Dr. Christopher M. Picone
Staff Agro-ecologist, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas

"Studying the Associations Between Soil Fungi, Plants and Agricultural Practices in Order to Mirror Natural Systems of Soil Fertility"

(Category: Agriculture)

Conventional agricultural practices present humanity with a troubling problem. We can produce tremendous quantities of food, but in the process we undermine the very systems upon which the food is produced. Conventional agriculture loses topsoil at rates that exceed soil replacement, and it depends on chemical fertilizers that pollute our waters. Dr. Picone proposes to develop an alternative path to resolve this situation by designing agricultural systems that mirror nature while maintaining sufficient production for human needs. To accomplish this, sustainable agriculture must incorporate the same biological mechanisms for maintaining soil fertility as are found in nature. Mycorrhizae, the mutually beneficial relationship between plant roots and soil fungi, are one of the most important mechanisms. In this project, Dr. Picone will incorporate mycorrhizal fungi into agricultural systems and will determine strategies for soil and crop management (such as tillage and crop species choices) that promote optimal communities of mycorrhizal fungi. It is hoped that the resulting information can be used to design agricultural systems that eliminate dependence on tillage, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and fossil fuels while building soil fertility, eliminating erosion and maintaining high plant productivity.