In Holmes and Wayne Counties, Ohio, respectively, one-half and one-fourth of the farms belong to the Amish, an agrarian culture whose traditional agriculture has been remarkably successful. In an analysis of the 88 Ohio counties by means of the federal agricultural census, the economic performance of the two counties was examined in graphs of agricultural characteristics and financial indicators, some expressed on a per-ha basis across total farmland, as a measure of the efficiency of land utilization. Their performance was assessed relative to the following three groups of Ohio counties with high per-ha net farm income: those with large mean farm size, a prevalence of nursery and greenhouse production, or mixed crop and livestock agriculture. Belonging to the latter group, Holmes County ranked tenth and thirteenth highest among Ohio counties in per-ha gross and net farm income, respectively, and Wayne County, fifth and sixth. Despite the small mean farm size of 50 and 62 ha for Holmes and Wayne Counties, respectively, they matched counties of large mean farm size in terms of perha net farm income, and among 22 counties with small mean farm size of about 60 ha or less, they were exceeded only by 3 counties based on intensive nursery and greenhouse production. The large incomes were due to high marketed value of animal products. Supplemental feed consumption was 2.0 and 1.3 times the harvested crop production in Holmes and Wayne Counties, respectively, thus indicating large net imports of purchased feed. The large net incomes for the two counties were also a result of low labor costs, partly due to the fact that the Amish do not charge for helping each other on farms. When a conventional charge was applied to Amish labor, Wayne County remained among the highest of Ohio counties in per-ha net farm income, but Holmes County dropped to near the 50th percentile. Nonetheless, for the same decline, Holmes County remained among the highest of the 22 counties of small mean farm size because its initial performance was well above most of these counties. Since this was a study of land use efficiency, some discussion is devoted to farm size and productivity, relative levels of animal production, and cropland requirements to power horses and biofueled mechanical traction, the former an integral component of Amish agriculture. In the latter topic, corn-based ethanol and horse feed would require roughly the same area of cropland for traction to farm the nation's cropland, but on a net energy basis, the former area would be more than twice the latter. Since animal production is a major component of Amish agriculture, the results of the study provide indirect evidence that the small-scale, traditional farming of the Amish contributes substantially to the agricultural economies of Holmes and Wayne Counties.

At the Iowa State University Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm in southwestern Iowa, a Swedish feeder pig production system was studied and demonstrated for 2-1/2 years. The system is based mainly on straw bedding, simple buildings, and intensive management. The system was designed to minimize pig stress and use of subtherapeutic antibiotics in the feed. Gestating and breeding sows were group-housed in a hooped structure with individual feeding stalls. Large round bales of cornstalks were used for bedding. Farrowing, lactation, and nursery phases were housed in a remodeled hog house. Cubicles with rollers and oat straw bedding were used for farrowing. Two groups of Yorkshire × Landrace sows bred to Hampshire boars produced feeder pigs in the system. Conception rates averaged 95%, and litter size averaged 11.3 live pigs/litter. Sows were allowed to select their own bedded farrowing cubicle. Prewean pig mortality, mostly from crushing, was high (29%), occurring primarily in the first 3 days. At 2 weeks of age the cubicles were removed and group lactation occurred. After group lactation the average pig weaning weight was 10.4 kg at 33.9 days of age. At weaning the sows were removed, and the pigs remained in the bedded farrowing/lactation room for 24 additional days. The pigs weighed 24.8 kg at 60 days of age, and overall nursery phase average daily weight gain was 549 g/day. Overall pig health was excellent with no major clinical diseases confirmed. The demonstration exceeded reproductive performance measures of typical small- and mid-sized Iowa farms.

A case study of the nopal-vegetable agroecosystem in metropolitan Mexico City was conducted to evaluate the crop's economic productivity and sustainability using economic, social, and environmental indicators. Economic indicators were based on a gross margin analysis, commercialization strategies, and provision of employment. Social indicators were education level, family size, origin of laborers, plot size providing a measure of equity, and social self-organization. Environmental indicators were soil nutrient content and fertilizer application, technological management, and crop and natural biodiversity. Information on relevant social, technological, and economic elements was obtained through structured interviews with 100 producers of the city's nopalproducing zone of Milpa Alta in the hills southeast of Mexico City. Analysis of soil samples from cropped fields at three different depths was conducted, along with a study of nopal-associated weed species used by the community. Net income per ha was equivalent to 4 minimum wages. Estimated scores of 89, 74, and 64 (on a scale of 0 to 100) were obtained for social, economic, and environmental sustainability indicators, respectfully, for this unique cropping system. Discussion focuses on trade-offs between indicators, the cost of achieving sustainability in the metropolitan zone of Mexico City, and appropriate policy responses.

