Ecological Agriculture
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Ecological Agriculture
In permaculture we teach ecological agriculture. Ecological agriculture means growing food in diverse systems that are 100% organic (chemical free) and which do not use monocultures. They build and maintain soil fertility through maintaining the right mix of plant species (including nitrogen fixers) on the land all year round and make more use of multifunctional trees and other perennial plants. Any fertilisers or sprays are made from plant materials, such as compost teas or neem insect repellent. It is natural-system-based farming. Ecological agriculture is truly sustainable – it can regenerate and refertilise the degraded and damaged agricultural soils that cover most of the world, and will allow us to continue producing food on that land indefinitely. Conventional agriculture degrades and depletes the soil, and so cannot continue to feed us, and the “progress” made in agriculture in the last decades has come at an enormous environmental and social cost . Ecological agriculture also outyields industrial agriculture – it gives a combined and continual yield from land, instead of one or two big monoculture harvests per year. And it is much more efficient in energy and financial terms when we consider the cost and embodied energy of conventional farming’s chemical inputs. Ecological agriculture gives us a much better output for our input. This has all been proven and agreed upon by the best independent (not paid by the big chemical and seed companies) agricultural researchers in the world (not just the western academics). In 2009 the UN-sponsored International Assessment on Agricultural Science and Technology in Development (IAASTD) report was published, the result of several years work by over 400 of the worlds top independent researchers compiling evidence from thousands of research projects and case studies around the world. Halfway through writing the report, the biotechnology/GMO companies withdrew their participation from the report because they realised the report was not going to endorse genetic modification of crops, and that its findings and opinions threatened their business interests and the whole chemical industrial agricultural paradigm. The IAASTD report clearly recommends that ecological agriculture is the only way in which we will be able to continue to feed the current world population. You can read the IAASTD summary and the whole report by clicking here: The need for sustainable agriculture is so inevitable, even the UN has to admit it. “Agroecology outperforms large-scale industrial farming for global food security,” says UN expert. — The United Nations Office at Geneva (<- click here) In an article (first reported 22 June 2010), UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Professor Olivier De Schutter “makes an airtight case for a global policy shift toward agroecological production.” Along with 25 of the world’s most renowned experts on agroecology, the UN expert urged the international community to re-think current agricultural policies and build on the potential of agroecology. The widest study ever conducted on agroecological approaches (Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex, UK) covered 286 projects in 57 developing countries, representing a total surface of 37 million hectares: the average crop yield gain was 79%. Concrete examples of ‘agroecological success stories’ abound in Africa. —The United Nations Office at Geneva You can read 2 excellent articles about this issue on the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia’s website by clicking here: Need for sustainable agriculture admitted by UN and The Food Crisis: “A Perfect Storm” – and How to Turn the Tide Share this:
Ecological Principles for Agriculture
MANAGING SOILS AND CROPS TO MINIMIZE PEST PROBLEMS It is well established—and known by most farmers—that crop rotation can decrease many disease, insect, nematode, and weed pressures. A few other examples of management practices that reduce pest pressure follow: Insect damage can be reduced by avoiding excess inorganic nitrogen levels in soils by using better nitrogen management. Adequate nutrient levels reduce disease incidence. For example, calcium applications have reduced diseases in crops such as wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and peppers, while added potassium has reduced the incidence of fungal diseases in crops such as cotton, tomatoes, and corn. Damage from insect and disease (such as fungal diseases of roots) can be decreased by lessening soil compaction. Severity of root rots and leaf diseases can be reduced with composts that contain low levels of available nitrogen but still have some active organic matter. Many pests are kept under control by having to compete for resources or by direct antagonism from other insects (including the beneficials feeding on them). Good quantities of a variety of organic materials help maintain a diverse group of soil organisms. Root surfaces are protected from fungal and nematode attack by high rates of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. Most cover crops help keep mycorrhizal fungi spore counts high and promote higher rates of infection by the beneficial fungi. Parasitic nematodes can be suppressed by selected cover crops. Weed seed numbers are reduced in soils that have a lot of biological activity, with both microorganisms and insects helping the process. Weed seed predation by ground beetles is encouraged by reduced tillage and maintenance of surface residues. Reduced tillage also keeps the weed seeds at the surface, where they are accessible to predation by other organisms, such as rodents, ants, and crickets. Residues of some cover crops, such as winter rye, produce chemicals that reduce weed seed germination. Approaching agriculture and soil management from an ecological point of view means first understanding the characteristics that comprise strong natural systems. Let’s take a look at overall strategies that can contribute to similar strength of crops, animals, and farms. Then we’ll briefly discuss practices that contribute to creating vital and strong agricultural systems (discussed in more detail in later chapters). Ecological crop and soil management practices can be grouped under one or more of three overall strategies: grow healthy plants with strong defense capabilities stress pests enhance beneficial organisms These overall strategies are accomplished by practices that maintain