Table Of ContentC
ONSERVATION
F
ARMING IN THE
U S :
NITED TATES
T M
HE ETHODS AND
A
CCOMPLISHMENTS OF
STEEP P
THE ROGRAM
Editors
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© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
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Preface
This book grew out of the work of the STEEP Program which was begun in 1975
with the first federal funding becoming available in 1976. The Acronym STEEP
stands for “Solutions to Economic and Environmental Problems in the Pacific North-
west.” This program was organized to develop cooperation between the three Land
Grant Universities and the U.S.D.A., Agricultural Research Service research stations
in the Pacific Northwest, to establish a new approach to addressing the erosion and
water quality problems in the region. Each year erosion losses in the region amount
to millions of tons of top soil eroded from its croplands. In some cases, when farmers
have used conventional farming practices (heavy tillage) as much as 12 bushels of
top soil are eroded annually for each bushel of wheat produced. Average erosion
rates in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest have ranged from 10 to in excess
of 30 tons per acre (approximately 1/8 inch of topsoil) using conventional practices.
Approximately 1/3 of this eroded soil is washed into streams and other water bodies
in the region.
Soil erosion impacts 10 million acres of cropland in the Columbia Plateau,
Palouse and Nez Perce prairies, Columbia Basin, and Snake River Plain in Idaho,
Oregon, and Washington states. The annual soil erosion in the Columbia River
drainage basin at the time the STEEP program was implemented was estimated at
110 million tons. Approximately 30 million tons were estimated to be deposited in
Pacific Northwest streams, rivers, lake, reservoirs, and harbors. The resulting build
up of silt in reservoirs is projected to shorten the useful life of hydroelectric facilities
and irrigation facilities, and had deteriorated the water quality of these bodies. In
addition, the cost of removing silt from highway and roadside ditches cost taxpayers
millions of dollars annually. In addition to all of these problems, the other conse-
quences of erosion has been that large acreage’s of cropland have been denuded of
topsoil and their productivity has been seriously reduced.
The causes of causes of soil erosion in the Pacific Northwest have resulted from
a combination of factors which include 1) a climate that has a winter precipitation
regime, relatively mild winter temperatures, and in some cases a large amount of
rain on frozen soil that results in frozen soil runoff; 2) steep and irregular topography
of the region; and 3) crop management systems that leave the soil bare going into
the winter rainy season. This is especially a problem with fall seeded winter wheat
which the major crop in the region.
Since the beginning of the STEEP program, a variety of research and extension
programs have been developed which involve cooperation between the three land
grant universities and the USDA, along with input from SCS (NRCS), agricultural
industry, and farmers in the Pacific Northwest. The funding for this program has
come mainly from USDA, CSRS (Cooperative State Research Service of the United
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
States Department of Agriculture), with some funding coming from the agricultural
industry, and commodity commissions in the Pacific Northwest.
One of the major issues which STEEP has addressed is the need to develop long
term research which can maintain continuity of effort for a period of time long
enough to assure that the results obtained have significant impacts, and that permit
the interaction of several disciplines to solve erosion problems. All research projects
submitted to be a part of the STEEP program are subject to both per reviews and
STEEP reviews. This is done to ensure that only projects of high quality and priority
are funded. The effect of this process has been to that researchers have been able
to concentrate on addressing erosion problems on a continuous basis with a consis-
tent research output resulting.
The combined research and extension programs of STEEP have developed
conservation systems that when implemented do reduce soil erosion significantly.
Many of these programs have been adopted by SCS (NRCS) in the implementation
of farm conservation plans since the introduction of the Conservation Compliance
program in the 1985 farm bill. The number of scientists working on STEEP research
tends to vary from year to year depending on the priority needs of the project. The
estimates of researchers has varied from about 30 to 70 over the years. The output
of the project has been large in terms of the number of publications produced, farmer
meetings held, and the annual reviews which are attended by researchers, extension
personnel, agri-industry representatives, and farmers.
Under the combined research and extension programs related to STEEP it has
been possible to develop conservation systems that are reducing the amount of
erosion significantly on Pacific Northwest Farms. Many of the conservation strate-
gies developed have been incorporated into the SCS (NRCS) planning process for
conservation compliance which is directed toward reducing erosion in the region to
“T” levels. The achievement of “T” levels would reduce erosion to between 3 and
5 tons per acre in the region, compared with the current levels which range between
8 and 30 tons per acre. The research team put together by STEEP has repeated
demonstrated it ability to work together to solve erosion problems. The research
being addressed deals with implementing no-till farming for small grains and
legumes, evaluating new crops and varieties adaptable for conservation tillage, and
determining farmers social attitudes concerning the severity of the erosion problems
on their farms and in the region. In addition, the development of new conservation
systems has involved scientists from 10 disciplines who interact in order to develop
consistent research results. STEEP has worked to develop and utilize new and
improved systems of conservation management tools in which tillage, crops, plant
protection, are all integrated into complete management systems that minimize
erosion without adversely affecting production for the farmers.
Finally, the efforts of farmers, extension personnel, SCS (NRCS) conservation-
ists, researchers, and administrators who have worked diligently over the years
supporting the STEEP program thanks are due. The STEEP program would never
have succeeded without the input of these people. More importantly, the gains
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
achieved by STEEP would never have been made. This book is dedicated to these
people and the successes they both individually and cooperatively have achieved
over the years of the STEEP program.
Edgar L. Michalson
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Robert I. Papendick
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
John E. Carlson
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
Editors
Edgar L. Michalson was professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of
Idaho for 27 years until his retirement in 1995. He taught courses in Farm Manage-
ment, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Policy, Land Resource Economics,
Farm Appraisal, the Economics of Natural Resources, and Research Methodology.
