Long-term Soil Experiments

Since about 2004, we have been inventorying and networking long-term soil experiments (LTSEs) world-wide. This global inventory has grown to over 250 studies and we have recently completed a system in which the LTSEs depending on their duration and sample archives are classified into several tiers.  We seek individual scientists, science administrators, land managers, students, institutions & the general public to help build this scientific project, for from these relatively few field studies are derived our best understanding of soil sustainability. To quote scientist Ishaku Amapu of Nigeria, “we need make the world’s long-term soil experiments work harder.”Dan RichterMike HofmockelMac Callaham, David Powlson, & Pete Smith Duke Univ, USDA Forest Service, Rothamsted Research, & Univ Aberdeen
Locations of the LTSE sites:

Title Contact Person Year Began Year Ended Latitude Longitude Website Data Archive
Argentina Pampas Cropping Rotations:Physical and chemical properties of an entic haplustoll under different crop sequences in the semi-arid Pampean region Rosell, Ramon 1975 -37.8667 -63.0167
Askov Long-Term Experiments on Animal Manure and Mineral Fertilizers – Lermarken Christensen, Bent 1894 55.4667 9.1167 http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/reprint/63/5/1123
Askov Long-Term Experiments on Animal Manure and Mineral Fertilizers – Sandmarken Christensen, Bent 1894 55.4667 9.1167 http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/reprint/63/5/1123
Australia C1: Tillage systems/cropping sequences trial C 1 Hulugalle, Nilantha 1985 -30 150
Bad Lauchstaedt: Statischer Duengungsversuch Bad Lauchstaedt KÖRSCHENS, MARTIN 1902 51.4 11.8833
Bahtim: Permanent fertilization experiment at Bahtim, Egypt El-Zanaty, Mohamed Raghib 1912 31 30
Baltimore LTER: Baltimore urban long-term ecological research project Groffman, Peter 1998 39.244 -76.6759 http://beslter.org/
Bhubaneswar Centre, Orissa (All India Coordinated) Swarup, Anand 1972 20.1 85.75 http://www.tnau.ac.in/scms/SSAC/Res/SACltfe.htm
Billa Billa Fallow Management Experiment Thomas, Greg 1983 -28.1667 150.25 http://www.grdc.com.au/growers/oft/oft_search/docs/qld_sth/qs01/index.htm
Biloela Tillage Experiment Radford, Bruce 1983 -24.3667 150.517 Yes
Breton Plots Noorallah, Juma 1929 53.1167 -114.467 http://bretonplots.rr.ualberta.ca/
Brigalow Catchment Study – A land use comparison Cowie, Bruce 1965 -24.8 149.783 http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/science/projects/brigalow/index.html Yes
Brigalow: Soil Changes Accompanying Land Development (clearing) SCALD Cowie, Bruce 1976 -24.7833 149.733 Yes
Broadbalk Winter Wheat Experiment Poulton, Paul 1843 51.8167 0.35 http://www.fwag.org.uk/html/iacrBroa.htm Yes
Broom’s Barn – Long Term Experiment No. 2 Allison, Marc 1965 51.8091 -0.3552 http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/broom/
BT1 – Long-term sugarcane trial Van Antwerpen, Rianto 1939 -29.7 31.0333 Yes
Butler County Industrial Pine Forest, AL USA Richter, Daniel 1980 31.74 -86.67
Calhoun Long-Term Soil-Ecosystem Experiments Richter, Daniel 1957 34.608 -81.7239 http://calhoun.env.duke.edu/
Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Bahauddin, Dan 45.401 -93.201 http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/ Yes
Central Arizona – Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Site Information Manager, CAP LTER 1997 33.418 -111.933 http://caplter.asu.edu/ Yes
China FACE Jianguo, Zhu 2001 32.5986 119.726 http://www.issas.ac.cn/english/index.htm Yes
China Triple Cereal Cropping and soil organic matter long-term experiment. Li, Shi-Ye 1974 28.0833 121.1
Combination trial F1-70 Hulsbergen, KJ 1967
Constructed and Natural Tidal Salt Marshes Craft, Christopher 1988
Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory Knoepp, Jennifer 1934 35.0594 -83.4208 http://coweeta.ecology.uga.edu/ Yes
Czarny Potok Kopeć, hab. Michał 1968 49.0667 20.1333
Debrecen Long-term experiment Nagy, Janos 1983 47.8833 21
Deherain plots Houot, Sabine 1875 54.47 -2.3
Dill Land Use Experiment (DIII, Berlin-Dahlem/Germany) Ellmer, Frank 1923 52.4667 13.3
DNPK Trial Amapu, Ishaku 1950 11.3438 7.6333
Dobrowa Forest Amelioration Experiment Jandl, Robert 1967 1993 http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjfr_x01-169_32_ns_nf_cjfr
Duke Forest CO2 Experiment (FACE) Richter, Daniel 1996 35.977 -79.0931 http://face.env.duke.edu
