Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 25,1985-A29
New bill would fund
study of natural
soil methods
WASHINGTON - The House
Agriculture Committee has ap
proved a bill (H.R. 1383)
authorizing the use of research and
Extension education on soil and
energy-conserving and organic
farming systems which could cut
farm production costs and con
serve natural resources.
The bill was approved by a roll
call vote of 25 to 15, Committee
Chairman Kika de la Garza, D-
Tex., announced.
The legislation was sponsored by
Rep. Jim Weaver, D-Ore., and 42
other House members and is
similar to a measure which passed
the House last year but was not
acted on in the Senate. The bill
would direct the Agriculture
Department to establish-with the
cooperation of willing farmers
and/or state and federal research
stations-research projects needed
to obtain data on production
systems which can improve
productivity while protecting the
land and conserving energy.
These projects would collect and
analyze information on what
happens when various types of
farm switch from energy-intensive
farming to systems
relying on legumes and other sod
based crop rotations, the use of
crop residues and natural
manures, and production practices
such as conservation tillage and
non-chemical pest controls.
Other provisions of the bill in
clude a directive to the Secretary
of Agriculture to make the in
formation drawn from the new
studies available to the public. The
bill notes that in order to evaluate
a production system, “it is
recognized that a minimum of 12
projects and associated component
studies are needed.”
Funding for the federal costs
involved in the studies would be
determined by Congress at a later
date. Weaver said rough estimates
from Agriculture Department
experts put the cost of the
programs at $7.2 million over five
years.
Weaver said the research and
extension programs authorized
under his bill would be designed to
help find “workable solutions” to
cut farm costs and help restore
farm profits while controlling
erosion. He said the programs “do
not single out one particular kind
of farming; rather they examine a
broad range of technologies which
will benefit all farmers.”