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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

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Datasets

9 datasets

Long-Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) network - Meteorological Station - Hawbecker - Upper Chesapeake Bay

    The USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit established a meteorological station in 2015 as part of the Upper Chesapeake Bay (UCB) site in the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network (est. 2012). Measurements include air temperature and humidity, shortwave (solar) irradiance, longwave (thermal) radiation, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, and rainfall. Data are recorded at 15-minute intervals.

    Long-Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) network - Meteorological Station - Rock Springs - Upper Chesapeake Bay

      The USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit established a meteorological station in 2015 as part of the Upper Chesapeake Bay (UCB) site in the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network (est. 2012). Measurements include air temperature and humidity, shortwave (solar) irradiance, longwave (thermal) radiation, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, and rainfall. Data are recorded at 15-minute intervals.

      Upper Chesapake Bay LTAR Dataset: NFARM, Inorganic N, & C Production, 2016-2018

        In situ denitrification rates in intact soil cores from the Upper Chesapeake Bay (UCB) LTAR site in PA 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.

        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.”