The sustainable use of land and water, pest management, and biodiversity conservation are all crucial to ensuring the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants for generations to come. Sustainable agriculture includes the use of natural resources without negatively impacting those for future generations of humans.
The Green Revolution greatly encouraged sustainable agriculture, and as a result of the revolution, our production rose because of the fertile land; but, at the moment, our soil is not suitable for production. Without a doubt, modern agriculture enhanced our output, but it also brought with it several issues, including the decline in biodiversity, the rise in pests, the improper use of agricultural chemicals, insect resistance, the eradication of predators, and human health risks.
Key elements of Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Land Use
- Sustainable Water Use
- Sustainable Conservation of Biodiversity
- Sustainable Pest Management
Though discussing the resources of land, the natural environmental sustainability point of view is applied to non-renewable resources including soil, water, and vegetation when utilized appropriately. The primary problem is soil degradation. Since land deterioration is a concern, we can achieve suitable goals by using the land to the fullest extent possible. The elimination of vegetation, excessive grazing, incorrect agricultural techniques, and contaminated soil are the main causes of land degradation.
Numerous variables, including wind erosion, waterlogging, acid rain, and element toxicity, contribute to the degradation of the land. for instance, the decline in soil nutrients from organic matter and the decline in soil fauna and flora that are intimately associated with soil biological activity.
Nowadays, certain environmentally friendly agricultural management strategies are beneficial. The rate of erosion declines when crops such as cover crops are grown because they influence the flow of water and wind movement, establishing an object against degradation. High cultivation does not prevent runoff; correct tillage accomplishes. Effective tillage improves runoff rate and opens soil pores which aids in soil exchange.
In addition to properly covering the soil and increasing its organic matter, mulching also reduces soil evaporation and boosts the soil’s ability to hold water. Afforestation is also a step in the right approach because trees are essential to the metabolism of carbon and the health of the ecological systems. The best methods for appropriateness are those that involve composting operations.
Sustainable land use:
The most favorable methods for appropriateness are those that involve the composting process. We can effectively promote the health of the soil, decrease erosion, and enhance soil organic matter by using composting. Certain processes in composting need time, but the result is valuable goods rich in vital nutrients that support plant growth. Our surplus agricultural waste has no other choice but to be burned or dumped in the ground to produce useful products.
We use these waste materials constructively because burning them would have numerous negative effects, such as smog, greenhouse gases, etc. When we implemented composting correctly, we also saw a decrease in our fertilizer costs. The most effective way for reselling dirt while interacting with saline soil is to grow millet and apply gypsum. When dealing with acidic soil, rice farming is the most appropriate practice.
Sustainable Water use:
Water is an essential component of production and far too crucial for agricultural production. Agriculture would not be possible without water, but water infiltration, percolation, contamination, and overflow are just a few of the ways that water is lost, and the national groundwater table is steadily declining. Therefore, efficient management and conservation of water are essential for sustainable agriculture. The preservation of water is possible if we utilize effective strategies.
Our main objective is water use reduction and conservation. If the course of water and canal is appropriately lined and built with cement, etc., we can conserve canal water. Seepage loss was decreased by using concrete material, which also allowed us to reduce water intake waste and canal transpiration. For efficient water use, the irrigation process strategy is essential.
The use of an irrigation strategy depends on the crop stage that is water-sensitive and the method of application of water. utilizing traditional flood irrigation, we use effective irrigation techniques like drip and sprinkle for sustainable water. Gathering rainwater for use in crops in the future, especially in barani areas where farmers struggle with water deficiency. We employed various water-efficient techniques to assist farmers by identifying the best times and methods for applying irrigation. We built minibonds and analyzed them for suitability to store precipitation.
The most important to sustainable water use is using salt water efficiently. We utilize high irrigation in the saline area, which pushes and dissolves salt into the soil. Ridge sowing is thought to work best in acidic conditions.
Sustainable Conservation of Biodiversity:
A vital component of any ecosystem is biodiversity. Biodiversity is defined as soil plants and animals. The habitat of natural ecosystem organisms is provided by biodiversity. In contrast to an agricultural environment, biodiversity is essential to an established natural ecosystem. The number of plants in biodiversity is more than the amount of soil that is maintained properly in forests and national parks.
We encourage biodiversity by afforestation and raising public knowledge of the benefits of biodiversity because if we harm it, the number of plants and beneficial bacteria in the environment will drop to an alarming level. Since organic farming uses fewer pesticides to conserve biodiversity, it is a step in the right strategy toward secure biodiversity.
Sustainable Pest Management:
- Cultural Approaches
- Host Plant Resistance
- Biological Approaches
- Chemical Approaches
1. Cultural Approaches to Managing Pests
- Utilizing resistant cultivars: They give crops built-in protection against particular pests. Through breeding procedures, these resistant types are created with features that either minimize or discourage the damage that insects can inflict. For instance, B.T. cotton.
- Tillage: It might cause certain bugs’ habitats to be disturbed, lowering the number of insect pests by exposing their hibernating pupa and larvae to predators and unfavorable environmental conditions.
- Hand-picking: This manual technique for controlling insect pests involves people manually removing pests from plants (such as large caterpillars). It works well for particular crops and small-scale infestations.
- Mulching: By erecting a barrier that deters some pests, it helps control insect petit functions as a physical barrier, preventing plants and insects from reaching the earth’s surface (larvae that pupate in the soil are unable to do so). By giving beneficial insects a place to live and feed on pest species or parasitize them, organic mulches can help maintain a more balanced ecology.
- Trapping: (using light, bait, sticky, pheromone, and other types of traps).
- The application of tangible obstacles like adhesive bands and row covers.
- Manually collecting insects and weeds.
2. Host Plant Resistance
By exploiting plant traits that prevent or lessen the harm that pests inflict, it plays a significant part in insect pest management. Plants can naturally defend themselves against insects by creating poisonous substances (like allelochemicals) known as ” Antibiosis ” or by developing physical characteristics (such as trichomes, pubescence, tough leaf sheath, solidity of leaf and stem, etc.) known as ” Antiemesis ” that deter or hinder pests from accessing or discovering their organization
3. Biological Approaches
Biological control refers to the use of living organisms to minimize the quantity of pests and their potential impact. Natural enemies of insects play a critical role in managing potential pest populations.
As an illustration:
- Pathogens fungi like Metarhizium anisopliae
- Viruses like NPV and CPV
- Predators like Lady Bird Beetle and Green Lacewing
- Parasitoids or parasitic wasps like Trichogramma sp
4. Chemical Approaches
Gentle use of pesticides should preserve biodiversity and be economically, ecologically, and socially viable. Only use insecticide when necessary. These are employed to eliminate, damage, or deter a variety of insect species. Insecticides operate in many ways. While some insecticides cause nervous system disruptions, others harm insects’ exoskeletons, repel them, or exert other forms of control.
Ali Haider, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Muhammad Ammar Asghar, Noor Fatima, Abdul Rehman
University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
