Phase 2: Marginal Land Solutions
We are using our Field Profitability and Marginality Webtool to help growers identify/confirm low-producing or marginal areas in fields, assist in conversion planning and study the effects of converting marginal acres within cropland to a perennial forage mix.
58 Fields Enrolled
995 Conversion Acres
Multiple Areas Being Studied
On-Farm Field Research
The first year of study involves sampling patch(es) of marginal areas within cropland that are enrolled for conversion to perennial forage in the following year. Ie: these areas are studied but NOT seeded the first year.
Equivalent marginal “control” areas are also enrolled and studied, but cropped normally throughout the project.
The second year of study involves converting the enrolled patch(es) of marginal areas within cropland to perennial forage. Guidance on seed selection, best practices, and incentive programs is provided throughout the length of the project.
From left to right clockwise: hand probe soil sampling, an Acoustic Recording Unit (ARU) and an insect trap
Since 2025 researchers and students have been conducting soil sampling, monitoring beneficial insects and bird biodiversity, and measuring plant productivity on the enrolled sites.
Grower precision yield data (from the combine) is collected and analyzed each year.