Regenerative / Sustainable Agriculture

This webpage provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). Last Updated: June 9, 2023

Applying regenerative agriculture principles allows farmers and ranchers in grazing animal production to be profitable and good stewards of the land.

A Texas A&M AgriLife-led team is addressing that issue by evaluating biobased cropping systems with both water and carbon resiliency.

Renewable energy production is growing in the United States, but expanding an energy system built on renewables – like solar or wind – means locating infrastructure closer to where those resources are either abundant and/or easily distributed. Research supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is developing options where solar energy production and agriculture are partners rather than competitors for land. Renewable energy production is growing in the United States, but expanding an energy system built on renewables – like solar or wind – means locating infrastructure closer to where those resources are either abundant and/or easily distributed. Research supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is developing options where solar energy production and agriculture are partners rather than competitors for land.  Led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Sustainably Co-locating Agricultural and Photovoltaic Electricity Systems (SCAPES) project is researching agrivoltaic systems—fields with both crops and solar panels—in a variety of land and climate types.  Additionally, the project features a combination of research, education and Extension activities at the University of Arizona, Colorado State University, Auburn University, the University of Illinois Chicago and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  “Co-locating photovoltaic systems within productive pasture and crop land -- aptly named agrivoltaic systems -- not only provides potential economic benefit but could go a long way toward mitigating barriers to acceptance of photovoltaics for agriculture, as this synergy is a sustainable solution that does not compete for land. We are very happy to fund this collaborative project,” said Steven J. Thomson, National Program Leader.   Supported by NIFA’s Sustainable Agriculture Systems program, the project brings together people from multiple disciplines to take a complete look at the different dimensions of moving towards the use of more agrivoltaics in the United States.  The SCAPES project is working to provide a comprehensive analysis of the potential of agrivoltaics. Its goal is to maintain or increase crop yield; increase the combined (food and electricity) productivity of land; and diversify and increase farm profitability with diverse crops (row crops, forage and specialty crops) across three biophysically diverse regions in the U.S.: rainfed Illinois, dryland Colorado and irrigated Arizona.  SCAPES couples field experiments across three states with farm-scale economic analysis, farmer survey and a system modelling approach to extrapolate not only production outcomes but economic outcomes as well. Additionally, the project’s economic and Extension teams are examining strategies to overcome adoption barriers for agrivoltaics.  Watch how the SCAPES project is focusing on agrivoltaic systems—fields with both crops and solar panels—in a variety of land and climate types.

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Oklahoma Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education

How Precision Soil Input Recommendations Deliver Greater Customer Returns

Quality, passion, innovation, and respect for Nature have always been the values that guide us. Present today in over 80 countries.

Maintenance of soil health is of foremost importance to sustain and increase crop productivity, while meeting the demand of a rising global population. Soil microbiome is gaining increasing attention as a modulator of soil health. Microbial communities confer traits to the soil as a living organism, which functions holistically and conforms part of the plant holobiont, reassembling the human-gut axis. Novel strategies in biostimulant development advocate for modulation of the native soil microbiome and the reinforcement of microbial networking to outpace pathogen inclusion. Consequently, we hypothesize that Terramin® Pro may promotes beneficial microorganisms, depending on the native microbiota of soil, which would lead to an improvement of crop performance indicators. We proposed a soil microbiome-based approach to characterize the effect of an L-α-amino acid based biostimulant (Terramin® Pro) on resulting plant phenotypes in lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L.) to address our hypothesis. First, product application promoted Actinobacteria group in assorted soils with different track of agronomic practices. Secondly, biostimulant application improved chlorophyll content in particular soils deviating from standard conditions, i.e., sick or uncultivated ones. Specially, we observed that product application at 30 L ha−1 improved lettuce phenotype, while potentially promoted entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria and Metarhizium spp.) and suppressed other lettuce disease-related fungi (Olpidium spp.) in nematode-infested soils. Further investigations could deepen into Terramin® Pro as a sustainable prebiotic strategy of soil indigenous microbiota, through in-house microbiome modulation, even in additional crops.

Growers must efficiently manage field inputs while reducing the risk of yield losses to maximize profitability season after season. Fertilizers are significant variable costs in production, and tools are available to assess their need. This article describes best management practices for soil testing, report interpretation, and assessing fertilizer needs for crops in North America.

How might we use agroecological research at the intersection of agronomy and ecology to facilitate...

URBANA, Ill. — Just how much carbon is in the soil? That’s a tough question to answer at large spatial scales, but understanding soil organic carbon at regional, national, or global scales could help scientists predict overall soil health, crop productivity, and even worldwide carbon cycles. Classically, researchers collect soil samples in the field and […]

Improving producer profitability, soil health and water quality by partnering with nature.

Soil Ecology studies bringing critical soil functions of natural systems into agriculture, such as nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, and soil regeneration.

Many times in life, we do not appreciate something until we lose it. And I always took for granted growing healthy plants until I came to West Texas. Understanding what our soil is lacking has caused me to do much research in the area of composting and soil biology. It has also motivated me to […]

Biome Makers' launches new online shop for Biological Soil Tests. Farmers and advisors can now order BeCrop® Test, an advanced biological soil test, directly from Biome Makers' website. This new element of eCommerce simplifies BeCrop® Test purchases with a quick and easy process and informs farmers and advisors about their soil's health before the next growing season.

Advancing Eco Agriculture provides agronomic support and nutritional programs customized for specific crops and soil types to increase profits with regenerative agriculture

Science, consumers, and regulatory agencies are pushing these crop inputs to the forefront of the industry.

