Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 13.1. KBS LTER technologies and adoption trends among U.S. corn and
soybean farmers.
Technology
U.S. Land-Area Trend among Corn/
Soybean Farmers
Source
Small grain in crop
rotation
Declined in corn rotations from 10%
to 8% in 1995-2005; wheat area down
2000-2002 to 2010-2012
ERS (2012c) a ; Jekanowski and
Vocke (2013)
Conservation tillage
Rose from 26% to 41% in 1990-2004
Sandretto and Payne (2006)
Fertilizer-reduced rates
Nitrogen use on corn stable, but
excessive rates declined from 41% to
35% in 2001-2005
Ribaudo et al. (2011)
Soil nitrogen testing on
corn
Trended 21, 28, and 22% in 1996,
2005, and 2010, respectively
ERS (2012c) a
Cover crop
Declined from 5% to 2% of soybean
land in 1997-2006
Padgitt et al. (2000), C. Greene
(personal communication)
a Data retrieved by Swinton from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey online database, but these fields not
accessible in online tailored reports tool (ERS 2012c).
and soybean farmers view various conservation practices. Qualitative data came
from 39 full-time corn and soybean farmers interviewed in six focus groups held
in south-central and central Michigan during February and March 2007. Three of
the 39 were organic farmers. In 2006 the participants had farmed between 273-
2750 acres. Focus group participants were recruited by Michigan State University
Extension agricultural educators and were financially compensated for their par-
ticipation. The farmers completed short questionnaires about their farms, current
management, and attitudes toward specific conservation practices. After discussing
their views about these practices, they took part in a series of experimental auctions
that were designed to reveal what it would cost them to adopt various conservation
practices.
The quantitative data come from the 2008 Crop Management and Environmental
Stewardship Survey, a statistically representative survey of Michigan corn and soy-
bean farmers, described previously (Swinton et al. 2015, Chapter 3 in this volume).
Farmers were asked specific questions about current farming practices and their
attitudes toward conservation. They were also asked hypothetical questions about
adopting new practices, and their willingness to adopt was used to estimate the
potential supply of ecosystem services in exchange for payments.
Some conservation practices of interest to ecological researchers had already
been adopted by the farmers surveyed. Figure 13.2 ranks 11 practices and the per-
centage of farmers currently using them. Two practices were used by over 80% of
the farmers. These included reduced tillage (as compared to moldboard plow) and
scouting for pests to guide pesticide decisions. What did these practices have in
common? Both either saved labor (for tillage and pesticide application operations)
or input costs (pesticide and fuel) without reducing expected crop revenue. They
were largely viewed as win-win choices, helping both the environment and farm
profitability.
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