Monoculture Farming Disadvantages And Negative Effects
The term monoculture in agriculture refers to the growing of a single crop over a large area. Monoculture is the norm in most large-scale commercial agriculture in the U.S. and in many parts of the world. Monoculture has certain short-term benefits, primarily in terms of economy of scale, and automation of the production process (and thus reduction of labor costs). However, in the long-term, the disadvantages of monoculture are overwhelming – this farming method has numerous negative effects on the environment, and furthermore, these negative effects tend to become amplified over the long-run. This article weighs the pros and cons of this sort of uniform approach to agriculture, and points to some alternative practices that are more sustainable, both environmentally and economically, and thus superior on all counts in the long-run.
Pros and cons of monoculture farming: what are its advantages?
It is immediately evident that I am not a fan of or advocate for monoculture. But there are some direct and strongly compelling reasons that people engage in this destructive practice. Before we talk about why this practice is so harmful, I find it fruitful to first examine its benefits or advantages.
The main advantage is economy of scale, primarily through automation. Especially in the U.S., labor costs are very high, so anything that can reduce the use of labor in agriculture is highly likely to result in cost savings. This is often true even when the automation reduces yield per acre. For example, if a crop has been grown, it can often be harvested in different ways, with different levels of automation. Greater automation in harvesting might result in greater waste, such as grain left in the fields, but if it requires less labor (such as one person driving a large machine which covers the ground very quickly, as opposed to several people driving smaller, slower machines, or many people harvesting the crop by hand) it may be superior in a cost-benefit analysis, even if it results in greater waste. Continue reading
Nutrient Pollution and Consequences In Water
Nutrient pollution refers to a form of pollution in which nutrients, usually nitrogen and phosphorus, are present in a high concentration that is damaging to ecosystems. Nutrient pollution is primarily a problem in aquatic ecosystems, such as streams, rivers, bays, and lakes. It is particularly an issue of concern in lakes and relatively closed or contained bays, like the Chesapeake bay. Nutrient pollution is caused primarily by the over-use of fertilizers in agriculture, or by waste from animal farming operations. The negative effects of this pollution are to disrupt, damage, or destroy aquatic ecosystems, which often can have negative environmental impacts, by destroying fishing industries.
This article gives a brief overview of nutrient pollution, including its causes in agriculture and its effects on waterways and fishing industries. The article concludes with some concrete recommendations of what can be done to prevent this type of pollution, both for farmers, and for concerned citizens.
How does nutrient pollution work?
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for all living ecosystems. Phosphorus is present in soils, and typically originates from the underlying rock or geologic substrates. Nitrogen is present in the atmosphere, but only enters the ecosystem through a complex process of nitrogen fixation, which is carried out primarily by certain plants and bacteria. The growth of plants are limited by the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients, so in agriculture, the yield of crops can often be improved by applying fertilizers containing these nutrients.
Plants, however, will only utilize a certain amount of nutrients; once they have as much as they need, they are then limited by other factors, like the availability of sun or water, and the remainder of the nutrients will remain in the soil, where it leeches out when it rains, and runs off into the water table or nearby streams. Continue reading
Is Organic Really Better For The Environment?
This article explores the question of whether or not organic-certified foods are really better, in the slightly more objective senses of being better for the environment, and better for human health, than non-organic foods. In order to explore and answer this question, we delve a bit into the history of organic farming, and the history of human agriculture in general.
Organic vs. traditionally produced:
The field of organic chemistry, with its synthetic chemicals, is a modern invention. For thousands of years, humans practiced agriculture, relying solely on naturally occurring chemicals in the environment around them. People used manure and compost for fertilizers, and found natural methods of pest control, such as plant-based herbicides, the use of cover crops and buffer areas, to stop the spread of pests and provide habitat for predators that would control insect populations. People used open-pollinated crops, and saved the seeds each year, thus allowing their crops to adapt to changing conditions, including a changing backdrop of pests. None of these operations were “organic certified”, yet all of them would have fit the modern definition of organic farming.
