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PRT 2008. Lecture 9. Sustainable Agriculture. Definition. Farming systems that are capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness indefinitely. Such systems must be resource-conserving, socially supportive, commercially competitive and environmentally sound. Sustainable agriculture.
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PRT 2008 Lecture 9
Definition Farming systems that are capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness indefinitely. Such systems must be resource-conserving, socially supportive, commercially competitive and environmentally sound.
Sustainable agriculture • Produce food without depleting the earth’s resources • Not polluting • Follows the principle of nature • Take industrial production as its model • Result in agri-business • Socially acceptable • Follow ecology-based approaches • Promote biodiversity, recycle plant nutrients, protect soil from erosion, conserve water and integrate crops and livestock • It is profitable
Objectives of sustainability • Economic sustainability • Social sustainability • Environmental sustainability
Economic sustainability • The family saving is going up • Debt is going down • The farm enterprise is consistently profitable • Purchase of fertilizer is decreasing • Reliance on government payment is decreasing
Social sustainability • The farm support businesses in the community • Money circulate within the economy • The number of rural family is going up • Young people take over their parent’s farms • University graduates return to the community after graduation
Environmental sustainability • There is no bare ground • Clean water • Wildlife is abundant • Fish in the stream • The farm landscape is diverse in vegetation
Farm as an ecosystem On any farm, 4 ecosystems are at work. It will conserve soil and water resources, reduced cost.
Applying the principle of sustainability • Keep the soils covered throughout the year • Diversification
Diversification • Crop rotation • Use cover crops and green manures • Use compost and fertilizers • Weed management • Pest management • Disease management