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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415790
Research Project: Transdisciplinary Research that Improves the Productivity and Sustainability of Northern Great Plains Agroecosystems and the Well-Being of the Communities They Serve

Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

Title: The LTAR Common Experiment: Facilitating improved agricultural sustainability through coordinated cross-site research

Author
item Liebig, Mark
item Abendroth, Lori
item ROBERTSON, G. PHILIP - Michigan State University
item Augustine, David
item BOUGHTON, ELIZABETH - Archbold Biological Station
item Bagley, Gwendolyn
item BUSCH, DENNIS - University Of Wisconsin
item Clark, Pat
item Coffin, Alisa
item Dalzell, Brent
item Dell, Curtis
item Fortuna, Ann Marie
item Freidenreich, Ariel
item Heilman, Philip - Phil
item Helseth, Christina - Tina
item Huggins, David
item Johnson, Jane
item KHORCHANI, MAKKI - University Of Nebraska
item King, Kevin
item Kovar, John
item Locke, Martin
item Mirsky, Steven
item Schantz, Merilynn
item Schmer, Marty
item SILVEIRA, MARIA - University Of Florida
item Smith, Douglas
item Soder, Kathy
item Spiegal, Sheri
item Stinner, Jedediah
item Toledo, David
item Williams, Mark
item Krecker-Yost, Jenifer

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/12/2024
Publication Date: 11/18/2024
Citation: Liebig, M.A., Abendroth, L.J., Robertson, G., Augustine, D.J., Boughton, E.H., Bagley, G.A., Busch, D.L., Clark, P., Coffin, A.W., Dalzell, B.J., Dell, C.J., Fortuna, A., Freidenreich, A.S., Heilman, P., Helseth, C.M., Huggins, D.R., Johnson, J.M., Khorchani, M., King, K.W., Kovar, J.L., Locke, M.A., Mirsky, S.B., Schantz, M.C., Schmer, M.R., Silveira, M.L., Smith, D.R., Soder, K.J., Spiegal, S.A., Stinner, J.H., Toledo, D.N., Williams, M.R., Krecker-Yost, J.L. 2024. The LTAR Common Experiment: Facilitating improved agricultural sustainability through coordinated cross-site research. Journal of Environmental Quality. http://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20636.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20636

Interpretive Summary: Field-based experiments can provide valuable insights into agricultural management practices. However, traditional experiments have limitations for solving increasingly complex agricultural problems. In response to this need, the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network developed a ‘Common Experiment’ to provide multi-regional, science-based information to implement agricultural innovations that simultaneously promote food security, well-being, environmental quality, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The core design of the Common Experiment compares prevailing and alternative/aspirational production systems. The alternative systems include novel innovations aimed to improve sustainability in ways that are locally appropriate. Treatments in the Common Experiment are designed to change as agricultural practices evolve over the course of the experiment. Across 18 LTAR sites, 25 experiments are conducted under cropland, grazing land, and integrated crop-livestock production systems. The LTAR Common Experiment is positioned to help develop agroecosystems that can meet increasing production demands under a broad range of future challenges.

Technical Abstract: Long-term research is essential for guiding the development of agroecosystems to meet escalating production demands in a manner that is environmentally sound and socially acceptable. Research must integrate biophysical and socio-economic factors to provide geographically scalable knowledge that involves stakeholders across the research-education-extension-policy spectrum. In response to this need, the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network developed a ‘Common Experiment’ which seeks to develop and disseminate multi-regional, science-based information to enable implementation of visionary agricultural innovations while simultaneously promoting food security, well-being, environmental quality, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The core design of the Common Experiment contrasts prevailing and alternative/aspirational production systems, with the latter including novel innovations hypothesized to advance sustainable intensification in locally appropriate ways. Treatments in the Common Experiment are dynamic and will evolve over the course of the experiment. Across 18 LTAR sites, 25 field experiments represent a diversity of production systems under cropland, grazing land, and integrated system land uses. Where possible, treatments are evaluated at multiple spatial scales (e.g., from plot to enterprise). A common assessment framework guides data collection for the experiment and is complemented by metric-specific protocols and an emerging data management infrastructure. Currently, there are large differences among sites in the application of the experimental framework and degree of stakeholder engagement; differences grounded in pragmatic realities related to land access, site expertise, and resource availability. The full potential of the LTAR Common Experiment may be realized with strategic investments in network capacity.