By Sarah Zumwalt
Through the project From the Ground Up, Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) researchers are helping Midwest farmers explore agricultural practices aimed at improving soil health, supporting livestock production and strengthening farm sustainability. A team of five researchers collaborate with producers to evaluate climate-smart agricultural practices under real-world farming conditions.
Mohan Acharya, state Extension specialist in LU's Small Ruminant Program, is one of the researchers involved in the multi-institution project funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, a grant program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Led by Douglas Jackson-Smith at Ohio State University, From the Ground Up also includes the University of Missouri, Central State University and the non-profit organization Solutions from the Land. The goal of the project is to help farmers improve their land, from promoting healthier soil to supporting more productive pastures.
“Research shows that climate-smart practices can improve soil health, store carbon in the soil, and lower greenhouse gas emissions,” Acharya said. “But still, few farmers adopt such practices.”
The initiative addresses a common challenge in agricultural research: results from university test plots do not always reflect conditions on working farms. By partnering directly with producers, researchers can evaluate climate-smart practices under everyday farming conditions.
Source : lincolnu.edu