131
matics, information technological and production
technological applications are present together
and make plant growing more effective than ever.
Satellite navigation via controlling automated
agricultural machines makes the placing of fertilisers, herbicides and seeds accurate to the decimetre and thus accommodation to the variability
of agricultural areas is possible both in space and
time. For its success in reality very accurate maps
are required regarding the soil conditions, relief
and moisture conditions of the given land. For the
latter continuous measurements are necessary.
There are only a few farms in the world where
these are available. Reality is rather closer to that
technologically developed farms apply one or
two elements of precision farming. Even if all
modern devices would be available the preservation of the natural fertility of the soil could not be
guaranteed. For this careful and systematic
organic matter supply, permanent soil protection
and polycultures instead of monocultures would
be required.
“Green revolution” started in the 1960s in the
larger but poorer part of the world (using fertilisers and herbicides in large amounts, mechanisation) brought great success initially in a few
populous countries (India, China, Brazil) especially the yields of rice and wheat increased. At
the same time, unwanted environmental effects
also occurred (soil degradation and environmental pollution), furthermore, social problems deepened in many cases: social inequalities intensified
both within larger countries and between countries. Green revolution did not reach poor farmers
cultivating soils of poor quality, it locked penniless farmers in financial dependence (De Schutter
2011). Agriculture hardly developed in several
countries of South Asia and in Africa especially
south of the Sahara. It is estimated that small
farms provide work for around 1.3 billion farmers and workers without land worldwide and
these also provide food for around three billion
people.
The Worldwatch Institute programme carried
out in 25 countries in Africa between 2009 and
2010 shows that farmers could introduce numerous innovations in agricultural production that
may have greater effects on people and the natural environment than the newest more modern
technologies. Modern agriculture not only contributes to global warming (carbon is transferred
from the soil to the atmosphere in the form of
carbon dioxide) but the changed environment
poses a serious threat to modern agriculture itself
(Flavin 2011). This is a typical, however,
unwanted example of positive feedback. In contrast, small farms operated with simple devices
and vast hand labour but according to ecological
principles applying innovative solutions frequently achieve the preservation or even the
increase of the carbon content of the soil while
crop yields are increased and more vulnerable
tropical soils are more protected.
An integrated, biological based plant growing
system involving soil, plants and animals is presented in Fig. 4.45. This is also based on the
already presented small biological cycle while it
also tries to copy the operation of natural ecological systems. One element of this is the production
of numerous plant types beside each other (product diversity). Leguminous plants increase the
nitrogen content of the soil via their nitrogen
adsorption capacity, compost can be made of the
remnants of the rest of the plants that if returned
into the soil increases its humus content in the
long term ensuring the preservation of natural
fertility. Compost and manure maintains also the
richness of the soil in microorganisms. According
to experience, in soils maintained in the above
way plant diseases spread less effectively.
Ploughmen apply a number of other agrotechnical methods that help biofarming including
crop rotation, green manure and biological plant
protection. The latter means the use of the natural
enemy of plant pests in the agricultural ecosystem resulting in the significant reduction of pest
populations that cause no significant economic
loss as a consequence (Fig. 4.46). It has to be
noted, however, that the successful maintenance
of the above method requires great care and
competence.
In many cases advancing pests were successfully halted with the biological method. One successful technique is to release males treated by
hormones and thus sterilised in order to hinder
mating and thus impede the proliferation of pests.
4.2 Changes in the Pedosphere
matics, information technological and production
technological applications are present together
and make plant growing more effective than ever.
Satellite navigation via controlling automated
agricultural machines makes the placing of fertilisers, herbicides and seeds accurate to the decimetre and thus accommodation to the variability
of agricultural areas is possible both in space and
time. For its success in reality very accurate maps
are required regarding the soil conditions, relief
and moisture conditions of the given land. For the
latter continuous measurements are necessary.
There are only a few farms in the world where
these are available. Reality is rather closer to that
technologically developed farms apply one or
two elements of precision farming. Even if all
modern devices would be available the preservation of the natural fertility of the soil could not be
guaranteed. For this careful and systematic
organic matter supply, permanent soil protection
and polycultures instead of monocultures would
be required.
“Green revolution” started in the 1960s in the
larger but poorer part of the world (using fertilisers and herbicides in large amounts, mechanisation) brought great success initially in a few
populous countries (India, China, Brazil) especially the yields of rice and wheat increased. At
the same time, unwanted environmental effects
also occurred (soil degradation and environmental pollution), furthermore, social problems deepened in many cases: social inequalities intensified
both within larger countries and between countries. Green revolution did not reach poor farmers
cultivating soils of poor quality, it locked penniless farmers in financial dependence (De Schutter
2011). Agriculture hardly developed in several
countries of South Asia and in Africa especially
south of the Sahara. It is estimated that small
farms provide work for around 1.3 billion farmers and workers without land worldwide and
these also provide food for around three billion
people.
The Worldwatch Institute programme carried
out in 25 countries in Africa between 2009 and
2010 shows that farmers could introduce numerous innovations in agricultural production that
may have greater effects on people and the natural environment than the newest more modern
technologies. Modern agriculture not only contributes to global warming (carbon is transferred
from the soil to the atmosphere in the form of
carbon dioxide) but the changed environment
poses a serious threat to modern agriculture itself
(Flavin 2011). This is a typical, however,
unwanted example of positive feedback. In contrast, small farms operated with simple devices
and vast hand labour but according to ecological
principles applying innovative solutions frequently achieve the preservation or even the
increase of the carbon content of the soil while
crop yields are increased and more vulnerable
tropical soils are more protected.
An integrated, biological based plant growing
system involving soil, plants and animals is presented in Fig. 4.45. This is also based on the
already presented small biological cycle while it
also tries to copy the operation of natural ecological systems. One element of this is the production
of numerous plant types beside each other (product diversity). Leguminous plants increase the
nitrogen content of the soil via their nitrogen
adsorption capacity, compost can be made of the
remnants of the rest of the plants that if returned
into the soil increases its humus content in the
long term ensuring the preservation of natural
fertility. Compost and manure maintains also the
richness of the soil in microorganisms. According
to experience, in soils maintained in the above
way plant diseases spread less effectively.
Ploughmen apply a number of other agrotechnical methods that help biofarming including
crop rotation, green manure and biological plant
protection. The latter means the use of the natural
enemy of plant pests in the agricultural ecosystem resulting in the significant reduction of pest
populations that cause no significant economic
loss as a consequence (Fig. 4.46). It has to be
noted, however, that the successful maintenance
of the above method requires great care and
competence.
In many cases advancing pests were successfully halted with the biological method. One successful technique is to release males treated by
hormones and thus sterilised in order to hinder
mating and thus impede the proliferation of pests.
4.2 Changes in the Pedosphere