Perennial wheat offers a new solution to the long-standing problems of soil erosion and degradation associated with conventional annual small-grain cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest region. Using classical breeding methods, new types of wheat have been developed that maintain the key characteristics of annual wheat, but continue to grow after harvest. Following dormancy in the winter, growth is initiated from the roots or crowns in the spring, allowing a crop to be harvested every fall. By retaining constant soil cover over multiple years, wind and water erosion would be dramatically reduced. In addition, the costs associated with annual seeding and tillage would be minimized, and unlike many reduced tillage systems, it is expected that standard seeding equipment would be suitable for stand establishment. Other potential benefits of perennial wheat include improved wildlife habitat, more efficient use of available water, provision of a potent carbon sink, and the possibility of integrating straw retrieval into a small grains cropping system. Past attempts in the first half of the last century failed to develop perennial wheat as a viable crop, primarily because of low yields, and the research was ultimately abandoned. Perennial wheat production may now be viewed as acceptable for highly erodible land or for obtaining carbon sequestration credits. This paper presents an overview of solutions to the obstacles encountered by previous researchers, introduces some of the newly developed perennial wheat lines, and discusses considerations for management practices.

“Precision agriculture” was a favorite buzzword in agricultural discussions in the 1990s. Proponents of precision agriculture note its promises are twofold: economic benefits for the producer and environmental benefits for society. These benefits are to be achieved by improving the efficiency of input use, based on data obtained with global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies. Although fulfillment of these promises has been mixed to date, it appears that “precision agriculture” will continue in the agriculture vernacular into the 21st century. In this article, we propose another sense of the term, and argue that precision agriculture, or at least long strides in that direction, is possible short of these highly complex methods and capital investments, through integrated crop management (ICM). As practiced by the producer and/or provided by independent crop consultants, ICM is one alternative to providing information-intensive management on the farm, and has proven efficiency of input use. That is, the promise of economic and environmental benefits holds true in a manner that makes it possible for any producer to implement “precision agriculture.” Using data from users and nonusers of independent crop consultants implementing ICM, this study reveals that several economic and environmental benefits are gained from the information and management recommendations provided by consultants. Pest and nutrient management recommendations have led to decreases in pesticide and commercial fertilizer use. For the majority of users, these input reductions have resulted in an increase in profits since hiring a consultant. Users attributed changes in total cost of production to their consultant's effectiveness, and some reported receiving double or greater return for every dollar invested in consultant services. The results confirm the important role that Iowa's independent crop consultants could play in agricultural production and environmental protection through their promotion of ICM activities. However, the scarcity of consultants in Iowa, and possibly elsewhere, presents a challenge within the industry. Addressing this issue may help in contributing to rural development, economic benefit for the producer, and environmental benefit for all of society.

The bison industry is relatively new to North Dakota where in 1998 an estimated 23,000 bison were raised in 47 of its 53 counties. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic contribution of the bison industry to the state's economy in 1998. The bison industry, as defined here, is the production and processing of bison and the related revenues and expenditures generated from those activities that occurred within the state. With the construction and operation of a bison processing plant in North Dakota, this industry has undergone rapid expansion within the past 10 years. A survey of North Dakota bison producers and processors was conducted to provide estimates of direct impacts of the bison industry within the state. Secondary economic impacts were determined using the North Dakota Input-Output Model. The direct impact of production and processing of bison was estimated at $23 million. This generated an additional $47 million in secondary impacts within the state. The North Dakota bison industry supported a total of 757 secondary full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Total economic activity generated within the state was estimated at $70 million, including $27 million in personal income and nearly $18 million in retail sales. In addition, the bison industry generated $4 million in tax revenues, including property, personal income, sales and use, and corporate income taxes. The direct impact of bison production in 1998 ranked fourth in North Dakota's livestock industry: below cattle and calves, dairy products, and swine, but above turkeys and sheep. If the bison industry maintains its present growth rate, it will be larger than the North Dakota swine industry within 3 years, and sooner if the swine industry continues to decline as it has since 1995. The average direct impact generated for each bison in the state was $1,000. Total economic activity generated per bison was $3,100 (includes direct and secondary impacts from production and processing). For every 30 bison an additional secondary FTE job was supported.

