Examples
In Conservation Agriculture there are many examples that can be looked towards as a way of farming but at the same time conserving. These practices that are done now are known well by most producers. The process of no-till is one that follows the first principle of CA, with doing minimal mechanical soil disturbance. But no-till also brings other benefits to the producer who does no-till. According to the FAO tillage is one of the most “energy consuming” processes that can be done, in other words it takes a lot of labor, time, and fuel to do the process of tillage. Producers can save 30% to 40% of time and labor by practicing the no-till process. (FAO 3020)
Besides conserving the soil, there are also other examples of how CA is used in the world today. According to an article in Science called “Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature” there are also two more kinds of CA that can be used. The practice of Wildlife-Friendly Farming and Land Sparing are ideas that can be used if a producer is looking to be more conservative towards biodiversity (Green, et al. 2005).
The idea of Wildlife-Friendly Farming is a practice of setting aside land that will not be developed by the producer (farmer). This land will be set aside so that biodiversity has a chance to establish itself within areas along with agricultural fields. At the same time inside the fields the producer is taking attempts to lower the amount of fertilizer and pesticides used within the fields so that organisms and microbial activity have a chance to establish themselves in the soil and habitat as a whole (Green, et al. 2005). But as in all systems, not all can be perfect. In order to create a habitat suitable for biodiversity something has to be reduced, and as in this case for agriculture farmers, yields can be reduced in the process. This is where the second idea of Land Sparing can be looked on as another alternative.
The idea of Land Sparing can be used as another way that both producer and conservationist can both be on the same page. Land Sparing brings in the point that for all the land that is being used for agricultural purposes be continued to produce food and products for our world but at an increase in yield. With an increase in yield on all land that is presently in use then some other land can be set aside for conservation and production for biodiversity. This would mean that land in agriculture would stay in production but would have to increase its yield potential in order to keep up with the demand for food worldwide. Other land that is not being put into agriculture use would be used for conserving biodiversity (Green, et al. 2005).
Read more about this topic: Conservation Agriculture
Famous quotes containing the word examples:
“In the examples that I here bring in of what I have [read], heard, done or said, I have refrained from daring to alter even the smallest and most indifferent circumstances. My conscience falsifies not an iota; for my knowledge I cannot answer.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“There are many examples of women that have excelled in learning, and even in war, but this is no reason we should bring ‘em all up to Latin and Greek or else military discipline, instead of needle-work and housewifry.”
—Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733)
“It is hardly to be believed how spiritual reflections when mixed with a little physics can hold people’s attention and give them a livelier idea of God than do the often ill-applied examples of his wrath.”
—G.C. (Georg Christoph)