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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Resource and environmental effects of US agriculture

Book ·
OSTI ID:6217889
Available data sources and some personal interviews provide background for assessing the future pressures on US land and water resources and the environment from agricultural activities. Production and export trends, land-use expenses, and the prospects for resource-conserving technologies are the three key variables in the projections. The environmental impacts of fertilizer and pesticide use, erosion, sedimentation of the waterways, and salinity call for varying levels of public intervention, with erosion emerging as the major environmental threat of expanded production. Most conservation programs are now voluntary, with some financial incentives, but stronger controls will be necessary to stem the erosion levels now projected for the future. A combination of legal and financial incentives with soil-conservation regulations could complement erosion research programs. 188 references, 87 figures, 51 tables. (DCK)
OSTI ID:
6217889
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English