By Raymond Poincelot
Our nation's grandest firm is our agricultural undefined. it really is moment to none when it comes to resources, employees, and exports. Agricultural luck has be come an approved truth and is taken with no consideration through nearly all of the yankee public. Few think or are even keen to contemplate that the con tinued destiny good fortune of this is threatened. but threatened it truly is. The source base of agriculture is changing into dimin ished via overuse and environmental misuse. one other hardship is the contest for agricultural assets via different clients. The strength, soil, and water assets can't maintain agriculture into the a long way destiny at their current price of use. anything has to be performed to lead to public wisdom and aid for the adjustments had to flow our state towards a sustainable agriculture. extra study and investment has to be directed towards this finish. Our agriculture educators and different info disseminators needs to ensure that the farmers, politicians, and the general public obtain the message. Farmers has to be keen to make the mandatory adjustments. whatever is being performed. Our agricultural approach is in a transitional level. conventional agriculturists are altering a few practices and their attitudes.
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Extra info for Toward a More Sustainable Agriculture
Example text
First, a definite reduction in energy costs accompanies use of organic practices. Conservation of agricultural resources, especially soil, also is assured. Maintenance of environmental quality can be achieved, even with some use of agricultural chemicals. Finally, reasonable productivity can be attained with organic practices. The ideal solution would be an integration of the best from both organic and conventional farming practices, a new direction designed to sustain agriculture. Essentially, organic practices would be retained, but supplemented with judicious use of agricultural chemicals.
Anhydrous ammonia is slightly more energy efficient to manufacture than urea and ammonia nitrate. The respective average energy requirements are 46,69, and 65 MJ/kg. Nitrogen fertilizers consume about 2% of the total natural gas used in the United States (Fluck and Baird 1980). Fertilization application rates vary considerably depending on soil conditions, climate, and crop. Rates on corn, for example, range from 75 to 175 Ib/acre (85 to 199 kg/ha) of nitrogen and from 60 to 150 Ib/acre (68 to 170 kg/ha) each of potassium and phosphorus as P2 0 5 and K 2 0.
Improper application or use of contaminated sludges can lead to pollution of soil and water, and possible release of toxic compounds that can end up in the food chain. Excessive use of organic wastes can contribute to pollution of groundwater both during the growing season and after harvest. The excess nitrate not utilized during growth can be leached, and the slow release of nitrate after harvest continues to cause further problems. Runoff removal of some nutrients is possible if manures and sludges are applied to frozen or snowcovered fields.