Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Ecology Initiative Grants

Projects supported by this initiative touch a variety of topics, conditions and landscapes. A common theme runs through all projects: discovering and sharing new knowledge and practices that will help farmers transition or move toward a “new generation” vision of ecologically-friendly agriculture.

The most recently completed projects are listed first. Click on the title to see the abstract, key findings and links to printable summaries of the project. For more details about a project than what is included in the project summary documents, contact the lead investigator (email address is in the longer project summary).

2011
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Agronomic, ecological and economic comparisons of conventional and low-external-input cropping systems E2007-09 2011
Corn silage test plot to increase profitability for dairy farmers and reduce winter wind & water erosion E2009-02 2011
Custom grazing contracts: Successful models to grow profit, avoid pitfalls E2007-11 2011
Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) feeding and impacts on meat quality for grazing steers ESP2006-03 2011
Energy use and nutrient cycling in pig production systems E2008-03 2011
Feasibility of unheated large gutter-connect greenhouses for winter organic vegetable production in Iowa E2009-24 2011
Optimizing legume establishment in winter cereal grains E2006-10 2011
Reducing pesticide use in Iowa vineyards: Alternatives to herbicides for vineyard weed management E2008-18 2011
The impact of biodiversity services in row crop production in annual verses perennial landscapes E2006-13 2011
The Landowners' Decision: Grazing and fire as management tools on Iowa grasslands and oak savannas E2007-05 2011
2006
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Alternative farrowing systems during cold weather 2003-E29 2006
Biological control of the soybean aphid in organic and sustainable soybean production systems 2003-E02 2006
Economically optimal enterprise mix for Iowa farms 2004-E01 2006
The role of herbaceous woodland perennial diversity for improving nutrient uptake capacity of riparian areas 2004-E04 2006
Winter grazing of stockpiled grass-legume forages to reduce costs of developing beef heifers 2004-E35 2006
2009
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Assessing soil quality impacts after conversion of marginal cropland to productive conservation E2006-17 2009
Effects of biomass harvest on soil erosion E2003-07 2009
Establishment of a field school for weed ecology and management E2004-06 2009
Native cover crops and timing of planting: Effects on 15N uptake, weed invasion and prairie establishment E2006-11 2009
Quantifying the role of riparian management to control non-point source pollution of pasture and cropland streams E2004-24 2009
The role of herbaceous woodland perennial diversity for improving nutrient uptake of riparian areas E2006-03 2009
Variations in water and nutrient cycling and soil properties during agricultural landscape restoration 2004-E14 2009
2007
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Assessment of triticale varieties for swine feeding performance, late planting 2004-E27 2007
Devising a framework for implementing cattle-grazing, fire on grassland in southern Iowa 2006-E18 2007
Economically sustainable riparian buffer to promote bank stability and reduce gully erosion and phosphorus runoff in the Loess Hills 2002-E30 2007
Retrospective assessment of landscape, land use change in the Clear Creek Watershed 2004-E08 2007
2012
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Assessment of woody biomass as a niche feedstock for biobased products in Iowa E2009-26 2012
Conversion to perennial vegetation: Quantifying soil water regime, aeration, and implications for enhancing soil resilience to climate change E2009-18 2012
Defining the grazing season of restored natural grasslands E2010-19 2012
Evaluating denitrifying bioreactors for edge-of-field nitrogen management in Iowa's tile-drained landsacpes E2009-11 2012
Increasing carbon sequestration of working prairie by reducing invasive species in a fire and grazing system E2010-16 2012
Optimizing buffer strips for improved ecosystem services E2009-09 2012
Quantifying eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) in southern Iowa: A starting point for conversations with landowners about threats to grassland resilience E2011-13 2012
Site specific implementation of practices that alter the spatial/temporal distribution of grazing cattle to improve water quality of pasture streams in the Rathbun Lake watershed E2009-08 2012
Soil moisture dynamics and plant transpiration under contrasting annual-perennial cover types E2008-17 2012
Systems model and prototype development to capture and use rain water run-off from a high tunnel E2011-14 2012
2008
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Bird nesting on rotationally grazed warm- and cool-season grass paddocks in southern Iowa E2006-05 2008
Developing ecologically sound and profitable alternative fertilizer and manure phosphorus management strategies E2004-29 2008
Developing potatoes with horizontal resistance to the Colorado potato beetle E2004-26 2008
Integrating hunting and grazing: Loess Hills and south central Iowa on-farm management experiences E2004-43 2008
Integration of natural seed treatments in organic and open-pollinated corn systems E2004-28 2008
Pawpaw trial maintenance E2004-23 2008
Reduced stormwater runoff via increased use of rain gardens ESP2007-02 2008
2010
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Development and implementation of low-input delivery systems for ethanol co-products in forage-based beef systems E2006-12 2010
Integrated soil and weed management production systems for perennial food crops E2006-02 2010
Iowa recreational property ownership: Identification, contact and social dynamics of multiple-use perennial landcover E2007-19 2010
New strategies to enhance sustainability of apple orchards E2006-04 2010
Participatory ecology for 'Agriculture of the Middle': Developing tools and partnerships to bridge gaps among science, people and policy in landscape change E2006-20 2010
2005
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Integrating hunting and grazing - a southern Iowa investigation into management issues 2003-E6 2005
2004
Project Titlesort icon Project ID Completion Year
Squaw Creek watershed social assessment: Values, beliefs, and perceptions of water quality and landscape change 2003-E1 2004

See full list of completed Leopold Center competitive grants in all initiative areas.