Subfield profitability analysis reveals an economic case for cropland diversification

Public agencies and private enterprises increasingly desire to achieve ecosystem service outcomes in agricultural systems, but are limited by perceived conflicts between economic and ecosystem service goals and a lack of tools enabling effective operational management. Here we use Iowa—an agriculturally homogeneous state representative of the Maize Belt—to demonstrate an economic rationale for cropland diversification at the subfield scale. We used a novel computational framework that integrates disparate but publicly available data to map ∼3.3 million unique potential management polygons (9.3 Mha) and reveal subfield opportunities to increase overall field profitability. We analyzed subfield profitability for maize/soybean fields during 2010–2013—four of the most profitable years in recent history—and projected results for 2015. While cropland operating at a loss of US$ 250 ha−1 or more was negligible between 2010 and 2013 at 18 000–190 000 ha (