Argentine Pampas Turning Into Sand

[camberiu]

Analysis: Lack of crop rotation slowly turns Argentine Pampas into 'sand'


"Because corn and wheat cultivation is punished by the government, farmers are forced to cut their risks, focus on short-term profits and plant soy," said Manuel Alvarado Ledesma, an agricultural consultant in Buenos Aires.
"If no incentive is provided to rotate crops, Argentina will deplete its soils, with the weakest areas turning into a sort of sand in a few years," he said.

 

[Matiasba]

a little bit exagerated IMO

 

[camberiu]

a little bit exagerated IMO

Because the government is doing it. Was it due to the actions of a private business, it would be pointed as an example of the evils of capitalism.

 

[scotttswan]

a little bit exagerated IMO

Argentina's key resource, its agricultural soils, are being depleted by lack of crop rotation as soy farming encroaches on areas once used for corn, wheat and cattle grazing, according to local experts and a government source.

do you not believe the government source?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl

 

[Matiasba]

into sand? I think the weather wont permitt that

 

[Matiasba]

Because the government is doing it. Was it due to the actions of a private business, it would be pointed as an example of the evils of capitalism.

I dont know whose fault is it, maybe is the governments fault for permitting the soy advance; I heard Crsitina protesting against the soy when the conflict with el campo, back in 2007, that they were destroying the soil, but could you imagine if in some way or another this government prohibits the soy, the most profitable source of these lands owners? can you picture the scandal, La Nacion and Clarin, etc?

 

[scotttswan]

into sand? I think the weather wont permitt that

yes because Desertification doesn't exist.....

 

[sleslie23]

into sand? I think the weather wont permitt that

It's not just the temperature or amount of rainfall that determines whether soil is sandy or not. It's also the organic content. Lose that, which you will without proper crop rotation, and the Pampas most certainly will "turn to sand." It may not look like the Sahara over night, but it certainly won't support the level of output it currently does.

I suggest you educate yourself by reading the link Ejcot so kindly provided above. A lot of crop rotation practices were first implemented from the lessons learned during that period.

 

[mc kenna]

What i can see out here is not only crop rotation is not practiced anymore,also they keep excavating food producing land to use that black top spoil to make bricks
There is a county ordinance that allows you to excavate down to 30cm but since this ordinance is not enforced they go down as far as a meter right to the red clay
No one told me this,i see this every day,as a matter of fact as i write this they are coming back since the rain stopped to keep working on the field right next to my property.So in short,the only thing that Argentina had that no Argentine had to do anything to have it,some how they are managing to screw it up for the generations to come.Sad very sad unless we learn to eat bricks in the future

 

[dennisr]

a little bit exagerated IMO

Foolish to dismiss consequences of not rotating crops.
http://www.efeedlink.com/contents/06-06-2013/49e6ecb2-83e6-47b2-aa8f-9545d6a194c0-e432.html