Title: The impact of public policy on conservation tillage in US agriculture

Authors: Noel D. Uri

Addresses: Resource Inventory Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington DC 20250, USA

Abstract: A number of policy tools are used to reduce soil erosion from agricultural lands in the USA, including education and technical assistance, financial assistance, land retirement, and conservation compliance requirements. Education and technical assistance by public and private sources can be effective in promoting the adoption of conservation tillage by farmers for whom that practice will be profitable. Financial incentives may be necessary to induce the voluntary adoption of conservation tillage by farmers for whom the practice would not be more profitable than conventional tillage but on whose land the use of conservation tillage would provide substantial offsite benefits.

Keywords: agricultural practices; conservation tillage; soil erosion.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.1999.002257

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 1999 Vol.11 No.2, pp.186-201

Published online: 13 Aug 2003 *

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