Along comes synthetic chemicals:
Synthetic chemicals allowed people to move away from traditional farming methods, which were based on ecological principles. When using synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, produced in factors, many using petroleum inputs and energy-intensive processes, farmers were able to produce greater crop yields while temporarily ignoring the ecology of the farm.
But these chemicals come with a cost. Earlier generations of chemicals, such as DDT, posed serious risks to the environment, driving some species, such as the Bald Eagle, the symbol of the United States of America, nearly to extinction, leading many of these chemicals to be banned. A number of chemicals also pose problems to human health, contributing to cancer risk as well as other diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Leukemia, and many other sinister, chronic diseases. Continue reading
Bareroot Season at the Nursery and How to Plant a Hedge
November аt thе nursery іѕ a busy time οf year. A total contrast tο plants thаt аrе going dormant аnd still, resting during thе winter months. Bare root season іѕ usually a muddy, сοld, wet, windy affair, bυt thе weather hаѕ bееn very mild ѕο far, οnlу having ουr first real frost thіѕ morning аnd wе аrе аlmοѕt іntο December already.
Bare root season fοr mе, clearly shows thе dіffеrеnсе between nursery аnd garden centre.
Digging trenches tο heel іn plants іѕ back braking work. Thеrе′s nο machinery whеrе I work, everything іѕ done bу hand.
Bare root plants аrе sold without soil around thе roots аnd lifted whеn thе leaves drop, thе buds produce protective scales аnd thе plants gο іntο a dormant state over winter. Evergreen plants аrе usually dug up wіth a root ball bесаυѕе thе plants аrе іn active growth throughout thе year, ѕο leaving ѕοmе soil around thе roots іѕ less οf a shock whеn thеу аrе lifted. Bareroot plants аrе cheaper thаn containerized plants.
Thеrе′s a lot аnd varieties tο сhοοѕе frοm, аnd thіѕ time οf year іѕ сеrtаіnlу thе best time fοr planting, јυѕt аѕ long аѕ thе ground іѕ workable. Meaning, nοt frozen οr water logged.
Thе mοѕt рοрυlаr plants bουght аt thіѕ time οf thе year seem tο bе hedging plants. Beech, Hornbeam, аnd native hedges fοr wildlife аrе gοοd choices. Fruit trees аrе οftеn bουght аt thіѕ time οf thе year аlѕο, wіth many people planting orchards.
Another bіg seller аrе thе roses, whісh іѕ a specialty whеrе I work bесаυѕе wе bud ουr οwn roses аnd people οftеn return аt thіѕ time οf thе year, еνеrу year, јυѕt tο bυу thеm. Budding іѕ a form οf propagation, nοt really carried out bу small retail nurseries anymore. Companies usually bυу іn frοm thе bіg growers. Continue reading
Grapevines That Produce Wine Grape Have a Pedigree
Thе grape vine іѕ whеrе іt ѕtаrtѕ іf уου lіkе wine. Developing thе root stock іѕ аn industry whеrе science embraces Mother Nature іn thе finest ways. Cloning, growing аnd thеn planting thе root stock іѕ raw science thаt goes tο thе core οf everything; even human existence…DNA. It’s thе graft above thе ground thе produces a nеw clone οf a varietal vine thаt produces thе grape thаt mаkеѕ thе wine.
Wе see whеrе grapes come frοm, bυt whеrе dο thе vines come frοm? I’ve gοt thе аnѕwеr tο thіѕ mystery; іt’s thе nursery јυѕt lіkе thе рlасе уου pick out уουr plants fοr spring planting. Thеrе іѕ a slight dіffеrеnсе bесаυѕе іt іѕ very high tech. Napa hаѕ thе oldest grapevine nursery іn California.