Demand-driven agricultural production is unsustainable in Nepal since it is destroying the land base through soil erosion. The forests are also degrading from excessive fodder lopping (excising branches with leaf material) to feed farm animals. This study suggests an alternative for agricultural production, which minimizes environmental problems without impairing the present economic interests of the farmers. The study was conducted in the low-income, food-deficient, environmentally fragile hill district of Dhading in Nepal. A lexicographic goal-programming model was employed to generate an alternative plan that minimizes the environmental impacts relating to soil erosion, cattle grazing, forest fodder lopping, and use of inorganic fertilizers, and pesticides. Food-grain production, milk production, and returns to fixed farm resources are maintained at least at existing levels in the alternative plan. For delineating relationships between farm production and environmental problems, production of these commodities is hypothetically targeted at successively higher levels. The results indicate that the levels of environmental problems, except those from use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers, are considerably reduced in the alternative farm production system. The alternative crop plan proposes the total exclusion of corn and oilseed crops and a marked decrease in the area under main season paddy rice. Instead, the areas under early paddy, upland paddy, wheat, pulses, and fodder crops would increase. The livestock plan suggests a decrease in the number of bullocks required, due to modification of the crop plan and sharing of bullocks among neighboring farmers. Replacement of cows by buffaloes for milk production is also proposed. Increasing food-grain production is more damaging to the fragile hill ecosystem than an equivalent increase in milk production.

This research explores the soil testing practices and interests of organic farmers in New England. Data were collected through telephone surveys conducted between December 1998 and January 1999 with 81 certified organic farmers. Organic farmers' commitment to the maintenance of healthy soils necessitates the use of soil evaluation tools. However, it is becoming increasingly understood that a complete picture of soil quality cannot be created solely through the use of laboratory soil tests. For example, many of the soil's critical physical characteristics are more suited to in-field assessment than to laboratory analysis. For this reason, utilization of both laboratory and on-farm tests was investigated. The use of evaluation tools can be influenced by the degree to which laboratory and farming services help organic farmers put test results into practice. Thus, additional questioning focused on the ease of understanding test results, the usefulness of soil test results and recommendations to organic farmers, and the likelihood of turning to expert help when soil management issues arise. Results indicate that in managing their soils, organic farmers in New England rely heavily on laboratory tests provided by public institutions. Most farmers were satisfied with laboratory services and found test results easy to interpret. Over one-quarter (31%) of the farmers surveyed were employing on-farm tests, but very few of these tests assessed physical or biological characteristics of the soil. Organizations most often sought by organic farmers for information on soil quality management were Extension services, followed by local organic certifying agencies, and state agriculture departments.

We conducted a field study at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, in a high-P soil to examine the interaction of farming system and tillage on the potential functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Plots under conventional and low-input systems were either chisel-disked or no-tilled. Winter wheat was planted following the harvest of soybean, and shoots and roots were collected at tillering, jointing, heading, and ripening. Spores of AM fungi were isolated from soil collected at the beginning and end of the growing season. Spore populations and colonization of winter wheat roots by AM fungi were higher under low-input than conventional agriculture. Mycorrhizal fungus colonization occurred at low levels in the tillering stage and increased with plant development. Colonization during the jointing stage was higher in the low-input, no-tilled than in low-input, chisel-disked plots. Spore populations of the Glomus occultum-type group were more numerous in no-tilled than in tilled soil. The nutrient-use efficiency (g of plant biomass per g of plant N or P) of winter wheat depended on plant developmental stage, with a tendency for higher efficiency of the low-input plants at early growth stages, and of conventionally managed plants at more mature stages. Overall, plants grown in chisel-disked plots had higher N and P utilization efficiencies than plants grown in no-tilled plots. Final yield of grain was significantly greater in conventional than low-input plots, especially for no-till, despite the larger population of AM fungi.

The potential to improve N fixation by cowpea in Ghanaian soils was examined through: (1) assessment of the natural nodulation of 45 cowpea cultivars in 20 soils sampled from 5 ecological zones; (2) determination of the numbers of cowpea bradyrhizobial isolates in the soils; and (3) determination of the response of cowpea to N fertilization. The ability of 45 cowpea cultivars to nodulate naturally in the various soils showed wide cultural adaptability. Counts of indigenous bradyrhizobia showed that most soils in Ghana contained large populations capable of nodulating cowpea. These ranged from 0.6 × 10 bradyrhizobia cells g soil−1 to 3.1 × 104 cells g soil−1, with 60% of the soils containing more than 103 cells g soil−1. Response of cowpea to N fertilization differed according to soil type. In general all cowpea cultivars showed significant response to increasing N fertilizer applications, indicating that N fixation was not providing the plants with sufficient N for maximum growth and yield. This study suggests that inoculation of cowpea with effective indigenous strains of bradyrhizobial species has considerable potential to improve this situation.

