Minnesota Long-Term Agricultural Research Network

MN Long-Term Agricultural Research Network

The University of Minnesota established a Long-Term Agricultural Research Network (LTARN) in 2011 as a novel platform for research and education that emphasizes agricultural production through a unified network approach. 

LTARN is an outcome-based research, outreach, and education entity. Our primary focus is to help create agricultural production systems that provide a resilient, nimble, and efficient source of food, fiber, health, and biomaterials. However, we also recognize that agricultural production must be practiced in a responsible manner that is consistent with social, economic and environmental desires. Furthermore, we focus on results that are relevant to producers, consumers, policy makers, and business sectors.

Current network experimental nodes are strategically located at three of the ten Research and Outreach Centers (ROCs) supported by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). Each LTARN node has installed basic instrumentation to obtain detailed climate, soil, and plant information.