Source: UNIV OF WISCONSIN submitted to NRP
DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR ORGANIC GRAIN GROWERS TO MANAGE SOIL HEALTH AND MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1032776
Grant No.
2024-51106-43044
Cumulative Award Amt.
$997,301.00
Proposal No.
2024-03989
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2024
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2027
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[112.E]- Organic Transitions
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Facilitating the transition to organic farming and its sustainability in Wisconsin requires developing tailored soil health management practices (SHMPs) guidelines that can help organic farmers to improve nutrient use efficiency, increase crop yield potential, and mitigate climate change impacts like drought. In this project, we aim to leverage a comprehensive statewide soil health dataset, enhanced by new field observations, remote sensing data, and advanced machine learning models, to create a web tool offering region- and field-specific SHMPs guidelines for direct use by organic grain farmers in managing soil health and ensuring climate-resilient farming. Our specific objectives include (i) conducting state-wide sampling campaigns to assess soil health parameters, soil nitrogen mineralization rate, nitrogen use efficiency, crop climate-stress resilience, and yield under SHMPs, (ii) developing and validating farm-scale machine learning models to estimate crop yield dynamics under SHMPs, (iii) developing and validating farm-scale machine learning models to estimate changes in soil health parameters under SHMPs, and (iv) delivering SHMPs guidelines and corresponding nutrient management recommendations to organic farmers through a web tool that visualizes model outcomes and integrates existing resources. The results of this project will be disseminated to stakeholders and scientific professionals through extension activities and publications.Our interdisciplinary team, in partnership with extension specialists, soil conservation groups, and the organic farming community, is committed to providing region- and field-specific soil management guidance. This project is directly aligned with the program priorities, aiming to improve the productivity, ecosystem services, and profitability of Wisconsin's organic farms while preparing them for a changing climate.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
30%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1020110100050%
1021599106010%
1027210100040%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil; 1599 - Grain crops, general/other; 7210 - Remote sensing equipment and technology;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics;
Goals / Objectives
In this project, we aim to leverage a comprehensive statewide soil health dataset, enhanced by new field observations, remote sensing data, and advanced machine learning models, to create a web tool offering region- and field-specific SHMPs guidelines for direct use by organic grain farmers in managing soil health and ensuring climate-resilient farming. Our specific objectives include (i) conducting state-wide sampling campaigns to assess soil health parameters, soil nitrogen mineralization rate, nitrogen use efficiency, crop climate-stress resilience, and yield under SHMPs, (ii) developing and validating farm-scale machine learning models to estimate crop yield dynamics under SHMPs, (iii) developing and validating farm-scale machine learning models to estimate changes in soil health parameters under SHMPs, and (iv) delivering SHMPs guidelines and corresponding nutrient management recommendations to organic farmers through a web tool that visualizes model outcomes and integrates existing resources. The results of this project will be disseminated to stakeholders and scientific professionals through extension activities and publications.
Project Methods
We will leverage an extensive statewide soil health dataset, incorporating new field observations, remote sensing data, and data-driven machine learning (ML) models to develop targeted soil health management practices and corresponding nutrient management guidelines, aiming to enhance soil health, crop nutrient use efficiency (NUE), and mitigate the impacts of climate change on organic grain crops.Our project's long-term goal is to support and enhance organic farming in Wisconsin by providing region- and field- specific soil health promoting strategies and corresponding nutrient management recommendations for organic farmers to build sustainable and climate-resilient agroecosystems. The results generated from this project will enable growers to better understand the impact of SHMPs on soil health, soil seasonal N mineralization rate,crop yield, and climate-resilience, thereby formulating optimal management strategies to enhance the productivity, ecosystem services, and profitability of Wisconsin's organic farms, as well as to prepare them for the changing climate such as drought, floods, and other extremes.

Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, we reached organic farmers in Wisconsin through recruitment and site visits, as they are directly impacted by soil health and nutrient management practices and are key adopters of project outcomes. We also formed an advisory board of five members from the organic industry, farmer representatives, and consultants to provide guidance and farmer perspectives. In addition, we engaged stakeholders from agricultural and environmental organizations, including the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the Department of Natural Resources, who expressed strong interest in the project. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided a unique opportunity for interdepartmental collaboration between graduate students. The Soil and Environmental Sciences graduate student and technician responsible for the field site selection, soil sample collection and analysis, as well as farm management data collection phases of this project gained new experience with sample handling, improving practical skills and the capacity to connect the areas of soil health and field management. Currently, we have two MS students are trained through the implementation of this project, though they are volunteering-based. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We presented the research results at theUW Organic Research Field Day in Arlington Agricultural Research Station on August 26, 2025. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Continuing the soil health analyses of soil samples and collecting organic management plan from farmers and extract information on soil management history from these plans. 2. Collect crop yield data during the fall 2025 3. Design the field in-situ soil N mineralization and crop resilienceexperiment and implement in Spring/Summer 2026 4. Develop crop yield model for organic grain using soil health and crop yield information 5.Develop and validate farm-scale ML models to estimate the changes in soil health parametersusing satellite remote sensing, environmental variables, soil samples, and SHMPs history,along with estimated crop yield from Objective 2. 6. Dissimilateresearch results to target audiences through field days, one-by-one email/phone calls, publications, workshops, and conferences.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For Objective i: We have visited over 200 field sites and collected soil samples at two depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm) from 188 field sites across the state of Wisconsin. Collected soil samples have been processed and analyzed for soil texture, pH, PROX, inorganic N, microbial biomass, and potential mineralizable nitrogen. We have also reached out to participated farmers collecting organic management plan, where we can acquire soil management history data. For Objective ii: We developed a comprehensive field sampling plan designed to systematically collect yield data for the development and validation of our yield prediction model. For each corn field, we will collect two distinct samples to ensure robust and representative data. The first sampling location will correspond directly to the previously established soil sampling site, allowing for consistent correlation between soil characteristics and crop yield. The second sampling location will be selected randomly within the field to capture spatial variability and reduce potential sampling bias. At each sampling location, we will harvest two ears of corn, from which we will weigh the kernels. This measurement will serve as a representative estimate of the yield at that location, providing critical data for the calibration and validation of our predictive model For Objective iii: We conducted literature reviews on screening satellite remote sensing data and environmental variables to predict soil health parameters; Conducting literature reviews on selecting SHMP predictors for estimating soil health parameters. For Objective iv: We hosted an Organic Research Field Day in Arlington Agricultural Research Station on August 26, 2025, and presented and delivered the research results of this project to participated organic farmers, local RCD, extension specialist, and consultants during this field day.

Publications