Category: WICST
WICST is a cropping systems research trial offering 60 acres of land and decades of data for use in long-term studies on the productivity, profitability, and environment impact of organic and conventional agricultural practices in the Upper Midwest. For more information please visit the WICST website: wicst.wisc.edu.
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Posted on May 19, 2015
The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial: Long-Term Research for Resilient Agriculture
The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) was established in 1989 in response to farmers and others making a case for long-term research on low-input farming. WICST set out to investigate both the benefits and limitations of alternative agriculture through replicated research on the productivity, profitability and environmental impacts of both sustainably and conventionally managed production systems.
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Posted on January 23, 2013
Managed Grazing’s Effects on Soil Quality and Structure
A long-term southern Wisconsin cropping systems study shows that soils under managed grazing have a number of positive characteristics compared to soils under other cropping systems.
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Posted on January 2, 2013
Pastured Heifers Grow Well and Have Productive First Lactations
Dairy heifers that were raised on pasture in the ongoing Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems
Trial (WICST) performed as well as or better than similar heifers that were raised in confinement. -
Posted on February 12, 2009
Tradeoffs in ecosystem services using warm-season grasses in managed pastures (Research Brief #78)
Farms provide the food, fiber and energy that people need. Farms also benefit society by providing services that may not earn money, but support functioning of the ecosystem. For instance, farms can provide carbon sequestration, water purification and wildlife habitat. The extent to which they provide these services depends on their management.
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Posted on August 1, 2004
Do farming practices affect corn and soybean quality traits? (Research Brief #70)
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Grain farmers can help the environment by expanding their corn-soybean rotations to include additional crops. Research has shown that expanded rotations can […]
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Posted on January 1, 2001
Low-input forage rotation: similar returns, reduced costs (Research Brief #53)
Dairy farmers can reduce their purchased inputs without cutting into their profits. An ongoing twelve-year study of two forage rotations similar to those found on […]
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Posted on September 3, 1999
Diversity pays off on cash grain farms (Research Brief #44)
Cash grain farmers can improve their bottom line by diversifying crops and reducing chemical inputs, according to a cropping systems trial now in its eighth […]
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Posted on September 2, 1999
Cropping systems trial provides unique analysis (Research Brief #43)
Can environmentally beneficial crop rotations also improve farm profitability? A long-term study underway in southern Wisconsin aims to find out. It blends systems research with […]
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Posted on March 1, 1993
Long-term study evaluates impacts of six Wisonsin cropping systems (Research Brief #11)
Wisconsin cash grain and dairy livestock cropping systems have gone on trial. The goal is to identify and evaluate trade-offs of various production strategies. An […]