Farming System Induced Ecosystem Services and Human Health Connections

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Farming System Induced Ecosystem Services and
Human Health Connections

• Donald L. Wyse
• University of Minnesota
• Center for Integrated Natural Resources and
  Agricultural Management

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What type of crop and animal systems cans produce
these services?
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FunctionallyDiverse Agricultural Systems
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Ecosystem Services
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Potential Ecosystem Services Provided by
Perennial Cropping Systems

• Nutrient Cycling, Flood Management, Natural Pest
  Management, Soil Health,Wildlife Diversity, Water
  Quality, Erosion Control, Carbon Management,
  Climate Mediation

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Current Agricultural Systems Do Not Produce
Ecosystem Services
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Current Status Of Cropping Systems
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Diversification of Agricultural Landscape Systems
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Problems cannot be solved at the same level of
awareness that created them.

• ---Albert Einstein

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Farm Policy
Nichols, USDA,NRCS
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Hansen, MN Exp Sta
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Corn and Soybean acreage11 County South Central
Minnesota
Gyles Randall,2003
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Minnesota Harvested Soybean and Alfalfa Acreages
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Not soil conservation
Gasper, USDA, NRCS
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Gasper, USDAlt NRCS
Gasper, USDA, NRCS
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Feed Grains
Hansen, MN Agr. Exp Sta.
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Food Consumption Trends
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USA per capita N consumption in meat
Source FAO
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Canadian Per Capita Soft Drink Consumption
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US Per Capita High Fructose Corn Syrup
Disappearance 1967 2000, Pounds / Year
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Candy and Other Confectionary Products US Per
Capita Consumption, 1966 2000, Pounds/ Year
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Introduction of new, larger portions, 19701999.
Number of Large-Size Portions Introduced
Year
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Human Health Concerns
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Obesity Trends

• A problem of both the young and old

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Figure 2. Age-adjusted prevalence of overweight
and obesity among U.S. adults, age 20-74 years

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23
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Age-adjusted by the direct method to the year
2000 U.S. Bureau of the Census Estimates using
the age groups 20-39, 40-59, and 60-74 years.
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Cost of Obesity

• Total cost 75 Billion
• Taxpayers pay 50
• 39 Billion
• 175/person
• Minnesota 1.3Billion 5 of total HC Cost
• Type 2 diabetes,Cardiovascular disease, Cancer,
  and Gallbladder disease
• RTI International, CDCP

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Environmental Trends
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Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Rabalais et al. 2000
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Crawling up the watershed

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• A world class river sediments, water, size

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Satellite images of vegetative activity.
Areas of annual row cropping
April 20 May 3
Areas of perennial vegetation
May 4 17
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Satellite images of vegetative activity.
May 18 - 31
June 15 - 28
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Satellite images of vegetative activity.
July 13 - 26
October 5 - 18
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Annual Tile Drainage Lossin Corn-Soybean
Rotation Waseca, 1987-2001
Gyles Randall, 2003
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Corn and Soybean Nitrate-N Loss Concentrations

• Tile drainage system
• U of MN - Lamberton

Gyles Randall, 2003
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Annual tile flow (inches)
(Randall et al., 1997)
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Diverse Perennial Landscape Systems
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Diversification of Agricultural Landscape Systems

Chippewa River
Wells Creek
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80 in cultivation and includes a portion of
Montevideo
Cultivated Land
Grassland
Deciduous Forest
Urban
Catchment size 17,994 ha
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Four Scenarios
A Extension of current trends Increased
field size, focus on annual crop production B
Adoption of best management practices
Shift to conservation tillage, use recommended
nutrient application rates,30 m riparian
buffers C Expand diversity Five year crop
rotation, more grazing Wetland restoration
D Managed year-round vegetative cover Cover
crops, increased managed grazing, prairie
restoration, 90 m buffers
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Benefits to Bird Populations
Bird responses to habitat changes (sightings per
160 acres)

• Tilled row crops gt 18 species
• Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass
  waterway, alfalfa and pasture gt 25 species
• Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass
  waterway, pasture, alfalfa, and marsh gt 52
  species
• Tilled row crops, herbaceous and wooded
  fencerows, grass waterway, pasture, alfalfa,
  marsh, and farmstead shelterbelt gt 93 species

