Agricultural News
Agroecosystem Research Yields New Scientific Information that May Change the Way You Farm
Fri, 20 Jan 2017 17:21:47 CST
Yesterday at the Central Oklahoma Soil Health Seminar, hosted by the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, the Southern Plains Climate Hub and Redland's Community College, USDA researcher at the Fort Reno Grazing Lands Laboratory, Dr. Jean Steiner, spoke on some of the long-term agroecosystem research being conducted. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn talked with Steiner briefly about the information she presented.
"The Southern Plains really is a complex mix of beef cattle production, but also has a really diverse set of forages that sustain it," Steiner said. "We're trying to look at that as a system, which really hasn't been done a lot within the research community."
Within that context, Steiner described several of the studies being done, focused on diversifying and introducing no-tillage into wheat-based systems, and also in gaining an understanding of the different cycles that take place in farm ground.
Oklahoma is unique from other states, Steiner contends, as its agricultural practices have traditionally always had a strong integration of wheat crops and cattle herds.
"It turns out that it's a win-win because that really has some good ecological effects on ramping up these nutrient cycles and the soil biology," Steiner said, adding that the research has also yielded information that suggests some cattle are more efficient at digesting forages, and as a result emit less methane - which has long been a subject of contention with environmentalists. "We're looking into that and how to start bringing that understanding of the genetics into future breeding programs."
The nature of Steiner and her team's research is of course to make observations over the long-term and adjust course to follow wherever the research takes them. She says advancements in technology have enabled them to delve further into their research with more opportunities and greater accuracy - helping to learn and develop new tools and products for the pipeline that can become management tools for future use.
Listen to Horn's complete conversation with Dr. Steiner about her long-term agroecosystem research for the Southern Plains, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
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