correlation and calibration of soil potassium availability with rice yield and nutritional status. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 73:1192-1201. 

Better Crops Articles

• Fixen, P.E., R.W. Schneider, D.L. Wright, A.P. Mallarino, K.A. Nelson, S.A. Ebelhar, and N.A. Slaton. 2008.  Implications of Asian soybean rust in nutrient management - Research update. Better Crops. 92:26-29. 
• Slaton, N.A., R.D. Cartwright and C.E. Wilson, Jr.  1995.  Potassium deficiency and plant diseases observed in rice fields.  Better Crops 79(4):12-14.
• Slaton, N.A., R.E. DeLong, B.R. Golden, and M. Mozaffari. 2007. Full-season, irrigation soybean response to potassium fertilization in Arkansas.  Better Crops 91(2):28-30.
• Slaton, N.A., D. Dunn, and B. Pugh. 2004. Potassium nutrition of flood-irrigated rice. Better Crops 88(3):20-22.
• Slaton, N.A., C.E. Wilson, Jr., S. Ntamatungiro, and R.J. Norman.  1998. Rice response to phosphorus application timing.  Better Crops 82(2):10-12.
• Snyder, C.S, and N.A. Slaton.  2002.  Rice production in the United States - An Overview.  Better Crops International. 16:30-35.
• Wilson, Jr., C.E., N.A. Slaton, R. J. Norman, B.R. Wells and P.A. Dickson.  1995.  Phosphorus and potassium fertilization improves rice growth and yield.  Better Crops 79(3):13-15.    
• Wilson, Jr., C.E., N.A. Slaton, S. Ntamatungiro, D.L. Frizzell, W.B. Koen, and R. J. Norman.  1999.  Phosphorus fertilizer recommendations for rice.  Better Crops 83(4):9-12.

Background: Dr. Slaton was born and raised on a small diversified family farm in Posey County, Indiana, which is near Evansville, IN.