Resource-poor farmers often have diverse but small quantities of materials available that might be used to manage soil fertility. Opportunity costs of money are very high and farmers often opt to invest their scarce financial resources elsewhere rather than in fertilizer. This paper presents an approach to adaptive research and technology dissemination that was applied in Uganda and is applicable for improvement of integrated nutrient management (INM) in resource-poor farming systems. While little information may be available from research conducted in a particular agroecological zone (AEZ), information on INM components from diverse sources may be applicable for major crops in that AEZ. This information must be compiled and subjected to agronomic and economic analysis. A conceptual framework, e.g., in the form of a tentative decision guide, is then constructed, with consideration of interactions among nutrient sources, given the farmers' situations. Researchers estimate the most likely rates of application and substitution ratios, and then judge their confidence in the estimates. Priority actions are then identified for research and extension. When confident of their estimates, researchers formulate recommendations for promotion through extension means. If confidence is lacking, on-farm verification trials or other research may be needed. The approach is illustrated by work done for one AEZ in Uganda for maize and dry bean production, but is intended for application to other resource-poor farming systems in eastern Africa.

Construction of small water-harvesting structures (WHS) across seasonal streams, in the vicinity of cultivated areas, has proved to be a viable technique of water harvesting in the Shiwalik foothills of northern India. This paper reports on the performance and impact of one such structure in this area. Sufficient rainwater was available for harvesting because 86 ± 5.4% of monsoon rainstorms were runoff producing, resulting in collection of 29 ± 5% of the total monsoon rainfall. Out of this harvested water around 62% was available for irrigation at the start of the Rabi season (i.e., the dry season starting around 1 November). With time the water losses from the WHS declined from 66% in the first year of construction (1985) to 18% in 1996, because of sealing of soil pores from siltation of the reservoir bed. The life of the WHS was estimated to be 65 years at the observed average siltation rate of 47 Mg/ha/year. After construction of the WHS, the area under cultivation increased from 17 ha to 20 ha and the cropping intensity by 170 to 200%. The Rabi crop yields were approximately doubled. Assured availability of water and fodder increased milk production by 103%. Additional annual income of Rs. 7,015 per year was generated through fish culture. A rise in the groundwater level and higher growth of vegetation around the WHS were also observed. On the basis of increased crop production alone, the WHS proved to be an economically viable venture resulting in a benefit:cost ratio of greater than one. Socioeconomic considerations in the management of the WHS were also studied and showed that community involvement was essential to the success of this project.

Cereal rye is an effective winter cover crop because it accumulates residual soil N and reduces nitrate leaching. Wheat, barley, and triticale are alternative winter small grain species that may be managed as winter cover crops and yet produce marketable commodities. The objectives of this research were to evaluate N recovery capacity and grain yields of wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye grown as winter cover crops. Field plots established in 1996 and 1997 at two different locations on Maryland's mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain were amended with annual spring applications of four rates of broiler litter in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each manure rate plot was divided into four subplots by planting four winter small grain cover crops: wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye. Rye cover crop treatments were killed with herbicide when the plants were 30 to 50 cm tall, while the wheat, barley, and triticale treatments continued to grow until grain maturity. Barley, rye, triticale, and wheat cover crops exhibited similar capacities to accumulate soil N, and therefore, reduce the potential for NO3—N leaching to groundwater. At the time of rye kill-down, aerial biomass N accumulation ranged from 11 to 112 kg N ha−1 and soil NO3—N levels were low (<1.5 mg NO3—N kg−1) and relatively uniform across treatments. Average barley, triticale, and wheat grain yields increased with previous broiler litter application rate and initial soil NO3—N concentration. Potential income derived from the grain and straw produced could partially or completely offset cover crop production costs.

United States farm policy has a long tradition of subsidizing farmers in order to achieve national goals. The issue of agricultural subsidies poses a particular challenge in terms of relevant policy design. This paper explores the potential for economic indicators to guide policies that encourage sustainable agriculture through alternative-oriented approaches. We begin by reviewing several indicators of sustainable agriculture that have been proposed previously. We then suggest a set of three economic indicators: energy and machinery use, creation of local jobs, and feed balance, and apply them to two groups of farmers: conventional farmers and those with an explicit orientation towards sustainable agriculture. Though our survey groups cannot be compared statistically, it appears that these three indicators are capable of distinguishing between the two farmer groups. We conclude with some suggestions for further research and application.