A $16-million project with significant implications for corn states is kicking off at Iowa State University. The series of projects will seek to understand how combinations of crops, agronomic management, diverse soils and water affect productivity and environmental performance of various cropping systems. The study will collect new data from experimental field sites in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska and Ohio.

Iowa State is working in tandem with The Ohio State University, Mississippi State University and the University of Kansas, as well as two additional agriculture groups. The study hopes to gain an understanding of the long-term impacts of combinations of cover crops, nitrogen, crop rotation intensity and tillage on both yield and environmental sustainability in various climatic regions. Data will also shed light on soil microbial diversity and carbon contributions.

Read more on the expansive study here.