Who We Are
The LTAR Network is a USDA-led collaboration of 19 research sites focused on developing practices that improve agricultural productivity and economic performance and ensure the health of our natural resources and farming communities. Read more
Our Research Approach
The LTAR network combines strategic research projects with common measurements on multiple agroecosystems (croplands, rangelands, and pasturelands) and develops new technologies to address local and national challenges and opportunities.
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Data Access
LTAR scientists are responsible for managing a rich legacy of data spanning over seventy years for many sites. Collectively, it is estimated LTAR manages [900+ terabytes] of data.
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LTAR Network Story Map
Explore how the LTAR Network and its partners are developing innovative, science-based tools to ensure
national food security. Dive into our interactive StoryMap to see producer-driven science in action across the United States.
See LTAR Story Map
LTAR Common Experiment
Read about how the LTAR Common Experiment is addressing these challenges on farms and
ranches across the nation. Conducting research alongside America’s producers, these on-farm discoveries translate to national solutions.
See LTAR Booklet
Solving Agricultural Challenges with Decades of Insight
Across diverse regions and production systems, the LTAR network moves quickly to integrate expertise to address emerging challenges. By transforming local breakthroughs into scalable national solutions, we ensure America’s producers stay competitive as demands evolve and problems arise. From local insights to national impact, the LTAR Network provides the data, research, and forecasting needed to meet agriculture’s evolving and most urgent priorities. We accelerate the science today that secures a resilient, profitable, and sustainable food system for tomorrow.
The 19 LTAR Network Sites
The 19 LTAR Network Sites collaborate in coordinated strategic research that leverages a rich legacy of research and data collection. Read more
(Click dots to open LTAR site video)
Follow @USLTAR
The USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network develops sustainable agricultural practices through coordinated experiments in 18 locations across the United States. At the ARS Northern Plains site, scientists are exploring alternative grazing land methods like mob… pic.twitter.com/5s7Vx8ziXt
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 21, 2026
ARS scientists in Boise, Idaho, are employing prescribed cattle grazing as a management tool. This promotes ecological restoration and wildfire protection of western rangelands overrun by invasive and flammable grasses -- like cheatgrass and medusahead. https://t.co/Os2Fdr8qTz pic.twitter.com/C7mFwNv6P7
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 18, 2026
ARS researchers in Oxford, MS, are helping Americans live healthier lives. Peppers are packed with nutrients and popular in foods, on the grill, or as a snack. ARS researchers are finding the chemical compound in certain peppers, like the TigerPaw (pictured), may also reduce… pic.twitter.com/3PujY2bGIP
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 20, 2026
Watch ARS researchers in Boise, Idaho, as they study prescribed fires in western juniper-type landscapes. They are working to better understand how this land-management tool affects the hydrology, habitat, and overall ecosystem of the rangeland. https://t.co/rGPUCusYkp… pic.twitter.com/uatFhO74MR
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 12, 2026
Dr. Colton Flynn, an ARS soil scientist at the Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, TX, is showing his appreciation by giving a shoutout to his teachers starting from primary school to his current work advisors.
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 7, 2026
We're celebrating all our educators during… pic.twitter.com/EfwT3za6QN
In case you missed it, ARS scientists in Ames, IA, and their research partners have been developing a tool that allows users to visualize, explore, and analyze soil temperature data regionally over time. This tool will help Midwest farmers determine optimal planting times and… pic.twitter.com/mR62ERgNpr
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 4, 2026
Follow ARS during #TeacherAppreciationWeek as we hear from our young scientists, like Dr. Jacqueline Serrano (below), who gives a shoutout to her teachers for their guidance through her career in science. ARS Young Scientists are focused on advancing and improving U.S.… pic.twitter.com/ecMwivHL0s
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) May 4, 2026
In #ScientificDiscoveries, ARS researchers in Maricopa, AZ, are studying whether combining irrigation scheduling models and soil water sensors could improve water efficiency for growing cotton. Learn more at: https://t.co/PduNLUHJv6 pic.twitter.com/943WN1Xhuv
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) April 29, 2026
ARS researchers are working to control pests like the corn earworm, which devours corn and causes significant damage for U.S. farmers and producers. ARS Researchers in Ames, IA, have discovered that these pests borrowed a gene from an invasive cousin, making them resistant to… pic.twitter.com/huq2u1XOcb
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) April 28, 2026
Farm irrigation in the U.S. relies heavily on groundwater, but many aquifers are being depleted faster than they can naturally refill. Learn how ARS researchers in Oxford, MS, are working to develop a rapid, but safe process to recharge the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial… pic.twitter.com/T3ESBfkAzZ
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) April 23, 2026
Upcoming event: 2026 LTAR Annual Science Meeting in Ames, IA (at UMRB site) https://t.co/H5nvjzNt7f
— US LTAR (@USLTAR) April 28, 2026
See how ARS is providing data to farmers planting cover crops and practicing regenerative methods. This partnership provides numerous benefits from improving soil health, to crop productivity.https://t.co/S6RpCVEwjy pic.twitter.com/oTvDAIGswG
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) April 22, 2026
Explore the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, featuring detailed insights for planting and gardening. The map’s zip code “widget” guides you on perennial plant choices for your hardiness zone. Know your zone!
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) April 1, 2026
Find it at: https://t.co/O464WUiazA#NationalGardenMonth pic.twitter.com/kJSiJ9kDLB
Learn how ARS researchers in Boise, ID, are using satellite imagery and AI to prevent wildfires. By mapping several types of vegetation that serve as the fuel for fires, researchers have created publicly available data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of combating… pic.twitter.com/EXNskoFvF7
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) March 25, 2026
ARS Celebrates U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agricultural industries during #NationalAgWeek! pic.twitter.com/q0xoxRIJBp
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) March 16, 2026
During #NationalEngineersWeek, we remember ARS Hall of Famer Dr. Stuart Nelson, who passed in September at age 98. Nelson joined ARS in 1954. He was known internationally as an authority on dielectric properties, (the characteristics of poor conductors of electricity that… pic.twitter.com/3gK3bATLx7
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) February 27, 2026
ARS celebrates #NationalEngineersWeek!
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) February 23, 2026
Meet ARS Research Hydrologist Andrew O'Reilly, who says being a problem solver is key to his work as an engineer. O'Reilly works on irrigation projects for U.S. farmers at the ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford, MS. pic.twitter.com/rSNweX58XJ
Seeing the Forest Through the Trees -- with Joel Biederman, a research hydrologist at ARS’s Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, AZ. Learn about Biederman's research to make our nation’s forests more resilient by preserving the water supplies flowing from the forests,… pic.twitter.com/v3bIYy5CmR
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) February 19, 2026
How Research is Connecting Forest Restoration to Western Water Supply https://t.co/EcPDtkZaQZ
— US LTAR (@USLTAR) January 15, 2026
Grow with ARS community and keep following us in 2026 -- learn how we’re helping our nation's farmers, ranchers, and land managers throughout the New Year! 🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/vRXHU848aG
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) January 1, 2026
Congratulations to the USDA-ARS team of scientists who developed the pyfao56 Open-Source Evapotranspiration and Water Balance Tool for receiving the 2025 Vanguard Award from the Irrigation Association (IA).🎉🎉
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 29, 2025
The Vanguard Award honors an innovative project in the irrigation… pic.twitter.com/xGwMa0m4gO
Learn how ARS scientists in Ames, IA, and their research partners are creating a tool allowing users to visualize, explore, and analyze soil temperature data regionally over time. This tool will help Midwest farmers determine optimal planting times and make more informed… pic.twitter.com/0HH10pBf5O
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 24, 2025
Satellite data is changing how ranchers and land managers monitor rangelands. ARS researchers are evaluating satellite-based remote sensing tools to explain how different tools can be used to help ranchers achieve different management goals. https://t.co/3N9WfMyr2F pic.twitter.com/MLUuG2KRl0
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 22, 2025
Celebrating our agricultural community on this first day of Winter. ❄️❄️#FirstDayofWinter pic.twitter.com/CQTgqYjHrf
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 21, 2025
ARS researchers are discovering surface water irrigation may be a winning solution for farmers in the Mississippi River Valley region. See how using surface water irrigation could help farmers maximize profits and also provide groundwater recovery. https://t.co/eY3pSl0tcp pic.twitter.com/98kIiKZJv5
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 8, 2025
Every day is soil day for the staff monitoring the Healthy Cropping Systems (HCS) study in Mandan, ND. At HCS, ARS scientists identify the biological, chemical, and physical connections between soil health, human health, food security, and farmer well-being. They also develop… pic.twitter.com/Q4Gyims4Bn
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 5, 2025
Better soil health starts with better data! Kristen Veum, an ARS researcher in Columbia, MO, along with research collaborators, developed the SHAPE tool to help farmers calculate soil health scores, set management goals, and improve productivity and profitability. #WorldSoilDay pic.twitter.com/VGktiEtbXV
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) December 5, 2025
ARS researchers have made cutting-edge improvements to the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP), to provide higher resolution images of landscapes through satellite imagery. RAP monitors rangeland changes from soil and vegetation stress, to emerging pests, and wildfire risks.… pic.twitter.com/GCokZv6CsJ
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 25, 2025
Congratulations to Dr. Tara McHugh!! 🎉🎉
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 12, 2025
As USDA-ARS Pacific West Area director, McHugh appears in Forbes 50 Over 50 "Meet the Women Who Define Innovation, Drive, and Hope." Thank you for your contributions to Agricultural Research! https://t.co/3zZyz78pAw pic.twitter.com/X0Rbnjcz7O
Harnessing the Power of AI to Accelerate Breeding Programs
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 27, 2025
Learn how ARS scientists are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate breeding for new plant varieties that will greatly benefit farmers. https://t.co/UsqQZzIGDM pic.twitter.com/iDVnJFYLda
Exciting developments are happening through the USDA LTAR network! We're testing innovative grazing land practices to manage invasive Kentucky bluegrass in the ARS Northern Plains research location. https://t.co/aqe6fgwPny pic.twitter.com/1Rulg5aqgj
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) June 18, 2025
ARS is developing a new agriculture monitoring system with remote sensing maps to reduce negative impacts on the Chesapeake Bay -- keeping the watershed vibrant as it contributions billions of dollars to local economies and the commercial fishing industry. https://t.co/NuBEur4V26 pic.twitter.com/boiM7YM4ZB
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) June 16, 2025
Five foundational tools for managing metadata from the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network: https://t.co/r0OtJ8oPff pic.twitter.com/B1xBjCgx5A
— US LTAR (@USLTAR) June 10, 2025
ABOUT LTAR
The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network consists of 18 Federal and university agricultural research sites with an average of over 50 years of history. The goal of this research network is to ensure sustained crop and livestock production and ecosystem services from agroecosystems, and to forecast and verify the effects of environmental trends, public policies, and emerging technologies.