Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Conventional tillage (NOT) incorporates most of the previous crop’s residue into the ground leaves the surface exposed to erosion and accelerates the decomposition of organic matter

No-till agriculture involves planting crops directly into the residue of the previous year's crop minimal, conserving moisture, soil structure, and organic matter and minimizing the risk of erosion

Summer Fallowing (not SA) Summer fallow practice used where farmers leave their field uncultivated for a year to build up its soil moisture, control weeds and restore soil fertility contributes to increased soil erosion (wind), a reduction in fertility and a build up of salts (Salinization).

Green Manures crops that are grown specifically to be ploughed into the soil, adding both organic matter and nutrients in the process (e.g., clover/legumes) prevent erosion by covering soil that would otherwise be left bare add natural fertilizers (nitrogen) **Green manures can also be planted between crop rows to help ‘take up space’ to avoid wind erosion and to deter weeds. Cover Crop benefits on a no till farm

Crop Rotations Rotating crops in different parts of the farm plot prevent the build-up of pest populations and avoid depleting the same soil nutrients year after year improve soil structure when deep-rooting or high residue crops are used in the rotation

Contour Ploughing (decrease water erosion) Contour ploughing involves ploughing across hilly fields rather than up and down the slope of a hill. Each row prevents water from running down the slope and taking the topsoil with it.

Shelterbelts/Windbreaker windbreakers that usually consist of a ‘linear arrangement combining trees, shrubs and plants established for the purposes of modifying the local wind flow through and over the trees and thereby changing local environmental factors such as wind speed, temperature and humidity across neighboring crop fields.

Soil Protection **Could also use lightweight tires that don’t compact the soils down as much as other older heavier tires, by using natural fertilizers rather than chemical ones along with practicing these new proper cultivation techniques The Next Step: Adding Cover Crop To A No-Till System

Now time for a TED Talk Natural Pest control using bugs Shimon Steinberg 15 mins