ABSTRACT
Economic growth in the U.S. agricultural sector has resulted largely from productivity increases driven primarily by technological change. 1 Gains in productivity due to technology have long been recognized; only recently have the negative effects of technology begun to attract attention. The buildup of salinity in soils from continuous irrigation and inadequate drainage; soil erosion; the development of resistance in pests to chemical pesticides; and the depletion and contamination of aquifers from irrigation and fertilizer application are some of the obvious examples.
