Extract: Only about one-third of U.S. cropland with excessive soil erosion rates is operated by farmers who might be influenced to reduce erosion if changes were made in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's commodity and soil conservation programs. The present commodity programs may conflict with conservation programs by encouraging the cultivation of erosive crops. Efforts to increase the consistency of USDA commodity and conservation programs would contribute little to overcoming the Nation's total erosion problems. Such efforts, however, should balance conservation objectives with objectives for farm income, commodity prices, production, and export.