Open AccessThe Hidden Costs of Land Degradation in US Maize Agriculture
Author(s) -
Jang W. S.,
Neff J. C.,
Im Y.,
Doro L.,
Herrick J. E.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
earth's future
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.641
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2328-4277
DOI - 10.1029/2020ef001641
Subject(s) - agriculture , environmental science , fertilizer , irrigation , soil loss , land degradation , soil fertility , soil retrogression and degradation , erosion , soil water , agroforestry , intensive farming , agricultural engineering , agricultural economics , agronomy , geography , economics , engineering , soil science , paleontology , archaeology , biology
Abstract The United States is a world leader in the production of maize and other crops and the agricultural success of the country is directly linked to the intensive use of fertilizers and irrigation. However, even in advanced agricultural systems, soils can become degraded over time due to factors such as soil organic matter (SOM) loss and erosion. Here, we use a series of scenario‐based model analyses to show that about one‐third of current annual US. N fertilizer use in maize agriculture is used to compensate for the long‐term loss of soil fertility through erosion and organic matter loss. This leads to over a half billion dollars per year in extra fertilizer supply costs to US farmers. These results highlight the potential to reduce both the input costs and environmental impacts of agriculture through the restoration of SOM in agricultural soils.