crop farming and sustainability
DESCRIPTION
Crop Farming and Sustainability. The good and the bad. The 3 main crops grown in Southern Canada and the U.S are. Crops-Corn , Soybeans, Wheat. Once harvested and properly dried, crops store and transport easily High demand as they are found within most foods we eat - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Crop Farming and Sustainability
The good and the bad
Crops-Corn, Soybeans, Wheat
The 3 main crops grown in Southern Canada and the U.S are
Why only 3 crops?
Once harvested and properly dried, crops store and transport easily
High demand as they are found within most foods we eat
High yields due to seed engineering meaning farmers make more money
Traditional Crop Tillage Method
Plowing was traditional way of preparing land (called seed beds) for crops
Kills weeds by exposing roots to the sun and dries the soil by aerating
1 horse can plow 1 acre per dayModern plowing
Negatives
Plowing creates soil erosion and “dead pan” –hard infertile soil
Exposed soils are easily moved by wind and rain
Worldwide 25 billion metric tons of annual soil loss
Results in the sediment loading of rivers and lakes Increase in fertilizersto maintain profitability
Water Erosion – Create Rills and Gullies = lose soil
Possible Solutions
Managing Topography – Contour Plowing
Planting perpendicular to water runoff
Strip Farming
Strip Farming
The planting of different kinds of crops in alternating strips along land contours
When one crops is harvested the other is still present to protect the soil
Used in hilly terrain and polyculture farming – multiple crop in the same
Cover Crops -
Planted within harvested crop to provide ground cover
This prevents erosion by roots binding soil together and dissipating energy during rainfall
Keeps moisture in the ground
No till drilling
No – Till Drilling
This type of planting pushes the seed into soil through previous crop residue
Minimal soil disturbance and lower rates of erosion
The introduction of Roundup Ready seeds has increased no-till drilling
No Till Air Drill
Round Up Ready Corn
A few months later
Before Round Up After Round Up
Ridge Tillage
Leaves up to 75 percent of plant debris on the surface between the rows, preventing erosion
The seed is placed in the same row as the previous years plant/root system
Reduces the number of times a farmer will disturbs the soil
Reducing costs for fuel because tillage equipment is only disturbing a specific area, not cultivating the whole field
Low input - Sustainable Agriculture