Congratulations are due to Dr. Osler Ortez for receiving the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Award for the proposal on "Increasing Water Productivity, Soil Carbon and Sustainability of Integrated Multi-Crop Systems Using Field Scale Research”.
This award 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".
We got to hear from Dr. Ortez and one of his PhD students, Sumita Sen, about their thoughts on the project...
How did you initially become involved in this project?
Faculty: I first got involved through my networks back in the Western Corn Belt. Kansas State University is the lead on this project, and they needed expertise on this side of the region. Besides Ohio State and K-State, the team also has representation from Iowa State, Mississippi State, and the University of Kansas. Our two main industry partners are Bayer Crop Science and LiCOR. This work is supported by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR).
PhD Student: I got interested in the FFAR project after a discussion with Dr. Ortez. The scope to work on a unique project involving the effect of four management factors - cover cropping, tillage practices, nitrogen application, and crop rotation on the productivity of three important crops of the state, the US, and globally - corn, soybean, and wheat!
What are the potential impacts of this project?
Faculty: The overarching goals are to 1) determine the long-term impact of multi-management factors on crop productivity and sustainability, 2) characterize the effect of management on soils, soil Carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions, and 3) feed field-scale metrics into process-based modeling to predict and explain cropping systems’ productivity. This work will improve our understanding of synergies and trade-offs of critical management factors in grain cropping systems, which would translate into revised crop management recommendations.
PhD Student: Extreme weather events are a threat to agriculture, as we have seen their impact in Ohio with the extended drought last year. This project will help us understand the long-term impact of multi-management factors on crop productivity and inform better decision-making in Ohio and the region.
What contributions do you expect to make to this project?
Faculty: Our focus in Ohio is primarily on the crop productivity piece. We collect information to increase our understanding of the multi-management factor effects in corn, soybean, and wheat. There are eight large-scale research sites in total, expanding from Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio. We all contribute to the overarching goals.
PhD Student: As a graduate student, I am expected to carry out data collection from the field located in Perrysburg, Ohio. I will be analyzing, interpreting, and communicating results.
What are you most looking forward to learning through this project?
Faculty: Characterizing cropping systems results using large-scale research and with scale-up opportunities to the whole corn belt region and beyond. This is a great partnership with co-learning opportunities between universities and industry.
PhD Student: The project involving multi-factor cropping components will help me understand the agronomic complexities of the current cropping system and find a suitable combination of management practices for long-term productivity and sustainability in agriculture.
Closing thoughts?
We appreciate this multi-state AND public-private partnership with FFAR, Bayer Crop Science, Kansas State, and several other institutions across the US.
Interested in learning more about this project? Check out this article.