What type of agriculture should we use for what conditions?

[gribbon]

As the global demand for food increases (though some disagree that this is happening), we must grow ever more food.

 

As I understand, there are the following types of agriculture.

 

Slash and Burn, Plantation, Rice cultivation, Nomadic herding, Hunting and gathering, Monoculture, Cattle ranching, Sheep farming, Dairy farming, Horticulture, Cereal cultivatiion, Mixed farming, Mediteranean type agriculture, aeroponics, aerial topdressing, agricultural machinery, animal husbandry, aquaculture, beekeeping, crop rotation, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO, factory farming), composting, dairy farming, de-tasseling, domestication, fencing, fertilizers, greenhouse

Harvest, hybrid seed, hydroponics, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), irrigation, livestock, market gardening, monoculture

No-till farming, organic farming, plant breeding, Permaculture, pollination management, precision farming, ranching, season extension, subsistence farming, succession planting, sustainable agriculture, terracing, vegetable farming, and tillage.

 

The goals that agricultural scientists aim to achieve are:

 

Food safety: Ensuring that the food supply is free of contamination.

Food security: Ensuring that the food supply meets the population's needs.

Food quality: Ensuring that the food supply is of a consistent and known quality.

Conservation

Environmental impact

Economic stability

 

 

Are there any agricultural experts here, who could explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method of production?

 

My queries are as follows:

 

.To what regions of the world each are best suited and why.

 

. In particular, how would one find an efficient and cost effective method of agricultural production for a desert climate (such as that of the Sahel, which suffers from agricultural instability)?

 

. What type of irrigation and water management is recommended for each circumstance?

 

. How can any disadvantages be overcome using Agronomy and soil/agricultural science?

 

.What are the ideal conditions for each type of agriculture.

 

.How does each type compare with others that are also feasible in the region? (For example, if there are several types that are suited for silty soils, how do they compare using the goals of the agricultural scientist).

 

 

Thank-you

[Michaelangelica]

[jackson33]

in the US, the most productive (efficiency & cost/productive) are found in desert areas of Arizona and California. the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave in Southern Cal. and South western Arizona. as most warm/dry climate areas there are near by mountain ranges which in effect create the deserts. these mountains have a run off of water, which give agriculture the water needed to produce really high levels of per acre product. the stability is in the this planned irrigation.

 

not an expert myself, you might try to google check *irrigation farming in the US*, compare it to local conditions and go from there. if you can get a flow of water (irrigation) you can grow or maintain most any animal or plant product imaginable.

[gribbon]

Michaelangelica....what does "Bump" mean in this context....you've got me confused....

[Michaelangelica]

Michaelangelica....what does "Bump" mean in this context....you've got me confused....

Well I thought you question was intelligent, thoughtful and needed areply

I came across it looking for something else ( Hypography "search" function is famous)

I was too

1. Drunk

2. Stupid

3.Tired

to reply to your email

But I thought it was a question which should not be neglected.

 

Many people on Hypography (including me) just look at the latest posts.

By bump in you post I sent it to latest posts and thus elicited at least one sensible reply to your query.

[gribbon]

Oh....:D

[jungjedi]

i remmember from an anthropology class on the subect of the "green revolution" during the 60s i think it was more of an idea than a peace corps. for farmers.it was an exportation of technological farming that included everything from pesticides to crop dusting to new fertilizers..I looked it up in wiki,and wiki said it was a success.but i remember our class coming to the conclusion that it was a failure in exporting monocrops that were more vulnerable to pandemic blights,diseases and pests.also,there was trouble with it messing up ancient practices of water shareing that had been established.now,i dont know how many of you will remmember,there is the issue of monsanto gentically altering seeds that farmers will have to buy every year instead of getting them from the previus years harvest.these plant will be unable to yeild there own genetically viable seeds for reproduction without monsantos help

[freeztar]

i dont know how many of you will remmember,there is the issue of monsanto gentically altering seeds that farmers will have to buy every year instead of getting them from the previus years harvest.these plant will be unable to yeild there own genetically viable seeds for reproduction without monsantos help

 

Yes, the "terminator" is its name.

untitled

 

There was quite a scare over this several years ago, but I haven't heard anything about it in years. :singer:

[jungjedi]

nope,thats not it.

[freeztar]

nope,thats not it.

 

errrr... You sure about that?

 

In March of 1998, a seed company later to be purchased by Monsanto, Delta

and Pine Land Company, in collaboration with the United States Department

of Agriculture, was awarded U.S. Patent Number 5,723,765: Control of Plant

Gene Expression. Although the patent is broad and covers many applications,

one application favored by the patent's authors is a scheme to engineer

crops to kill their own seeds in the second generation, thus making it

impossible for farmers to save and replant seeds.

 

Sounds like what you were talking about.

...there is the issue of monsanto gentically altering seeds that farmers will have to buy every year instead of getting them from the previus years harvest.these plant will be unable to yeild there own genetically viable seeds for reproduction...

[jungjedi]

nope,but i have the attention span of about 32 seconds