Agriculture is an art and science of farming that includes numerous practices including cultivating crops, raising livestock and rearing fishes.
Agriculture and nature cannot be separated. Agricultural practices, improvements, and agricultural practices develop over time. Modern agriculture involves several management practices like intensive tillage, irrigation, monoculture, inorganic and organic fertilizer application, chemical pest control, genetic manipulation of crop plants, modern greenhouse practices, etc. So, these practices affect directly and indirectly nature. Timing of practices, farm location, farm type, the farming and land management practices differ the environmental impact.
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Climate change
Agriculture both contributes to global climate change and is suffering from climate change. The agricultural practices produce and release the greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Also, ammonia, phosphorous, and nitrate release as a by-product because of these applications of pesticides, fertilizer, and tillage practices in agriculture. According to literature, 20% of the total carbon dioxide emission is due to agricultural activities. Further use of pesticide and chemical compound affect air, water, soil quality and destroy the biodiversity. Also, livestock results in the emission of methane due to enteric fermentation via belches during digestion.
So global climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes. A significant loss of crop and livestock genetic diversity over the spread of industrial monocultures, reducing resilience in the face of climate and other changes.
Deforestation
The food and agriculture organization states time between 2015 and 2020, the speed of deforestation was estimated as 10 million hectares per annum, down from 16 million hectares per annum in the 1990s. Since 1990 worldwide area of primary forest has decreased by over 80 million hectares. Over the years population is growing, and the demand for food consumption is increasing. Low productivity of agricultural lands leads to expansion of farming lads. Because of that deforestation gradually increase year to year.
According to British environmentalist Norman Myers, cattle ranching causes five percent (5%) of deforestation, over-heavy logging cause 19% of deforestation, growing sector of vegetable oil plantations causes 22%, and slash-and-burn farming 54% cause deforestation. Deforestation is a leading explanation for global climate change, causes species to become extinct increases greenhouse emissions and reduces soil quality.
Quality of groundwater
70% of total water worldwide is consumed by agriculture. Agriculture practices likely had impacted groundwater quality through the intensive use of fertilizer and other chemicals and discharge these pollutants and sediment to the soil surface and additionally to the groundwater. These agricultural pollutants include pathogens, pesticides, sediment, nutrients, salts, and metals. Also, farmers are looking for non-conventional water sources because of the increasing demand for agricultural commodities with marginal quality, including wastewater. The utilizes of polluted water sources can lead to microbial and chemical growth and cause pollution to crops, soil, water sources, and livestock products.
Soil degradation
Soil filter water, a foundation for biodiversity, and healthy soils require an adequate water supply and food production. Soil degradation is that the reduction in soil quality and it occurs as a result of many factors, mainly from agriculture. The main attributes of soil degradation can be a decline in soil structure quality, waterlogging, loss of fertility, changes in soil acidity, compaction, salting, pesticide contamination, alkalinity, salinity, and erosion. The results of land degradation can reduce the production efficiency of cultivated land and global biological ruin that affects the diversity of microbe of the soil. This process can change nutrient cycling, pest and disease control, and chemical transformation properties of the soil condition due to the threatening food security and environmental quality. All these problems have significant economic and natural consequences and could finally compromise food production. So, land degradation is one of the major global environmental issues of this century and has become one of the main problems for fighting against the lack of food.
Agricultural Waste
Depending on the nature of agricultural activities, agricultural wastes can be in the form of solid, liquid, or slurries. In agricultural practices, farmers use plastic sheets as mulch to cover 50-70% of soil. This cover has better control over moisture and soil nutrients in a drip irrigation system. These farming practices ensure the fastest runoff and allow pesticides to be transported easier in the surface runoff towards wetlands or tidal creeks. The runoff from pesticides and chemicals within the plastic can result in severe deformations and death in shellfish because the runoff carries the chemicals towards the oceans.
Positive Impact on Agriculture
Agriculture also has a positive effect on nature that may enrich biodiversity and enhance vital ecosystem services. Also, agriculture supports reserve valued ecosystems. Grasslands make available habitation to numerous animals and native plants. But maintaining land for agricultural uses leads to more difficulties for native species for having their original habitat.
Soil fertility improves naturally through the practice of cover cropping, no-tillage, crop rotation, and application of compost and also speeds the new soil formation. When agricultural land rich with organic matter helps to grow natural enemies of pests and enhance the growth of a resilient crop. A teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to 1 billion bacteria, while the concentration in intensively farmed soils might drop to a minimum of 100.
Agriculture has a role in the water cycle. In an agricultural system, all plants and trees enhance the retained and add water level to underground aquifers. This process is effective because of a deep and well-established root system.
Eco-friendly farming becomes a priority when environmental harm causes by large-scale agriculture. Permaculture, aquaponics, hydroponic, and use of renewable energy resources, crop rotation, polyculture, and agroforestry are the sustainable farming practices that minimize the environmental damage by agriculture practices. These practices increase food production capacities and active environmental protection. The establishment and implementation of new laws and regulations should be in every country for new technologies related to the agriculture field.
Summary
Even agriculture gives numerous negative impacts on nature farming is the base of food sources. The only thing that has to practice is, minimizing the negative practices of agriculture. Practicing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) can keep this problem under control while making quality food products without making a huge impact on the environment. Proper agricultural management practices, sustainable farming plans are also helping with zero negative impact on the earth. Therefore, changing agriculture to precision agriculture is the best option for a sustainable world.
Author: Yashmi Jayaweera
BSc. ( Hons. ) Agriculture
References
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6. Hance, Jeremy (May 15, 2008). "Tropical deforestation is 'one of the worst crises since we came out of our caves". Mongabay.com / A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012.
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_agriculture
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