The Farm Beneath Our Feet: Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health
Project Objective:
To investigate how regenerative agricultural practices influence the interconnected relationships among soil health factors, plant and animal microbiomes, biodiversity, and livestock health.
Description:
This research examines how regenerative agriculture impacts soil, plant, and animal microbiomes, with the goal of managing working landscapes to improve soil health, biodiversity, and agricultural outcomes across the Mid-Atlantic region. By studying the relationships between these interconnected systems, we aim to provide actionable insights for landowners and farmers seeking sustainable and productive farming practices.
Our research involves sampling soil from farms managed under four distinct treatments, including fields planted with native seed mixes and those dominated by non-native pasture grasses under varying grazing regimes. Specifically, we aim to characterize the multi-directional relationships between plant, soil, and animal microbiomes; soil health factors; grassland biodiversity; and livestock health.
We are conducting genomic assessments of soil and cattle fecal samples alongside profiling pasture plant diversity. Laboratory analyses include microbiome community and functional profiling, and soil elemental and physical analyses. This comprehensive approach will allow us to evaluate the impacts of regenerative practices and test if soil microbiome composition serves as a strong indicator of restoration progress.
Source of Funding:
- Kathryn and Tony Everett
Collaborators:
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Center for Conservation Genomics (CCG)
- Sally Bornbusch, CCG
- Ruth Bennett, Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center
Project Contact:
- Amy Johnson, Program Director, Virginia Working Landscapes (JohnsonAE@si.edu)
- Steve Kutos, Ecologist, CCG (kutoss@si.edu)