Farmers used to plant "cover crops" to rejuvenate fields in the off season. When those were replaced with chemicals, the soil suffered.

This webinar presents case studies that bring to light the crucial insights provided by BeCrop technology, used to develop effective strategies for promoting soil health with a special focus on minimizing disease with early risk detection.

With growing populations and climate change, assuring food and nutrition security is an increasingly challenging task. Climate-smart and sustainable agriculture, that is, conceiving agriculture to be resistant and resilient to a changing climate while keeping it viable in the long term, is probably the best solution. The role of soil biota and particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in this new agriculture is believed to be of paramount importance. However, the large nutrient pools and the microbiota of subsoils are rarely considered in the equation. Here we explore the potential contributions of subsoil AM fungi to a reduced and more efficient fertilization, carbon sequestration, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. We discuss the use of crop rotations and cover cropping with deep rooting mycorrhizal plants, and low-disturbance management, as means of fostering subsoil AM communities. Finally, we suggest future research goals that would allow us to maximize these benefits.

Agricultural soils are a significant source of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, because of fertilizer application and decomposition of crop residues. We studied interactions between nitrogen (N) amendments and soil conditions in a 2-year field experiment with or without catch crop incorporation before seeding of spring barley, and with or without application of N in the form of digested liquid manure or mineral N fertilizer. Weather conditions, soil inorganic N dynamics, and N2O emissions were monitored during spring, and soil samples were analyzed for abundances of nitrite reduction (nirK and nirS) and N2O reduction genes (nosZ clade I and II), and structure of nitrite- and N2O-reducing communities. Fertilization significantly enhanced soil mineral N accumulation compared to treatments with catch crop residues as the only N source. Nitrous oxide emissions, in contrast, were stimulated in rotations with catch crop residue incorporation, probably as a result of concurrent net N mineralization, and O2 depletion associated with residue degradation in organic hotspots. Emissions of N2O from digested manure were low in both years, while emissions from mineral N fertilizer were nearly absent in the first year, but comparable to emissions from catch crop residues in the second year with higher precipitation and delayed plant N uptake. Higher gene abundances, as well as shifts in community structure, were also observed in the second year, which were significantly corre...

Straw returns to the soil is an effective way to improve soil organic carbon and reduce air pollution by straw burning, but this may increase CH4 and N2O emissions risks in paddy soils. Biochar has been used as a soil amendment to improve soil fertility and mitigate CH4 and N2O emissions. However, little is known about their interactive effect on CH4 and N2O emissions and the underlying microbial mechanisms. In this study, a 2-year pot experiment was conducted on two paddy soil types (an acidic Utisol, TY, and an alkaline Inceptisol, BH) to evaluate the influence of straw and biochar applications on CH4 and N2O emissions, and on related microbial functional genes. Results showed that straw addition markedly increased the cumulative CH4 emissions in both soils by 4.7- to 9.1-fold and 23.8- to 72.4-fold at low (S1) and high (S2) straw input rate, respectively, and significantly increased mcrA gene abundance. Biochar amendment under the high straw input (BS2) significantly decreased CH4 emissions by more than 50% in both soils, and increased both mcrA gene and pmoA gene abundances, with greatly enhanced pmoA gene and a decreased mcrA/pmoA gene ratio. Moreover, methanotrophs community changed distinctly in response to straw and biochar amendment in the alkaline BH soil, but showed slight change in the acidic TY soil. Straw had little effect on N2O emissions at low input rate (S1) but significantly increased N2O emissions at the high input rate (S2). Biochar amendment showed in...

In many parts of the world, agricultural ecosystems are increasingly exposed to severe drought, and rainfall events due to climate changes. This coincides with a higher vulnerability of crops to soil-borne diseases, which is mostly ascribed to decreased resistance to pathogen attacks. However, loss of the natural capacity of soil microbes to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens may also contribute to increased disease outbreaks. In this perspectives paper, we will discuss the effect of extreme weather events on pathogen-antagonist interactions during drought and rainfall events and upon recovery. We will focus on diseases caused by root-infecting fungi and oomycetes. In addition, we will explore factors that affect restoration of the balance between pathogens and other soil microbes. Finally, we will indicate potential future avenues to improve the resistance and/or recovery of natural biocontrol during, and after water stresses. As such, our perspective paper will highlight a knowledge gap that needs to be bridged to adapt agricultural ecosystems to changing climate scenarios.

As two central issues of global climate change, the continuous increase of both atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global temperature has profound effects on various terrestrial ecosystems. Microbial communities play pivotal roles in these ecosystems by responding to environmental changes through regulation of soil biogeochemical processes. However, little is known about the effect of elevated CO2 (eCO2) and global warming on soil microbial communities, especially in semiarid zones. We used a functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0) to measure the functional gene composition, structure, and metabolic potential of soil microbial communities under warming, eCO2, and eCO2 + warming conditions in a semiarid grassland. The results showed that the composition and structure of microbial communities was dramatically altered by multiple climate factors, including elevated CO2 and increased temperature. Key functional genes, those involved in carbon (C) degradation and fixation, methane metabolism, nitrogen (N) fixation, denitrification and N mineralization, were all stimulated under eCO2, while those genes involved in denitrification and ammonification were inhibited under warming alone. The interaction effects of eCO2 and warming on soil functional processes were similar to eCO2 alone, whereas some genes involved in recalcitrant C degradation showed no significant changes. In addition, canonical correspondence analysis and Mantel test results suggested that NO3-N and moisture significa...