Resource-conserving crop rotations and the 1990 farm bill

Excerpt

PROVISIONS of the Food, Agricultural, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA), including flex acreage requirements, the integrated farm management program (IFM), and the revised 0/92 commodity program, allow farm managers greater planting flexibility.

These programs also have the potential to reduce the negative impacts of farming practices on the environment. They can increase the potential to capture the agronomic and environmental benefits of planting a resource-conserving crop as a cover crop or green manure. A resource-conserving crop rotation can reduce erosion, maintain or improve soil fertility and tilth, interrupt pest cycles, and conserve water. Rotating legumes with nonlegumes offers the advantages of growing the legumes with little or no additional nitrogen fertilizer and gaining a nitrogen credit for the subsequent nonlegumenous crop.

Close examination of these programs indicates that while they provide for flexibility they may not provide incentives to encourage the adoption of resourceconserving crop rotations. The flex acreage option provides the most incentive for using a legume in a rotation. A minor change in the rules of the IFM program and the 0/92 option would greatly enhance the …