Integrated Approaches for Erosion Prediction and Control in Sustainable Farming Systems.

Global reduction in agricultural productivity due to soil erosion and degradation, depletion of irrigation water supplies, and competing land uses is limiting our capacity to meet increasing world-wide demand for food and fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated water (sheet and rill) erosion on cropland declined from 1.68 billion tons per year (4 tons/acre/year) in 1982 to 960 million tons per year (2.7 tons/acre/year) in 2007 in the United States.  Despite this decline in erosion rates, water erosion remains one of the most important natural resource concerns.   According to NRI, roughly 99 million acres (28% of all cropland) in the U.S. are eroding above soil loss tolerance (T) rates.  Sustainable farming systems can be well suited to control soil loss due to water erosion.   Integrated approaches are required to achieve a sustainable farming system of soil, water, air, plant, animal, and human resources.  The key to sustainable management is to consider the entire system (ecosystem, whole farm, and watershed) and to think critically (connect the dots).   Sustainable farm planning must be creative, flexible, and focus on energy flow through an integrated system.  Sustainable system case-studies, field trials, on-farm demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer networks are all important approaches for effective technology exchange. Interdisciplinary teams that include farmers/ranchers and partners are essential in developing effective integrated sustainable farming systems.  The USDA provides interagency resource inventory, research, technical assistance and training on “how-to” evaluate and understand site-specific field conditions, including chemical, biological and physical, needed for sustainable system decision making. This enables us to evaluate and implement best management practices/approaches for erosion control within an integrated farming system. Considering how the farm fits into broader watershed management (e.g. off-site effects and resource opportunities) is also essential to problem-posing and problem-solving resource management success and development of sustainable communities. Improving soil quality is the key to improving soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources. Practical applications, integrated approaches, databases, and tools, as well as potential effects of conservation practices on soil erosion and soil quality from Natural Resources Conservation Service will be provided.