AGROECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO SOIL AND CROP MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

Research techniques that have greatly advanced agronomic science in th e 20th century, and have enhanced our knowledge of cause and effect, h ave been accompanied by reductionism. As a result, much valuable resea rch has been accomplished, but less synthesis of results has occurred that provides answers to landscape-level research questions. We propos e that a systems approach to the study of soil and crop management pro blems is a useful technique that tests our present research knowledge in a way that answers practical agricultural problems and simultaneous ly identifies gaps in basic research knowledge. We have used a problem common to the Great Plains to demonstrate the systems approach: minim izing the soil- and environment-degrading practice of summer fallowing and simultaneously increasing farm profitability. Although much is kn own about summer fallow at specific locations, less is known about ext rapolating this knowledge across soil and climatic gradients. We show that intensified crop sequences under no-till techniques can replace s ummer fallow in many environments, and increase the productivity per u nit of water received. Simultaneous reductions in the damaging factors of summer fallowing, in particular soil erosion and organic matter lo sses, also have occurred. We are researching the problem at a landscap e level without losing the ability to detect causae and effect, and ar e able to simultaneously conduct basic research on soil nutrient cycli ng and water budgets. The approach also is being used effectively as a n adult educational tool, thereby facilitating the transfer of technol ogy from the researcher to the producer.