Chapter 10 Farming Henry Dhonau, Josh Becker, Kristen Eiswerth,
Kristin Benusa
Slide 2
Introduction Agriculture has drastically changed the
environment o Brazilian Cerrado (opening case study) o Humans have
been farming for a long time o Landscapes vary in
sustainability
Slide 3
Soil A renewable and nonrenewable resource A very complex
substance Many different varieties
Slide 4
Soil Fertility Many different organisms help to fertilize soil
Health depends on environmental factors as well
Slide 5
Soil Layers
Slide 6
Using and Losing Soil Earths land area - how much for farming?
Arable land Many different causes of soil and land loss
Slide 7
Effects of Erosion Desertification Mississippi Dead Zone
Slide 8
Water and Irrigation Agriculture accounts for the largest share
of global water use How much of fresh water do you think is used
for irrigation (%) ? How much cropland (%) do you think is
irrigated worldwide? 15%
Slide 9
Water and Irrigation Efficiency (20% - 95%) Over-irrigation
-Water-logging -Salinization Minnesota Department of Agriculture
focus -The Clean Water Fund
(http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/waterprotection.aspx)http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/waterprotection.aspx
austinirrigationgroup.com
Slide 10
Nutrients Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium,
and sulfur N, K, P (limiting nutrients) -- fertilizer 20 kg av.
(1950) to 91 kg av.(1990) Increased crop yields Environmental
issues extension.entm.purdue.edu
Slide 11
Nutrients Runoff (eutrophication) Minnesota Department of
Agriculture austinirrigationgroup.com - monitoring, training, fees,
austinirrigationgroup.com soil and water quality testing, nitrogen
fertilizer recommendations and regulations [how, when, where, how
much to apply
(http://www.mda.state.mn.us/chemicals/fertilizers/nutrient-mgmt.aspx)
Slide 12
Alternatives to synthetic fertilizers manure green manure
-crops grown with the purpose of adding nutrients to the soil
(nitrogen-fixing bacteria on legumes) crop rotation organic farming
at STOGROW, local farms (Spring Wind Farm, Open Hands Farm) use
less fertilizer: Europe vs. North America www.vgavic.org.au
www.vgavic.org.au
Slide 13
Energy conventional farming is energy intensive reliance on
fossil fuels with machinery nitrogen fertilizer made from natural
gas food processing and transportation this energy can add up to
being much more than the energy the food actually provides us MN
Dept. of Ag. -- promotes biodiesel, ethanol
(http://www.mda.state.mn.us/renewable/biodiesel.aspx)
Slide 14
Pesticides = a chemical that kills pests -biocides wide variety
of living things -herbicides plants -insecticides insects
-fungicides fungi
Slide 15
Other Pest Controls -salt -smoke -certain plants -sulfur
-mercury -arsenic -ash -oil sprays -lime -acids -fermented alcohols
-predatory ants -spices
Slide 16
Benefits vs. Problems DDTEagles WTF
Slide 17
Fun Facts According to the EPA, total pesticide use per year in
the US amounts to about... 5.3 billion lbs. Chlorine/ Hypochlorites
49.1% Conventional Pesticides 23.3% Other (sulfur, petroleum) 6.2%
Wood preservatives 15.1% Specialty biocides 6.4% Source: EPA 2000
_______ of all American homes use some sort of pesticide. 3/4
Jeebus!
Slide 18
Types of Pesticides -organic (!) -toxic metals & halogens
-...Roundup Ready -atrazine -fumingants = gas for fungus -natural
organic pesticides = extracted from plants -inorganic pesticides =
use compounds of toxic materials -microbial agents & biological
controls = living organisms or toxins from them
Slide 19
Another Fun Fact The United Farm Workers of America claims that
300,000 farmworkers in the US alone suffer from pesticide-related
illnesses every year. Worldwide, the WHO estimates that 25 million
people suffer from pesticide poisoning, and 200,000 die each year
from improper use of storage of pesticides.
Slide 20
Negative Effects -exposure to nontarget organisms -pest
resurgence = rebound of resistant pop. -pesticide treadmill -some
pesticides dont break down easily
Slide 21
For example... -Canadian researchers found the levels of
organochlorines in the breast milk of Inuit mothers in remote
arctic villages compared to women from Canadas industrial to be 5
times higher. -Canadas beluga whales suffer from pesticide-related
illnesses, and their carcasses have to be treated as toxic
waste.
Slide 22
So Many Fun Facts 12 banned pesticides in other countries, but
not in the US, made their way back (after we shipped them out to
countries with lax regulations) to us in bananas and other crops.
Only 8 of them were banned after the fact. Unfortunately, other
compounds just as toxic as the banned ones are replacing them.
Organic and Sustainable Agr. Whats your foods story? Lack of
harmful chemicals Local farming Substitutes for common pesticides
Purely organic vegetables and meats
Slide 25
Organsmic Foods The rules Plants No hormones No antibiotics No
pesticides No synthetic fertilizers No genetically modified crops
Animals Animals must be raised on organic feed no steroids
antibiotics only for sickness Result Happy farmer Happy animals
Happy stomach
Slide 26
Benefits and drawbacks of Organic Lower energy costs Less
erosion Proven to provide more cancer fighting foods crop rotation
reduces pests Local organic farms More expensive More difficult to
start Takes a while to get certified Does anybody here pay
attention to organic vs. inorganic foods? Brain twister: What if
anti GMO arguments are being made by organic food industries??
Slide 27
How to farmify and preserve yo land -Crop rotation to reduce
pests -IPMs (integrated pest management) - An alternative to
pesticides - Introducing pests to eliminate other pests - Plants to
eliminate pests Did you know that!?: In Costa Rica the use of IPMs
removed pesticides entirely from banana plantations in one
region.
Slide 28
Farming methods Contour planting o Plowing across a hill
instead of up and down Strip farming o Different crops in strips,
Terracing- different levels of land Perennial species o Plants that
grow more than two years (To keep soil in place) Cover crops o To
preserve the soil and its nutrients Mulch o Protective soil cover
Reduced tillage systems o Less tillage equals more organisms left
on the soil to provide nutrients How does Minnesota farm?
Slide 29
Contour FarmingTerracing For your viewing pleasure Minnesota
Department of Agriculture Promoting the change to No-till,
Ridge-till, and Mulch-till. All conservation tillage
practices.
Slide 30
Local farms -CSA -Community Supported Agriculture -Spring Wind
Farm -Locavore -A person who eats locally -Economic Threshold
-Potential economic damage justifies expenditures Pros and Cons of
CSAs? Why are there not more CSA farms around?