and enhance the habitat both above ground and in the soil. Ecological approaches call for designing the field and farm to take advantage of the inherent strengths of natural systems. Most of this is done prior to, and during, planting a crop and has the goal of preventing problems from developing by contributing to one or more of the three overall strategies. However, there are also routine management practices that occur during the season even if you have done a lot of preventive management. For example, irrigation is frequently needed for high-value crops such as fresh market vegetables—even in humid regions. Also, scouting for pest problems and beneficials should be part of routine management during the season. If an unanticipated problem, such as an insect outbreak, arises, remedial action, such as applying the most ecologically sound pesticide or releasing purchased beneficials into the field, may be required to save the crop. Ecological principles provide a good framework for sustainable management, but we must also recognize that crop production is inherently an “unnatural” process because we favor one organism (the crop plant) over the competing interests of others. With currently available pesticides, the temptation exists to simply wipe out competitors—for example through soil fumigation— but this creates dependency on purchased materials from off the farm and weakens the overall resiliency of the soil and cropping system. The goal of ecological crop and soil management is to minimize the extent of reactive management (which reacts to unanticipated occurrences) by creating conditions that help grow healthy plants, promote beneficials, and stress pests. The discussion below and in the rest of this book focuses on ways to maintain and enhance habitat in order to promote one or more of the three strategies listed above. STRONG ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS Efficiency. Efficient energy flows are characteristic of natural systems. The sun’s energy captured by green plants is used by many organisms, as fungi and bacteria decompose organic residues and are then fed upon by other organisms, which are themselves fed upon by others higher up the food web. Natural ecosystems also tend to be efficient in capturing and using rainfall and in mobilizing and cycling nutrients. This helps to keep the ecosystem from “running down” because of excessive loss of nutrients and at the same time helps maintain the quality of the groundwater and surface waters. Rainfall tends to enter the porous soil, rather than run off, providing water to plants as well as recharge to groundwater, slowly releasing water to streams and rivers. Diversity. High biological diversity, both above ground and in the soil, characterizes many natural ecosystems in temperate and tropical regions. It provides nutrients to plants, checks on disease outbreaks, etc. For example, competition for resources and specific antagonisms (such as antibiotic production) from the multitude of soil organisms usually keep soilborne plant diseases from severely damaging a natural grassland or forest. Self-sufficiency. A consequence of efficiency and diversity in natural terrestrial ecosystems is that they become self-sufficient—requiring only inputs of sunlight and rainfall. Self-regulation. Because of the great diversity of organisms, outbreaks (or huge population increases) of diseases or insects that severely damage plants or animals are uncommon. In addition, plants have a number of defense mechanisms that help protect them from attack. Resiliency. Disturbances, such as climate extremes, occur in all ecosystems—natural or not. The stronger ones are more resistant to disturbances and are able to bounce back more quickly. —MODIFIED FROM MAGDOFF (2007).
Ecological Agriculture Specialization
The Ecological Agriculture specialization provides a holistic understanding of how agroecosystems work and the science of sustainable agriculture. It emphasizes the interrelationships among soils, plants, insects, animals, humans and other components of agroecosystems. As well the specialization applies ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems. This specialization is where agriculture and ecology/ environment interact. Ecological agriculture addresses both the practical and theoretical issues that arise from this interaction including ecosystem dynamics, agroecology of food crops, and the role of agriculture in rural and urban landscapes. The specialization strives to view agroecosystems as a whole in the context of today’s global economy, social systems and environment. Through coursework and the possibility of internships students will learn about both the environmental and social context of agriculture and be able to develop workable solutions to the challenge of sustainable food production. If you have an interest in agriculture and the environment, the Ecological Agriculture Specialization could be right for you! THIS SPECIALIZATION MAY BE TAKEN WITH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MAJORS: Agro-Environmental Sciences; International Agriculture and Food Systems For questions about the Ecological Agriculture Specialization, please contact the student advisor. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 24 credits To view the list of courses: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) - Ecological Agriculture (24 Credits) CAREER PATHS CAN INCLUDE: Environmental and regulatory organizations which monitor best management practices International development and agriculture Agronomic and horticultural crop specialists with local, national, and international businesses and organizations Positions in the management and operation of agronomic and horticultural crop production farms Sales and marketing careers for seed and other agricultural supply industries Agroecosystem scientists and research Small scale farming – community supported agriculture Coordinators of community and collective gardens For more career paths, please visit the Career Planning Service (CaPS) website.
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1 Students are eligible for student membership to the Ecological Agriculture Australia Association
2 Welcome to our website about ecological agriculture and alternative food networks in China.
3 Inspired by the Wendell Berry essay, Solving for Pattern, 11th Hour’s Ecological Agriculture program focuses on three programmatic goals: reforming animal agriculture, building regional food systems, and long-term movement building