Excerpt
AN old conservation practice has the potential to be a valuable tool in our arsenal of erosion control technology—using narrow strips of stiff, erect grass to trap sediment, build bioterraces, diffuse concentrated flows of runoff water, and protect downwind soils and crops from wind erosion. This erosion control practice is not new to the United States, but it seldom has been used in recent years. It has been far more extensively applied in the tropical countries.
Reflections of international aid
The United States spends millions of dollars annually attempting to transfer technology to developing countries to help them do a better job of conserving their soil and water resources. Experience has shown that decision-makers are more likely to adopt a practice when they have participated in the development of at least part of the underlying theory. One of the major impediments to acceptance of new ideas is the resistance of individuals who have invested in the status quo.
Having recognized this impediment …
Footnotes
Doral Kemper is a soil physicist with the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Building 5, BARCW, Beltsville, Mayland 20705; Seth Dabney is an agronomist at the National Sedimentation Lab, ARS, USDA, Oxford, Mississippi 38655; Larry Kramer is an agricultural engineer with ARS, USDA, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503; Darrel Dominick is a plant materials specialist with the Soil Conservation Service, USDA, Columbia, Missouri 65203; and Tom Keep is an engineer at the Midwest Technical Center, SCS, USDA. Lincoln. Nebraska 68508.
- Copyright 1992 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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