About

Farms are facing rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves. These changes are increasing plant stress and insect pressure. Healthy soil microbiomes enhance resilience to climate change and pests, and organic farmers in New York State are concerned climate change will impact their soil microbiome. In response we are developing climate change research in consultation with seven regional organic seed producers. Our mission is to identify soil microbiomes that can be conserved by organic farmers to promote climate change resilient traits like drought tolerance in local seed sources.

Project Goals

1. Investigate management practices transitioning and long-term organic producers can use to promote soil microbiome health;
2. Determine if microbiome conservation can be used to express climate change resilience in local seed sources; and
3. Develop a rapid decision support tool that will empower farmers to conserve the soil microbiome and enhance farm resilience to climate change.

If you are an organic producer in New York State and are interested in our research or rapid soil microbiome decision support, please contact us: Drs. Clare Casteel (clc269@cornell.edu) and Elias H Bloom (ehb64@cornell.edu).