Transcript Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Sustainable
Agriculture
Practices
Conventional tillage
 incorporates
most of the previous crop’s
residue into the ground
 leaves
the surface exposed to erosion
and accelerates the decomposition of
organic matter
No-till agriculture
 involves
planting crops directly into the
residue of the previous year's crop
 minimal,
conserving moisture, soil
structure, and organic matter and
minimizing the risk of erosion
Summer Fallowing
 Summerfallow
practice used where
farmers leave their field uncultivated for a
year to build up its soil moisture, control
weeds and restore soil fertility
 contributes to increased soil erosion
(wind), a reduction in fertility and a build
up of salts (Salinization).
Green Manures
 crops
that are grown specifically to be ploughed
into the soil, adding both organic matter and
nutrients in the process (e.g., clover)
 prevent erosion by covering soil that would
otherwise be left bare
 add natural fertilizers (nitrogen)
Crop Rotations
 Rotating
crops in
different parts of the
farm plot
 prevent the build-up
of pest populations
and avoid depleting
the same soil nutrients
year after year
 improve soil structure
when deep-rooting or
high residue crops are
used in the rotation
Contour Ploughing
(decrease water erosion)
 Contour
ploughing involves ploughing
across hilly fields rather than up and down
the slope of a hill.
 Each row prevents water from running
down the slope and taking the topsoil
with it.
Shelterbelts/Windbreaker
 windbreakers
that usually consist of a
‘linear arrangement combining trees,
shrubs and plants established for the
purposes of modifying the local wind flow
through and over the trees and thereby
changing local environmental factors
such as wind speed, temperature and
humidity across neighboring crop fields.
 Soil
Protection
 **Could also use lightweight tires that
don’t compact the soils down as much as
other older heavier tires, by using natural
fertilizers rather than chemical ones along
with practicing these new proper
cultivation techniques