Erosion

• Soil Erosion on cropland has decreased significantly in Kentucky from 1982 to 1997. In 1982, the sheet and rill erosion was 6.8 tons/acre/year on cropland. Soil erosion on cropland decreased in 1987, 1992, and 1997 due to the increase in use of conservation farming techniques and the use of conservation practices. In 1997, sheet and rill erosion on cropland was 3.4 tons/acre/year.
• The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was initiated in 1985. This program took highly erodible cropland out of crop production and into permanent cover. In 1987, soil erosion on CRP land was 4.2 tons/acre/year. Once permanent cover became established, the erosion rate decreased to less than 1.0 ton/ acre/year on CRP land in 1997.
• Soil erosion on pastureland has been fairly consistent at about 2.4 tons/acre/year in 1982, 187, and 1992. Due to better pastureland management and rotational grazing, the erosion rate in 1997 decreased to 2.0/tons/acre/year.

< Back to NRI Findings...