Sustainable Agriculture An introduction Sustainable Agriculture The practice

Sustainable Agriculture An introduction……

Sustainable Agriculture • The practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. – It has been defined as "an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will last over the long term: • Satisfy human food and fiber needs • Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends • Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls • Sustain the economic viability of farm operations • Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals • Environmental health • Economic profitability • Social and economic equity. © bank ESA 2010

Environmental health • Sustainable Agriculture refers to agricultural production that can be maintained without harming the environment. • Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture should be: – Bearable – Equitable – viable for the farmer • AND - produce the best quality food for the consumer, nurture the environment & preserve energy. © bank ESA 2010

Economic profitability • Ecological economics is: – the interdependence of ‘human economies and natural ecosystems’. • It treats the economy and society as a subsystem of the ecosystem: – with emphasis on preserving natural capital • recognizes – That social and economic systems cannot exist independently from the environment. © bank ESA 2010

Social and economic equity • There is a natural market premium • If successful – Equity will be recognized by the farmer as beneficial for this commitment to quality food output. • In addition farmer may get – Government favorable interest rate financial incentives and solution support. © bank ESA 2010

Sustainable agriculture • Sustainable agriculture in the United States was addressed by the 1990 farm bill. • More recently, as consumer and retail demand for sustainable products has risen, organizations such as Food Alliance and Protected Harvest have started to provide measurement standards and certification programs for what constitutes a sustainable grown crop

What is Sustainable Agriculture? • Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of World War II. • Food and fiber productivity soared due to new technologies, mechanization, increased chemical use, specialization and government policies that favored maximizing production. • These changes allowed fewer farmers with reduced labor demands to produce the majority of the food and fiber in the U. S.

What is Sustainable Agriculture? • Has had major social and ecological impacts, which have drawn intense praise and equally intense criticism. • In fact, many regions of the world peaked in food production in the period 1980 to 1995 • Are presently in decline, since desertification and critical water supplies have become limiting factors in a number of world regions.

What is Sustainable Agriculture? • Although these changes have had many positive effects and reduced many risks in farming, there have also been significant costs. • • • Prominent among these are: Topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination decline of family farms, continued neglect of the living and working conditions for farm laborers, increasing costs of production disintegration of economic and social conditions in rural communities.

What is Sustainable Agriculture? • A growing movement has emerged during the past two decades to question the role of the agricultural establishment in promoting practices that contribute to these social problems. • Today this movement for sustainable agriculture is garnering increasing support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture. • Not only does sustainable agriculture address many environmental and social concerns, but it offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policymakers and many others in the entire food system.

The Biosphere • The atmosphere sustains life and is sustained by life. • The Gaia hypothesis – The entire planet is a living breathing organism and will protect itself – homeostasis of the whole planet!!! • The biosphere works in “cycles” • Nitrogen • Carbon • Water

• Some greenhouse emissions related to agriculture are embedded in other sectors • fossil fuels to produce chemical fertilizers and pesticides • Processing • Packaging • Refrigeration • transport of food • land conversion from biodiverse ecosystems to giant, monoculture food plantations

Rodale Institute study • projects that the planet’s 3. 5 billion tillable acres could sequester nearly 40 percent of current CO 2 emissions if they were converted to “regenerative” organic agriculture practices • Remember: • Via photosynthesis, over 100 billion metric tons of CO 2 and H 2 O are converted into cellulose and other plant products

Many studies have drawn similar conclusions. • India – organic farming research shows increases in carbon absorption by up to 55 percent (even higher when agro-forestry is added into the mix), and water holding capacity is increased by 10 percent. • California – study of 20 commercial farms found that organic fields had 28 percent more carbon in the soil than industrial farms.

Water • In some areas, sufficient rainfall is available for crop growth, but many other areas require irrigation. • For irrigation systems to be sustainable they require proper management (to avoid salinization) and must not use more water from their source than is naturally replenished taken from an article by Robert Service in Science Magazine. “Energy demands on water resources”

Indicators for sustainable water resource development are: • Internal renewable water resources. – This is the average annual flow of rivers and groundwater generated from endogenous precipitation. • Can be expressed in three different units: – in absolute terms (km 3/yr), – a measure of the humidity of the country (mm/yr) – as a function of population (m 3/person per yr). • Global renewable water resources. – sum of internal renewable water resources and incoming flow originating outside the country. – can vary with time if upstream development reduces water availability at the border.

Indicators for sustainable water resource development are: • Dependency ratio. – This is the proportion of the global renewable water resources originating outside the country, expressed in percentage. – It is an expression of the level to which the water resources of a country depend on neighboring countries. • Water withdrawal. – When expressed in percentage of water resources, it shows the degree of pressure on water resources. – A rough estimate shows that if water withdrawal exceeds a quarter of global renewable water resources of a country, water can be considered a limiting factor to development. – Therefore, the pressure on water resources can have a direct impact on all sectors, from agriculture to environment and fisheries.

