Sustainable AgroEcosystems in the Texas High Plains
Purpose
To address food and fiber security and an economically viable production system that does not deplete the resources or destroy the environment on which it depends. This will be accomplished by building on past successes to create a long-term agroecosystem site for basic and applied research, teaching and outreach with full partnerships among agriculture stakeholders. These efforts are aimed at:
- Quantifying the production capacity and water use of agricultural systems in the Texas High Plains and identifying different agricultural systems in terms of their long-term impacts on production and the environment
- Understanding the linkages among soil microbial diversity, crop productivity, precipitation variability, and soil temperatures under a changing climate regime
- Economic evaluations and comparisons of the various agricultural systems in terms of short-term as well as longer-term sustainability and social, economic and political implications
- Human and rural community sustainability by minimizing the potential barriers to effective information dissemination and by fostering the rate of adoption of sustainable agricultural systems
Relevance
The semi-arid Texas High Plains is one of the most intensive agricultural areas in the United States and it is a model for factors driving change. Agriculture conservatively accounts for more than 40 percent of the region’s economy, but depends heavily on water for irrigation from the Ogallala aquifer. The aquifer is declining at a rate of over 1 foot per year, recharge is negligible, and water demand is expected to exceed supply within the next 10 to 20 years. About 30 percent of the cotton and 25 percent of the cattle on feed in the United States are located here primarily in monoculture systems. Within the past five years, the dairy industry and an emerging renewable fuel industry have entered the region, placing increased demands on soil and water resources and influencing cropping decisions. Lessons learned here have national and global significance and application.
Potential Impacts
- Multifaceted Research Program. Develop a multidisciplinary, long-term, field-scale, integrated plant and animal agricultural systems research program on the Texas Tech Experimental Farm at New Deal, Texas
- On-Farm Demonstration. Create a producer-led on-farm demonstration of an array of agricultural systems to determine total water used and economic viability. Known as the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, the project includes 27 different agricultural sites on more than 4,000 acres in two counties
- Agricultural Sustainability. Provide a long-term opportunity for scientists, educators, policy makers, and students across the United States and around the world to examine sustainability of agriculture and natural resources from a multitude of perspectives
- Improved Productivity. Increase examination of agricultural productivity and impacts on soil and water resources; microbial and nutrient dynamics and carbon sequestration; and social, policy, and economic changes affecting sustainability; along with stakeholder adoption and resiliency, stakeholder adoption and resiliency and mediator training; conflict resolution and community education
Lead Agency: Texas Tech University
Partner: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture