Long Term Agroecosystem Research Overview
In pursuit of sustainable U.S. agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the Long-Term Agroecosystem (LTAR) network. The LTAR network is composed of 18 locations distributed across the contiguous United States working together to address national and local agricultural priorities and advance the sustainable intensification of U.S. agriculture.
The LTAR network represents a range of major U.S. agroecosystems, including annual row cropping systems, grazinglands, and integrated systems representative of roughly 49 percent of cereal production, 30 percent of forage production, and 32 percent of livestock production in the United States. Furthermore, the LTAR sites span geographic and climatic gradients representing a variety of challenges and opportunities to U.S. agriculture.
The LTAR network uses experimentation and coordinated observations to develop a national roadmap for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production. While the LTAR network is a new network, experimentation and measurements began at some LTAR sites more than 100 years ago, while other locations started their research as recently as 19 years ago.
A primary goal of LTAR is to develop and to share science-based findings with producers and stakeholders. Tools, technologies, and management practices resulting from LTAR network science will be applied to the sustainable intensification of U.S. agriculture. Technical innovations, including new production techniques, genetics, and sensor infrastructure applied at the farm/ranch level can increase the capacity for adaptive management, reduce time and operational costs, and increase profits and the quality of life for producers.
For full list of LTAR sites, view the sites matrix at https://ltar.ars.usda.gov/sites/.
For more information about the LTAR network visit: https://ltar.ars.usda.gov
LTAR Research Sites
Data from the following LTAR sites are presented. They are related to topics such as agricultural sustainability, climate change, ecosystem services, and natural resource conservation at the watershed or landscape scale.
Datasets
10 datasets
Data from: Responses to environmental variability by herbivorous insects and their natural enemies within a bioenergy crop, Miscanthus x giganteus
This dataset consists of field data (arthropods, nematodes and NDVI) collected over the course of 6 field excursions in 2015 and 2016 near TyTy, GA, in a field used for growing Miscanthus x giganteus. It also includes interpolated values of soil measurements collected in 2015 and meteorological data collected on an adjacent farm.
US Department of Agriculture Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) site 2027 data, Little River, Tift County, Georgia
NAL Geospatial Catalog
This dataset contains air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed, soil temperature, and soil moisture data from the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) site 2027, "Little River," located in Tift County, Georgia. The dataset links to a National Resources Conservation Service data request form, from which available data can be queried. The data collection site is at an elevation of 350 feet; data has been continuously collected there since 1999-05-19.
Data from: Plant Tissue Characteristics of Miscanthus x giganteus v2
As part of a study identifying relationships between environmental variables and insect distributions within a bioenergy crop, giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) samples were collected in October 2016 at 33 locations within a field in southeast Georgia, USA. This dataset describes the chemical composition of giant miscanthus leaves and stems including the total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN) content, total macro- and micronutrients.
Data from: Plant Tissue Characteristics of Miscanthus x giganteus
As part of a study identifying relationships between environmental variables and insect distributions within a bioenergy crop, giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) samples were collected in October 2016 at 33 locations within a field in southeast Georgia, USA. This dataset describes the chemical composition of giant miscanthus leaves and stems including the total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN) content, total macro- and micronutrients.
The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network Standard GIS Data Layers, 2020 version
A geodatabase of standard geospatial data for the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network.
LTAR Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain Phenocam ARSGACP2
NAL Geospatial Catalog
Phenocam images overlooking miscanthus field.
LTAR Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain Phenocam ARSGACP1
NAL Geospatial Catalog
Phenocam images overlooking row crop field.
Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain LTAR Dataset: NFARM, Inorganic N, & C Production, 2016-2018
In situ denitrification rates in intact soil cores from the Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain (GACP) LTAR site in GA quantified by directly measuring dinitrogen (N2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) production via the Nitrogen-Free Air Recirculation Method (N-FARM) from 2016-2018. 10-day laboratory incubations provided estimates of ancillary soil data, including microbial respiration and potential net N mineralization and nitrification.
- 3x csv
Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network regions, 2018 version
The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network, consisting of 18+ research locations, is conducting research on the sustainable intensification of agroecosystems. To enable coordinated network level research, a spatial framework is required to facilitate analysis. This dataset contains a geodatabase of three new maps describing regional boundaries for the LTAR Network titled "Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network regions, 2018 version.”