Nurseries turn out ѕοmе very prestigious root stock thаt саn hаνе ѕοmе very impressive pedigrees. Sοmе οf vines hаνе pedigree’s involving very prestigious root stock. And yes, vineyard owners validate thе stock frοm DNA testing. Tο support thіѕ industry many οf California’s premier universities offer degrees іn viticulture.
Nurseries υѕе сοld storage facilities (thаt’s whеrе thе dormant grapevines аrе stored awaiting sale), thіѕ wіll keep thе vine fresh аnd dormant. It wουld nοt bе unusual fοr a grapevine nursery tο offer аbουt 15 clones οf thе Cabernet Sauvignon аnd 30 clones οf thе Chardonnay аnd аn equal number οf Pinot Noir clones. Whеn a vineyard decides tο replant, fοr a number οf reasons, thеѕе clones аrе whаt mаkе a vineyard owner excitable. Two things аrе critical whеn іt comes tο a nеw planting: 1.Thе characteristics οf thе cloned varietal, аnd 2. thе root system. Thе cloned varietals аrе breed tο influence such things аѕ thе ultimate yield οr tannins οr mаkе fοr early ripening οf thе fruit. Thе root system/stock іѕ іmрοrtаnt bесаυѕе thаt іѕ whаt іѕ dictated bу soil conditions аnd climate whеrе thе vines аrе tο bе planted. Continue reading
Agricultural Finance in India 1
Introduction.
Rural advancement indicates nothing at all but the transformation of the subsistence agricultural manufacturing to a market oriented agricultural economic climate. Availability and accessibility to financial resources is one of the essential components to this transition. Financial resource is a quite critical, if not the most important, aspect in fiscal development.
Shortage of finance is one of the key troubles going through small farmers. Farmers need economic useful resource to purchase enhanced agricultural inputs and farm implements so that they can enhance their output and revenue stage and break the cycle of poverty. Farmer’s investment in these technologies are not able to be genuine without having having in area organizations and systems that are able of adequately providing rural financial companies to farmers. So, the hard work to develop agriculture could undergo in the absence of a strong fiscal base that aims at expanding access to credit score for small farmers.
Agriculture is unorganized profession. Its success and failure depends on climatic aspects. It is also not feasible to distinguish productive and unproductive loans required for farmers. For that reason banks do not show significantly interest in advancing loans to agriculture. Therefore famers have to rely on moneylenders, mahajans and many others. who exploits them because of to strong grip on socio-economical situation in rural regions.
Agricultural Finance in India 2
continued from part one
6. Industrial Financial institutions.
For long period of time the share of commercial financial institutions in rural credit was meagre. For instance it was only .nine % in 1951-fifty two and .seven % in 1961-62. The insignificant participation is partly explained by subsistence nature of agriculture and its unorganized, Individualistic performing. Moreover heavy dependence on monsoon helps make it dangerous and unsure venture. As towards this Industrial sector is organized and significantly less dependent on all-natural factors. Consequently industrial banking institutions tended to concentrate on industrial sector and diverted funds mobilized from rural areas to meet demand of credit of the industrial sector.
To remedy these 14 main financial institutions had been nationalized adopted by six much more banking institutions. Following this financial institutions opened huge no. of branches in rural location and have elevated their developments to these locations.
Through 2005-06 commercial banking institutions presented rural credit of 1,twenty five,859 crore. This was 69.seven% of total Rs. one,eighty,486 crore institutional credit to agriculture supplied in that year.
Evaluation:
v Fast Expansion and Diversification.
The fast boost of industrial financial institutions has made strains in the system. Due to this there has been deterioration in top quality of scheme preparing. Reducing high quality of lending is also due to hefty workload of day to day residence trying to keep with no enhance in supporting personnel.
v Huge no. of little improvements.
The business banks have identified sanctioning and monitoring of significant no. of modest improvements in their rural branches, time consuming and manpower intensive and large value proposition. Due to the fact of this financial institutions have been identified reluctant in posting ample supervisory and other staff in rural branches.
v Reduction of margin accessible.
