Rotating Crops, Turning Profits

The report analyzes the benefits of diversified crop rotations compared to the dominant corn-soybean system in the US Corn Belt, specifically focusing on Iowa. Based on research from Iowa State University's Marsden Farm, the authors find that three- and four-year rotations increase yields for corn and soybeans and maintain similar net profits while reducing herbicide and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. The report models the scalability of these systems, suggesting that implementing no-till diverse rotations on 3.6 million of Iowa's most erodible acres could reduce soil erosion by 91% and save taxpayers up to $198 million annually in water cleanup costs. It further suggests that up to 40% of Iowa's farmland could be converted to these systems if livestock feed markets adapt. To overcome financial, market, and technical barriers, the report recommends expanding USDA incentives, improving Whole Farm Revenue Protection insurance, and increasing funding for agroecological research.

• Long-term research at Iowa State University's Marsden Farm (2008–2015) indicates that three- and four-year crop rotations result in higher yields for both corn (2 to 4 percent higher) and soybeans (10 to 17 percent higher) compared to the standard two-year corn-soybean rotation, while maintaining statistically similar net profits per acre.
• Diversified rotation systems significantly reduce the need for chemical inputs; longer rotations required 25 to 51 percent less herbicide and 88 to 92 percent less synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.
• Modeling the adoption of no-till diverse rotations on 3.6 million acres of Iowa's most erodible land shows a 91 percent reduction in soil erosion compared to tilled corn-soy systems, potentially saving taxpayers and downstream communities between $196 million and $198 million annually in surface water cleanup costs.
• The transition to diverse rotations on 3.6 million acres in Iowa would provide climate benefits, including carbon sequestration valued at $51 million annually and reduced nitrous oxide emissions valued at $23 million to $27 million annually.
• The report estimates that diverse crop rotations could be scaled to 20 to 40 percent of Iowa's farmland (5 million to 11 million acres) without driving farmers back to corn-soy, provided there is a 20 to 40 percent substitution of corn with oats and alfalfa in livestock feed.
• Farmers face significant barriers to adoption, including underdeveloped markets for small grains, high up-front equipment costs, short-term land leases that discourage soil health investment, and a lack of technical guidance due to declining numbers of county-level agricultural extension agents.
• To facilitate the transition, the report recommends that the USDA increase payments for resource-conserving crop rotations in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), and better promote the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) insurance program.

APA

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

Chicago

Anair, Don, and Amine Mahmassani. Rotating Crops, Turning Profits. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-report-ucs-2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anair |first1=Don |last2=Mahmassani |first2=Amine |title=Rotating Crops, Turning Profits |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=May 2017 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/05/rotating-crops-report-ucs-2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anair2017rotating, author = {Anair, Don and Mahmassani, Amine}, 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-report-ucs-2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }