Agriculture and Prairies

Justin Borevitz

PrairieEcosystems

4/24/07

Altered Ecosystems

• Less complex– Reduced habitat variation– Lower biodiversity

• Many species decline, some succeed– Cultural Practices influence ecosystem

• No till, (less erosion, winter nesting• Round up ready, improved soil, loss of millet• Mechanical harvest, extra seed for birds

– Effects migration pattern

• Farm IS an ecosystem– but kinda boring in comparison– Some more boring than others….

Crops as weeds

• What is weediness?– Disturbed environments– Little competition, eg poor competitors– Annual– Many seeds– Fast growing, or flexible/plastic flowering time– Early successionals

• Complexity builds over time– New evolution, new migration (from where?)

Why pathogen/pest epidemics?

• Monocultures select for them..– How? Strong selection– They want what we want, sweet!– Clean evolutionary landscape– Reduced buffering, by biodiversity and habitat

variation

Farm the EcoSystem

• Crop rotation

• Crop diversity

• Management diversity!– No till, plow, rip, disk, spade, fork, pack– Compost, of all kinds– Chemicals, amendments– Beneficial's, sprays (non persistant) spot– Never too much of one thing

Scale

• Patchwork of settler fields in a sea of prairie• Many diverse crops in each farm

• !! Industrial advances !! – Industrial gains and losses

• Patchwork of remnant Prairies• Sea of corn and soybeans

• Bee’s• Where are they?• Social insects..• 1/3 of hives in the US dead, didn’t come

home.. $2-4B loss in almond farms• 70 crops rely heavily on honeybees

trucked in for pollinization.• Honeybees pollinate every third bite of

food ingested by Americans

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0404/p13s01-sten.html

colony collapse disorder

• berries and nuts, as well as the alfalfa and clover

• $14 billion a year • unnatural toxins • cell phones • nicotine-based pesticide

– used to protect bees from a tiny mite that had been infesting many hives has gone on to kill the bees

http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/59936.html

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 1985

• New Deal, farmers paid not to grow

• Butts “Fence Row to Fence Row”– Paid a fixed, now only volume mattered

• CRP paid to leave unproductive land aside– Where subsidy > yield *fixed price

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

• Established 1996 Farm Bill• Voluntary program addressing soil, water & other

natural resource concerns on agricultural lands.• Administered by NRCS, funding through CCC,

facilitated by FSA• Technical & financial assistance for…

– regulatory compliance, – environmental enhancement, – conservation planning.

• 5X over subscribed.

EQIP Priority Areas

• Local CD identifies & proposes, State Conservationist prioritizes

65% of funds spent in priority areas• Watersheds, regions or areas of special

environmental sensitivity or…• Areas of special soil, water, or related natural

resource concerns– Soil erosion --Water quality/quantity– Wildlife habitat --Wetlands– Forest lands--Grazing lands.

2002 EQIP Funding

• $9 billion total budget• GA 2002 - $4,002,717• Ramp to $1.3 billion/yr by 2007 (6X) 60% to livestock operations 40% to crop producers.• 1-10 yr contracts.• $450,000 payment cap, 2002-07. 90% Cost share for limited resource or

beginning farmer/rancher

2002 EQIP: Other Changes

• Incentives expanded to annual & perennial crops and CNMPs

• Incentive payments emphasize residue, nutrient, pest, invasive species and air quality mgmt.

• Applied research support.• Ranking based upon national conservation

priorities.• CAFOs are eligible for all parts of program.

2002 EQIP: Water Conservation Program

• Cost share assistance and incentive payments to conserve ground and surface water

• Emphasis on irrigation efficiency & dryland alternatives.

• $600 million total

• $50 million for Klamath Basin

EQIP Resources

• USDA Farm Bill site: http://www.usda.gov/farmbill/

• NRCS EQIP site: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/

• Farm Foundation Publications and National Producers’ Survey site: http://www.farmfoundation.org/2002_farm_bill.htm

• Environmental Working Group Database: http://www.ewg.org/

Other Conservation Programs

• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)– Cap increased from 1.075 to 2.275 million acres– $1.5 billion total.– http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/

pdf/WRPFct.pdf

• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)– Cost share payments to provide wildlife habitat– 1.6 million acres in program– Budget 10X to $700 million– http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/

pdf/WHIPFct.pdf

WRP Acres

The Conservation Reserve Program

The Legislative History of CRP

• Established by the Food Security Act of 1985.• Re-authorized by the Food, Agriculture,

Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.• Re-authorized by the Federal Agriculture

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.• Re-authorized by the Farm Security and Rural

Investment Act of 2002.

Location of CRP Enrollment, October 2000

CRP Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002

• USDA resources are going to be directed at expanded and new conservation programs: CRP will receive divided attention. Third-party providers of technical assistance will be used in the implementation of CRP Contracts.

Pilot Program for Wetland and Buffer Acreage in CRP (continued)

• The owner or operator shall:– Restore the hydrology to the maximum extent practicable– Establish vegetative cover (which may included emerging

vegetation in water) [Sec. 1231 (h)(3A and 3B)]

• The Secretary may enroll in the conservation reserve under this section not more than a total of 1,000,000 acres nationally or move the 100,000 acres in any one state.

[Sec. 1231 (h)(2C)]

• Enrollment will be available through continuous signups.[Sec. 1231 (h)(4B)]

Funding Level and Duration of the Grassland Reserve Program

• A total of $254,000,000 has been provided for the program.

• The program is funded at this level for the 5-year period of fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2007.

[Sec. 1241 (a) (5)]

Maximum Enrollment

• The total number of acres enrolled shall not exceed 2,000,000 acres of restored or improved grassland, rangeland, and pastureland.

• Minimum size = 40 acres

[Sec. 1238 N (b) (1)]

History

• 1930’s Dust Bowl

History

• Soil Conservation Nurseries --1934– Bureau of Plant Industry

Federal Emergency Relief Act

Universities/Agricultural Experiment Stations

• Multi-Partner Effort– Land Owners, Universities, Government

Agencies

Propagate/evaluate introduced and native plants to reduce soil erosion

Develop/determine plant production techniques--Harvesting Equipment

Plant Materials ProgramNow

• Plant Science Technology– Improve air & water quality– Native plants for conservation work– Controlling noxious & invasive plants

• Plant Releases for commercial production

– Ag Experiment Stations – Seed Certification Agencies

Plant Materials Program

• 27 Centers Nationwide

Plant Materials Program

• 500 + releases– 400 commercially available

• Grazing

• Restoration

• Native alternatives

• Erosion control

• Culturally important plants

1800-Kansas is a sea of native and prairie grasses.

1850-Settlers start moving into Kansas and the Great Plains

and begin plowing the land.

1899-Congress authorizes soil survey program to map tobacco lands and establishes National Cooperation Soil Survey.

1900-Farmers continue to farm the land without regard to soil conservation. Productive top soil is being lost.

1904-First soil survey completed in Allen County.

1920’s-Soil erosion increases. Some farsighted farmers in eastern Kansas build terraces in an attempt to check erosion.

Hugh Hammond Bennett, later named father of the soil conservation movement, is lecturing on the dangers of soil erosion.

1930-A severe and sustained drought period starts followed by huge dust storms and the depression.

1933, April 5-Civilian Conservation Corps established.

September 19-The Soil Erosion Service begins operation in the U.S. Department of Interior with Hugh Hammond Bennett as director and first employee.

NRCS Mission:

To provide leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, improve and sustain our natural resources

and environment

NRCS Vision:NRCS Vision:

A productive Nation in Harmony with a Quality Environment

Overview

Program Objectives:– Conserve our nation’s natural resources: soil, water, air, plants, and animals on

private lands.– Grass-roots Conservation…locally led initiatives

• Tailor conservation program to meet local

needs and priorities.» County level» Watershed level» Statewide level

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program for farmers and rancherswho face serious threats to soil, water and related natural resources.

How the Program WORKS! • Conservation Tools (technical, financial, & educational)

• Local Conservation Leadership• Conservation Plans• Contracts• Technical and Financial Assistance to

Apply Practices.• Conservation of our Natural Resources!

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program for farmers and rancherswho face serious threats to soil, water and related natural resources.

Program Objectives:

• Enhance Wildlife Habitat

• Address Local Wildlife Habitat Needs

• Provide Technical and Financial Assistance

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private lands.

New Conservation Programs•Conservation Security Program

•Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program

•Grasslands Reserve Program

Title II Title II

ConservationConservation

•Through FY06 to assist agricultural operators in adoption of conservation practices on working lands.

•Conservation Security plans and contracts to provide land and payment amounts. Payment level is based on level of treatment.

•Three Tiers (Maximum payments)

•Tier I - $20,000

• Tier II - $35,000

•Tier III - $50,000

Conservation Lands

• Big Open and Terry Badlands

• Little Missouri Grasslands..

Midterm