Enhancing ecosystem services and biodiversity on farm and grasslands - A climate positive agriculture

Biodiversity – diversity of living organisms within species, species and ecosystems is declining faster now than it did any time in recorded human history. Agriculture is the single largest land use, covering over a third of the world’s arable land surface and is the largest driver of biodiversity loss, although the ways in which it affects species are complex and still poorly understood. Increasing demand for crops and livestock products by ever growing human population means that there is pressure on society and agriculture to develop higher yielding crops, expand cropland and overgrazing of pastureland, as well as reduce damage by pests. The latter two efforts can negatively affect biodiversity through loss of wild areas and reduction of beneficial species in or near agricultural land. New approaches are needed to counteract or limit these negative impacts on wild flora and fauna around the world. Here, I will discuss our long-term plan to use the Coleman Ranch (MO, USA) for multi-year (approx. 5 years) research and share preliminary data from research at the ranch showing the short-term effects of the first phase implementation of sound grazing practices has already dramatically impacted soil health, ecosystem services, species richness, biomass and insect abundance (biodiversity studies). This project reaches across Corteva’s portfolios of Carbon and Ecosystem Services, Range and Pasture, and Crop Protection Discovery and Development groups and thus, could have far reaching implications for the future of pasture management.