Agriculture

GOAL: Change with sustainability

Near-term objective: Integrated generic plant growth and crop simulation models usefull locally by incorporation of spatially-specific, remotely-sensed Earth science data

Longer-term objective: Understanding of the Great Plains as a productive, environmentally and socially sustainable agroecosystem

(Fred Schwenk, Ken Cassman, Jean-Marie Wersinger, Paul Seevers, Ted Hullar, Bruce Gorham)

Great Plains Agroecosystem

Key elements:

relevant to future
hydrology
nutrient cycling
climate
soils and rhizosphere
urban growth/rural interfaces
pests and pathogens
water and hydrologic processes
cropping systems/animals
habitats
NGO interest
political strengths
farm power
initial applications

Models

Key elements:

common frameworks for study

crops: wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum;compatible mdoels to be used

daily inputs of solar radiation, rainfall, scale and resolution, etc. linked to remotely sensed data

generic in character-applicable to specific locales

robust with respect to water and nutrients

equal assurance, data collaboration, etc.

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