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| Organic Farming: The Ecological System
ISBN: 9780891181897
Platform/Publisher: WOL / ACSESS
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Unlimited; Download: Unlimited
Subjects: Agriculture Aquaculture & Food Science; Agriculture;
Agriculture is going through a profound revolution--a recognition that the resilience and sustainability of ecology and natural systems have much to teach modern agriculture. Organic farming systems are one manifestation of this new awareness. Worldwide sales of organic products have expanded 10 to 20% per year for the past decade, increasing interest in organic farming as a profitable and more environmentally benign alternative to conventional production. To participate in the current food system, it is imperative that agronomists and horticulturists master the practices, systems design, certification process, and details of the organic farming sector. Combining farmer experience and wisdom with the best that science has to offer can help us better understand organic systems and how to design them to meet human needs and preserve an environment where we would like to live. This book represents a current look at what we know about organic farming practices and systems, primarily from the U.S. and Canadian perspectives. The discussion begins with history and certification, ecological knowledge as the foundation for sustaining food systems, and biodiversity. The next chapters address crop-animal systems; forages, grain, oil seed, and specialty crops; organic cropping and soil nutrient needs; and vegetation and pest management. Readers will next learn about marketing organics, organic foods and food security, and education and research. The book concludes with a survey of the future of organic farming and a perspective on the agricultural industry and the future of the rural sector.
Charles Francis is Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he teaches agroecology, organic farming, and lessons from urban sprawl about long-term land use. His research is on rotations, cover crops, peri-urban farming, and integrated local food systems. His extension appointment is in cropping systems and rural landscape design. Charles has lived and worked in the Philippines, Colombia, and Norway and has presented papers and workshops in over 40 countries and 35 U.S. states. |
