Solar Corridor Science Framework INFEWS White Paper
Howard Davis, CEO Louis Simpson Foundation/Africa Blue
Dr. Brady Deaton, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Missouri and President of the Deaton Institute for University Leadership, University of Missouri
The scientific gap in the knowledge about how the sun should be optimized in farming system design and practice is costing the world an estimated up to 50% of agricultural productivity loss. We estimate and recommend NSF should spend $20 to $30 million a year of the INFUSE budget in an entire new focus ofFEWSresearch which should provide a new framework for farming systems throughout the United States and the world through US leadership. This white paper describes why this focus on the systemic science gap and what level of funding for Solar Corridor Scienceresearch is necessary for a new farming system framework based upon maximum use of sunlight.
Everything we eat comes from the sun. Whatever we ate for lunch today came from the sun.
The most salient and presumed energy element of photosynthesis in the Food Energy Water System (FEWS) framework is solar energy, not solar panels to pump water or make electricity, but the direct solar energy to deliver light from the sun to the plant. Radiant sunlight is the most profound requirement of all food production systems, but completely bypassed or ignored as the beginning or principal framework for farming systems optimization. This is historically logical as water and nutrients were critical, but manipulation of these elements alone not now adequate to increaseFEWSoutput by 80% to 100% to feed the world population of over 9 billion in 2050. This lack of focus on maximizing sun to all leaves on the plant at the foundation of farming systems has been the practice for thousands of years. This lack of focus is a knowledge gap reflected in research budgets of major government and institutionalfundersof scientific research in aspects of the farming systems in the United States.
Maximizing sunlight’s impact on the photosynthesis process has neverbeen the focus of farming systems framework for all elements of farming, but as only one among many elements of plant breeding since the burgeoning activity in genetic manipulation of seed exploded in the last 50 years. Hence, global agriculture led by the agricultural sciences in the United States has smashed rows closer and closer and tried to manipulate crop genetics to overcome the obvious increased plant-on- plant shade during the entire crop cycle. The overwhelming focus for farmer practice and research forFUDA,USAIDand other agencies has been designed and executed for the science and management for water and nutrient delivery to the root zone--not sunlight--as the foundation. This was appropriate and excellent work and should continue, but now within a framework that is formulated around the most important element in the photosynthesis process, sunlight.
Both the ASA members Louis Simpson Foundation (LSF) and TheDeatonInstitute for University Leadership (DIUL) believe through new solid and broad research largely unknown at this time, a revolutionary transformation in thinking, research focus and farming system design is imperative in the United States and globally to optimize all farming systems to maximize photosynthesis as the framework of design, not as an artifact of plant breeding. Our institutions are dedicated to facilitate this transformation of 21st century agricultural research and farming systems, putting the "E" as the centerpiece of science based farming systems sunlight use in the nexus ofFEWS. We believe this is a most important scientific consideration for priority research inFEWSbecause it is optimization of the dollar free sunlight while all other factors cost money. Radiant sunlight in farming systems represents an opportunity for a quantum leap for theFEWSnexus to be able to feed the world abundantly.
Critically important, we further believe optimization of sunlight use is an essential key farming system framework to eliminate global extreme poverty -- fulfilling the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)for Africa, Asia, and Latin America. TheSDGwasjust adopted by the United Nations in September under United States leadership with a 2015 to 2030 timeline.
The potential doubling of the output of US agriculture based on the ASA members' scientific research and elimination of extreme poverty is our priority in our presentation regarding the 10 year funding of Solar Corridor Farming Systems because such productivity in theFEWSis at stake for the next 35 years to 2050.
We are confident that research indicates a tremendous leap in US and global agricultural productivity ofFEWSand production levels will be the outcome if the NSF funds the gap in science, enabling its application and dissemination through the extension programs of universities throughout the world which our institutions are designed to facilitate, farmer cooperatives and organizations, and our new Internet Global Farmer AP media initiative which could use INFUSE funding for the application of Big Data to every farm in the world.
The Solar Corridor Science and its Farming Systems Research Range
While other presentations are being made in our Solar Corridor Community of over 100 scientists at ASA, we acknowledge Groundbreaking ASA researchersLeRoyDeichmanand Robert Kramer have uncovered the need for this new conceptual framework for farming system design globally. They created the term "The Solar Corridor" to describe it. These University of Missouri centered scientists over the last 40 years have proven that certain high yielding corn hybrids doubled their yields per lineal foot of crop row by doubling the distance between the rows and creating a corridor of sunlight by orienting the row pattern to the path of the sun across the day to eliminate crop shading between rows of corn. This corridor of light facilitates day long sunshine on a maximum number of leaves. This effect doubles the use of farmland by opening a corridor to plant a lower crop for intercropping between the corn rows, optimally a high value commodity or vegatablesuch as legumes. The University of Missouri findings are being demonstrated and tested in Africa by the Louis Simpson Foundation at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi.
Based upon broad existing research in intercropping, animal husbandry, combined with this groundbreaking proven principle of the Solar Corridor, University of Missouri researchers believe with creative use ofintercroppingof a variety of crops planted in sequence in the Solar Corridor from March through November, land use efficiency could be greatly enhanced. We are likely to see land index use increase up to 2.2 from current baseline of1.0 in the typical one crop per year Missouri farming mono-cropping which alternates corn and soybean by the typical Missouri farmer. By using Solar Corridor Science, the farmer can possibly double farmer income if all crops are optimized genetically for maximum sun use, whether rainfed or irrigated.
Our institutions envision a coordinated study using ASA scientists and institutions across the United States and the developing world over a 10 year life of FEWS funding. We recommend coordinating research in every state through regionally significant Land Grant Universities in Centers for Applied Agricultural Research which offer a broad geographic, soils types, and climatic conditions of significance in their regions which parallel existing regional USDA funding of agricultural research. Perhaps 3 lead universities each region of West, Midwest, East and South could facilitate consistent research in every state for every element of research effecting crop yields, farmer financial sustainability, and ecological sustainability. Solar Corridor Farming Systems Science we believe is a very flexible framework within which virtually all other elements of farming systems including soil, water, nutrient delivery, plant breeding and physiology, insect and all other elements of cross cutting system research can be consistently evaluated nationally. We envision a Big Data constant micro and macro data integration of all farming systems elements to maximize INFEWS funded research for further research an of equal importance, developing new extension tools like our Global Farmer AP.
We recommend a call for proposals for a broad, nationwide multiyear institutional research project on the Solar Corridor Farming System Science. We will be enthusiastically involved with the NSF in helping define the scope, breath, and nature of the scientific research within and around the groundbreaking Solar Corridor Farming System Science.
Attached is a simple matrix for a start of research consideration on the Solar Corridor Farming System Science.
Howard Davis
Brady Deaton