Of a
large number of factors determining sustainability of agriculture in a region,
population pressures and the availability of arable land are the most
important. Whether the land is plentiful
or in short supply, maintenance and
management of soil fertility is central to the development of
sustainable food production systems. The principles that regulate soil
fertility are fundamental to the philosophy of sustainability.
Reducing
soil erosion through various measures help make soils sustainable. Proper use
of such conservation practices as contour
farming, strip farming, mixed cropping, rotation, terracing, waterways,
windbreaks, and conservation tillage can reduce soil erosion.
Contour
Plowing
Contour plowing,
which is tilling at right angles to the slope of the land, is one of the
simplest methods for preventing soil erosion. Contour farming reduces soil
erosion by as much as 50% and, in drier regions, increases crop yields by
conserving water. In the recent past, contour plowing has been the single most
effective method for reducing soil erosion.
No-Till
(Conservation) Agriculture
An
even more efficient technique to slow erosion is No-till agriculture, also referred to as conservation tillage, a
recent form of combination of farming practices that includes not plowing the
land, using herbicides to keep down the weeds. In no-till agriculture the
land is left unplowed most years. Plant residues or other materials are left to
cover the surface (30% of the soil
surface) and allowed to decay in place (mulch tillage). These
practices can greatly reduce soil and water loss, reduces traffic operations
over the field which decreases soil compaction, reduces the use of tractor fuel,
and increases the profit.
The wisest approach to sustainable agriculture involves a combination of different kinds of land use:
- Using the best agricultural lands for crops
- Poorer lands for pastures and rangelands, and
- Avoid using of the best lands for grain production for animal feed.
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