Best, L. et al. 1995. A Review and synthesis of
Habitat Use by Breeding Birds in
Agricultural Landscapes of Iowa. The American
Midland Naturalist, 1341
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The Annual Distribution of Yellow Warblers
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What Is Needed To Make These Systems Possible?
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Potential End Use Products from Perennial
Cropping Systems

• Grain, Fruit,Vegetables, Fiber, Biomass,
  Decorative Plants, Meat, Milk, Glucose, Liquid
  Fuels, Industrial Solvents, Fatty Acids,
  Plastics, Paints, Antioxidants, Proteins,
  Essential Oils, Antifungal Compounds,
  Antibacterial Compounds, Energy Products

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Grazing
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Grazing Systems

• Perennial ryegrass
• Winter hardiness, Seed production, Rotational
  grazing
• Illinois bundleflower and other native legumes
• Mixed warm season grass-rotational grazing
  systems

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Energy crops
Moore Collins, Forages
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Biomass Energy

• Develop and evaluate diversified perennial forbs
  and grass systems for biomass energy
• Develop woody plant systems for biomass energy
  production
• Develop local small scale energy production
  systems
• Develop co-product biorefinary-bioenergy systems

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Energy Crops
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Biomass Energy

• Willows, Salix sp.
• Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, JoAnn Lamb USDA-ARS St.
  Paul
• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.
• Perennial flax, Linum perenne
• Native legumes, False indigo, Amorpha fruticosa

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Willow Biomass Plantings
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• Biomass-Type Alfalfa
• Up-right, non-lodging growth habit
• Large yields of leaves and stems
• Retains leaves even when mature

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Agroforestry Buffered Landscape
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Trees and Shrubs

• Willows, Salix sp.
• Decorative and energy
• Hybrid popular, Populus sp.
• Energy and fiber
• Hazelnuts, Corylus avellana x C. americana and C.
  cornuta
• Oil, confectionary, and energy

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American Hazelnuts
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Woody Floral Yields
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What Are Woody Decorative Florals?
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Native Perennial Legumes

• Forage
• Biomass
• Grain

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Perennial Native Legumes

• 50 species preliminary evaluation
• Winter hardiness
• 10 species more detailed studies
• Production and selection
• Feeding trialsswine
• AntioxidantsFood, fuel, feed and cosmetics
• AntimicrobialFood, cosmetics and feed

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Evaluation of Diversity Among Ecotypes of Amorpha
fruticosa and Desmanthus illinoensis(Lee DeHaan)

• 20 Ecotypes of each species
• Three locations
• Three years
• Measured traits seed yield, biomass yield,
  height, width, maturity, winter survival, leaf
  width, leaf length, insect resistance number of
  stems
• Most traits influenced heavily by location
  (environment) and ecotype

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Oil Seed Crops

• Perennial flax, Linum sp.
• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.

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Perennial Sunflower

• Interspecific Crosses
• Helianthus annuus X
• H. floridanus H. angustifolius
• H. grosseserratus H. occidentalis
• H. trachelifolius H. tuberosus
• H. rigidus H. giganteus
  
• H. maximiliani
• J. Miller, G. Seiler-Fargo USDA-ARS, Lee DeHaan,
  The Land Institute

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Perennial Flax

• Interspecific Crosses
• Annual flax, Linum usitatissimum X
• L. perenne
• L. Lewisii
• J. Hammond, NDSU, Fargo
• N. Anderson, UMN, St. Paul

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Lewis Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)
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L. perenne L. usitatissamum
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Linum perenne-Lipid profile
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Perennial Flax

• Hybridization
• 25 L. perenne populations
• 25 L. lewisii populations
• Pedigree Method of Breeding
• Winter hardiness
• Seed size
• Plant architecture

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Wetland Restoration
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Wetland Restoration

• Willow, Salix sp.
• Nitrogen harvesting, energy, water retention,
• Native wetland species
• Unique industrial chemicals, wildlife
  habitat-hunting

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Cover Crops
April 30, 1999
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Cover Crop Group

• Identify, develop and evaluate cover crops for
  use in agricultural and agroforestry systems
• Evaluate impact of perennial cover crops on
  soybean cyst nematode, weeds, water use, and
  nutrient cycling
• Evaluate environmental and economic impact, and
  risk associated with cover crops

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Cover Crops

• Red clover, Trifolium pratense
• Winter rye, Secale cereale, Paul Porter
• Brassica sp.
• Alfalfa, Medicago sativa
• Birdsfoot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus
• Native legumes

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