Ag's come along since '89 prediction

On May 24, 1989, the Portales News-Tribune ran an article I wrote about Portales biology professor Bob Taylor refuting an article in Interview magazine about eastern New Mexico turning into a dust bowl by 2020.

Author Greg Goldin had written, “Farmers of west Texas, western Nebraska and eastern New Mexico will run out of water early in the next century. And when they do, their lands will blow away in the next great dust bowl. These farming regions will have depleted their water supply, the Ogalala Aquifer, by over-pumping, thereby lowering the water table beyond reach. The soils will be parched to infertility.

“Farmers will recreate the dust bowl of the 1930s by dry farming. The usual cycle of 60 mph winds and drought will blow the topsoil as far away as Norway. Lubbock, Amarillo and San Angelo will be ghost towns.”

Taylor responded, “I totally disagree with Goldin’s concept. The agricultural practices of today are totally different than those of the ’30s. We have a lot of crops for farmers to use not available to farmers then…

“We have farming practices they didn’t have in the ’30s. Now, farmers can plant seeds right on top of last year’s crops. They don’t even burn off the stubble and plow the land … In the ’30s we didn’t have contour plowing or knowledge about windbreaks … They didn’t have plants which would grow in low rainfall so the soil blew. That’s how most of these sand dunes were formed …

“You have to remember, Interview magazine is published out of New York. Saying this area is going to turn into a dust bowl makes for a good storyline. But, I never have liked big crowds, so I wouldn’t mind if a few people get scared and move away,” he laughed.

I caught up with Taylor a few days ago at a Portales restaurant and asked the retired professor if had any updates. Here is a small sampling of what he said:

“Back then, scientists were just learning how to transplant genes from one plant to another. They also were learning how to grow plants in tissue culture with foreign genetic material, which was not common to its species. Doing so allowed scientists to reproduce new ‘genetically engineered’ plants.

“When you buy an ear of sweet corn, you hardly ever see any worm damage in the tassel — not because it was bathed in insecticides, but because it has been genetically modified to not be ‘tasty’ to ear-worms.

“In addition, genes have been transplanted so crops that grew well in one location or environment but didn't produce certain amino acids and/or other human-required nutrients could start producing them. Without these advances, there would be much greater malnutrition, hunger and suffering globally.

“There have been advances in watering practices. Drip irrigation puts water right at the plant’s root zone without wasting it. Modern tillage practices keep the wind from blowing the soil, thus reducing dust bowl experiences in dry years.

“Most people are doing their part to conserve water — which makes up 98 percent of our bodies. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to live here nor enjoy our quality of life on the High Plains.

“Just about everyone around here recognizes water is the key ingredient to our existence.”

Contact Wendel Sloan at:

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