The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at Upper Mississippi River Basin-Morris

The Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) watershed is hydrologically complex, with a notable temperature and precipitation gradient across four locations: Ames, IA; Platteville, WI; Morris, MN; and St. Paul, MN. Each location established LTAR Croplands Common Experiment (CCE) scenarios to fit local climatic and cultural practices. This paper describes the UMRB-Morris location, which was established in 2016 and is the most northern of the sites and contributes to the major watersheds of the UMRB and the Red River of the North. Both on-farm and plot-scale studies are included. The prevailing system is a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation with annual deep ripping tillage. The signature alternative system is alternative 1, which is a shallow strip-till in a corn-soybean rotation. A second alternative system includes shallow tillage/rotational no-tillage in a corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with winter oilseed and cover crops, and it is considered a test ground for future alternative systems. On-farm fields are equipped with eddy covariance towers and include 16 geo-referenced soil core sampling sites for incremental samplings. Each field is sampled annually for crop yield and management data are recorded. Plot-scale versions of the treatments are managed at the Swan Lake Research Farm. On-farm and plot-scale fields are instrumented with Phenocams to capture continuous photographic records. The CCE at UMRB-Morris aims to integrate soil, crop, weather data, and image classification to assess benefits and challenges across different management strategies. Plain Language Summary The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network is a group of researchers across the nation. The network's goal is finding solutions to advance agricultural productivity, protect environmental quality, promote human well-being, and respond to a changing climate. Four locations: Ames, IA; Morris, MN; Platteville, WI; and St. Paul, MN, represent the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) research team. The UMRB contributes to the LTAR Croplands Common Experiment, which compares locally prevailing practices to alternative practices. The goal of this paper is to serve as site description of the Morris site (UMRB-Morris), which is the most northern of these four locations with cold, relatively dry winters, and a short growing season. The prevailing (PREV) practice is a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation with annual deep (30 cm) ripping tillage, and the two alternative practices are (1) shallow (5 cm) strip tillage in a corn-soybean rotation (ALT1) and (2) shallow strip tillage or without tillage in a corn, soybean, and wheat rotation with a winter oilseed or other winter cover following wheat. Two local farmers provide access to their fields for monitoring crop growth, water use, and carbon dioxide exchange with advanced technologies/equipment. Soil samples are collected to understand how the practices might alter soil properties. Similar practices are studied at the plot scale on the Swan Lake Research Farm. The information collected is useful to producers interested in the potential benefits of prevailing and alternative practices to meet many demands on American producers.