Farming Activities started thousands years ago to provide foods for human consumption and energy of Life. Farming is closely related to natural resources surround us and has been studied many decade the use of natural resources in traditional and modern farming system. Today many farmers able to produce much higher productivity in their farming activity with the assistance of the latest technology to alter or modified the natural resources for the preferred crop. The use of Glasshouse is the basic modification of the existing natural condition to controlled condition for crops like tomato, leafy vegetable and many others planted in not suitable outside weather conditions. This article I would like to discuss about the natural resources that is related to farming activities based on my own opinion and read few agriculture technical books recently.
When the production of food and fiber degrades the natural resource base, the ability of future generations to produce and flourish decreases. The decline of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean region, Pre-Columbian southwest U.S., Asia, South East Asia and Central America is believed to have been strongly influenced by natural resource degradation from non-sustainable farming and forestry practices. Water is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper and it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged. The fresh water availability in Malaysia and other ASIAN member country are not a critical factors compare to other region such as in Africa, Australia, Middle East and America Regions. Hugh amount of rainfall in our SEA country annually make paddy growing as a staple food is the major crop for most farmers in this region. Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines had a surplus amount of rice produced and able to export to other country due the availability of water.
1.1 Water supply and use.
In many arid country an extensive water storage and transfer system has been established which has allowed crop production to expand to very arid regions. In drought years, limited surface water supplies have prompted overdraft of groundwater and consequent intrusion of salt water, or permanent collapse of aquifers. Periodic droughts, some lasting up to 50 years, have occurred in California and many other arid country in Africa. Several steps should be taken to develop drought-resistant farming systems even in "normal" years including both policy and management actions: 1) improving water conservation and storage measures, 2) providing incentives for selection of drought-tolerant crop species, 3) using reduced-volume irrigation systems, 4) managing crops to reduce water loss, or 5) not planting at all. It was not a critical issue in ASIAN Country about the drought issue but we faced the FLOOD or excessive water during the monsoon season. The flood able to damage food crops during monsoon season especially on flood prone lowland area.
1.2 Water quality.
The most important issues related to water quality involve salinization and contamination of ground and surface waters by pesticides, nitrates and selenium. Salinity has become a problem wherever water of even relatively low salt content is used on shallow soils in arid regions and/or where the water table is near the root zone of crops. Tile drainage can remove the water and salts, but the disposal of the salts and other contaminants may negatively affect the environment depending upon where they are deposited. Temporary solutions include the use of salt-tolerant crops, low-volume irrigation, and various management techniques to minimize the effects of salts on crops. In the long-term, some farmland may need to be removed from production or converted to other uses. Other uses include conversion of row crop land to production of drought-tolerant forages, the restoration of wildlife habitat or the use of agroforestry to minimize the impacts of salinity and high water tables. Pesticide and nitrate contamination of water can be reduced using many of the practices discussed later in the Plant Production Practices and Animal Production Practices sections.
2.0 Wildlife.
Another way in which agriculture affects water resources is through the destruction of riparian habitats within watersheds. The conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land reduces fish and wildlife through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water. The plant diversity in and around both riparian and agricultural areas should be maintained in order to support a diversity of wildlife. This diversity will enhance natural ecosystems and could aid in agricultural pest management. There are zoo available in the urban area to maintain the wild but the actual problem is the destruction of the original suitable area for them.
3.0 Energy.
Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on non-renewable energy sources, especially petroleum. The continued use of these energy sources cannot be sustained indefinitely, yet to abruptly abandon our reliance on them would be economically catastrophic. However, a sudden cutoff in energy supply would be equally disruptive. In sustainable agricultural systems, there is reduced reliance on non-renewable energy sources and a substitution of renewable sources or labor to the extent that is economically feasible. The price of fuel especially petrol has been increased tremendously from only RM 0.60 /liter in 2000 to RM 2.00/liter in 2010 (diesel) in Malaysia increasing cost of farm production significantly.
4.0 Air.
Many agricultural activities affect air quality. These include smoke from agricultural burning; dust from tillage, traffic and harvest; pesticide drift from spraying; and nitrous oxide emissions from the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Options to improve air quality include incorporating crop residue into the soil, using appropriate levels of tillage, and planting wind breaks, cover crops or strips of native perennial grasses to reduce dust.
5.0 Soil.
Soil erosion continues to be a serious threat to our continued ability to produce adequate food. Numerous practices have been developed to keep soil in place in which include reducing or eliminating tillage, managing irrigation to reduce runoff, and keeping the soil covered with plants or mulch. Enhancement of soil quality is discussed in the next section. Soil enrichment program such as Manuring , Liming, Organic Matter application and soil improvement activity able to increase soil fertility and high crop productivity. The use of cover-crop, silver-shine plastic, Greenhouse and terracing structure are common nowadays to ensure of soil fertility for long usage in farming activity. The latest technology of agriculture is to improve the soil fertility, improve seed variety for higher productivity and reduction of yield loss due to pests and diseases.
By,
M Anem
Melaka
Malaysia
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