Linking and sharing technology: Partnerships for data innovations for management of agricultural big data

Authors: Kharel, Tulsi; Ashworth, Amanda; Owens, Phillip

Submitted to: Data
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2022
Publication Date: 1/20/2022
Citation: Kharel, T.P., Ashworth, A.J., Owens, P.R. 2022. Linking and sharing technology: Partnerships for data innovations for management of agricultural big data. Data. https://doi.org/10.3390/data7020012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/data7020012

Interpretive Summary: Current research now produces larger volumes of data, which has resulted in a concurrent need for advanced capacity to collect, process, and store these data. This has also resulted in more complex and integrated analyses, including multi-location, multi-discipline collaborations. Researchers from USDA-ARS,Crop Production Systems Research Unit, Stoneville, MS; Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, AR; and Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR set out to evaluate a national database and provide examples of case studies currently using this platform known as Partnership for Data Innovations and use its long-term, continental US database (18 locations and 24 years) to test cover crop and grazing effects on soil carbon storage. Results found that legume and rye cover crops increased soil organic carbon (SOC) storage by 36 and 50%, respectively, compared to oat mixtures and low and high grazing intensity improved upper SOC by 69-72% compared to medium grazing intensity. This was likely because of legumes providing more favorable environment for SOC formation and high grazing intensity systems having continuous manure deposition. Overall, this USDA data platform can make data available to researchers regionally and nationally and can address agricultural grand challenges.

Technical Abstract: Combining data into a centralized, searchable, and linked platform will provide a data exploration platform to agricultural stakeholders and researchers for better agricultural decision-making, thus fully utilizing existing data and preventing redundant research. Such a data repository requires readiness to share data, knowledge, and skillsets and work with big data infrastructures. With the adoption of new technologies and increased data collection, agricultural workforce are needed to update their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Partnership for data innovation (PDI) effort integrates agricultural data by efficiently capturing them from field, lab and greenhouse studies using variety of sensors/tools and Apps and provides a quick visualization and summary statistics for real-time decision making. This paper aims to evaluate and provide examples of case studies currently using PDI and use its long-term, continental US database (18 locations and 24 years) to test cover crop and grazing effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. Results found that legume and rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crops increased SOC storage by 36 and 50%, respectively, compared to oat (Avena sativa L.)/rye mixtures and low and high grazing intensity improved upper SOC by 69-72% compared to medium grazing intensity. This was likely owing to legumes providing more favorable substrate for SOC formation and high grazing intensity systems having continuous manure deposition. Overall, PDI can be used to democratize data regionally and nationally and therefore can address large-scale research questions aimed at addressing agricultural grand challenges.