U.S. farmers are growing fewer types of crops compared to 34 years ago.
A large-scale study by Kansas State University, North Dakota State University and USDA compares U.S. Census of Agriculture data from 1978 through 2012 across the 48 contiguous states. Jonathan Aguilar PhD and Kansas State University Extension Water Resource Engineer says there are 408 million acres of cropland in the 48 states.
The study found crop diversity actually increased from 1978 to 1987, Aguilar says they aren’t sure why that happened but it may be due to drought causing farmers to try alternative crops. Another reason could be challenging economic times prompting farmers to spread their risk among more crops.
The report says the trend toward more corn and soybean production started in 1988 and was driven by technological improvements and homogenization of production systems in those crops. New varieties of corn and soybeans with cold and disease tolerance allowed the crops to be grown in more areas. The introduction of the renewable fuels standard and Chinese demand pushed corn and soybean production at the expense of wheat and other crops. High crop prices also pulled some perennial grasslands out of the Conservation Reserve Program and into production.
The Heartland Resource Region comprised of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and parts of Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kentucky accounts for 22 percent of the nation’s farms and 23 percent of total U.S. production. The region has the greatest number of farms, largest production of cash grains, highest production value and the lowest crop diversity.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Northern Crescent Region running from Maine through the Great Lakes to Wisconsin and Minnesota has the most crop diversity. The coastal areas of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, California, Oregon and Washington are equally diverse. These areas collectively called the Fruitful Rim are responsible for the second-highest production value with 20 percent of the nation’s high-value crops and 37 percent of dairy production.
One region, the Mississippi Portal from eastern Arkansas and Western Kentucky to the Gulf of Mexico had an increase in diversity over the period. Aguilar says they are not sure why that has happened.
Aguilar says the study is “just the tip of the iceberg” and hopes other researchers will follow-up with what is happening in their region.
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com