EM89 Smethurst, Philip 1985 -41 146 http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/65/3/795
Essai permanent Frankinet, M. 1959 50.5667 4.7167
Flock House: NZ FACE Experiment Newton, Paul 1997 -40.2438 175.251
GCE LTER Soils Craft, Christopher 2001 31.428 -81.2794 Yes
Germany Organic Trial 1980: Long-term Fertilization Trial Raupp, Joachim 1980 49.8333 8.5667 http://www.innovations-report.com/html/profiles/profile-1182.html
Greenmount: Water balance and water quality from agricultural catchments -Greenmount, Queensland, Australia Freebairn, David 1976 1991 -27.7667 151.917 http://www.freebairn.info/data
Greenwood: Water balance and water quality from agricultural catchments -Greenwood, Queensland, Australia Freebairn, David 1978 1984 -27.3333 151.733 http://www.freebairn.info/data
Harvard DIRT: Dirt Litter Manipulation Experiment Barker Plotkin, Audrey 1990 42.49 -72.2 http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu Yes
Harvard Forest N Studies: Chronic Nitrogen Amendment Experiment Barker Plotkin, Audrey 1988 42.54 -72.18 http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu Yes
Helvetica 1: Organic and Mineral Fertilizers II, N and C balances, RAC. P11 Neyroud, Jean-Auguste 1963
Helvetica 2: Organic and mineral fertilizers I, N and C balances RAC. P24 Neyroud, Jean-Auguste 1975
Hoosfield Continuous Barley Poulton, Paul 1852 51.8167 -0.35 Yes
Hoytville: Long-term Tillage Study (Hoytville – Northwest ARS) Dick, Warren 1963 41.2167 -83.7667
India 1967: Long-term effect of farmyard manure and N on yield of pearl millet-wheat cropping sequence. Gupta, A.P. 1967 29.1833 75.7667
Indiana corn and soy: Effect of tillage system on growth, maturity and yield of corn and soybean. Graveel, John 1975 40.4667 -87
Jabalpur Centre, Madhya Pradesh (All India Coordinated Research Project on Long-Term Fertilizer Experiments). Swarup, Anand 1972 23.2 79.95
Kellogg: Long-term Ecological Research in Row Crop Agriculture Bohm, Sven 1989 42.4417 -85.3883 http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/ Yes
Konza Prairie Blair, John 1986 39.08 -96.58 http://www.konza.ksu.edu
Korea Rice Studies 1967: Long-term effects of fertilization on the forms and availability of soil phosphorus in rice paddy Kim, Pil Joo 1967 36.6 128.75 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.02.027
L 28, Effect of N-fertilization by different organic fertilization Kerschberger, Dr. M. 1966 52.4667 52.4667
Lethbridge 120: Lethbridge Rotation 120 Smith, Elwin 1951 49.705 -112.775 Yes
Lethbridge U: Lethbridge Rotation U – irrigated cropping system Smith, Elwin 1911 49.703 -112.757 Yes
Lethbridge: Topsoil Removal (Simulated Erosion) and Soil Amendment Experiments Larney, Frank 1990 49.7085 -112.771 http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1181849355568&lang=eng Yes
Long-term Indian New Permanent Manurial Trial Perumal, Rani 1925 11 77
Long-term Indian Old Permanent Manurial Trial Perumal, Rani 1909 11 77
Long-Term Maize, Sorghum, and Millet Monoculture Effects on an Argentina Typic Ustipsamment Buschiazzo, Daniel 1996
LONG-TERM TILLAGE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ERODED SOIL Olson, Kenneth 1988 http://www.soilsci.com/pt/re/soilsci/abstract.00010694-199812000-00007.htm
LTCCE IRRI: Long-Term Continuous Cropping Experiment Buresh, Roland 1963 14.18 121.23 http://agron.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/92/4
Magruder Plots Raun, Bill 1892 36.1167 -97.0833 http://www.nue.okstate.edu/Long_Term_Experiments/M
Manistee National Forest – Nitrogen Deposition Zak, Don 45 -85
McMurdo Dry Valleys Wall, Diana 1992 -80.6613 -145.459 http://www.mcmlter.org
Meckenheim II Scherer, H.W. 1958
Michigan DIRT: DIRT Detrital Input, Removal, and Transfer (University of Michigan Biological Station) Research Group, Nadelhoffer 2004 45 -84 http://www.eeb.lsa.umich.edu/eeb/labs/knute/DIRT/HF/
Mollisol Tillage C & D: Long-term tillage (C and D) Lyon, Drew J. 1970 41.2333 -100.75
Morocco Mollisol Tillage Studies: Long-term changes in soil organic matter under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in semiarid Morocco Mrabet, Rachid 1992 33 -9.3667 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cabi/sum/2003/00000019/00000002/art00008
Mt Murchison Fallow Management Trial Cowie, Bruce 1976 1992 -24.3167 150.533 Yes
Mt. Jumbong: Korean Long-term Ecological Research – Mt. Jumbong Kang, Hojeong 1994 30 128.433 http://www.ilternet.edu/networks/korea/
