Designing maize systems that better align soil nitrogen availability with plant demand across the crop cycle.

Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for modern crop production, but it is often used inefficiently. In current systems, nitrogen is typically applied early in the season, while crop demand increases later, leading to loss and reduced efficiency.

SYNCORNET is a collaborative research project that addresses this mismatch by coordinating how nitrogen is captured, retained, and used across the growing season. The project integrates plant traits, soil processes, and microbial interactions to better align nitrogen availability with crop demand over time.

Rather than addressing nitrogen use through a single intervention, SYNCORNET takes a systems-based approach that connects processes across the plant–soil environment and across the growing season.

A Coordinated Nitrogen System

Nitrogen availability and plant demand change over time. SYNCORNET focuses on improving how these dynamics are aligned across the crop cycle.

This includes:

• increasing early-season nitrogen capture when fertilizer is most available
• extending root access deeper into the soil as nitrogen moves below the surface
• enhancing biologically mediated nitrogen cycling during peak crop demand
• retaining nitrogen in the system to reduce losses and support future crop use

Together, these processes define a coordinated nitrogen system that improves efficiency without increasing inputs.

Learn more about SYNCORNET, explore the research, and access resources using the buttons below.

Recent News

March 29th, 2026 – SYNCORNET is seeking a Project Administrator based out of PI Christopher Topp’s lab at Michigan State University! The Project Administrator will coordinate the scientific, administrative, and reporting activities of SYNCORNET across partner institutions, ensuring that project milestones, budgets, and compliance requirements are met over the four-year project period. Click here to learn more!