Extent of Fragi Taxons on CRP/CREP Lands and Potential Environmental, Management and Economic Effects on Biofuels Production due to Fragipan Soil Limitations

Concern is growing across the U.S. among land managers who are seeing increasing numbers of farmers not renewing contracts to keep marginal lands enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Driving this trend in agricultural land use change is a trend in the development of ethanol production techniques and initiatives that would use ethanol as a fuel source to help achieve energy independence. In Pennsylvania many CRP/CREP lands have a subsoil horizon known as a fragipan, which is partly responsible for drainage/rooting problems resulting in poor crop yields. Production of biofuels on such lands poses risks of crop failure and potential increases in surface water pollution due to soil destabilization and surface erosion. However, if the effects of the fragipan can be minimized, or eliminated, then using such lands under careful agricultural management techniques could help farmers achieve financial stability with biofuels while also providing habitat to many species of wildlife. We examine the extent of fragipans on CRP/CREP lands and the potential environmental, management and economic effect on biofuels production due to the fragipan's soil limitations.