the logic of industrial scale ag can make anything bad.
I used to work in a farm where we grew peanuts, but only like maybe 100 row feet or so, and rotated with dozens of others crops. it was a very sandy, coastal soil so we could harvest by hand with a digging fork, though like most annuals, planting involved tillage. the impact was reduced by how sandy it was and we weren’t assholes, so we kept passes to a minimum.
I’ve seen peanuts grown at a slightly larger scale in southern Japan, think like 50’ thick strips along the borders of fields stretching for miles. also southern/coastal so still sandy.
I’ve never really seen big monocrop peanut fields like I’m sure exist in the southeastern US, but I’m sure it’s rough.
the general benefit of legumes grown for crop is less that they leave fixed nitrogen behind and more that they fix their own instead of requiring it be brought to them. that’s a big deal in terms of energy expenditure and global warming potential of the production system.
That’s not really the top soil, nor are peanuts inherently damaging to your top soil.
Top soil is just the first 5-10 inches of soil that contains the most decomposing organic matter. Peanuts can actually be fantastic for your top soil if you utilize practices like no till farming.
The real dangers of erosion comes from the constant plowing used in most large scale ag, but that happens for pretty much all crops.
the logic of industrial scale ag can make anything bad.
I used to work in a farm where we grew peanuts, but only like maybe 100 row feet or so, and rotated with dozens of others crops. it was a very sandy, coastal soil so we could harvest by hand with a digging fork, though like most annuals, planting involved tillage. the impact was reduced by how sandy it was and we weren’t assholes, so we kept passes to a minimum.
I’ve seen peanuts grown at a slightly larger scale in southern Japan, think like 50’ thick strips along the borders of fields stretching for miles. also southern/coastal so still sandy.
I’ve never really seen big monocrop peanut fields like I’m sure exist in the southeastern US, but I’m sure it’s rough.
the general benefit of legumes grown for crop is less that they leave fixed nitrogen behind and more that they fix their own instead of requiring it be brought to them. that’s a big deal in terms of energy expenditure and global warming potential of the production system.
Okay, I have learned way more about peanut agriculture than I expected today, but this has been a way valuable lesson. Thank you!
Look at all that topsoil flying away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vr0IVvcLbY
why does the tractor have boss music?
Have you ever fought a tractor?
incredible.
what used to take several hundred years of ignorant human toiling can now be accomplished in just a few days with hundreds of gallons of fossil fuels.
the future is now.
That’s not really the top soil, nor are peanuts inherently damaging to your top soil.
Top soil is just the first 5-10 inches of soil that contains the most decomposing organic matter. Peanuts can actually be fantastic for your top soil if you utilize practices like no till farming.
The real dangers of erosion comes from the constant plowing used in most large scale ag, but that happens for pretty much all crops.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: