There are so many people who can’t think of living without the amenities of urban life and who love the technological marvels that have made human life so comfortable. Self-sufficiency isn’t even in their vocabulary. However, the reality is that technology is a sword with dual edges. With rapid urbanization and a lifestyle dependent on ...
Straw incorporation — shredding and burying straw — has been widely promoted as an environmentally-friendly method to increase soil organic carbon stocks and improve soil fertility. Scientists have also found crop straw incorporation could help reduce ammonia volatilization from fertilized fields, which contributes to the formation of fine particles, thereby resulting in serious air pollution. ...
With research constantly reminding us of the negative consequences of using pesticides, there is a growing international movement to make farming pesticide-free. The idea is to implement natural alternatives that will deter pests and ensure that the crops and soil are not exposed to harmful chemicals. One method that farmers use is to plant wildflowers ...
At first glance, no one would imagine that the Netherlands, located close to the Arctic, would fare well in large-scale agriculture. But the country has done just that. By adopting the latest agricultural technologies, it has become a global leader in the industry. It is the No. 2 exporter of food in terms of value, ...
A new strategy being rolled out in China suggests that farmers can do much more than harvest crops. The idea is that well-managed, diverse agricultural lands can provide flood control, water purification, and climate stabilization, among other valuable services. A recent case study by researchers at Stanford, McGill University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences ...
Low-tech ways of improving soil quality on farms and rangelands worldwide could pull significant amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and slow the pace of global warming, according to a new UC Berkeley study. The researchers found that well-established agricultural management practices — such as planting cover crops, optimizing grazing, and sowing legumes on ...
Smallholder farmers who cultivate perhaps only a few hectares of land dominate the agricultural landscape in places like China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing their efficiency while reducing their environmental impact are critical steps to ensuring agricultural sustainability for the world’s growing population. Yet sharing best practices with smallholder farmers, who often have limited resources ...
A study shows that grazing lands are vulnerable to climate change. Some 800 million people around the world depend on livestock that graze on natural vegetation for their livelihoods and food security. In a good season, grasses and other plants flourish, supporting robust herds. In a bad season, the system suffers — as do the people ...
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