Agronomic considerations to address supply chain disruptions

April 5, 2022

Given current global challenges, lawmakers have proposed allowing select land currently enrolled or soon-to-be enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to be opened for crop production in the immediate future. In 2021, approximately 315,000 U.S. producers received CRP payments, accounting for roughly 22 million acres enrolled in the CRP program or 8.7% of U.S. cropland.

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA members and certified professionals drafted scientific and agronomic considerations that address a potential shift in land use out of conservation and into crop production. We recognize that these are not the only points to be considered and acknowledge the growing global food security challenges brought on by Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.

The following are the key takeaways from the report:

  • In most cases, converting CRP acres to crop production is resource intensive and may require more time and agronomic inputs than currently available prior to the 2022 growing season. Conversion may be more feasible for the 2022 winter growing season or 2023 spring growing season.
  • Crop yields tend to be below average the first year after CRP is converted to cropland. Combined with high input prices and low supply, producers may face economic challenges upon converting CRP to cropland at this time even though crop prices are also high. 
  • Converting CRP land to crop production could have long-term ecological consequences, the full extent of which is largely unknown. Tilling CRP ground may lead to sediment loading in surface waters, loss of wildlife and pollinator habitat, loss of native vegetation, and degradation of soil health.
  • Efforts to open land currently enrolled in CRP to crop production should focus on prime farmland and not marginal or highly erodible land.
  • Flexibility in CRP enrollment should be temporary and include strategies to convert acres back to CRP in the future. 

While most production decisions about the spring 2022 planting season have already been made, providing flexibility in enrollment for the fall 2022 and spring 2023 seasons could provide some benefits.

The full comments can be found here.

 

Please address all inquiries to:
Rachel Owen, PhD
Science Policy Manager
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