The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at the Texas Gulf

Texas Gulf is one of the 18 regional sites that is part of the USDA‐ARS Long‐Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network and focuses on cropland and integrated grazing land research in Central Texas, addressing challenges posed by soil characteristics, climate variability, and urbanization. This paper provides brief site descriptions of the two Cropland Common Experiments being conducted in the Texas Gulf LTAR region, emphasizing conservation tillage practices and precision agriculture techniques. The plot‐scale study is located in Temple, TX, at the USDA‐ARS Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory and examines conventional tillage, strip tillage, and no tillage practices. The field‐scale study, located in Riesel, TX, at the USDA‐ARS Riesel Watersheds, assesses the impact of no tillage, cover crops, fertility management, adaptive management, and precision conservation on crop yield, profitability, and environmental footprint. Key measurements include soil and plant analyses, greenhouse gas fluxes, runoff water quantity and quality, and field operations recorded with precision agriculture equipment. Despite challenges posed by urban encroachment, future research aims to incorporate new technologies, such as unmanned ground vehicles, to enhance sustainability and productivity of the agricultural landscape. These experiments provide valuable insights for stakeholders, contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural practices tailored to the unique challenges within the Texas Gulf LTAR region. Core Ideas Texas Gulf LTAR focuses on agroecosystem research in Central Texas. Innovative row crop agricultural practices are needed in the Texas Blackland Prairie. Cropland experiments better our understanding of agricultural resilience amid a changing environment. Urbanization pressures demand for sustainable farming practices. Plain Language Summary Texas Gulf is one of the 18 LTAR network sites and conducts cropland and grazing land research. This paper outlines two cropland experiments located in the Blackland Prairie in Central Texas aiming to improve farming practices and address environmental challenges. The plot‐scale study was developed to quantify the long‐term effects of tillage practices on greenhouse gas emissions and crop production. The field‐scale study was developed to quantify the effects of adaptive management and adoption of precision conservation guided through precision agriculture technologies to optimize field‐scale management fo