Muencheberg Long Term Fertilizer Experiment V140/00 Rogasik, Jutta 1963 52.5167 14.1167
Nahrstoffmangelversuch Pasda, Gregor 1938 49.4167 8.4
Nahrstoffverhaltnisversuch Pasda, Gregor 1957 49.4167 8.4
Natal Subsoil: A comparison of strategies for ameliorating subsoil acidity: I. Long-term growth effects Thibaud, Guy 1990 -28.5167 29.35 http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/reprint/64/2/646
NC- CEFS: Center for Environmental Farming Systems Bell, Melissa 1996 35.6167 -77.3833 http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/
Nigeria 1: Nitrogen Fertilizer Trials In Nigeria Olu Obi, A. 1971 7.1333 5 http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/faoinfo/Agricult/agl/agll/globdir/Africa/Nigeria.htm
Nuuk Basic (NERO) Tamstorf, Mikkel P. 2007 64.125 -51.383 http://www.nuuk-basic.dk/ Yes
Old Rotation, Cotton Alabama USA Mitchell, Charles 1896 32.6 -85.6 http://www.ag.auburn.edu/agrn/cotton.htm
Olentangy River Wetland Research Park Mitsch, William 1994 40.0167 -83.0167 http://swamp.ag.ohio-state.edu/ Yes
Orja: Long-term Soil Fertility Experiment, Orja Mattsson, Lennart 1957 55.8667 12.8833
Palace Leas Meadow Hay Plots Shiel, RS 1896 55.2167 -1.6833
Pampas Grassland Afforestation – Flooding Pampas Jobbagy, Esteban 2000 -36 -57.8333
Pantnagar Centre, Uttar Pradesh (All India Coordinated Research Project on Long-Term Fertilizer Experiments) Swarup, Anand 1971
Pellston Nitrogen Addition Study Zak, Don 1886 45.5508 -84.7832
Praha – Ruzyne Klir, Jan 1956 50.0833 14.3333
Prospect Hill: Soil Respiration, Temperature & Moisture (Prospect Hill, Harvard Forest) Barker Plotkin, Audrey 1995 42.54 -72.17 http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu Yes
Puch Long Term Cropping / Soil Organic Matter Experiment (Bavaria) Capriel, Peter 1953 48.1833 11.2167
Quebec long-term forest soil monitoring network Ouimet, Rock 1987 45.5 -66.79
Russian Horticulture 1975: Soil changes in time within a dry meadow Yakimenko, Elana 1965 55.4167 37.1667
Salem Road Sustainable Grazing Study Franzluebbers, Alan 1994 2005 33.745 -83.398 http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=66-12-09-00 Yes
Sanborn Field Miles, Randy 1888 38.95 -93.3333 http://aes.missouri.edu/sanborn/index.stm
SATWAGL Heenan, Damian 1979 -35.0833 147.333
Savoy SoyFACE Ort, Don 2001 40.0419 -88.2382 http://soyface.illinois.edu/
Scott Cropping Studies: Long-term Alternative Cropping Systems Study Lemke, Reynald 1995 52.22 -108.5 Yes
Seehausen: Crop rotation/fertilization trial F1-07 Diepenbrock, Habil 1958 52.88 11.75
SETRES Richter, Daniel 1999 34.9047 -79.4836 http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/soils/research/setres.htm
Skierniewice: Long-term static fertilizer experiments in Skierniewice Stanislaw, Mercik 1923 51.9667 20.1667
South Charleston: Long-term Tillage Study (S. Charleston – Western ARS) Dick, Warren 1963 39.8667 -83.6667
South Road Tillage Ball, Bruce 1967
Swift Current New Crop Rotation Experiment Zentner, Robert 1987 50.2817 -107.758 http://www.agr.gc.ca/ Yes
Swift Current Old Crop Rotation Experiment Zentner, Robert 1967 50.2817 -107.757 http://www.agr.gc.ca/ Yes
Tamworth Black: Legume / cereal rotation on black soil Crocker, Graham 1966 -31.1 150.933
Tamworth Red: Legume / cereal rotation on red soil Crocker, Graham 1966 1966 -31.1 150.933
Tidal Marsh Vegetation and Soil Development Craft, Christopher 1983 35.3006 -76.7886
Tomejil: Long-term-tillage experiment in a Vertisol at the Tomejil farm, SW Spain Giráldez, Juan Vicente 1982 37.4011 -5.59 Yes
UK Animal Slurry: Effects of long-term application of slurry on grassland cut for silage Christie, Peter 1970 54.4333 -6.4167
Ultuna long-term soil organic matter experiment Persson, Jan 1956 60 17
University of Pretoria long-term crop rotation and fertilization experiment Hammes, Piet 1939 -25.75 28.2667 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03112002-145913
Uruguay LTSE Morón, David
Valle del Mezquital/Distrito de Riego 03 Siebe, Christina 1990 20.2224 -99.2227 Yes
Waite Permanent Rotation Trial Grace, Peter 1925 -34.9667 138.633
Wallumbilla: Water balance and water quality from agricultural catchments -Wallumbilla, Queensland, Australia Freebairn, David 1982 1998 -26.4667 149.1 http://www.freebairn.info/data
Wooster: Long-Term Tillage Study (Wooster Triplett-VanDoren) Dick, Warren 1962 40.7833 -81.9167