RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Do acreage diversion programs encourage farming erodible land? A Palouse case study
JF Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
FD Soil and Water Conservation Society
SP 138
OP 143
VO 39
IS 2
A1 Hoag, Dana
A1 Taylor, Daniel
A1 Young, Douglas
YR 1984
UL http://www.jswconline.org/content/39/2/138.abstract
AB Steep class IVe land has the most soil erosion and lowest crop yields in the Washington-Idaho Palouse, but returns generally exceed variable production costs on this land. Incentives to continue farming erodible land historically have been strengthened by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acreage diversion programs. A new USDA conservation program, the acreage conservation reserve, will makedly weaken incentives to continue farming erodible land in the Palouse. Moreover, the new program will reverse the previous negative impact of acreage reduction programs on erodible land retirement incentives. Nonetheless, under the new program, erodible land in the Palouse will still provide farmers a profit advantage. This suggests the need for a supplementary annual rental payment for retiring land.