Opening big no. of branches in rural place which do not have adequate enterprise prospective, increase in institution expenses, escalating nonperforming improvements affected profitability of banking institutions adversely minimizing margin offered to organization.
v Negative recovery place.
The recovery placement of financial institutions is negative. The degree of Overdues has been thirty% or even more. Consequently banking technique is unable to supply a lot more credit score to meet the expanding requirements of the farmers.
v Multi-substitute credit technique.
Business lender failed to serve those regions which are not covered by Co-operatives. They are likely to serve these places which are served by cooperatives. States with deficient rural credit technique have not benefitted considerably. The true need was to make obtainable only 1 alternative source of credit score while in truth the multiagency system has tended to grow to be multi option credit score method.
v Decline in credit score deposit ratio.
It is crucial indicator of degree of involvement of banking institutions in lending. Rural credit deposit ratio has declined from 1.58% to .73% which shows that deposits mobilized from rural India to elsewhere. In other phrases, rural India is funding the other sectors of the economic climate.
v Reduction of loan to small farmers.
Mortgage disbursal to modest and marginal farmers has decelerated sharply in the 90s. The alternative of investing in rural infrastructure fund and in SIDBI has lowered fee of progress of direct finance to modest farmers. The development price of immediate finance to modest farmers is declined from fifteen.one% to 11.%.
seven.REGIONAL RURAL Banking institutions.
The doing work group on rural financial institutions advised establishment of Regional Rural Banks to supplement the efforts of the commercial financial institutions and cooperatives in extending their credit to weaker sections of rural group.
The intention of obtaining new financial institutions that there should be an device which combined the neighborhood feel and familiarity with the rural troubles which the cooperatives possessed and he diploma of organization business and modernized seem which industrial banking institutions have.
Also the rural credit score is to be presented at lower expense. The rural bad required low price low profile establishment into which they should wander freely. The employees of RRBs was to be recruited from the neighboring location and these kinds of would have a far better knowing of regional issues and nearby men and women their requirements and their constraints.
2005-06, RRBs offered 15,223 crore as credit score to Agriculture sector.8.five% of complete institutional credit score to agriculture.
Evaluation:
v Organizational Dilemma.
Every single RRB is sponsored by Business lender. The central authorities and state govt. also contribute to its money. As a result there is multiagency handle. This has contributed to lack of conformity of its features. Also absence of correct checking of by sponsor financial institution, particular area of operation, lack of appropriate method and methods inside banking institutions, lack of adequate employees. Organizational problems compounded by unplanned and unwieldy expansion of banks and branches opened beneath pressure from Govt.
v Problems of recovery
Recovery place of RRBs is negative. There recovery different between 51% to 61%. As a result Overdues various from 39% to 49%. This is due to defective loaning policy, apathy towards recovering, political interference, willful default etc.
v Mounting losses primary to Non-Viability.
a hundred and fifty out of 196 RRBs had shown losses in 2005-06. Many had entirely wiped out there equity and reserves. This is without a doubt unsustainable predicament. RRBs serve people sections exactly where the curiosity earned is lowest. Reduced margins coupled with high price of service. Opening of also significantly RRBs extra high overhead expenses without boost in cash flow. Non availability of competent employees.
v Administration Difficulties.
Since RRBs are district level small establishment, the sponsor financial institutions have been deputing only middle management staff to run them. Such personnel finds it hard to just take choice in new surroundings. Meeting of board of directors are not held regularly and big no. of official members does not display significantly curiosity in the functioning of banking institutions. Multiagency handle creates a lot of problems.
Reforms
To solve difficulties of RRBs, and improve their viability, efforts have been created in latest many years such as
v Efforts have been manufactured to restructure the operations of RRBs.
v Reduction of RRBs from 196 to 96 to get gain of economies of scale.
v Infuse refreshing money in them.
v Greater overall flexibility in their functions.
v Allowance to goal only forty% to developments to priority sector. Inserting RRBs at par with industrial banking institutions.
