Many sectors have come under intense pressure to adopt practices that contribute to sustainability. The agricultural sector has not been an exception. Depletion of natural resources such as soil and water and the production of toxic produce (both plant and animal) have been the two main driving factors for this shift. If they wish to adopt practices that contribute to sustainable agriculture Omaha farmers should understand a number of things beforehand.
A major benefit of agriculture that is carried out in a sustainable way is that it promotes environmental preservation. This is because toxic pesticides are avoided when treating animal diseases and instead alternatives that have very little or no environmental impact are used. Crop production is carried out in ways that help conserve soil, water as well as other natural resources. Organic fertilizers are chosen over chemical fertilizers for soil enrichment.
Protection of public health is another important benefit of this kind of practices. With the avoidance of toxic inputs, the plant products that are produced are almost always safe for human consumption. The same applies to animal products in which everything remains as natural as possible. The disposal of livestock waste is done in a manner that poses the least danger to the general public thus prevents the transmission of animal diseases to humans.
The commonly used techniques in crop production include crop rotation, the use of cover crops, soil enrichment and the use of natural pest predators. Crop rotation involves the growth of different crops during alternating planting seasons. This practice helps interrupt the existence of pests associated with a certain type of crop. When the crop is grown again several seasons later, yields are likely to be higher since the pest will have been eliminated.
Cover crops mainly help in maintaining soil integrity. Some of the cover crops that may be used include oats, hairy vetch and clover among others. The presence of cover crops helps prevent the erosion of fertile top soil. The crops suppression the growth of weeds and maintain a high moisture content by preventing evaporation. The need for herbicides and chemical fertilizers is reduced.
When the soil is maintained at high quality, the yields will be better. The crops grow strong and have an ability to resist infestation by pests. Farmers can use a number of ways in improving the quality of soil. Among them is the act of plowing the land without removing cover crops or after harvest residues. All these are later converted to natural manure for crops in the next planting season.
There is a need to properly select animals depending on the environment. Some animals need regularly feeding with both pastures and grown forage but others have the ability to survive in hardship areas with limited feeds. During breeding, careful selection of sperms should be done so as to improve on the preexisting breeds of animals. Other measures include maintenance of good herd health and grazing management.
The use of chemical techniques in agricultural production has been steadily giving way to safer, more sustainable techniques. The newer options are based on three main goals: maintenance of environmental health, economic profitability and social and economic equity. Sustainability means that our efforts to provide for the current generation should not disadvantage the ability of future generations to do the same. It also means that natural and human resources need to be used responsibly.
A major benefit of agriculture that is carried out in a sustainable way is that it promotes environmental preservation. This is because toxic pesticides are avoided when treating animal diseases and instead alternatives that have very little or no environmental impact are used. Crop production is carried out in ways that help conserve soil, water as well as other natural resources. Organic fertilizers are chosen over chemical fertilizers for soil enrichment.
Protection of public health is another important benefit of this kind of practices. With the avoidance of toxic inputs, the plant products that are produced are almost always safe for human consumption. The same applies to animal products in which everything remains as natural as possible. The disposal of livestock waste is done in a manner that poses the least danger to the general public thus prevents the transmission of animal diseases to humans.
The commonly used techniques in crop production include crop rotation, the use of cover crops, soil enrichment and the use of natural pest predators. Crop rotation involves the growth of different crops during alternating planting seasons. This practice helps interrupt the existence of pests associated with a certain type of crop. When the crop is grown again several seasons later, yields are likely to be higher since the pest will have been eliminated.
Cover crops mainly help in maintaining soil integrity. Some of the cover crops that may be used include oats, hairy vetch and clover among others. The presence of cover crops helps prevent the erosion of fertile top soil. The crops suppression the growth of weeds and maintain a high moisture content by preventing evaporation. The need for herbicides and chemical fertilizers is reduced.
When the soil is maintained at high quality, the yields will be better. The crops grow strong and have an ability to resist infestation by pests. Farmers can use a number of ways in improving the quality of soil. Among them is the act of plowing the land without removing cover crops or after harvest residues. All these are later converted to natural manure for crops in the next planting season.
There is a need to properly select animals depending on the environment. Some animals need regularly feeding with both pastures and grown forage but others have the ability to survive in hardship areas with limited feeds. During breeding, careful selection of sperms should be done so as to improve on the preexisting breeds of animals. Other measures include maintenance of good herd health and grazing management.
The use of chemical techniques in agricultural production has been steadily giving way to safer, more sustainable techniques. The newer options are based on three main goals: maintenance of environmental health, economic profitability and social and economic equity. Sustainability means that our efforts to provide for the current generation should not disadvantage the ability of future generations to do the same. It also means that natural and human resources need to be used responsibly.
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