The Importance of Integration in Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Abstract Conventional agriculture has caused economic problems associated with over production of crops, increased costs of energy-based inputs and decreased farm incomes. It has also produced ecological problems such as poor ecological diversity, soil and water pollution and soil erosion. The adoption of integrated systems of agricultural production involving lower inputs of fertilizer, pesticides and cultivations can alleviate these economic and ecological problems. Such systems are dependent upon a good understanding of the nature of interactions between the four main components of such systems, which are fertilizers, pesticides, cultivations and rotations, and how these interactions influence crop yields and farm income. Alternatives to energy-based inputs include: legume rotations; use of waste organic matter as well as that from animals and crops; integrated pest management; pest and disease forecasting; biological and cultural pest control; living mulches and mechanical weed control; conservation tillage; specialized innovative cultural techniques, including intercropping, strip cropping, undersowing, trap crops, and double-row cropping. It is essential to integrate the components of agricultural systems fully so that their impact of other inputs is taken into account. Our knowledge of the main inputs and how these practices interact must increase before we can design fully integrated farming systems that minimize energy-based chemical inputs, produce good yields, increase farm profits and decrease environmental problems. There is considerable scope for the development of computer-based, farmer-operated, integrated management systems.