This is quite false. Yields for corn and soybeans in eastern South Dakota where I farmed are much higher today than they were 30 years ago. Modern no till practices conserve soil and moisture, and planting populations have steadily increased. Climate change has actually benefited the area (so far), as the growing season is now about a month longer than it was in 1980.
You're comparing contemporary results, after decades of soil conservation practices being recognized and then widely implemented (like the "modern no till" that you mention) as well as utilizing modern breeding and synthetic fertilizer technology, with the transition between historical prairie ecosystems and annual grain cropping in the early 1800s.
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u/Msanthropy1250 26d ago
This is quite false. Yields for corn and soybeans in eastern South Dakota where I farmed are much higher today than they were 30 years ago. Modern no till practices conserve soil and moisture, and planting populations have steadily increased. Climate change has actually benefited the area (so far), as the growing season is now about a month longer than it was in 1980.