The Area IV Soil Conservation Districts Cooperative Research Farm: Thirty years of collaborative research to improve cropping system sustainability in the Northern Plains

Findings and interpretations generated from long-term cropping system studies serve to inform the status and trajectory of ecosystem services, while concurrently providing opportunities for further inquiry related to basic/fundamental research. Recent calls for increased investment in long-term cropping systems research have been prompted by the need to develop productive and resilient agroecosystems in response to multiple challenges associated with producing more food, fuel, and fiber during unprecedented climate change. In this article, we describe the history and influence of one long-term cropping systems research site located in the heart of the northern Great Plains. Since its inception, the Area IV Soil Conservation Districts (SCD) Cooperative Research Farm near Mandan, ND USA has served as a focal point for improving the sustainability of dryland cropping systems through team-focused, systems-oriented research and technology transfer. Over its 30 year history, the Area IV Research Farm has fostered an evolution of cropland conservation in the northern Plains through effective research and outreach. Major research themes addressed during the farm's history include applying conservation tillage and crop residue management to reduce soil erosion, developing improved management recommendations for wheat production, improving precipitation-use efficiency of dryland cropping systems, developing resilient and adaptable crop rotations, and quantifying ecosystem services. Research findings have been translated into usable information for agricultural clientele through outreach activities (e.g., annual conferences and field tours) and decision support tools (e.g., Crop Sequence Calculator, Cover Crop Chart). Future challenges related to meeting future demand of food, fuel, and fiber while protecting environmental quality and sustaining rural communities will require a systems-level understanding of linkages between biophysical processes and human activity across multiple spatial and temporal scales. In that regard, the Area IV Research Farm is poised to provide practical solutions to these forthcoming challenges through continued long-term, multi-disciplinary research aimed at fostering the development of more sustainable dryland cropping systems for the northern Plains.