Sustainable Agriculture Research
Ecologically Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Objectives
Solve environmental problems caused by modern agriculture without jeopardizing farm profitability or increasing environmental regulations on private land.
Background
Current agricultural practices have generated excessive soil loss and poor water quality, contaminated groundwater, fostered fossil fuel dependence, and encouraged heavy use of chemicals and fertilizers. Such large inputs of energy and chemicals have stressed the environment. Land use in southern Wisconsin could be dramatically altered with agricultural practices that were ecologically sustainable, economically advantageous, and protected the environment.In the mid 1990s, an interagency, multidisciplinary group of state, university, federal, and private groups established the Agricultural Ecosystems Research Workgroup to seek solutions to environmental problems that would not harm farm profitability or increase environmental regulations on private lands. This group includes agronomists, agricultural economists, social scientists, nonpoint pollution experts, biomass energy and wildlife experts, environmentalists, and private farmers.
Four areas of research are currently being conducted:
- Profitability of rotationally grazing and impacts on grassland birds.
- Profitability of rotational grazing and impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in riparian habitats.
- Use of switchgrass as a biofuel for electric power generation and its impacts on the environment.
- Testing native grass species for agronomic productivity for pastures or energy biomass.
- Testing different sorghum varieties for wildlife food plots.
Results from these studies should help resolve environmental problems resulting from current agriculture practices. Identification and use of alternative agricultural crops and cropping practices may lead to improved water quality, decreased soil erosion, reduced energy and chemical inputs, and improved and increased wildlife habitat without reducing agronomic productivity or increasing environmental regulations.
For more information on this topic please contact:
David Mladenoff@facstaff.wisc.edu or,
Gerald Bartelt (608)221-6344
RSS