Restoring Degraded Go-Back Lands in the Southern Plains Using Rapid Microbial Diagnostics and Targeted Biostimulant Interventions

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial)
• Animals: bovine, sheep

Practices

• Animal Production: pasture renovation, range improvement
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer
• Production Systems: agroecosystems
• Soil Management: soil analysis, soil microbiology
• Sustainable Communities: social networks, sustainability measures

Much of the southern plains is in a degraded state from prior cultivation or chronic grazing over the last 125 years. Degraded grasslands often exist in a metastable state: in a worst-case scenario, non-native annual weeds dominate; in a best-case scenario, monocultures of native grasses or shrubs persist. Managed grazing or fire alone has generally failed to induce plant diversity or restore ecosystem function.

Recent advances in soil microbiology indicate that plant-microbe interactions are key to restoring diversity and ecosystem function in degraded lands. While bio-amendments have proven effective on intensively managed homogeneous farmland, little research has focused on grasslands, where heterogeneity is driven by plant associations, grazing, rodent activity, and weather. The variable site-specific context on grasslands will require adaptive bio-amendment treatments using feedback from rapid, inexpensive, and local analytics.

In 2023, seven ranchers in the Lower Arkansas Valley (LAVG) began trials to assess microbial amendments in grasslands- specifically go-back lands. The complexities of plant community and moisture variations have resulted in inconsistent results. The expense and long turn-around of commercial lab chemistry, PLFA, and DNA results prevents the possibility of sorting out these complexities. This project will evaluate MicroResp™ system (SIR) and microscopy as fast, local and inexpensive analytical methods. Dr. Mary Lucero will guide reconnaissance trials using SIR diagnostics and microscopy to identify locations, timing, and specific bio-amendments with promise. SIR and microscopy analyses will be calibrated against laboratory PLFA and Haney results.

The project envisions sharing findings through:

1. Two photo-documented field days for land managers.
2. Video/Zoom resources detailing testing methodology, results, and amendment applications.

By combining rapid microbial diagnostics with adaptive management, this project provides land managers a practical framework to restore degraded rangelands, improve soil function, and promote long-term ecological and economic resilience.

Research Objectives

1. Characterize baseline microbial composition and functional diversity in degraded go-back fields and paired NRCS reference states to identify ecosystem deficits.
2. Identify missing or diminished microbial functional groups-including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other soil eukaryotes-that may limit plant establishment and nutrient cycling.
3. Validate the MicroResp™ substrate-induced respiration (SIR) system as a rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tool to be used in conjunction with microscopy for guiding on-farm soil management decisions.

Education Objectives

Objective 1: Introduce the Project and Evaluate Ecological States Using Successional Frameworks (Aboveground & Belowground)

Objective 2: Development of Case Study. Develop and communicate a comprehensive, multi-site Case Study of each degraded State with paired Reference State within the shortgrass prairie ecosystem.

Objective 3: Demonstrate Targeted Management Options Based on Biological Test Results. Provide land managers (including Conservation Districts, NRCS, and broader farming/ranching community) with new ways of thinking-and potentially managing differently-after identifying missing or diminished soil biological components. This objective focuses on practical, field-ready tools and strategies informed by biological diagnostics. This field day will be hosted on one of the ranches with Grady Grissom and Mary Lucero.