Farmers manage soils, pests, nutrients, and other inputs as part of a system of inter-related production and conservation practices, whether in conventional systems (used by most U.S. farmers) or organic systems. Among all U.S. farmers, those who adopt selected conservation practices (such as crop
rotation, conservation tillage, scouting for pests, and soil testing) are more likely than non-adopters to be younger, full-time operators who plant more acreage and participate in government programs. (Characteristics of organic farming systems are examined in chapter 4.9.)