An interdisciplinary team of 20 UC researchers will open the doors to a "living laboratory" during a field day Thursday, July 30, at the UC Davis Agronomy Field Headquarters. The laboratory is a 28-acre research site where agricultural scientists are comparing conventional, organic and low-input farming systems. They are identifying methods that will allow farmers to make the transition from conventional, chemical-intensive practices to low-input techniques. The field day will feature results for the first four-year cycle of the study, including data collected on soil fertility and microbiology, economic performance, pest problems, and yield and quality of crops. "Researchers will give updates on studies ranging from what happens to the economics of your farm when you shift from conventional to low-input farming systems, to the effects of farming practices on tomato quality," says Oscar Somasco, research manager. Those in the farming industry and the general public are invited to see demonstrations of innovative equipment used for cultivation and cover crop management, and tour special crop plantings. The field headquarters is located one mile west of Highway 113 on Hutchison Drive. Presentations and tours will take place from 8 a.m. to noon. The project is funded in part by the UC Davis-based UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.