South

Artificial Nest Sites Boost Native Bees in Apple Orchards

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – Researchers with Georgia Gwinnett College have found that creating artificial nesting sites for native bees helps to increase their abundance – a boon for producers looking to native bee species to pollinate their crops. For several years, zoologist and project coordinator Mark Schlueter and taxonomist Nick Stewart, have been surveying native bees […]

Net Houses Help Farmers in the Fight Against Pests

GRIFFIN, Georgia – For producers seeking to reduce their pesticide applications, practice Integrated Pest Management, or transition to organic production, a new technology is emerging across the Southeast that allows farmers to more effectively manage pests in high tunnels. A new bulletin, produced by Alabama Cooperative Extension and supported by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research […]

Arkansas Study Finding Ways to Integrate Poultry with Pasture Species and Agroforestry Production

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – With the right tools for alternative feeding systems and pasture enrichment, farmers can successfully incorporate poultry into free-range, multi-species pasture or agroforestry production, based on the results of a USDA-ARS Arkansas study. The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE)-funded project (LS10-226), “Integrating Free Range Poultry with Ruminant and Agroforestry Production in […]

The Montgomery County Farm to Community Planning Project

A food system assessment developed by the Friends of the Farmers Market in Montgomery County in Virginia to identify opportunities to foster growth in local agriculture in ways that are inclusive to the low-income population.

Sustainable Blackberries and Raspberries

A handbook to guide growers in sustainable practices of fruit production from production practices to business management to marketing, for high tunnel and field production.

Sustainable Crop/Livestock Systems in the Texas High Plains: Phase I

In a Southern SARE-funded project (LS97-082), “Sustainable Crop/Livestock Systems in the Texas High Plains”, Texas Tech University researchers hypothesized that viable grazing systems could be developed and that by integrating crops, forage, and livestock in production systems, their complementary benefits would allow a more sustainable use of water and soil while maintaining an appropriate level of crop and livestock production.

Sustainable Crop/Livestock Systems in the Texas High Plains: Phase II

In the Southern SARE-funded project (LS02-131), “Forage and Livestock Systems for Sustainable High Plains Agriculture,” research continued into Phase II with the addition of dryland grazing systems and deficit-irrigated forage-livestock grazing systems.

Sustainable Crop/Livestock Systems in the Texas High Plains: Phase III

In the Southern SARE-funded project (LS08-202), “Crop-Livestock Systems for Sustainable High Plains Agriculture,” the project continued into Phase III with system modifications and revisions to target greater water savings and profitability, and address emerging issues.

Diversifying in the Texas High Plains: Examples of agroecosystems models

The following system configurations are examples of the diversified crop/livestock production practices that have been studied across the Texas High Plains since 1997. These systems have been tested against cotton monoculture –a subsurface drip-irrigated system farmed with conventional cultural practices recommended for the High Plains region.

Agroecosystems Economics in the Texas High Plains: A 10-year analysis, 1999-2008

Based on 10 years of Texas Tech University research, integrated cotton-forage-beef cattle systems are just as profitable as cotton monoculture systems. But there’s more. Integrated crop-livestock systems use less irrigation water, are more energy efficient, preserve soils by reducing wind erosion, and have a lower economic risk related to specific-loss events, such as a drought.

Agroecosystems Research in the Texas High Plains: Graduate student studies

Since 1997, over two dozen Master’s, PhD, and visiting students have conducted research and published articles related to sustainable integrated systems research in the Texas High Plains.The following are examples of current studies by Texas Tech University graduate students.

Water Conservation in the Texas High Plains: A systems research model of sustainable agroecosystems

The objective of the initial SARE grant, (LS97-082), “Sustainable Crop/Livestock Systems in the Texas High Plains,” was simple: Demonstrate that farmers can save water through an alternative production approach to monoculture cotton.

Soil Quality of Integrated Crop/Livestock Systems: Enhancing soil carbon sequestration and microbial diversity

In the Southern SARE-funded study (LS10-229), “Integrated Crop and Livestock Systems for Enhanced Soil Carbon Sequestration and Microbial Diversity in the Semi-arid Texas High Plains,” Texas Tech University researchers evaluated integrated crop/livestock systems for long-term soil quality by assessing microbial activity and soil carbon storage.

Cover Crops and Cotton in the Texas High Plains: SARE research summary, 2007-2009

In a Southern SARE-funded Graduate Student Grant (GS07-056), “Allelopathic Effects of Small Grain Cover Crops on Cotton Plant Growth and Yields,” Texas Tech University researchers investigated allelopathy as the possible cause of the observed suppression and to incorporate livestock grazing as a means of reducing the allelopathic effects on the cotton crop.

Water Use of Old World Bluestems in the Texas High Plains: SARE research summary, 2001-2003

In a Southern SARE-funded Graduate Student Grant (GS02-012), “Optimizing Water Use for Three Old World Bluestems in the Texas High Plains,” Texas Tech University researchers evaluated three old world bluestem species under dryland, and low, medium and high irrigation levels to determine water use efficiency, yield and nutritive value over a three-year period.

High Tunnel Crop Production Handbook

A high tunnel crop production handbook from Alabama Cooperative Extension.

Management of Mexican Bean Beetle in Snap Beans Using Cultural Control Strategies

A series of fact sheets from Virginia Tech on cultural control strategies to manage the Mexican bean beetle, a pest of snap beans.

Economic Analysis of Commercial Aquaponic Production Systems

Three case studies of aquaponic production systems in Texas, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands that show commercial aquaponics systems can be economically viable options for producers.

Intensive Crop Rotations with Cover Crops Give a Boost to High-Value Cash Crops in Organic Production

ATHENS, Georgia – University of Georgia researchers developing a model for organic vegetable production in the Southeast have found success incorporating summer cover crops with high-value cool-season crops in a series of rotations that increase yields, control insects and diseases, improve crop quality and build soil biomass. The systems approach, say the researchers, can be […]