Friday 17 June 2016

Secrets To Sustainable Agriculture Omaha

By Henry Thomas


In order to attain food security, farmers need to continually produce more food using the same parcel of land without rendering it useless. To achieve sustainable agriculture Omaha agriculturists must adopt farming methods that preserve the fertility of their farms. This is not a hard thing to do but must be driven by commitment and a sense of responsibility to protect the environment.

Successful farmers must plan in advance and decide what crops to grow and when to do so. They must have the end user in mind as they start their venture. This means that they must do a thorough market survey before starting their venture. It is also important to find affordable skilled labor and professional agronomic support to help them manage the farm. Farmers must also get proper estimates of farm input costs before they can start any farming project to find out whether the venture will be profitable or not.

It is wise to protect your farm as a farmer and make sure that it retains its fertility. Besides the application of fertilizers, you can adopt crop rotation. This helps you to replenish nutrients utilized by one type of crop. For example, legumes are known to fix Nitrogen to the soil whereas cereals utilize the same nutrients. Growing these crops on the same parcel of land in alternate seasons will ensure that the soil retains its fertility.

Another method that exploits symbiosis relationships among crops is intercropping. This works well, especially for cereals and legumes. As one type of crop utilizes the Nitrogen in the soil, the other type continually releases the same nutrients to the earth.At the end of the season, the land will still be fertile to farm. You also use fertilizer, if you have to, and thus reducing your direct costs.

Soil erosion is a common problem that destroys farmlands across the world. As a farmer begins to prepare their land, they need to study the topology of the area and find out how water flows when it rains. They then need to dig terraces that will hold the water, control its flow and thus prevent the erosion of the top soil. In addition, they can consider using cover crops which protect the top soil and inhibits the growth of weeds.

Sustainable agriculture cannot be a reality without to the funds to drive it. So the more you get from your farming venture, the higher the chances that your farm will still be operational in years to come. In order to fetch good returns with your venture, it is advisable to consider adding values to your products. This means that if you grow corn, you can process them into cornflakes or cooking oil depending on the quantity. You will, therefore, sell byproducts at high prices hence fetching more.

Minimize the use of pesticides by using natural predators. This may not be an easy thing to achieve as it requires deploying organisms on your farm to feed on the pests and not breed. There are firms that provide such services so you will need to find out whether they operate in your area.

Be open to opinions of experts and work closely with scientists in your area. It is important to know which crops do well in your region so as to maximize your farm yields. Also, strive to have current information on pest and disease control.




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