Affiliation:
1. USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory Oxford Mississippi USA
2. Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory Oxford Mississippi USA
3. Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory Oxford Mississippi USA
4. National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center Stoneville Mississippi USA
Abstract
AbstractThe Lower Mississippi River Basin‐Long‐Term Agroecosystem Research Site (LMRB‐LTAR) encompasses six states from Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico and is coordinated by the USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS. The overarching goal of LTAR is to assess regionally diverse and geographically scalable farming practices for enhanced sustainability of agroecosystem goods and services under changing environment and resource‐use conditions. The LMRB‐LTAR overall goal is to assess sustainable row crop agricultural production systems that integrate regional environmental and socioeconomic needs. Primary row crops in the region include soybeans, corn, cotton, rice, and sugarcane with crop rotations influenced by commodity crop price and other factors. The field‐scale common experiment (CE) includes four row crop farms (26–101 ha) established in 2021 and 2023. Three fields are managed with alternative practices, including reduced tillage, cover crops, and automated prescription irrigation, and three fields are managed with prevailing farming practices, consisting of conventional tillage, no cover crop, and nonprescription irrigation. Treatment effects on crop productivity, soil quality, water use efficiency, water quality, and carbon storage are assessed. Research from the LMRB CE will deliver outcomes linked to overarching LTAR network goals, including innovative agricultural systems, strengthened partnerships, data management technologies, and precision environmental tools.