His research program included projects on the economics of controlling soil erosion,
production economics, natural resource economics, environmental economics, and
water resource economics. An important part of his research was devoted to the
STEEP program as project leader for the University of Idaho. In this role, he helped
faculty develop and coordinate research programs on campus, and worked with the
administration in allocating funds to research projects. For 15 years he was co-
chairman of the regional STEEP Coordinating Committee with Robert I. Papendick.
In this role, he helped coordinate research projects for the regional efforts of STEEP.
The major emphasis in this role was to approve new projects and to avoid duplication
of effort in researching the causes and factors related to controlling soil erosion.
Robert I. Papendick is formerly Soil Scientist and Research Leader with the USDA
Agricultural Research Service at Pullman, Washington. Since coming to Pullman in
1965 his long-term research interest was on no-till of cereals and grain legumes for
controlling soil erosion, increasing farm productivity and profitability, and improving
soil quality as a way of the future for a more sustainable agriculture. He was one
of the original authors of the STEEP program and served as a co-leader of the tri-
state effort since its inception in 1975 until 1991. He remained active in the program
through research until his retirement from the USDA/ARS in 1995.
John E. Carlson has been employed at the University of Idaho since 1970 and a
Rural Sociologist in the College of Agriculture since 1975. His research interests
have included wild and scenic rivers, rural health care, the adoption of new tech-
nology by farmers, and the social aspects of soil conservation. He established the
Social Science Research Unit in the College of Agriculture at the University of Idaho
in 1990 and has been its director since that time. He and Don Dillman at Washington
State University conducted research on the adoption of soil erosion control practices
as part of the STEEP project for about 20 years since the projects beginning in 1975.
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
Contributors
Alan J. Busacca Lloyd F. Elliott
Soil Scientist Soil Microbiologist (Retired)
Crop and Soil Sciences USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Washington State University Corvallis, Oregon
Pullman, Washington
John Hammel
Professor of Soil Science
Gaylon S. Campbell
University of Idaho
Soil Scientist
Moscow, Idaho
Crop and Soil Sciences
Washington State University
Betty Klepper
Pullman, Washington
Plant Physiologist (Retired)
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
John E. Carlson Pendleton, Oregon
Rural Sociologist
University of Idaho Joseph P. McCaffrey
Moscow, Idaho Professor of Entomology
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Peggy M. Chevalier
Crop Physiologist
Donald K. McCool
Crop and Soil Sciences
Agricultural Engineer
Washington State University
USDA-Agricultural Research Service,
Pullman, Washington
ARS, PWA
Biological Systems Engineering
Hal Collins Washington State University
Soil Scientist Consultant Pullman, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Edgar L. Michalson
Agricultural Economist (Retired)
Don A. Dillman
Department of Agricultural Economics
Rural Sociologist
and Rural Sociology
Washington State University
University of Idaho
Pullman, Washington
Moscow, Idaho
Clyde L. Douglas, Jr. Alex G. Ogg, Jr.
Soil Scientist Plant Physiologist (Retired)
USDA-Agricultural Research Scientist USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Pendleton, Oregon Pullman, Washington
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
Robert I. Papendick Diane E. Stott
Soil Scientist (Retired) Soil Microbiologist
USDA-Agricultural Research Service USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Pullman, Washington National Soil Erosion Research
Laboratory
Charles L. Peterson West Lafayette, Indiana
Professor of Biological and Agricultural
Engineering Donn C. Thill
University of Idaho Weed Scientist
Moscow, Idaho University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Keith S. Pike
Roger J. Veseth
Entomologist
Extension Conservation Tillage
Washington State University
Specialist
Prosser, Washington
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Sharron S. Quisenberry
Entomologist
David J. Walker
University of Nebraska
Professor of Agricultural Economics
Lincoln, Nebraska
University of Idaho
Paul E. Rasmussen Donald J. Wysocki
Soil Scientist Extension Soil Scientist
USDA-Agricultural Research Service Oregon State University
Pendleton, Oregon Pendleton, Oregon
Richard W. Smiley Douglas L. Young
Plant Pathologist Professor of Agricultural Economics
Oregon State University Washington State University
Pendleton, Oregon Pullman, Washington
Frank Young
Research Agronomist
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Pullman, Washington
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
A History of Conservation Research in the Pacific Northwest
Edgar L. Michalson
Chapter 2
STEEP—A Model for Solving Conservation and Environmental Problems
Robert I. Papendick and Edgar L. Michalson
Chapter 3
Measuring and Modeling Soil Erosion and Erosion Damages
Donald K. McCool and Alan J. Busacca
Chapter 4
Residue Management Issues for Conservation Tillage Systems
Lloyd F. Elliott, Diane E. Stott, Clyde L. Douglas, Jr. Robert I. Papendick,
GaylonS.Campbell, and Hal Collins
Chapter 5
Conservation Cropping Systems and Their Management
Clyde L. Douglas, Jr. Peggy M. Chevalier, Betty Klepper, Alex G. Ogg, Jr., and
PaulE.Rasmussen
Chapter 6
Integrated Pest Management for Conservation Systems
Alex G. Ogg, Jr., Richard W. Smiley, Keith S. Pike, Joseph P. McCaffrey,
DonnC.Thill, and Sharron S. Quisenberry
Chapter 7
Developments in Equipment for Conservation Farming
Charles L. Peterson
Chapter 8
The Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices in the Palouse
John E. Carlson and Don A. Dillman
Chapter 9
A Systems Approach to Conservation Farming
Douglas L. Young, Frank Young, John Hammel, and Roger Veseth
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
Chapter 10
Conservation Policy Issues
David J. Walker and Douglas L. Young
Chapter 11
Transferring Conservation Farming Technologies to Producers
Roger J. Veseth and Donald J. Wysocki
© 1999 by CRC Press LLC
