Posted on Apr 5, 2022
The Midwest has lost 57 billion metric tons of topsoil over the last 160 years, new study finds
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Farmers till their land to prepare soil for planting, but a new study published in the journal “Earth’s Future” found topsoil in the Midwest is eroding on average nearly 2 millimeters per year.
A few years ago, Isaac Larsen attended a wedding at a pioneer church in Minnesota. After the ceremony, he wandered around a cemetery by the church.
He noticed the cemetery, which had never been tilled, was at least a foot higher than a corn field just on the other side of a fence.
“That was one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments that told me that a lot of soil had been eroded from that field since the founding of the church,” Larsen said.
A few years ago, Isaac Larsen attended a wedding at a pioneer church in Minnesota. After the ceremony, he wandered around a cemetery by the church.
He noticed the cemetery, which had never been tilled, was at least a foot higher than a corn field just on the other side of a fence.
“That was one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments that told me that a lot of soil had been eroded from that field since the founding of the church,” Larsen said.
The Midwest has lost 57 billion metric tons of topsoil over the last 160 years, new study finds
Posted from kcur.orgPosted in these groups: 
Farming
Agriculture
University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Research
Food/Chow
Farming Agriculture University of Massachusetts – Amherst Research Food/Chow
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."He noticed the cemetery, which had never been tilled, was at least a foot higher than a corn field just on the other side of a fence.
“That was one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments that told me that a lot of soil had been eroded from that field since the founding of the church,” Larsen said.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst geosciences professor and his co-researchers have released a new study that found topsoil in the Midwest is eroding at an average rate of 1.9 millimeters per year. They measured elevation differences between native prairie and farm fields at about 20 sites, the majority in central Iowa, with some in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.
The researchers estimate the Midwest has lost 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil since farmers began tilling 160 years ago. This erosion, Larsen said, makes it more difficult and more expensive to grow crops.
“We’re going to need to feed more people in the future,” he said, “and degraded soils that have lost their organic rich horizons just aren’t as productive.”
The solution, Larsen said, is to adopt no-till farming. “It’s not some unsolvable problem.”...
..."He noticed the cemetery, which had never been tilled, was at least a foot higher than a corn field just on the other side of a fence.
“That was one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments that told me that a lot of soil had been eroded from that field since the founding of the church,” Larsen said.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst geosciences professor and his co-researchers have released a new study that found topsoil in the Midwest is eroding at an average rate of 1.9 millimeters per year. They measured elevation differences between native prairie and farm fields at about 20 sites, the majority in central Iowa, with some in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.
The researchers estimate the Midwest has lost 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil since farmers began tilling 160 years ago. This erosion, Larsen said, makes it more difficult and more expensive to grow crops.
“We’re going to need to feed more people in the future,” he said, “and degraded soils that have lost their organic rich horizons just aren’t as productive.”
The solution, Larsen said, is to adopt no-till farming. “It’s not some unsolvable problem.”...
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farming practices have change alot in the last 50 years. most ground is minimum till and some are no till and most plows are sitting in the trees
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