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Principles of Sustainable Agriculture PRT3006

This document provides an overview of sustainable agriculture principles and objectives. It discusses the history of agriculture from subsistence to modern commercial practices. The impacts of conventional agriculture are then examined, including land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, overuse of chemicals, and deforestation. Specific issues like soil erosion, desertification, and eutrophication are described. The document introduces sustainable agriculture as an alternative that aims to produce food while maintaining soil and environmental quality over the long term.

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29 views

Principles of Sustainable Agriculture PRT3006

This document provides an overview of sustainable agriculture principles and objectives. It discusses the history of agriculture from subsistence to modern commercial practices. The impacts of conventional agriculture are then examined, including land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, overuse of chemicals, and deforestation. Specific issues like soil erosion, desertification, and eutrophication are described. The document introduces sustainable agriculture as an alternative that aims to produce food while maintaining soil and environmental quality over the long term.

Uploaded by

choongwenkang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE

AGRICULTURE
PRT3006
OBJECTIVES OF THIS COURSE
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Correlate production factors in sustainable
agriculture system.
2. Elaborate the main issues and agro-ecosystem
mitigation steps in sustainable agriculture practice
framework.
3. Explain the components of environment, economic
and social in agriculture production system,
marketing, and policy in facing challenges and
role/position of sustainable agriculture in the future.
INTRODUCTION
1. History and evolution of agriculture.
2. Impacts or current issues of modern
agriculture that made adoption of
sustainable agricultural practices important.
Agriculture

- from the latin word "agricultura"


ager = field
cultura = cultivation

- since the beginning of human civilization


Subsistence agriculture

- self sufficiency
- sell/trade surplus
- small area
- primitive technology
- low yield
Example:

Shifting agriculture/slash and burn


- clear forest area to grow crops
- land abandoned in a few years after soil
fertility declined
Green revolution (1940s -1970s)

- increase in agriculture production to feed


increasing population
- through:
• high yielding varieties
• irrigation
• mechanization
• synthetic chemicals (fertilizers & pesticides)
MODERN/COMMERCIAL
AGRICULTURE
What are the impacts of conventional(modern)
agricultural practices on the environment?

1. Land degradation
2. Emission of greenhouse gasses/Global
warming (climate change)
3. Declining of genetic diversity (biodiversity)
4. Excessive use of commercial fertilizer and
pesticides (agrochemicals)
5. Deforestation; overgrazing;
1. WHAT ARE THE EXAMPLES OF LAND
DEGRADATION PROCESS?
1.1 Soil Erosion 1.2 Desertification
1.3 Compaction 1.4 Frequent Tilling

Pic:http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/library/themes/compaction/ Pic: Susie Mulliken of New Braintree (Tilling the soil at


Howe’s Farm, New Braintree)
1.5 Water Logging 1.6Acidification

Pic:http://uchongfertilizer.com.my/benefits_peat_reason1 Pic:http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/acid2.html
2.html
1.7 Crusting 1.8 Organic Matter Loss
1.9 Nutrient Runoff 1.11 Leaching of Nutrients

Pic:http://www.futurity.org/earth-environment/how-to-rein- Pic:http://engineering.tufts.edu/about/news/2008/southAfri
in-toxic-blooms-perfect-storm/ caWater.htm
1.12 Accumulation of Toxic
Materials (organic and inorganic) 1.13 Salinization

Pic:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_salinity
2. EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES

2.1 co2
– natural and
anthropogenic sources
– recent increase due to
fossil-fuel combustion
and deforestation

Pic:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/0804
24103217.htm
2.2 CH4
– natural and
anthropogenic sources
– about 1/2 of current
emissions are
anthropogenic (land
fills, natural gas,
agriculture)

2.3 N2O
–natural and
anthropogenic sources
– nitrogen-based fertilizers
2.4 Other important
Greenhouse Gases:
– CFCs
– Ozone
– and of course, water
vapor!
Global Warming impacts
• Increased temps will enhance evaporation
from oceans  increased water vapor in
atmosphere  enhanced greenhouse effect
• Increased temps will enhance evaporation 
increase amount of low clouds  increase
earth's albedo
• CO2 will dissolve into the oceans
• Vegetation will remove CO2 and grow more
vigorously
3.DECLINE OF GENETIC DIVERSITY
Why is having a diverse
genetic important?
– Different varieties
adapted to different
environmental factors
(drought, different
pest/disease, flooding)
– Focusing on 1 variety = Pic:http://biologyprojectwiki.wikispaces.com/rainforestm
putting all eggs in 1 ainper4
basket
– Wild populations – great
genetic diversity
– Domesticated crops –
less genetic diversity
due to selective
breeding which result in
uniformity
Pic:http://www.google.com.my/imgres?q=monoculture
4. Excessive use of commercial
pesticides and fertilizer
How excessive usage of
pesticides and fertilizer
affect the environment?
i. Genetic resistance to
pesticides is developing in
many insects
ii. Health hazards
iii. Pollution of soil and water
iv. Broad spectrum insecticides
kill beneficial insects too.
- Used excessively as a
preventative measure
rather than being applied
in response to presence
of pest
v. Decrease organic matter
in soil = less water-
holding capacity
vi. Fertilizer in surface and
ground water entering
lakes and streams allows
overgrowth of algae -
eutrophication
vii. Nitrate poisoning of
groundwater / leafy
vegetables

Pic:http://hs-science-systemsibsl.ism-
online.org/2011/11/23/5-3-eutrophication/
5. OTHERS
5.1 FOREST FIRE /SLASH & BURN 5.2 DEFORESTATION

Pic:http://www.google.com.my/
5.3 OVERGRAZING What is overgrazing?
• Happens when there are
too many animals in an
area.
• Recovery of grass plant is
slower than the grazing
time.
What is the solution?
• Reduce the number of
grazers.
• Proper grazing
management
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMING?
(Post-modern agriculture)

• The integration of agricultural technologies


to produce quality food and fiber while
maintaining or increasing soil productivity,
farm profitability and environmental quality.

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