New Leopold Center research results available

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AMES, Iowa -- Summaries of six recently completed projects are now available on the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s website, exploring topics that range from producing organic livestock to enhancing the quality of Iowa wines.

Matt Liebman, Iowa State University Agronomy professor, headed a project that compared diverse crop rotations with conventional corn-soybean systems. He discovered that three- and four-year rotations offered comparable yields and economic returns while requiring fewer applications of synthetic fertilizer and herbicides. The results have received national attention, appearing in National Geographic News, Mother Jones, Crops, Soils and Agronomy News, and other media outlets.

Another project surveyed the output of Iowa wineries and analyzed wine samples to provide data that will help the new industry track its progress.  A comprehensive lab analysis report is available to anyone looking to improve the quality of their wines.

Two projects dealt with bridging communication gaps between the various stakeholders involved in sustainable livestock production. Teresa Opheim, Practical Farmers of Iowa, developed recommendations for improving custom grazing contracts, agreements in which livestock owners hire graziers. Betty Wells, ISU Sociology, discovered that veterinarians lack access to reliable information about how to serve organic livestock producers. A fact sheet about the project will soon be available from ISU Extension.

Other projects focused on new enterprises and markets. Elisabeth Humble and Mary Carter explored the feasibility of starting a farmer-cooperative in southeast Iowa. The Pork Niche Market Working Group, formerly coordinated by the Leopold Center through the Value Chain Partnership program, developed a business plan for becoming a self-sufficient group at the Iowa Pork Industry Center. 

The Leopold Center has funded more than 430 competitive grant projects since 1988 under four initiatives: Marketing and Food Systems, Ecology, Policy and Cross-cutting. Find the most current research results at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/results

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The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/11-30-2011/new-leopold-center-research-results-available on 01/21/2013