Rotating Crops, Turning Profits

The provided text consists of appendices detailing an optimization model to assess the scalability of diversified crop rotations in Iowa, the potential for substituting corn with oats and alfalfa in livestock feed, and methodologies for calculating soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that longer rotation systems can maintain profitability while improving soil health and reducing pollution. The analysis includes specific scenarios for converting corn acreage in the most erodible counties and across the entire state, utilizing non-linear models to estimate nitrous oxide (N2O) reductions and carbon sequestration benefits.

• The authors used a non-linear optimization model to determine if diversified crop rotations could be scaled up in Iowa without disrupting market equilibrium, testing two scenarios: conversion of the most erosive croplands and state-wide conversion.
• Research indicates that oats can be substituted for corn in the diets of hogs and lactating/gestating cows without negatively impacting feed efficiency, feed intake, or daily weight gain.
• The document identifies that the adoption of dried distiller grains (DDGS) in livestock diets increased significantly due to the growth of the ethanol industry, with production rising from 10.4 million metric tons in 2005/2006 to 34.1 million metric tons in 2010/2011.
• To estimate greenhouse gas reductions, the authors used a non-linear approach for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, finding CO2-equivalent reductions of 0.17 ton/acre for corn-soy-oats and 0.20 ton/acre for corn-soy-oats-alfalfa systems.
• Carbon sequestration benefits were estimated using an average of 0.39 metric ton/acre, derived from data on conservation tillage (0.50 metric ton/acre) and crop rotation (0.29 metric ton/acre).
• The Daily Erosion Project (DEP) model was used to estimate soil erosion in Iowa, noting that some areas experienced erosion rates up to 10 times the USDA's tolerable rate of five tons per acre per year.
• Surface water cleanup costs are estimated to be reduced by $5.69 per acre for every ton of soil erosion prevented, based on 2016 dollar values from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
• The model assumes that livestock producers will substitute corn with oats in feed rations if oats are available at a lower price, which would increase demand for oats and decrease demand for corn.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2017). Rotating Crops, Turning Profits. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Rotating Crops, Turning Profits. 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Rotating Crops, Turning Profits |date=May 2017 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2017rotating, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Rotating Crops, Turning Profits}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }