The fertility of this region is a source of national
wealth, and is, in a very real sense, vital to the security of the country.
A key feature of this geoscience exploration is to observe how geoscience
factors contribute to the success or failure of agricultural practices,
and how these factors contribute to the environmental and social conditions
of Kansas.
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| Kansas Dustbowl Photo Courtesy
of SCC |
Dustbowl Photo Courtesy of KGS |
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| Courtesy of KGS |
Photo by Tom Geyer |
The first thing that usually comes to people's minds
in any discussion of Kansas agriculture is wheat, and rightfully so.
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| 'Little' Central KS Wheatfield
; Photo by Tom Geyer |
Big Western KS Wheatfield ; Photo
by Tom Geyer |
Cows are pretty prevalent too.
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| Ranch Cow Photos |
By Tom Geyer |
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| Industrial Cow Photos |
By Tom Geyer |
In the wetter East there are lots of corn and soy
beans.
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| Corn and Soybean |
Photos by USDA |
The thick layers of loess deposits overlying much of
Kansas have allowed for the development of fertile soils. The eastern
quarter of the state generally receives enough rainfall to produce moisture
dependent crops of corn, soy beans, and sorghum. These crops
become less prevalent moving west, and eventually the soy beans and corn become
associated only with irrigation. Dry-land wheat and cattle ranching
become more prevalent in the western portions of the state, unless, of course,
the region is associated with the High Plains Aquifer.
The Dust Bowl: During a moist cycle, there was a big push to open up land in Western Kansas to wheat production. As much land as possible was broken out for agriculture, with very little understanding of the general climate of Western Kansas. There was also very little understanding of tilling practices that could protect the soil. As a dry period set in during the 1930's, the recipe for disaster was there.
Historically, farmers knew there was groundwater, but its depth made it ineffecient to be extracted in large scale with the technology of the day.
Few things have had the impact on the global environment that agriculture
has had, and nothing is as vital to support great populations. People
in urban/suburban settings often have very limited understanding of what
goes into making their supermarket experience possible. This trip will
emphasize the factors that lead to the production of vast quantities of food.
Issues of sustainability will be addressed, relative to the environmental
conditions.
The Dust Bowl: During a moist cycle, there was a big push to open up land in Western Kansas to wheat production. As much land as possible was broken out for agriculture, with very little understanding of the general climate of Western Kansas. There was also very little understanding of tilling practices that could protect the soil. As a dry period set in during the 1930's, the recipe for disaster was there.
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| Photos Courtesy of the |
EPA |
We will compare climatological data from the Dust Bowl
years with some recent droughts.
- How has Kansas avoided repeating the massive destruction of the Dust Bowl?
- Why can crops be grown in places where the topsoil was lost in the Dirty Thirties?
Historically, farmers knew there was groundwater, but its depth made it ineffecient to be extracted in large scale with the technology of the day.
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They could pull up enough water to support
small herds of cattle and provide the necessities for a family. Geologic
explorations revealed that there was a huge body of water under the plains.
It wasn't until the 1940's, with the development of the diesel powered
centrifugal pump, that farmers could significantly extract water from the
aquifer.
Farmers originally thought of the aquifer as inexhaustible, and, by the 1970's, the region became completely committed to the system of aquifer-based agriculture. There is much more awareness of the extent and hydrology of the aquifer today, and efforts are being made to more efficiently utilize the resource. But, ultimately, the system as it operates today is not sustainable and will have a finite lifespan. |
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They used to spray the water up in great volumes.
On a hot, windy day, as much as 80% would be lost to evaporation
before it could soak into the soil. Now, they use drop nozzles to apply
water directly over the soil in low volumes. It is only recently that
concern with depletion of the aquifer has led to a change in irrigation practice. |
| Drop Nozzle Photo by Tom Geyer |
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One corner of a large feedlot 
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| Photo by KGS |
Photo by Tom Geyer |
