@USLTAR

The Long Term Agroecosystem Research (#USLTAR) Network šŸ”¬šŸŒ¾šŸ‚šŸŒ½šŸ ā˜ļøšŸŒŽ Run with ā¤ļø by volunteers / not sponsored by @USDA

 United States
ltar.ars.usda.gov
Joined March 2018
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  • Following223
  • Followers271
12Media
Good soil starts with good data. Thatā€™s why Kristen Veum, an ARS soil scientist in Columbia, MO, and her research collaborators, developed the SHAPE tool. This handy innovation helps Americaā€™s farmers calculate soil health scores, set management goals, and improve productivity and profitability.
Research Soil Scientist Kristen Veum holds soil above the SHAPE tool.

ALT Research Soil Scientist Kristen Veum holds soil above the SHAPE tool.

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ARS scientists are helping Americaā€™s organic farmers! Recent results from a seven-year study by @USDA_ARS and @IowaStateU found that a diversified organic rotation reduced tile drainage nitrogen loads by 50% compared to conventional systems. Perennial pasture also reduced the amount of nitrogen in the drainage water by 93%. This research provides strong evidence that organic farming systems -- when designed with diverse rotations -- can substantially reduce nitrogen pollution in groundwater, while maintaining food production. acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.cā€¦ #NationalWaterQualityMonth
An aerial drone view shows experimental drainage plots in Ames, IA, where USDA ARS conducts long term research on balancing water quality and food production. Image ā€œbā€ provides a closer view of the plot sumps, where tile drainage is measured and tested for a wide range of water quality parameters. (ARS image).

ALT An aerial drone view shows experimental drainage plots in Ames, IA, where USDA ARS conducts long term research on balancing water quality and food production. Image ā€œbā€ provides a closer view of the plot sumps, where tile drainage is measured and tested for a wide range of water quality parameters. (ARS image).

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This timelapse video illustrates how tillage has cascading impacts on water capture, soil erosion, and crop growth. @USDA_ARS researchers at the Cook Agronomy Farm LTAR site in Pullman, WA, installed PhenoCams (webcams used to track the timing of plant development) in neighboring fields. The video demonstrates the effect on the chisel-plowed field on the left as compared to the right field, which has been no-tilled since 1999. ltar.ars.usda.gov/
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Learn how ARS scientists in St. Paul, MN, are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate breeding for new plant varieties that will greatly benefit farmers. scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦ #ScientificDiscoveries
AI imaging above, versus real photos of the alfalfa roots. (Image provided by Dr. Debby Samac).

ALT AI imaging above, versus real photos of the alfalfa roots. (Image provided by Dr. Debby Samac).

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ARS researchers from the Water Management and Conservation Researchā€Æunit in Maricopa, AZ, are studying the risks of using treated wastewater to irrigate farmland prone to drought. They are working to alleviate concerns that microplastics in the water could carry antibiotics into the soil and crops. aglab.ars.usda.gov/fuel-yourā€¦ #ARSAgLab
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@USDA_ARS scientists in Oxford, MS, are helping U.S. farmers as they study the problem of microplastics occurring in Mississippi Delta floodwaters. The researchers are using infrared spectrometer technology, which enables them to analyze tiny samples of plastic. They are working to locate where the plastics are moving and how they are affecting Americaā€™s farms. mdpi.com/2039-4713/16/3/81
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ARS scientists and their partners at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CARR) in Fort Collins, CO, are working to bring precision management technologies to Americaā€™s hardworking farmers and ranchers, large and small. ARS leadership received some hands-on experiences during their recent visit.
From left (back row): Robert Dā€™Adamo, Jyoti Jennewein, Jeff Silverstein, Mike Arnold, Joon Park, Pete Kleinman, Cathy Stewart, Brad Floyd, Justin Derner, John Frame. Front row: Huihui Zhang, Grace Miner, Mari Gomez, Kyle Mankin, and Kevin Yemoto. (Photo by Donna Neer, ARS).

ALT From left (back row): Robert Dā€™Adamo, Jyoti Jennewein, Jeff Silverstein, Mike Arnold, Joon Park, Pete Kleinman, Cathy Stewart, Brad Floyd, Justin Derner, John Frame. Front row: Huihui Zhang, Grace Miner, Mari Gomez, Kyle Mankin, and Kevin Yemoto. (Photo by Donna Neer, ARS).

From left: Jeff Silverstein and Harvey Blackburn, look over Cyrotanks, filled with liquid nitrogen. The Cryotanks store animal and plant germplasm in the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation at Fort Collins. These provide central long-term primary storage to safeguard the genetic diversity of animals and plants critical to U.S. agriculture and global food security. (Photo by Donna Neer, ARS).

ALT From left: Jeff Silverstein and Harvey Blackburn, look over Cyrotanks, filled with liquid nitrogen. The Cryotanks store animal and plant germplasm in the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation at Fort Collins. These provide central long-term primary storage to safeguard the genetic diversity of animals and plants critical to U.S. agriculture and global food security. (Photo by Donna Neer, ARS).

