Sustainable Agriculture

The increasing population has been laid burden on agricultural land, to satisfying rising desires of human being many environmental problems ascending such as increasing carbon emissions, land degradation. The worldwide around 55 percent of forest land converted into agricultural land by which up to 30 percent of greenhouse gas discharges yearly contributing.

The sustainable agricultural practices are way to create financial incentives for smallholder farmers to increase their production and keep the environment safe. In the crops land apply agroforestry strategy to adopt sustainability.

Water use in Agricultural sectors

The worldwide around 70 percent of freshwater extractions go for irrigation in agricultural. The unsustainable use of water for irrigation can lead water reduction problem. The humans are using natural resources unethically by which arising many environmental problems. The Climate change consequences regarding water resources such as increase in temperature shift precipitation pattern, flooding, droughts consequently effecting agriculture. We should must ensure the efficient use of water resources to achieve the environmental, social and economic benefits.

An appropriate water management strategy can promote the conservation of water while increasing production. The sustainable use of water in agriculture reflects continually agrarian system, society participation in decision making process and economic proficiency in resources usage.

Ways to Adopt Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Mulching: The common practice which helps to reduce evaporation of soil moisture content by applying materials on the surface of soil. The materials can be livestock manure, crop residue etc. Different kind of mulching applied in the field according to the requirements. 

Rainwater Catchment: This technique will help to refine groundwater recharge and avoided soil erosion. This system can beneficial for small scale irrigation purpose.

Start Use of Organic Fertilizers: To build healthy soil try to use biofertilizers which is economically and environmentally much more beneficial than inorganic fertilizers. The organic fertilizer in which included animal manure, garden waste compost, peat, slurry and etc.

Storing Carbon in Farms: By planting various kind of plants crops farmer can store more carbon, crops which grow in deep roots and help soil to store more carbon.

Start Use of IPM: The integrated pest management (IPM) should be use in agricultural land rather than chemical pesticide. The use of chemical pesticide also causing water pollution in waterbodies through surface runoff. 

Management of Water Resources: Managing water resources wisely and implement environmental laws and regulation strictly on unethical use of water resources. Farmers should have to reuse domestic wastewater for irrigation.

Agroforestry: This is most sustainable agricultural practice in which different plants can grow in the crop land. The agroforestry practices help to increase variety of food production at the same time.

About the Author: Farwa Rani is a masters scholar of environmental science at GCWUS.