Total Cropland Research Articles

MEASURING THE CONTRIBUTION OF LAND AND WATER TO AGRICULTURE1

ABSTRACT Irrigated land outproduces dryland agriculture, especially in the western United States. Many valuable crops could not be grown without irrigation. A paucity of yield data does not allow direct measurement of the contribution from irrigated crop agriculture, nor does it allow evaluation of the contributions from livestock which are dependent upon irrigated feed. Regression results indicate that 80 percent of Idaho farm income is associated with irrigation, and that 75 percent of the farm income in the 17 western states is associated with irrigation. For the United States as a whole, results indicate that 13.7 percent of the total cropland (irrigated land) produced 41.3 percent of all cash receipts from farming in 1978. If 14 percent of the land can produce 40 percent of the value of production, can 35 percent of our land produce all our food and fiber needs? Such an allegation has several implications in terms of the adequacy of our land and water resources. It also emphasizes the role of technology in future resource use and production.

Technological Change and the Relative Share of Labor: The Case of Tobacco Production in the U.S.

Tobacco production traditionally has been a highly labor-intensive operation in this country. Although the entire crop is grown on only .3 of 1 percent of the total cropland, tobacco requires more labor than is required for all vegetable crops and about the same amount as needed for cotton and food grains combined (USDA, Agricultural Statistics). However, in recent years a growing trend toward mechanization of harvesting-curing operations has, among other effects, greatly reduced labor usage. During the time period 1949–1976, total man-hours in tobacco production in the United States declined from 747 million to only 275 million—a reduction of more than 63 percent (USDA, Agricultural Statistics). Much of this reduction has been due to the introduction of bulk curing barns and mechanical harvesters (multipass and once-over types), which have replaced tying by hand or machines, conventional barns, and walking or riding primers. Mechanization of tobacco production has been relatively slow because of the special growing, harvesting, and curing requirements. However, the present state of mechanization is not insignificant.

Ecological Factors in the Development of Intensive‐Management Ecosystems in Midwestern United States

This paper quantifies changes in the importance of ecological parameters associated with the development of intensive agriculture in midwestern USA. Changes in the important of 20 edaphic and 31 cover—type parameters were measured for three stages of development: (1) conversion of natural vegetation to pre—intensive agriculture (1833—1934), (2) agricultural intensification associated with chemical subsidies and mechanization (1934—1948), and (3) recent shifts in crop diversity and production (1934—1972). Between 1833 and 1934 all the natural upland vegetation, and two—thirds of the original marshlands were transformed. Of the original prairie surface, 92% was converted to a cropland—temporary pasture system by 1934. Much less of the original savanna was converted to cropland. By 1934 the alteration of savanna to cropland, permanent pasture, and oak forest was in the ratio of 4:3:2. A principal components analysis of the factors significant in the alternation of the natural vegetation indicated strong interactions with soil attributes of the first component. Prairie and cropland were bimodally distributed on the catenal gradient. The distribution of savanna and forest vegetation was related primarily to steep, shallow soil types. Intensification of agricultural production was accompanied by a reduction in the total cropland acreage, and forest cover increased by 10.6% in the 1934—1961 period. With agricultural intensification there was an increase in crop specialization. In fact, crop diversity declined by 35% between 1950 and 1965; since 1965 the tendency toward monoculture increased only slightly. Furthermore, the trend toward monoculture coincided with a shift toward large—stature plant forms. The models of canonical correlation indicated that with agricultural intensification the moisture—related variables became more important while those related to fertility and catena did not. The dependence of intensive agriculture on favorable sites and large energy inputs is discussed from the viewpoint of growing problems of energy supply and population.

Agricultural Diversification in Georgia, 1939-1959

Agricultural Diversification in Georgia, 1939-1959 Irene Johnson * This study seeks to analyze one facet of the American agricultural revolution through an examination of agricultural diversification. In particular , the study seeks to accomplish two objectives. The first of these is basic, and the other grows out of the first. The first aim is to discuss the spatial variation in agricultural diversification for 1939, 1949, and 1959. This is accomplished through a two-pronged investigation based on both land use and source of farm income. The second objective is an extension of the first in that it seeks to develop a model of stages of diversification and to apply this model to selected areas within the state. The study area corresponds to that part of Georgia designated as the cotton belt by Baker and Whittlesey in the 1920's, i.e., the Piedmont and Inner Coastal Plain. (I) Several writers have shown that the concept of such a large monocultural region is invalid and that if such a region as Baker and Whittlesey's cotton belt ever existed, its boundaries are inaccurate in terms of current data. (2) METHODOLOGY. Data were collected for 105 counties of the Piedmont and Inner Coastal Plain of the state. The Gini coefficient of concentration was used to determine the relative diversification of each county. This statistical device measures the closeness of any given distribution to an equal distribution. In an equal distribution, the total amount of any variable is equally divided among the total number of categories. Such a condition represents maximum diversification or a Gini coefficient of zero. The value of the Gini coefficient varies between zero and one which represents maximum concentration of some variable in only one of a given number of categories. (3) The criteria used to measure diversification included both land use and value of farm products sold. Census data were available for eight categories of farm products sold: (1) field crops other than vegetables, fruits, and nuts; (2) vegetables; (3) fruit and nuts; (4) horticultural specialties; (5) dairy products; (6) poultry products; (7) livestock products other than poultry and dairy products; and (8) forest products. The first category was subdivided so that the value of cotton sold was isolated from the other field crops. Therefore the Gini coefficient based on value of farm products sold was computed for nine categories for each county. The leading seven crops in harvested cropland and cropland used for pasture comprised the eight categories used in computing the Gini coefficient based on land use. Cropland used for pasture was included here because it reflects the increased stress on livestock production more than any other type of land use. The two criteria supplement each other in providing a more thorough understanding of diversification. *Dr. Johnson is associate professor of geography at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee. The paper was accepted for publication in July 1967. Vol. VII, 196735 ANALYSIS OF LAND USE DIVERSIFICATION. Gini coefficients of concentration based on land use were computed for 1939, 1949, and 1959 for each county. Circles whose sizes were visually proportionate to the amount of diversification were used to portray these computations on maps. In an effort to show a maximum amount of information with the range of readibility and to facilitate discussion of diversification, the following four categories were used: (1) high diversification, (2) moderate diversification, (3) low diversification, and (4) concentration, in decreasing order of the size of the circles. (The corresponding Gini coefficients as shown on the maps of land use diversification are: (1) .50 and less, (2) .51-.6O, (3) .61-.7O, and (4) .71 and over, respectively). Moreover, each circle was subdivided to show the percentage of the various land uses in each county. Figure 1 shows land use diversification for 1939 and is the basis for the ensuing discussion. This map reveals a preponderance of high diversification in the Piedmont and concentration in the Coastal Plain. In the southwest Coastal Plain, the leading peanut-growing section of the state, the corn-peanut and the corn-peanut-cotton combinations were dominant. Corn was generally the leading crop and accounted for 30 to 40 per cent of the total cropland. In the east Coastal...