article on modern farming techniques of 300 words
Answers
Answer:
Modern farming includes use of modern methods of farming. It entails the use of chemical and other toxic inputs, which prevents plantation from pest and diseases. More often these farm inputs have an advantage to the farmer but a threat to the environment. The farms input that degrade the quality of water includes; nutrients, sedimentation, irrigation.
Nutrients
Manures, sludge, and chemical fertilizers contain nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. Crops residue components enhance agricultural production. These farms inputs are applied just before the rain begins. On the onset of the rain, these minerals are carried downstream into aquatic ecosystems. This degrades the quality of water creating a foul taste in drinking water. It endangers the aquatic life by removing oxygen out of their habitant. Drinking water concentrated by nitrates causes methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) a killer disease of infants (Antony, 2010).
Sedimentation
Loose soils are easily transported downstream. Soil particles are often attached to other pollutants such as fertilizers, heavy metals, and pesticides. When water runoff caries the soil particles downstream it also transits these pollutants compromising the quality of water. In an area like this hit by earthquake, vegetation is likely destroyed thus leaving bare land that is subjected to erosion. Suspension of silt sediments on water threatens aquatic life since it prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic life.
Irrigation
Unregulated water used for irrigation is hazardous for the quality of aquatic life. When much water is used for irrigation, it erodes soil fragments. The land becomes weak and prone to destruction in case of an earthquake. This causes a reduction of fertile land for farming.
To determine the extend of pollution by agricultural activities, the following measurement techniques are used. To measure the amount of nutrients absorbed by the water in the river clean jars are used to extract water from the river. The water sample is taken for a laboratory test to measure the quantity of each mineral in milligrams per 1000 milliliters water.
Home
Report Advertisement
Agriculture, Modern
Plant Sciences
COPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc.
Agriculture, Modern
During the latter half of the twentieth century, what is known today as modern agriculture was very successful in meeting a growing demand for food by the world's population. Yields of primary crops such as rice and wheat increased dramatically, the price of food declined, the rate of increase in crop yields generally kept pace with population growth, and the number of people who consistently go hungry was slightly reduced. This boost in food production has been due mainly to scientific advances and new technologies, including the development of new crop varieties, the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the construction of large irrigation systems.
Basic Practices of Modern Agricultural Systems
Modern agricultural systems have been developed with two related goals in mind: to obtain the highest yields possible and to get the highest economic profit possible.