Optimizing Iowa land use: Past perspectives for current questions

Abstract

Multiple tools exist today to guide sustainable land use, including soil maps, market analysis, and producer input, but we often forget they were also available in the past. During the 1930s hundreds of Iowa farmers met to discuss how to maintain productivity and reduce soil erosion. This review, based on three Iowa State University library sources that compiled county agricultural planning committee activities, provides useful perspectives for current agricultural land use questions. Ninety-seven percent of the committees concluded that less than half of the farmers in their respective areas were using land-improving practices, although 41% thought soil conservation and erosion control could be adequately addressed through individual actions. Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) were planted on 600,000 ha more than they recommended, while grasslands were grown on 900,000 fewer ha. The agricultural committees recommended rotations that most commonly included four crops but ranged from one (monoculture) to eight. Their discussions included recommendations for which crops were best for various soil series and/or landscape positions. There were no identifiable differences in crop rotation length across landscape position, with the most common rotation (45%) being two years of corn, followed by oat (Avena sativa L.), and then one or more years of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Crop production practices have changed since the 1930s. However, reexamining these discussions echoes contemporary soil and water conservation conversations and aligns with farmer response data regarding improving soil productivity, reducing nutrient losses, and maintaining economic vitality.