Gregg Sanford
Associate Scientist
Fifth floor, Moore Hall
Projects
- Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial
- CCROP
Gregg Sanford is an Associate Scientist in the Agronomy Department at UW-Madison. As a cropping systems agronomist, he is interested in diversified agricultural systems and how management philosophy ( e.g. conventional, organic, regenerative) and cropping systems diversity (e.g. simple to complex rotations, pastures, native systems) affect the productivity, profitability, and environmental outcomes (particularly carbon sequestration) of these systems.
Gregg manages a network of long-term research sites throughout the state including the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST). WICST is a large scale (60 acre), long-term (30 year) cropping systems experiment located at the UW-Madison’s Arlington Agricultural Research Station. With systems spanning conventional, organic, cash-grain, dairy-forage, perennial bioenergy, and livestock grazing enterprises, WICST is arguably the most diverse long-term cropping systems experiment in the world and one of the longest running organic research experiments in the U.S. (after Rodale est. 1981). The large-scale nature of the trial ensures real-world results while the robust experimental design facilitates evaluation of long-term trends while accounting for interannual climate and market variability.
In addition to his research responsibilities he teaches two courses for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 134-year-old Farm and Industry Short Course. These courses cover the production and management of grain crops (corn, soybean, wheat) and forage crops (alfalfa, clovers, pasture). He is currently developing a new online summer course for the Agronomy Department called “A Field Guide to Farming”.
Sanford GR, Jackson RD, Booth EG, Hedtcke JL, Picasso Risso V. 2020. Perenniality and diversity drive output stability and resilience in a 26-year cropping systems experiment. Field Crops Res. in review.
Jackson RD, Paine LK, Gratton C, Barham BL, Sanford GR, Booth E, Porter P, Bell M, Grace J, Turnquist A, Paris B, LeZaks D, Cates RL, Keeney D Jr, Meine C, Carpenter SR, Jackson LL, Cavadini J, Johnson WC, Daigle P, Kolodziej WC, Doll JE, Anex R, Johnson P, Kriegl T. 2020. A vision for agriculture. Aeon. Ed. Hains B. Published in association with the Center for Humans and Nature, an Aeon partner. Published online 18 March 2020. https://aeon.co/essays/our-grasslands-hav-been-poisoned-by-intensive-farming
Rui Y, Sanford GR, Hedtcke JL, Ruark MD. 2020. Legacy effects of liquid dairy manure in grain production systems. Agricultural Systems. 181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102825
Szymanski LM, Sanford GR, Heckman K, Jackson RD, Marin-Spiotta E. 2019. Conversion to bioenergy crops alters amount and age of microbially-respired soil carbon. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 128: 35-44.
Wang S, Sanford GR, Robertson GP, Jackson RD, Thelen KD. 2019. Perennial bioenergy crop yield and quality response to nitrogen fertilization. BioEnerg. Res. doi: 10.1007/s12155-019-10072-z
Cates AM, Sanford GR, Good LW, Jackson RD. 2018. What do we know about cover crop efficacy in the North Central United States? Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 73: A153-A157.
Sanford GR, Oates LG, Roley S, Duncan DS, Jackson RD, Robertson GP, and Thelen KD. 2017. Biomass production a stronger driver of cellulosic ethanol yield than biomass quality. Agronomy Journal. 109: 1911-1922. doi:10.2134/agronj2016.08.0454
Sanford GR, Oates LG, Jasrotia P, Thelen KD, Jackson RD, Robertson GP. 2016. Comparative productivity of alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central U.S.A. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 216:344-355.
Sanford GR. 2014. Perennial grasslands are essential for long term SOC storage in the Mollisols of the North Central USA. In. Soil Carbon. Hartemink, A.E and K. McSweeney Eds. Springer. pp. 281-288.
Sanford GR, Kucharik CJ. 2013. Effect of methodological consideration on soil carbon parameter estimates obtained via the acid hydrolysis-incubation method. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 67: 295-305.
Sanford GR, Posner JL, Kucharik CJ, Jackson RD, Hedtcke JL, Lin T. 2012. Soil carbon lost from Mollisols of the North Central U.S.A. with 20 years of agricultural best management practices. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 162:68-76.
A Field Guide to Farming, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Agronomy Department, 2021 launch
Forage Crops, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Farm and Industry Short Course, 2015 – Present
Grain Crops, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Farm and Industry Short Course, 2015 – Present
Agronomy 100, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Agronomy Department, 2013 – Present
Plant Propagation, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Horticulture Department, 2006
Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI): Ag. Working Group, 2020 – Present
Wisconsin National Working Lands Team: US Climate Alliance, 2019 – Present
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute: Board of Directors, Vice Chair, 2019 – Present