February 16, 2024

Research project to unravel complexities of US Corn Belt and Great Plains agriculture

Professor Sotirios Archontoulis from Iowa State University, US is set to co-lead a pioneering five-year, US$16 million initiative aiming to delve into critical questions affecting agriculture across the country's Corn Belt and Great Plains, Iowa State University reported.

The expansive project will investigate how various combinations of crops, agronomic practices, soil types, and water sources influence the productivity and environmental impact of cropping systems. Spanning seven states, including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Ohio, the study will gather new data from experimental field sites and employ simulation modelling to extend findings across different conditions.

Joining Archontoulis in this endeavour is Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, a professor at Kansas State University, who leads the project. Collaborators include institutions like The Ohio State University, Mississippi State University, The University of Kansas, Landscan, and LiCOR Environmental.

Ruiz Diaz emphasised the project's ambition to integrate various factors affecting soil health, environmental sustainability, and yield, which have often been studied in isolation. Through this collaboration, the team aims to achieve multiple objectives.

These include understanding the long-term effects of cover crops, nitrogen, crop rotation, and tillage on crop productivity and environmental sustainability across diverse climatic regions. Additionally, the project seeks to analyse the impact of crop management on soil microbial diversity, soil carbon storage, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Archontoulis, leading the Integrated Cropping Systems Lab at Iowa State, will oversee one of the experimental sites and utilize the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) for modelling across all locations. The project's modelling component, powered by APSIM, is geared towards predicting changes in soil carbon stocks over extended periods, aiding in climate change mitigation strategies.

Funding for the project primarily comes from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, with additional support from Bayer Crop Science, a key partner in the project's inception.

Ruiz Diaz expressed optimism about the project's potential to significantly enhance agricultural management practices, improve crop productivity, and bolster sustainability, benefiting farmers and society at large for years to come.

-      Iowa State University