USDA ARS, Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
USDA ARS, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
J Environ Qual. 2024 Nov-Dec;53(6):851-860. doi: 10.1002/jeq2.20611. Epub 2024 Jul 31.
The Eastern Corn Belt (ECB) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network site is one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the United States; however, nutrient and sediment losses from this region directly contribute to water quality impairment in both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie. One of the largest challenges facing agricultural production in the ECB is water management, especially under a changing climate. Shifting precipitation patterns in combination with evolving infrastructure (i.e., tile drainage, irrigation) and management (i.e., crops planted; 4R nutrient management: source, timing, rate, and placement) in response to changing climate are likely to alter water quantity and quality and agricultural productivity. Through plot- and field-scale research, the ECB Common Experiment (CE) is focused on crop, soil, and water management to support sustainable agricultural intensification, with the goal of maximizing profitability, minimizing agriculture's environmental footprint, and enhancing ecosystem services. At both spatial scales, the CE aims to examine differences in water quantity and quality between the primary prevailing crop production system in the ECB (i.e., corn [Zea mays L.]-soybean [Glycine max L.] rotation, tillage prior to corn planting, free drainage, and fertility management consistent with tri-state recommendations) and an alternative system (e.g., adding small grains into the crop rotation, cover crops, limited phosphorus fertilizer, and drainage water management). Aligning producer and stakeholders needs with research objectives and long-term data collection, the ECB CE will tackle both ongoing and newly emerging research priorities and explore the effectiveness of conservation strategies to decrease nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural land.
美国东玉米带（ECB）长期农业生态系统研究（LTAR）网络站点是美国农业生产力最高的地区之一；然而，该地区的养分和泥沙流失直接导致了墨西哥湾和伊利湖的水质受损。ECB 农业生产面临的最大挑战之一是水管理，特别是在气候变化的情况下。降水模式的变化，加上不断变化的基础设施（即，排水渠、灌溉）和管理（即，种植的作物；4R 养分管理：来源、时间、速率和位置）以应对气候变化，可能会改变水量和水质以及农业生产力。通过小区和田间尺度的研究，ECB 综合实验（CE）专注于作物、土壤和水管理，以支持可持续的农业集约化，目标是最大限度地提高盈利能力，最大限度地减少农业对环境的影响，并提高生态系统服务。在这两个空间尺度上，CE 旨在研究 ECB 主要流行作物生产系统（即玉米[Zea mays L.]-大豆[Glycine max L.]轮作、玉米种植前耕作、自由排水和与三州建议一致的肥力管理）和替代系统（例如，在作物轮作中添加小谷物、覆盖作物、有限的磷肥和排水水管理）之间的水量和水质差异。为了使生产者和利益相关者的需求与研究目标和长期数据收集保持一致，ECB CE 将解决正在进行和新出现的研究重点，并探索保护策略的有效性，以减少农业用地的养分和泥沙流失。
