Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory
Project Number: 3064-21600-001-007-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2022
End Date: Dec 31, 2024
Objective:
Assess regional linkages of crop management and environment to associations between soil microbiome, crop biomass, and grain production and nutrient concentrations.
Approach:
Regional analysis: Wheat biomass and grain samples collected at farm sites across North Dakota will be analyzed for protein and mineral concentrations. In addition, soil microbiome analyses will be conducted on soil samples collected at the corresponding sites at different phenological stages.
Site-level analysis: The regional analysis will be complemented by additional field plot studies at the NGPRL site, facilitating evaluation of management impacts under common weather conditions and soil types. The existing field plot studies encompass a range of management systems including but not limited to different fertilizer types and application rates, manure application, tillage treatments, use of cover crops, perennial forages, and livestock grazing. Soil samples will be analyzed for soil microbial parameters. Plant and grain samples analyses may include protein and mineral concentrations, fiber, lipids, and secondary metabolites.
