The LTAR Grazing Lands Common Experiment at the Jornada Experimental Range: Old genetics, new precision technologies, and adaptive value chains

Authors: Spiegal, Sheri; Estell, Richard - Rick; Cibils, Andres; COX, ANDREW - New Mexico State University; McIntosh, Matthew; Browning, Dawn; DUNIWAY, MICHAEL - Us Geological Survey (USGS); FUNK, MICAH - New Mexico State University; Macon, Lara; McCord, Sarah; REED, MATT - The Nature Conservancy; TOLLE, CINDY - American Livestock Breeds; UTSUMI, SANTIAGO - New Mexico State University; WALKER, JEREMY - Ranch Management Consultants; Webb, Nicholas - Nick

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Rangelands and the supply chains connected to them are central to the agrifood systems of the Southwestern U.S. To stay in business, ranchers must cope with uncertainty in forage and markets yet conserve ecosystem services. LTAR-Jornada studies heritage genetics, precision technologies & adaptive value chains to support these goals. Formalized knowledge co-production is underway among five ranches across the Southwest. LTAR’s Indicator system is used to assess and compare social-ecological outcomes of the 3-part management “package”.

Technical Abstract: Rangelands and the supply chains connected to them are central to the agrifood systems of the Southwestern United States. Local ranchers are simultaneously arid lands managers, herd managers, and marketing managers. To stay in business, they must constantly adapt to unpredictable forage resources and markets while conserving soils and vegetation resources for the long term. As climate warming and drying exacerbate the complexity and difficulty of day-to-day production, producers and policy-makers are seeking alternatives to “business as usual”. To meet this need, the LTAR-Jornada team has developed a package of strategies to help producers adapt to the local and inter-regional challenges. The package includes heritage cattle, precision ranching systems, and adaptive value chains. Five ranches across the Southwest that have adopted different combinations of the strategies are partnering to measure their benefits and inadvertent drawbacks in real-world conditions. Opportunities for controlled experimentation differ among the ranches, so we use LTAR’s indicator system to assess and compare results. Even as we invest in co-producing knowledge about these three strategies, we recognize that progressive aridification and urbanization of Southwestern rangelands create challenges for which a single “silver bullet” agricultural innovation is unlikely to provide durable solutions. We are learning from each other about ways to adjust the development of new options.