The University of Wyoming (UW) is part of a new study looking at the benefits of using a crop rotation system known as diverse perennial circular systems. According to Anowar Islam, a professor in the UW Department of Plant Sciences and UW Extension forage agroecologist, using this kind of system could help producers create a more secure food system and protect the environment.
"The prevailing current agricultural system is dominated by mainly annual crops as monocultures," he said. "This system is challenged by a lack of resilience to extreme weather conditions, degradation of soil, water and air pollution, reduction in biodiversity, and negative impacts on human health and social and economic inclusions."
Islam is a co-principal investigator on the massive project, funded by a $10 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and UW will act as a research hub for western states to collect, organize and analyze soil samples. The project involves more than 50 researchers and stakeholders from 23 universities, two USDA-Agricultural Research Service centers, and 12 farmer organizations, industry groups, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies.
Islam said the project will involve 50 pairs of producers from the same ecoregion and preferably close together. One member of the duo will already be using a version of diverse perennial circular systems; the other will be using an annual crop monoculture system. For five years, Islam and his collaborators will collect data from each producer including things like yield, crop quality, and soil health. He hopes to find at least five pairs throughout Wyoming.
The data will be compiled to compare the farms in each state to each other.
"Then we'll compare Wyoming state for example, to neighboring Colorado state, neighboring Kansas, neighboring Nebraska; how our system differs with their system, how our similar annual versus perennial system works with, for example, Nebraska's system," said Islam.
The project will also focus on creating curriculum for K-12 schools and colleges.
"Because they are the pioneers, they will be taking lead in the future, they will be one day scientists," he said. "Then also for another program, we are going to recruit undergraduate interns during the summer. That will take them and give them hands-on learning experience of this diverse perennial circular system so that they can learn this and they can convey this message ultimately to the end user."
He added that these systems can help producers sequester carbon, something that young people especially are interested in.
Islam said the data will also be used to recommend federal and state policies to incentivize the adoption of diverse perennial systems.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the project, including producers or policymakers, can contact Islam for more information.
