Definition of Sustainable Agriculture:-
“Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture refers to
a range of strategies for addressing many problems (loss of soil productivity
from excessive soil erosion and associated plant nutrient losses, surface and
ground water pollution from pesticides, fertilizers and sediments, impending
shortages of non- renewable resources) that effect agriculture.”
-
CGIAR, 1988
“A
sustainable Agriculture is a system of agriculture that is committed to
maintain and preserve the agriculture base of soil, water and atmosphere
ensuring future generations the capacity to feed themselves with an adequate supply
of safe and wholesome food.”
- Gracet, 1990
“A
Sustainable Agriculture system is one that can indefinitely meet demands for
food and fibre at socially acceptable, economic and environment cost.”
- Crosson, 1992
Current
Concepts Of Sustainable Agriculture:-
1.
Reduce dose of synthetics
2.
Chemical inputs
3.
Biological pest control
4.
Soil and water conservation practices
5.
Use of animal and green
6.
Biotechnology
7.
Crop rotations
8.
Use of Organic wastes
9.
Crop- livestock diversification
10. Mechanical cultivation
- Current concept of sustainable Agriculture is achieving sustainability through low- input methods and skilled management. The ultimate goal or the ends of sustainable agriculture is to develop farming systems that are productive and profitable, conserve the natural resource base, protect the environment, and enhance health and safety, and to do so over the long-term.
- Low-input farming systems seek to minimize the use of external production inputs, such as purchased fertilizers and pesticides, to lower production costs: to avoid pollution of surface and groundwater: to reduce pesticide residues in food; to reduce a farmer’s overall risk; and to increase both short-term and long-term farm profitability.
Goals
of Sustainable Agriculture:- A sustainable
Agriculture, therefore, is any system of food or fiber production that
systematically pursues the following goals:-
- A more thorough incorporation of natural processes such as nutrient cycling nitrogen fixation and pest-predator relationships into agricultural production processes.
- A reduction in the use of those off-farm, external and nonrenewable inputs with the greatest potential to damage the environment or harm the health of farmers and consumers, and more targeted use of the remaining inputs used with a view to minimizing variable costs.
- The full participation of farmers and rural people in all processes of problem analysis and technology development, adoption and extension.
- A more equitable access to predictive resources and opportunities, and progress towards more socially just forms of Agriculture.
- A greater productive use of the biological and genetic potential of plant and animal species.
- A greater productive use of local knowledge and practices, including innovation in approaches not yet fully understood by scientists or widely adopted by farmers.
- An increase in self-reliance among farmers and rural people.
- An improvement in the match between cropping patterns and the productive potential and environmental constraints of climate and landscape to ensure long-term sustainability of current production levels.
Elements
of Sustainability:-
There
are many ways to improve the sustainability of a given farming system, and these
vary from region to region.
a)
Soil Conservation:- Many soil conservation methods,
including contour cultivates contour bunding, graded bunding, vegetative
barriers, strip cropping cover cropping, reduced tillage etc help prevent loss
of soil due to wind and water erosion.
b)
Crop Diversity:- Growing a greater variety of crops
on a farm can help reduce risks from extremes in weather, market conditions or
crop pests.
c)
Nutrient Management:- Proper management of
nitrogen and other plant nutrients con improve the soil and protect
environment. Increased use of farm nutrient sources such as manure and
leguminous cover crops, also reduces purchased fertilizer costs.
d)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM):- IPM is a
sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural,
physical and chemical tools in way that minimizes economic, health and
environmental risks.
e)
Cover Crops:- Growing plant such as sun hemp, horse
gram, pillipesara in the off season after harvesting a grain or vegetable crop
can provide several benefits, including weed suppression, erosion control, and
improved soil nutrients and soil quality.
f)
Rotational Grazing:- New management- intensive grazing
systems take animals out barn into the pasture to provide high-quality forage
and reduced feed cost .
g)
Water Quality & Water Conservation:-
Water conservation and protection have important part of Agricultural
stewardship. Many practices (deep ploughing, mulching, micro irrigation
techniques etc.) have been develop, protect quality of drinking and surface
water .
h)
Agro Forestry:- Trees and other woody perennials
are often underutilized on covers a range of practices Viz., Agri-Silvicuture,
Silvi-Pastoral, Agri-Silvi-Pastr-Horticulture, Horti/Silvipastoral, Alley
cropping, Tree farming , Lay farm that help conserve, soil and water.
i)
Marketing:- Farmers across the country are finding
that improved marketing way to enhance profitability, direct marketing of
agricultural product from farmers to consumers is becoming much more common.
Status
of Sustainable Agriculture in India:-
The
survival and well being of the nation depends on sustainable
development. Suitable Development of India demands access to state of are ‘clean’
technologies and have as strategic role in increasing the capabilities of the
country both o the environment as well as to provide thrust towards
conservation and sustainable agriculture.
Current
research programmes towards sustainable agriculture are as follows:
1.
Resistant crop varieties to soil, climatic and biotic stresses
2.
Multiple cropping system for irrigated areas and tree based farming system
rainfall area.
3.
Integrated nutrient management.
4.
Integrated pest management
5.
Soil and water conservation
6.
Agroforestry systems in dry lands/ sloppy areas and erosion prone areas.
7.
Farm implements to save energy in agriculture
8.
Use of non-conventional energy in Agriculture
9.
Input use efficiency
10.
Plant genetic resource collection and conservation.
Modern
Agriculture:- Modern
Agriculture begins on the research station, where researchers have access to
all i.e., necessary inputs of fertilizers, pesticides and labour at all the
appropriate times. For high productivity per hectare, farmers, need access to
the whole package – modern seeds, water, labour, capital or credit, fertilizers
and pesticides. If one element is missing, the seed delivery system fails or
the fertilizer arrives late, or there is insufficient irrigation water, then
yields may not be much better than those for traditional varieties. Where
production has been improved through these modern technologies, all too often
there have been adverse environmental and social impacts in both the advanced
and developing countries including India. These include the following:
Adverse
Effects of Modern High- Input Agriculture:-
- Overuse of natural resources, causing depletion of groundwater, and loss of forests, wild habitats, and of their capacity to absorb water, causing waterlogging and increased salinity:
- Contamination of the atmosphere by ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane and the products of burning, which play a role in ozone depletion, global warming and atmospheric pollution.
- Contamination of food and fodder by residues of pesticides, nitrates and antibiotics.
- Contamination of water by pesticides, nitrates, soil and livestock water, causing harm to wildlife, disruption of ecosystems and possible health problems in drinking water.
- Build up of resistance to pesticides in pests and diseases including herbicide resistance in weeds.
- Damage of farm and natural resources by pesticides, causing harm to farm workers and public, disruption of ecosystems and harm to wildlife.
- Erosion of genetic diversity the tendency in agriculture to standardize and specialize by focusing on modern varieties, causing the displacement of traditional varieties and breeds.
- New health hazards for workers in the agrochemical and food processing industries.
- Added to the above adverse effects, the increasing human as well as cattle population is imposing intense pressure on available natural resources. Accordingly, a challenge has emerged that required a new vision, holistic approaches for ecosystem management and renewed partnership between science and society.
Thank You
Vikas Kashyap:)
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