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Around 10,000 B.C., in the age known as Neolithic, humans evolved in a way of life that was more secure They domesticated animals and cultivated plants that served their needs for food. Their new ways served other needs as well.
They settled for longer periods at a time in a given area They would clear it, sow seeds and stay for as many seasons as the soil yielded adequate harvest.
Sustaining Fertility In time, agriculture became more settled in permanent locations. This meant sustaining the fertility of the soil over successive planting seasons. Early systems might have done this by returning nutrients to the soil
Commercial Agriculture
Involves processes that emphasize efficiency. Inorganic synthethic fertilizers are used, often imported from other countries. The biogeochemical cycle takes longer
Impact: The environmental impact of agriculture is multi-faceted. Agricultural land was expanded at the expense of natural ecosystems
Forests cleared Wetlands drained Coastal waters reclaimed Rivers rechanneled Dams for irrigation Thus, literally, the face of the Earth changed
The goal of the program was to increase production of rice, the staple of the large portion of the humanity.
High-yielding Varieties
High-yielding varieties (HYVs) are any of a group of genetically enhanced cultivars of crops such as rice, corn and wheat that have an increased growth rate An increased percentage of usable plant parts or an increased resistance against crop diseases.
Varieties were developed that were shorter with stronger stems and roots This was done to support more grains that resulted from large doses of fertilizers and therefore more crops could be grown in one year.
They matured faster and thus could withstand strong winds or yielded grains that could be harvested earlier before the onset of the typhoon season
Thus, the HYVs had to be nurtured with chemicals-synthetic fertilizers and pesticides were outcome of the Green Revolution
Ground spraying produces less pesticide drift than aerial spraying does Aerial spraying brings to much environmental problem
Example when wild animals enter sprayed fields or nearby areas shortly after spraying
Pesticides can kill off the insects on which some fish feed, causing the fish to travel farther in search of food and exposing them to greater risk from predators.
Another was monocropping or monoculture, the planting of vast areas to only one crop.
Monoculture sets the stage for infestation Insects feeding on the particular crop proliferate to pest proportions, fed by the bountiful food. To attack infestation, artificial chemical pesticides were developed and massively used.
The unintended effect was the poisoning of birds, worms, bacteria, and other organism, not to mention humans that are near the fields. Likewise, fish, snails, ducks, and other creatures that inhabit the waterways into which the pesticides drain were affected.
The use of hybrid varieties has depressed the use of native strains Along with habitat and ecological change and direct poisoning neglect threatens their extinction
In general, they require a higher level of agricultural care Intensive disease control Higher fertilizer levels Controlled water supply
While those crops have enabled the multiplication of agricultural production - Their increased demands of: 1.fertilizers 2. pesticides 3. water control This have drawn criticism from environmentalists.
Adopted in many countries especially in Southeast Asia, the Green Revolution dramatically increased rice production for the world. It is also a definitive illustration of ecological backlash
Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area
Monocultures used in agriculture are usually single strains that have been bred to be high yield and resistant to certain common diseases As all plants in a monoculture are almost entirely genetically identical If a disease strikes to which they have no resistance It can destroy entire populations of crops,
Whereas in a polyculture, some portion of the crop will usually survive due to natural variation giving some of them resistance There is increasing support for moving away from monocultures towards a mixture of varieties as a way to limit the impacts of disease to these sorts of crops
Some studies have shown planting a mixture of crop strains in the same field to be effective at combatting disease
These traits could be pest resistance, nutrient and vitamin quantity Attractiveness in color and size Involves the insertion of a foreign gene into the genes of a host species. The foreign gene may be from a different strain of the same species or from other species.
Bt Corn
Bt Corn is also called Transgenic maize corn and is a GM (genetically modified) crop. Bt corn thanks its name to the gene inserted into its DNA that codes for the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin which protects the corn from insects. The gene was isolated from the Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a microorganism found in soil.
Bt corn is also resistant to herbicides, which makes it possible to use herbicides without damaging or killing the crop itself. Insecticides are no longer necessary with Bt corn, because the introduction of the Bt gene protects it from pests.
The pest that usually affects corn production is the European Corn Borer. The Bt toxin crystallizes the digestive tract of the insect larvae, which leads to their death.
GE Foods: Problems
Issues on the negative effects on humans and other organisms, or as they disrupt the balance of nature
A population of the monarch butterfly was affected when pollen of Bt corn was carried by wind to milkweed plants where caterpillars of the monarch butterfly were feeding.
Contamination
Contamination is a big worry. GE pollen can be carried by wind, water, and other agents including humans many kilometers and around the world. They can contaminate the wide varieties, threatening the biodiversity of the planet.
Human Rights
Contamination may well, bring up human right issues . Pharmagenes, genes altered or inserted into vegetables to turn them into vaccines or antibiotics can find their ways into food of people who do not need them or who do not want them
Mutation
Scientist have predicted that because of the havoc that GE would wreak on nature Mutation rates would increase because of the alien substances that the chemicals, bacteria, hormones, and cells in our bodies will not recognize.
Eco-political Implications
Under the rules of Intellectual property Rights, created life forms may be patented. When GMO seeds are patented, they may not be planted without payment of royalties.
Eco-political Implications
Thus, farmers will have to buy new seeds every planting season. They will get caught in the web of dependency on the new varieties and the attendant commercial infrastructure.
Sable
Beavers
Otter
Racoons
Sustainable Systems
In view of the negative impacts of modern agriculture Many farmers are turning or returning to strategies that are more ecological at the same time improving their socioeconomic situation
Sustainable Systems
Organic Farming True organic farming utilizes species that are locally available and are therefore suited to environmental conditions.
Sustainable Systems
Organic Farming optimizes the use of biological processes 1. By nurturing the natural predators of pests 2. Keeping the soil healthy with beneficial microorganisms 3. Allowing wild species from nearby natural ecosystems to pollinate crops
4. It encourages variety in space, through practices known as alternate cropping, multi-cropping, and so forth, and variety in time through crop rotation
Subsequently, when fertilizer prices increased, compost made from any decomposed biomass turned out to give even better results than chemical fertilizer.
The synthesis of SRI has proceeded empirically, but the central principles for getting best results are: 1. rice field soils should be kept moist rather than continuously saturated -This improves root growth and supports the growth and diversity of aerobic soil organisms rice plants should be spaced optimally widely to permit more growth of roots and canopy and to keep all leaves photosynthetically active
2. rice seedlings should be transplanted when young, less than 15 days old with just two leaves, quickly, shallow and carefully, to avoid trauma to roots and to minimize transplant shock.
3. These changes from conventional practice when managing plants, soil, water and nutrients induce more productive organism
4. Increased yield is achieved with 80-90% reductions in seed requirements (lower plant population) and 25-50% less irrigation water. Chemical fertilizer and agrochemical crop protection can be used, but best results can be attained without use of purchased inputs.
One note is the bahay kubo concept, captured in the Filipino song with same title It is a celebration of how farming families meet their daily needs with vegetable staples planted in the surrounding yard.
The principles of multicropping, companion cropping, crop rotation, organic fertilizers were practical knowledge gained through experience and practice instinct.