Since the dawn of agriculture, grain crops have been at the heart of food and agriculture throughout much of the world. Today, these crops still directly or indirectly supply the majority of the calories consumed by humans globally. But this productivity has come at a price: the environmental degradation associated with farming annual crops.
Enter the Land Institute
Founded in 1976, the Land Institute is a non-profit research organization based in Salina, Kansas. The Land Institute’s team of plant breeders and ecologists has demonstrated that new perennial grain crops can be developed. Importantly they have shown that diverse, ecologically intensified cropping systems hold the potential to bring grain crop agriculture to a level of ecological function on par with native grasslands and other natural ecosystems. If they are successful we will see agriculture that can truly be called regenerative.
Tiffany Durr is the greenhouse manager at the Land Institute. The Land Institute co-leads the global movement for perennial, diverse, truly regenerative agriculture at a scale.
Conviron & Argus Support
A long time client of both Conviron and Argus, the Land Institute uses small Conviron reach in chambers (GEN1000) for tissue culture and incubation work trials as well as Argus Controls on all of their greenhouses.
The Argus system makes it possible for me to change the settings from any greenhouse from home, from an Ipad. It’s incredible!
- Tiffany Durr, Facilities Operations Manager
In need of Tech Support? Call Argus.
On one occasion the Land Institute was experiencing difficulties with irrigation and lighting and was unable to pinpoint the root cause of the issue or how to fix it. By reaching out to the Argus Controls service team, Argus was able to troubleshoot remotely directly over the telephone and identify that the root cause was an issue with the lighting equipment. This enabled the Land Institute to pursue a solution with their lighting vendor directly. Argus was also able to identify how a small change to the programming control logic would rectify the irrigation issue.
Greenhouse Supervisor, Glory Benacka tending to the plants in the greenhouse at the Land Institute.
We are really grateful for the Argus team going slowing and methodically through the programming logic that has helped us get to the bottom of two issues in our greenhouse. Thank you Argus!
