MSU researchers launch three-year on-farm study to monitor soil moisture, improve water management and nutrient cycling
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EmailWant to know how water is moving through your soil? Apply by Aug. 11 to participate in this study from Michigan State University.
Michigan State University seeks 20 Michigan farmers willing to participate in an initiative called the Soil Health Advancement for Agriculture Resilience Enhancement (SHARE).
Farmers are constantly working to improve the resiliency of their operations. Some do this by diversifying their crops, investing in new infrastructure like barns, or upgrading an old planter with new technology. One important way farmers build resiliency is by investing in their soil through regenerative practices, like reducing tillage and planting cover crops. Regenerative practices not only improve soil structure and nutrient cycling but also improve the soil’s ability to store water.
By increasing organic matter and reducing compaction, soils can absorb and store more water in the soil profile during dry periods. Improved soil water-holding capacity also enhances resilience by reducing surface runoff during heavy rain events, helping to protect both crop yields and the environment. A solid understanding of soil-water relationships is essential for improving water efficiency and overall agricultural productivity.
Michigan State University researchers from the Institute of Water Research and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture with funding from the Agricultural Resiliency Program are working on a new project to quantify and predict the potential for regenerative agriculture to enhance soil water-holding capacity, improve soil nutrient cycling and recharge aquifers. To answer this question, researchers are recruiting 20 Michigan farmers to participate in the three-year on-farm soil moisture monitoring project.
Beginning in fall 2025, researchers will install a weather station and two soil moisture monitors in participating fields. The monitors will collect continuous data on precipitation and soil moisture for three years and will be accessible to participating farms. The collected data will help farmers make more informed management decisions while contributing to a broader understanding of regenerative agriculture impact on water resources.
Key benefits to participants
Participants of the study will receive:
- A detailed report of your water, nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency.
- Access to a dashboard to visualize and download daily soil moisture and precipitation data for all participating fields.
- A final report summarizing our findings of how management practices relate to water and nutrient use efficiencies.
Who should apply?
Michigan row crop and commercial scale vegetable cropping systems are priority for this study.
If you are interested in the project, fill out this application form by Aug. 11:
If you have questions, reach out the Alex Kuhl at kuhlalex@msu.edu.
This work is supported by the Agricultural Resiliency Program, project award number #AG25-019, from AgBioResearch and MSU Extension at Michigan State University, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
