The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm

Abstract

Dryland agriculture in the Inland Pacific Northwest is challenged in part by rising input costs for seed, fertilizer, and agrichemicals; threats to water quality and soil health, including soil erosion, organic matter decline, acidification, compaction, and nutrient imbalances; lack of cropping system diversity; herbicide resistance; and air quality concerns from atmospheric emissions of particulate matter and greenhouse gases. Technological advances such as rapid data acquisition, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and robotics have helped fuel innovation and discovery but have also further complicated agricultural decision-making and research. Meeting these challenges has promoted interest in (1) supporting long-term research that enables assessment of ecosystem service trade-offs and advances sustainable and regenerative approaches to agriculture, and (2) developing coproduction research approaches that actively engage decision-makers and accelerate innovation. The R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm (CAF) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) site established a cropping systems experiment in 2017 that contrasts prevailing (PRV) and alternative (ALT) practices at field scales over a proposed 30-year time frame. The experimental site is on the Washington State University CAF near Pullman, WA. Cropping practices include a wheat-based cropping system with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), canola (Brassica napus, variety napus), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), and winter pea (Pisum sativum), with winter wheat produced every third year under the ALT practices of continuous no-tillage and precision applied N, compared to the PRV practice of reduced tillage (RT) and uniformly applied agrichemicals. Biophysical measurements are made at georeferenced locations that capture field-scale spatial variability at temporal intervals that follow approved methods for each agronomic and environmental metric. Research to date is assessing spatial and temporal variations in cropping system performance (e.g., crop yield, soil health, and water and air quality) for ALT versus PRV and associated tradeoffs. Future research will explore a coproduction approach with the intent of advancing discovery, innovation, and impact through collaborative stakeholder-researcher partnerships that direct and implement research priorities.