Precision livestock technologies are being employed by ranchers, like the multi-generation King Ranch in Cheyenne, WY. Precision field equipment can capture individual animal gas fluxes under real-world grazing conditions. This provides ranchers with enhanced decision-making in selecting animals for nutrient use and feed efficiency, in rangeland environments. ARS Administrator Joon Park (right) joins Savannah Solon, agricultural sciences research technician, as they fill a hopper with livestock feed. (Photo by Justin Derner, ARS).

ALT Precision livestock technologies are being employed by ranchers, like the multi-generation King Ranch in Cheyenne, WY. Precision field equipment can capture individual animal gas fluxes under real-world grazing conditions. This provides ranchers with enhanced decision-making in selecting animals for nutrient use and feed efficiency, in rangeland environments. ARS Administrator Joon Park (right) joins Savannah Solon, agricultural sciences research technician, as they fill a hopper with livestock feed. (Photo by Justin Derner, ARS).

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Job opportunity: Open Rank Professor ā€“ Feedlot Extension Specialist, University of Negraska - Lincoln public.3.basecamp.com/p/C261ā€¦
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ARS researchers in Boise, ID, are providing ranchers and land managers with multiple solutions including prescribed grazing periods for cattle. Targeted grazing can reduce the incidence and severity of wildfires. These images show ranchers and their federal partners discussing the aftermath of a massive wildfire of over 100,000 acres in southeast Oregon. Learn more at: scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦ #ScientificDiscoveries
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ARS scientists and the Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) team are helping U.S. ranchers solve issues with excessive drought. Using the latest in data-driven technologies, ARS and CARM are enabling ranchers, farmers, and producers to better adapt to changes in land management practices during an era of variable weather. scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦
Cattle grazing on the rangeland in the 1950s.

ALT Cattle grazing on the rangeland in the 1950s.

Current drought on the Western Great Plains.

ALT Current drought on the Western Great Plains.

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Nitrogen fertilizer is a critical resource for farms as it promotes optimal crop growth. ARS scientists explain how America's farmers can use nitrogen properly to save money. youtube.com/watch?v=7-5ugrJEā€¦
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ARS scientists have been developing an agriculture monitoring system with remote sensing maps to reduce negative impacts on the Chesapeake Bay. ARS research is working to keep the watershed vibrant, as the Bay contributes billions of dollars to local economies and the commercial fishing industry. scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦
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Healthy rangelands support livestock, protect wildlife, and help reduce wildfire and erosion risks. The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP), which uses AI and satellite imagery to monitor these landscapes, has now been upgraded by ARS. These advancements will improve rangeland conditions and productivity for American ranchers and farmers. aglab.ars.usda.gov/learn-andā€¦
A healthy rangeland. (Getty Images).

ALT A healthy rangeland. (Getty Images).

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ARS scientists in Columbia, Missouri, are on a mission to find more palatable plant-based protein sources for consumers. Their innovation to combine multiple beneficial traits in soybean seeds will address a long-standing challenge for soybean farmers in the marketplace. scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦
Soybean crops. (Photo by Kristin Bilyeu, ARS).

ALT Soybean crops. (Photo by Kristin Bilyeu, ARS).

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Reducing Wildfire Threats in the West scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦
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The LTAR Network - Solving Agricultural Challenges with Decades of Insight: youtube.com/watch?v=yM7lANrSā€¦
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The USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network develops sustainable agricultural practices through coordinated experiments in 18 locations across the United States. At the ARS Northern Plains site, scientists are exploring alternative grazing land methods like mob grazing, multi-species grazing, and prescribed fire to manage invasive Kentucky bluegrass. Their goal is to develop practices with economic and ecosystem benefits for range managers and farmers. For more info: ltar.ars.usda.gov/ #WildfireAwarenessMonth
ARS Research Rangeland Management Specialist David Toledo conducts a controlled burn in McLean County, North Dakota. (Photo courtesy of David Toledo).

ALT ARS Research Rangeland Management Specialist David Toledo conducts a controlled burn in McLean County, North Dakota. (Photo courtesy of David Toledo).

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ARS researchers in Oxford, MS, are helping Americans live healthier lives. Peppers are packed with nutrients and popular in foods, on the grill, or as a snack. ARS researchers are finding the chemical compound in certain peppers, like the TigerPaw (pictured), may also reduce blood sugar levels. Their research is especially important in the fight against diabetes. scientificdiscoveries.ars.usā€¦
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ARS scientists in Boise, Idaho, are employing prescribed cattle grazing as a management tool. This promotes ecological restoration and wildfire protection of western rangelands overrun by invasive and flammable grasses -- like cheatgrass and medusahead. aglab.ars.usda.gov/fuel-yourā€¦
Cattle grazing in Great Basin area. (Photo by Ben Sitz, Boise District Bureau of Land Management).

ALT Cattle grazing in Great Basin area. (Photo by Ben Sitz, Boise District Bureau of Land Management).

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Watch ARS researchers in Boise, Idaho, as they study prescribed fires in western juniper-type landscapes. They are working to better understand how this land-management tool affects the hydrology, habitat, and overall ecosystem of the rangeland. youtube.com/watch?v=JL3tPM2jā€¦ #WildfireAwarenessMonth
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