Increasing crop yields while improving soil and watershed health requires understanding how agriculture management interacts with local environmental conditions. To date, this research remains fragmented and limited in scope. To tackle these knowledge gaps and improve precision agriculture, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $7,657,633 grant to Kansas State University (K-State). Funding will support an expansive study across the U.S. Corn Belt and Great Plains exploring how crop, soil and water management affect the soil microbial communities that drive agroecosystem functions.
Bayer Crop Science provided $4,601,244 in matching funds, and Iowa State University, K-State, LandScan, LI-COR Environmental, Mississippi State University, The Ohio State University and The University of Kansas also provided funds for a total investment of $16,362,948.
Collaboration with farmers, agronomists and industry identifies the best management practices to increase soil productivity and sustainability.Photo courtesy of Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Kansas State University
Led by Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management, and Dr. Brian Olson, professor and head of Western Kansas Research Extension Centers, both at K-State, and Dr. Sotirios Archontoulis, professor of Integrated Cropping Systems Lab at Iowa State University, the project is implementing field research across a wide range of environments while measuring indicators of cropping systems’ performance and sustainability. Over an initial five-year period, this project will investigate how combinations of cover crops, nitrogen, crop rotation and tillage, and water management under variable soil water conditions influence soil microbial communities that drive nutrient availability and loss. Because past projects often have been constrained by short-term support, the matching funders committed to extending the project for five years beyond the grant period to strengthen our understanding of plant genetics, environmental conditions and agriculture management interactions across space, time and changing climate conditions.