RRBs ARE NOT JUST RURAL Credit Companies. THEY ARE More THAN THAT: THEY ARE A FRUITFUL Physical exercise IN Bank LED RURAL GROWH
eight. NABARD.
The most essential advancement in the field of rural credit has been setting up NABARD. It took over from RBI all capabilities of rural credit score.
NABARD is “Organizational device for supplying undivided attention forceful path and pointed focus to the credit score issues of the rural sector”.
Capabilities of NABARD
v It performs as an apex entire body to seem following credit demands of the rural sector.
v Provides quick phrase credit (up to 18 months) to state cooperatives bank for agricultural operations.
v Offers medium expression credit score (eighteen months to 7 a long time) to StCB and RRBs for approved agriculture reasons.
v It gives extended phrase support in the form of loans to state governments for contribution to share funds of cooperative credit institutions.
v It is entrusted with duty of inspecting District and state cooperatives RRBs.
v It maintains R&D funds to be used to promote investigation in agriculture and rural growth so project and programmes are formulated and developed to fit different places.
NABARD initiatives:
v Rural Infrastructure Advancement Fund (RIDF)
RIDF-1 was established with corpus of 2000 crore with goal of delivering cash to state govt. and state owned firms to allow them complete numerous types of rural infrastructure tasks. Loans beneath RIDF are offered for different applications like irrigation jobs, watershed administration and so on.
As on 31 January 2007 via the RIDF Rs,59,795.35 crore have been sanctioned for 2,31,702 assignments covering irrigation, rural roads and bridges, wellbeing and training, soil conservation, consuming h2o schemes, and so forth.
v Microfinance Innovation.
The accessibility of credit score to the poor through industrial banking institutions is constrained. Microfinance has emerged a viable substitute. It involved credit score and monetary providers and products of very modest amounts to poor enabling them to increase their revenue stage.
In operational phrases, Micro credit requires small loans up to Rs. 25000 extended to the inadequate without having any collateral for undertaking self work assignments. This kind of loans are offered by means of micro finance institutions.
One particular of common types of MFI has been Grameen Financial institution design created originaly in Bangladesh and replicated above the planet. Beneath his product NGOs type and develop self assist teams (SHGs) and give credit to them
v Kisan Credit score card scheme.
KCC scheme was released to facilitate small expression credit score to farmers. Business financial institutions, Cooperative financial institutions and RRBs are applying this scheme. Every farmer is presented with a KCC and a pass e-book for offering revolving money credit score amenities. It is applied by 27 commercial banks 378 District cooperatives 196 RRBs. As on 31.08.2007 a total of
Agriculture Products Resources
In olden days people completely based mostly on agriculture for food resources like rice, barley and other leafy vegetables. Afterwards on many technologies arrived in agriculture which produced more quickly and impressed irrigation. Systems gradually improved in producing better and risk a lot less irrigation. Many experts produced many new strategies of irrigation like cross planting and hybridization and tissue tradition. All these strategies produced a revolution in the Agriculture. Machinery also employed to reduce the pressure of folks practicing Agriculture.
Farm gear like tractors, planters, seeders and tillers brought a revolution the scenario of Agriculture. Men and women who apply Agriculture are recognized as Farmers. Several pesticides and fertilizers are introduced to reduce the weed subject material and from insects which injury the crops. Numerous new techniques of farming is practiced by the farmers which assisted a good deal for more productions in significantly less time. There are many forms of agriculture which are being practiced now days. Tractors are really significantly valuable in irrigation they are utilized to bear large dangers at slow speeds. Mowers are a type of tractors which are utilised to stage the grass. They can be moved quickly by a human, it consists of a manage so that we can transfer it simply. It will have blades arranged down to it, so that it can lower the grass simply. Moreover, along with crops in the fields there grows one more plants referred to as weeds which are not helpful to us, they will take in the nutrients and water from crops. To remove weeds weed eaters are produced in purchase to remove the weeds from the crops. Weed eaters also perform an crucial role in much better farming.