Soy and corn are two of the biggest crops in the United States. They both have revolutionized how we live but they are not always beneficial to our environment. Corn and soy are prized because they can be efficiently grown on vast farms. But growing just one crop consistently (a monoculture) depletes the soil and forces farmers to use greater amounts of pesticides and fertilizers.When a single crop is planted in a field the soil is often stripped of its nutrients. Soil needs different crops planted in it because different crops offer different nutrients. Different types of plants require different types of nutrients from the soil. Changing crops routinely allows the land to remain fertile, since not all of the same nutrients are being used each season. For example, planting a legume, such as soybeans, helps to replenish necessary nitrogen in the soil. Both soy and corn produce fuel, food, and animal feed but they are not sustainable. If you want more information about soy check out my research paper linked below! The ideal scenario would be to switch to a permaculture lifestyle but big AG companies would not get behind this. What they could get behind is to rotate soy and corn in the same field. Corn depletes the soil of nitrogen where as a legume like soy puts nitrogen back into the soil. This is the best solution that I can think of for large agricultural companies.
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