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
Good soil starts with good data. That’s why Kristen Veum, an ARS soil scientist in Columbia, MO, and her research collaborators, developed the SHAPE tool. This handy innovation helps America’s farmers calculate soil health scores, set management goals, and improve productivity… pic.twitter.com/eW8URxuXbN
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) September 10, 2026
ARS scientists are helping America’s organic farmers!
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 31, 2026
Recent results from a seven-year study by @USDA_ARS and @IowaStateU found that a diversified organic rotation reduced tile drainage nitrogen loads by 50% compared to conventional systems. Perennial pasture also reduced the… pic.twitter.com/0N2jNSZQR4
This timelapse video illustrates how tillage has cascading impacts on water capture, soil erosion, and crop growth. @USDA_ARS researchers at the Cook Agronomy Farm LTAR site in Pullman, WA, installed PhenoCams (webcams used to track the timing of plant development) in neighboring… pic.twitter.com/hc5Z5jlgvP
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 25, 2026
Learn how ARS scientists in St. Paul, MN, are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate breeding for new plant varieties that will greatly benefit farmers.https://t.co/lUItZQJf86#ScientificDiscoveries pic.twitter.com/1aOGVmuYs9
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 20, 2026
ARS researchers from the Water Management and Conservation Research unit in Maricopa, AZ, are studying the risks of using treated wastewater to irrigate farmland prone to drought. They are working to alleviate concerns that microplastics in the water could carry antibiotics into… pic.twitter.com/8DxwuuEeBl
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 20, 2026
@USDA_ARS scientists in Oxford, MS, are helping U.S. farmers as they study the problem of microplastics occurring in Mississippi Delta floodwaters. The researchers are using infrared spectrometer technology, which enables them to analyze tiny samples of plastic. They are working… pic.twitter.com/dg6m1sFhWN
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 19, 2026
ARS scientists and their partners at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CARR) in Fort Collins, CO, are working to bring precision management technologies to America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers, large and small. ARS leadership received some hands-on experiences… pic.twitter.com/XdBn9AHsAv
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 11, 2026
During #NationalWaterQualityMonth, watch ARS scientists use GPS systems in rafts to monitor water quality in rivers and watersheds. This vital research is protecting America's health. https://t.co/29EtjjwR8g
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 5, 2026
Shout out to ARS researchers! They work tirelessly to improve the quality of our nation’s water supply and resources -- from the water we drink to the water American farmers use to produce U.S. foods and products. pic.twitter.com/FbuflwCEP1
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) August 5, 2026
ARS researchers in Oxford, MS, and their university partners are working on ways to reduce the impact of microplastics using biochar -- a carbon and ash product of burning wood chips and plant residue. By using biochar in filters on drainage ditches, farmers can significantly… pic.twitter.com/iQTxfjitqr
— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) July 22, 2026
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.