Welcome to NLAE
The National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) is multidisciplinary and focused on integrating the fundamental principles in soil, water, and air into animal, cropping and watershed systems that leads to improved environmental quality, sustainability, and enhanced agricultural system efficiency. View our welcome video here.
Mission Statement
The mission of the lab is to generate information addressing critical problems in agriculture and watershed management to develop innovative solutions which increase the efficiency of agriculture systems and reduce environmental risk. Transdisciplinary teams address this through coordinated research in abiotic and biotic systems.
NLAE is:
- A national/global HUB for addressing fundamental agroecosystem production and resource use efficiency research across scales under climate non-stationarity and extremes
- Long-term Agroecological Research (LTAR)
- Soil, Water, and Air Fundamental Research
- Agroecological Management Research
- A problem-solving laboratory
- New Watershed Management Tools (e.g., real-time sensing technologies and forecasting tools)
- Animals Systems of the Future (e.g., circular production systems, new feeding)
- Urban Agriculture and distressed communities
"My vision is to nurture a collaborative, welcoming environment at NLAE which values problem solving, creativity, and promotes multidisciplinary, transformative, and innovative research on sustainable food production systems i.e., systems that are environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically competitive."
- Dr. Thanos Papanicolaou, Laboratory Director
Working with our stakeholders!
ARS scientist, Martin Shipitalo, and others led a successful field day in the LTAR site of the South Fork watershed, including a saturated buffer, blind inlet, and filter sock installation!
Read more here.
NLAE in the Community
Many at NLAE take time to volunteer and engage with their community.
Biannually, a group volunteers with ISU's WISE program, educating young women about opportunities in science.
Image analysis techniques to map biomass (a) and root structure (b)
photo credit: Kevin Cole, Anna Radke, & Bert Swalla
NLAE observational capabilities
Foaming manure in swine barns, gas production, and mitigation strategies- NLAE leads the way
photo credit: Steve Trabue
Coupling mechanistic watershed and biogeochemical models to move from the soilscape to the landscape - Understanding the role of management on SOC redistribution across scales
LTAR in action! Use of UAVs to map the stream corridor interface in the NLAE LTAR of South Fork. View a video about LTAR field activities here.
photo credit: NLAE Watershed Team
NLAE and ISU partners lead the way on optimal BMP placement and assessment
The effects of freeze and thaw cycles on biogeochemical fluxes
The Climate Hubs and their partners support USDA’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, connecting science and practice through tailored outreach activities.
The Climate Hubs and their partners support USDA’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, connecting science and practice through tailored outreach activities.
“A great summary in one hour that would take me a day to dig around and look through all the same material.” – Webinar Attendee
The Concept and Design of Saturated Buffers: a NLAE-ISU Partnership
View a short video about how saturated buffers work here.Image Courtesy of ADMC- The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition
News at NLAE
- New Research Technician Joins AMRU (9/25/2024)
- NLAE and AMRU Hire New PSA (9/23/2024)
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Digging for Answers on Soil (7/23/2024)
- Who Said That Soil Health Does Not Affect Hydrology? (7/23/2024)
- Organic Water Quality Field Day on June 18th (6/7/2024)
- Ruis and NLAE in Partnership with ISU Secure FFAR Grant on Organic Study (3/15/2024)
- February is African-American History Month! (2/29/2024)
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New NLAE Funding for Studying the Complex Interactions of Humic Products with Nitrogen Fertilizer (2/7/2024)
- 2024 Employment of the Year Awards (1/26/2024)
- 2023 Southfork Watershed Alliance (12/19/2023)
- At the frontline of research: On-farm anaerobic digestion (11/6/2023)
- Food at First: An NLAE Contribution to the Community (10/3/2023)
- Eco Fair 2023 (10/3/2023)
- Unique NLAE ISU Partnership to Support Farmers and Soil Conservationists to Understand Benchmarks to Measure and Monitor Carbon (10/3/2023)
- NLAE Innovative Research on Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture (10/3/2023)
- Joint Seminars-Joint Science Discussions on Climate Smart Agriculture: NLAE and ISU partnership (9/5/2023)
- Sabrina Ruis speaking about soil health at the Neely-Kinyon Field Extension Day (8/15/2023)
- 2023 Stakeholder Meeting (8/4/2023)
- NLAE Contributes to New Knowledge of Ag Production Systems (5/4/2023)
- SY Activities (4/11/2023)
- NLAE Renovations (3/1/2023)
- NLAE Updates (3/1/2023)
- 2022 Editor's Citation for Excellence (2/24/2023)
- General Turkey Research in the US (1/30/2023)
- 2023 FLC Impact Award (1/30/2023)
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Southfork Watershed Alliance Water Quality Forum (12/1/2022)
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Climate Change Adaptation and USDA (11/21/2022)
- Can Planting Trees Help Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change? (10/21/2022)
- Smart Soil Functionality Under Changing Climate (10/18/2022)
- NLAE Booth at the Ames EcoFair (10/6/2022)
- Dr. Tom Sauer discusses FDR's Prairie States Forestry Project (9/29/2022)
- Reaching Out to the Community (9/28/2022)
- Brian Kerr at NutriQuest Technical Exchange Speakership (9/27/2022)
- NLAE and MWA Climate Hub hire new PSA (9/27/2022)
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Research Hydrologist Ken Wacha joins NLAE (9/27/2022)
- SMAF Paper Article (1/7/2022)
- Agroforestry Research (12/30/2021)
- Research Spotlight: Residue Mulch (12/22/2021)
- NLAE Pollinator Garden (11/2/2021)
- New Midwest Climate Hub Coordinator (10/26/2021)
- 2021 Best Paper Awards (9/21/2021)
- ARSX 2021 Winners (9/1/2021)
- South Fork Watershed Tour (8/6/2021)
- NLAE Retirement: Keith Kohler (1/11/2021)
- Under the Microscope- Agroforestry (1/6/2021)
- Down on the Farm (1/6/2021)
- Water Quality Partnership with ISU (9/21/2020)
- USDA Agroforestry in Arkansas (9/14/2020)
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Issue (7/7/2020)
- SWCS Conservation Research Award (6/24/2020)
- 'We have one Earth' (6/24/2020)
- What are Saturated Buffers? (11/05/2018)
- NLAE Stakeholder Meeting 2018 (06/25/2018)
- The ACPF- Watershed Management Tools (6/04/2018)
- Keep Nutrients in Your Field! (05/22/2018)
- Midwest Cover Crops Council Workshop (10/07/2016)
- A New Name, Broader Mission - NLAE (10/07/2016)
