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Scale-up Fields
In 2006 three LTER treatments were established on 27 commercially-managed fields at KBS to test the scaleability of research results from our 1-ha main site plots. In Fall 2006 we assigned fields managed by the KBS dairy to one of three annual crop treatments (T1, T3, or T4m) and to one of three rotation entry points (corn, soybean, or wheat). This provides three replicate fields for each treatment by entry point combination.
Treatments include conventional management (T1), reduced input (T3), and organic (T4 plus manure, or T4m). We include manure as a variant of T4 to allow the dairy to meet its manure management needs and to reduce the economic risk associated with lower yields for T4 in our main site plots, which do not receive manure (T4 is certified organic but yields are not sold at organic prices).
Fields range in size from 1 to 7.5 ha, adjoin a variety of different habitat types, and have a variety of perimeter complexities. Agronomic inputs and yields are closely monitored in these fields, which are available to investigators for additional whole-field measurements. Click on the image for a printable map of the study area.