The Soil • The biggest ecosystem on Earth! • Animals: – micro-organisms mix soils as they form burrows and pores, allowing moisture and gases to move about. In the same way, plant roots open channels in soils. • Plants: – deep taproots can penetrate many meters through the different soil layers to bring up nutrients from deeper in the profile. – fibrous roots that spread out near the soil surface have roots that are easily decomposed, adding organic matter.

The Soil • Micro-organisms: – including fungi and bacteria, effect chemical exchanges between roots and soil and act as a reserve of nutrients. • Humans: – impact soil formation by removing vegetation cover with erosion as the result. – Also mix the different soil layers, restarting the soil formation process as less weathered material is mixed with the more developed upper layers.

Soil Erosion • Fast becoming one of the worlds greatest problems. It is estimated that more than a thousand million tonnes of southern Africa's soil are eroded every year. – Experts predict that crop yields will be halved within thirty to fifty years if erosion continues at present rates. • Not unique to Africa but is occurring worldwide. – The phenomenon is being called Peak Soil as present large scale factory farming techniques are jeopardizing humanity's ability to grow food in the present and in the future. • Without efforts to improve soil management practices, the availability of arable soil will become increasingly problematic.

Soil Management techniques • No-till farming – soil is left intact and crop residue is left on the field. – soil layers, conserving organisms and layers in their natural state. • Keyline design – maximizes beneficial use of water resources of a piece of land. – refers to a specific topographic feature linked to water flow • Growing wind breaks to hold the soil – Planting trees and hedges – Prevent wind from blowing away top soil

Soil Management techniques • Incorporating organic matter back into fields – Composting! Puts Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Water and microbes back into the soil!!! Can also add Urine –honest!! • Stop using chemical fertilizers (contain salt) – Remember Algal Blooms? Also, the salt kills natural micro -organisms in soil – contaminates water!!!!! • Protecting soil from water runoff – Careful placement of rocks and trees. • Soil Steaming – sterilize soil with steam in open fields or greenhouses – Destroys pathogens – Destroys weeds, but dead plant material is left in soil as compost

Bottom line • Grow crops which are best suited to local environment • Have a plentiful, and renewable local water supply • Protect the soil • Good crop management techniques

Good crop management techniques • Grow a variety of crops. – spreads economic risk and are less susceptible to the radical price fluctuations associated with changes in supply and demand. • Crop rotation – used to suppress weeds, pathogens and insect pests.

Good crop management techniques • Cover crops – stabilizing effects by holding soil and nutrients in place – conserving soil moisture with mowed or standing dead mulches, increasing the water infiltration rate and soil water holding capacity. – The use of vineyards can buffer the system against pest infestations by increasing beneficial arthropod populations and can therefore reduce the need for chemical inputs.

Bottom line • Low cost and effective local storage of food stuffs • Low environmental impact transport system • Local market and a steady and growing customer base.

So what about backyard Agricultural Sustainability? • Grow only crops which mature within the local growing season. • Only grow crops selections which will work together in such a limited space. • Think about nutrient needs. • Think about water demands. • Think about long time storage of successful crops.

Water barrel • Free (clean) water!!!!!!! • Rain barrel kit – www. earthminded. com – Trash can – $40. 00!!! • Set up next to garden. Fills up fast! – Melting snow will also fill it up. – Can connect many together. • Consider county, city, and state laws!

Composting • Turning kitchen waste into natural fertilizer • Any container will work – Need air holes • Can buy bacteria cultures to add to container. – Can add worms to increase efficiently • When setting up, layer soil and kitchen waste. – Takes approx. one year to get going from scratch.

The start of composting • Bacteria are the smallest living organisms and the most numerous in compost. • They make up 80 to 90% of the billions of the microorganisms typically found in a gram of compost. • Bacteria are responsible for most of the decomposition and heat generation in compost. • They are the most nutritionally diverse group of compost organisms, using a broad range of enzymes to chemically break down a variety of organic materials By: Nancy Trautmann and Elaina Olynciw: Cornell University

As composting goes on…. . • At the beginning of the composting process (0 -40°C), mesophilic bacteria predominate. Most of these are forms that can also be found in topsoil. • As the compost heats up above 40°C, thermophilic bacteria take over. The microbial populations during this phase are dominated by members of the genus Bacillus. The diversity of Bacilli species is fairly high at temperatures from 50 -55°C but decreases dramatically at 60°C or above. • When conditions become unfavorable, bacilli survive by forming endospores, – thick-walled spores that are highly resistant to heat, cold, dryness, or lack of food. – They are ubiquitous in nature and become active whenever environmental conditions are favorable. By: Nancy Trautmann and Elaina Olynciw: Cornell University

And at the end…… • Once the compost cools down, mesophilic bacteria again predominate. • The numbers and types of mesophilic microbes that recolonize compost as it matures depend on what spores and organisms are present in the compost as well as in the immediate environment. • In general, the longer the curing or maturation phase, the more diverse the microbial community it supports. By: Nancy Trautmann and Elaina Olynciw: Cornell University

Actinomycetes • The characteristic earthy smell of soil is caused by actinomycetes, organisms that resemble fungi but actually are filamentous bacteria. • Like other bacteria, they lack nuclei, but they grow multicellular filaments like fungi. • In composting they play an important role in degrading complex organics such as cellulose, lignin, chitin, and proteins. • Their enzymes enable them to chemically break down tough debris such as woody stems, bark, or newspaper. Institute of Soil Biology České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Actinomycetes • Some species appear during thermophilic phase, and others become important during the cooler curing phase, when only the most resistant compounds remain in the last stages of the formation of humus. • Actinomycetes form long, thread-like branched filaments that look like gray spider webs stretching through compost. • These filaments are most commonly seen toward the end of the composting process, in the outer 10 to 15 centimeters of the pile. Sometimes they appear as circular colonies that gradually expand in diameter. Institute of Soil Biology České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Fungi • Fungi include molds and yeasts, and collectively they are responsible for the decomposition of many complex plant polymers in soil and compost. • In compost, fungi are important because they break down tough debris, enabling bacteria to continue the decomposition process once most of the cellulose has been exhausted. • They spread and grow vigorously by producing many cells and filaments, and they can attack organic residues that are too dry, acidic, or low in nitrogen for bacterial decomposition. Permission from University of California Museum of Paleontology.

Fungi • Most fungi are classified as saprophytes because they live on dead or dying material and obtain energy by breaking down organic matter in dead plants and animals. • Fungal species are numerous during both mesophilic and thermophilic phases of composting. • Most fungi live in the outer layer of compost when temperatures are high. • Compost molds are strict aerobes that grow both as unseen filaments and as gray or white fuzzy colonies on the compost surface. Permission from University of California Museum of Paleontology.

Don’t forget worms! • These are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as organic fecal matter). • By doing so, they contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles. • They should be distinguished from other decomposers, such as many species of: – bacteria – fungi – protists • which are unable to ingest discrete lumps of matter – but instead live by absorbing and metabolizing on a molecular scale.

Conclusions • Converts raw organic matter into humus, feeds the soil population of microorganisms and other creatures, thus maintains high and healthy levels of soil life. • Decomposition of dead plant material causes complex organic compounds to be slowly oxidized or to break down into simpler forms which are further transformed into microbial biomass. • The biochemical structure of humus enables it to moderate – or buffer – excessive acid or alkaline soil conditions. • The dark color of humus (usually black or dark brown) helps to warm up cold soils in the spring.

Wood ash • In addition to composting, can use wood ash from a log burning fireplace. • Ash is full of the essential nutrients required for plant growth and development. • Even contains a higher % of these nutrients than commercially available growth supplements. • Cheap, natural, and fantastic for the environment and soil health Component Normal agar (ppm) Ash Agar (ppm) Arsenic <0. 1 Barium <0. 1 3. 3 0. 1 2. 2 Calcium 37. 9 1409. 9 Chlorine 2. 1 Chromium <0. 1 Cobalt 0. 1 Copper 0. 1 2. 2 Iron 0. 5 27. 4 Lead 0. 1 0. 2 Lithium <0. 1 0. 2 Magnesium 11. 6 107. 6 Manganese 0. 2 3. 8 Molybdenum <0. 1 Nitrogen 21. 5 Phosphorus 3. 6 109. 4 Potassium 35. 6 552. 1 Sodium 83. 7 90. 7 Sulfur 268. 3 335. 8 Tin 0. 1 Zinc 0. 1 1. 1 Boron

Canning • So, you grew hundreds of tomatoes. What to do with them? • Great preservation technique. – Allows you to store food stuffs outside of the growing season – Can use them for cooking for the rest of the year – Better than just freezing food stuffs • Can store ANYTHING by this method. • Not a new technology, just a (mostly) forgotten one, which is making a comeback.

Final Summary • Sustainable Agriculture is: – The practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. – refers to agricultural production that can be maintained without harming the environment. • Not only does it address many environmental and social concerns, but it: – – – offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for: growers Laborers Consumers policymakers.

The End! Any Questions?