Regional Field Research Network for Investigating Carbon, Nitrogen, and Water Footprints In Midwestern Corn-Based Cropping Systems.

A transdisciplinary team comprised of 11 Midwest institutions has constructed an expansive research network examining management practices with the potential to increase the resilience and adaptation of agriculture systems to more volatile weather patterns. This network is a key component within a regional collaborative project supported by the USDA-NIFA, Award No. 2011-68002-30190, “Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project: Climate Change, Mitigation, and Adaptation in Corn-based Cropping Systems.” The field research network contains 26 sites with a range of experimental units from small-plot to field scale to watershed scale across eight states. A suite of novel and established management practices are tested across this region and include extended crop rotations, cover crops integrated into corn-soybean systems, no-tillage, drainage water management, nitrogen application timing, and landscape position. The carbon, nitrogen, and water footprints associated with each system are measured through a set of established, standardized protocols for agronomic, soil, water, and greenhouse gas variables. This uniformity of methodology creates new opportunities for greater spatial analysis and rigorous assessment of Midwestern corn-based cropping systems. This presentation will detail the structure and function of the coordinated research network and measurements occurring relative to the overall goal of influencing carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles.