Sustainable Soybean Production—Introduction

The word “sustainable” in relation to agriculture is being bandied about nowadays, and means different things to different people or members of particular groups based on their agenda or understanding of food production.

Sustainable crop agriculture is an integrated system that should:

• Meet the current and future demands for human food and fiber, and animal feed;


• Enhance environmental quality by maintaining or improving the soil, air, and water resource base;


• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels and mineral fertilizers;


• Be commercially competitive to maintain economic viability of farm operations; and


• Enhance the quality of life for producers and be viable enough to support the rural agriculture community.

Thus, sustainable agriculture can be described as farming systems that incorporate practices that result in the equal maintenance or enhancement of environmental quality and profitability; i.e., a production system that is environmentally sound must be profitable for it to be adopted and used by producers over the long term.

An integral part of sustainable crop production that usually is not mentioned in this context is the complementary area of maintaining a viable production research base that will continue to produce the new technology and innovations that are necessary to sustain current and future agriculture productivity (see recent MSSOY article, SEFP article, and Nunes.gov).

Soybean production in the United States has changed since its introduction into the Corn Belt in the mid-1800s. Initially, the crop was produced mainly for forage and received only minimal inputs. Its husbandry evolved to become a grain crop that is a major source of both protein in animal diets and vegetable oil for human consumption.

Today, soybean production in the United States is a significant agricultural enterprise involving large acreage and intense management with myriad inputs. Thus, it follows that the definition of sustainable soybean production mimics that of sustainable agriculture in general.

In the coming weeks, I will post a series of articles that give thoughts about sustainable crop agriculture and its ramifications for soybean farming in the Midsouth.

In these articles, I will discuss the soybean farming tools that are available, and how they and their use and application may change or evolve to affect sustainable Midsouth soybean production into the future. This discussion will include soybean farming tools in the areas of production and management, breeding/genetics/variety development, and disease, nematode, insect, and weed management/control.

Caveat:  This presentation on sustainable soybean production is not to be confused with "organic farming", which is often misrepresented as the only form of "sustainable agriculture".  Organic farming occupies a niche in small-scale sustainable farming.  The series of articles that will be presented here presents current and forthcoming practices, concepts, and technology that will be available and/or necessary to produce sustainable soybean yields in the Midsouth on a scale large enough to meet the needs of a growing domestic and international market.


larryheatherly@bellsouth.net