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Erosion and Soil Quality Trends in U.S. Agriculture1
Progress in preserving and increasing soil resource quality is not a trend limited to cotton production – it is part of the overall improvements resulting from modern agricultural practices applied to many crops. The following bullet points apply to US agriculture in general – not specifically cotton, but cotton is part of the overall positive trends cited below from information supplied by the USDA, National Resource Conservation Service.
U.S. trends in soil erosion:
- From 1982 to 1997, there was significant progress in reducing soil erosion on all cropland. Sheet and rill erosion dropped by 41 percent during this time period. Wind erosion dropped by 43 percent.
- This progress translates to a savings of more than 1.2 billion tons of soil per year on cropland.
- From 1982 to 2001 there was a 39 percent decrease in total acres of excessively eroding cropland.
- From 1982 to 2003, as cultivated cropland was converted to other land uses, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the highly erodible cropland (HEL) acreage decreased by 27.8 percent and the non-highly erodible cropland (NHEL) decreased by 13.4 percent.
- From 1982 to 2003, total soil loss on cultivated cropland (NHEL and HEL combined) decreased by 39.2 percent, from 462 to 281 million tons. The erosion rate on all cultivated cropland decreased by 31.8 percent. These reductions are likely due to the decreasing acres of HEL and the application of effective conservation practices during the time period.
U.S. trends in soil quality:
- The amount of cropland managed using methods to improve soil organic matter increased by 46 million acres between 1982 and 1997.
- Soil organic matter plays a key role in the physical, chemical and biological health of soils.
- Residue Management is the primary practice for increasing organic matter.
- Residue Management reduces fuel consumption by an average of 3.5 gallons per acre.
- Increased surface residue forms a physical barrier to wind and water erosion
- Soil organic matter holds 10 to 1,000 times more water and nutrient than the same amount of soil minerals.
- A 1 percent increase in organic matter can add nearly 2 acre-inches more water holding capacity.
- Crops are better able to withstand drought when infiltration and water-holding capacity improve.
- Organic matter may bind pesticides and reduce their impact on surface and groundwater.
- Wildlife habitat improves when residue management improves.
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