Monoculture and Organic Farming

Monoculture

• Monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop species over a large area.
• This practice reduces crop biodiversity, making crops more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and environmental changes.

How does monoculture affect crop biodiversity?

• Reduced biodiversity in the surrounding ecosystem as diversity in plants and animals decreases.
• Increased risk of crop failure due to widespread pest outbreaks, disease, or climate change impacts.
• Less resilience to environmental stresses.

Green Revolution

• A period in the mid-20th century where agricultural yields increased dramatically, primarily through the development of high-yielding crop varieties, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Organic Farming

• Organic farming focuses on sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact.
• Uses no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and generally avoids genetically modified organisms.
• Standards vary between countries, but generally involve practices like crop rotation, composting, and cover cropping.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Organic Farming

• Benefits:*

• Reduces environmental pollution from synthetic chemicals.

• Supports soil health and biodiversity.

• Promotes sustainable agriculture.

• Can improve animal welfare standards.

• Disadvantages:*

• Often requires more labor than conventional farming methods.

• Can have lower yields than conventional farming.

• Can be more expensive for consumers.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• IPM is a strategy to control pests using a combination of methods.

Four Controls Associated with IPM:

• Cultural control: Practices that reduce pest habitat, such as crop rotation, sanitation, and proper planting.
• Physical control: Removal of pests through methods including handpicking, traps, and barriers.
• Biological control: Use of natural enemies (predators, parasites, or pathogens) to reduce pest populations.
• Chemical control: Use of pesticides only as a last resort when other methods are ineffective.

Advantages and Disadvantages of IPM

• Advantages:*

• Reduced use of pesticides, decreasing environmental impact.

• Management of pests according to principles of ecology.

• Maintenance of beneficial insects and biodiversity.

• Disadvantages:*

• Can be more complex and require more monitoring than other pest control methods.

Organic vs. Inorganic (Synthetic) Pesticides

• Organic pesticides are derived from natural sources, while inorganic pesticides are synthetically produced, often with stronger effects to control pests more vigorously.

Broad vs. Narrow Spectrum Pesticides

• Broad-spectrum pesticides target a wide range of pests.
• Narrow-spectrum pesticides target specific pests.

Environmental, Economic, and Societal Impacts of Pesticides

• Environmental:*

• Potential pollution of soil, water, and air.

• Harm to non-target organisms including beneficial insects and wildlife.

• Economic:*

• Costs associated with pesticide application and disposal.

• Potential risks to human health of pesticide use.

• Societal:*

• Concerns about pesticide residues in food.

• Potential impact on human health through exposure to pesticides.

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act

• Regulates the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics to protect public health.

DDT

• A persistent insecticide, once widely used, but now banned or severely restricted due to its environmental effects.

Atrazine

• A common herbicide.
• Known for its effects on aquatic and wildlife ecosystems.

Endocrine Disruptors

• Chemicals that interfere with hormones in the body.
• Pesticides can act as endocrine disruptors.

Pesticide Categories

• Insecticides: Control insects.
• Herbicides: Control weeds.
• Rodenticides: Control rodents.
• Fungicides: Control fungi.

Persistent Pesticide

• A pesticide that remains in the environment for a long time, posing a continued risk to ecosystems and human health.

Pesticide Treadmill

• The cycle where pests develop resistance to pesticides, leading to the need for stronger and more frequent pesticide applications.

Biomagnification

• The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a pesticide, in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain.

Perennial Crops

• Crops that live for more than two years.
• Generally promote soil health by reducing erosion and maintaining soil structure.

Methods of Soil Conservation

• Crop rotation: Alternating different crops in a field to maintain soil fertility.
• Contour farming: Farming along the contours of slopes to prevent erosion.
• No-till farming: Minimizing soil disturbance during planting and cultivation.
• Terracing: Creating level platforms on slopes to prevent soil erosion.
• Cover crops: Planting crops to protect and improve soil health.

Arable Land

• Land suitable for growing crops.

Biogeochemical Cycles

• Water Cycle: Movement of water through the environment.
• Carbon Cycle: Movement of carbon through the environment.
• Nitrogen Cycle: Movement of nitrogen through the environment.
• Sulfur Cycle: Movement of sulfur through the environment.
• Phosphorus Cycle: Movement of phosphorus through the environment.

Causes of Soil Compaction and Effects

• Heavy machinery: Repeated use of heavy machinery compacts the soil.
• Overgrazing: Results in damage to soil structure of rangelands, impacting agriculture.
• Erosion: Loss of plant life in an area.
• Effects: Decreased water infiltration, reduced aeration, impeded root growth, and decreased crop yields.

CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)

• A large-scale system for raising and feeding livestock.

Advantages and Disadvantages of CAFOs

• Advantages:*

• High output of animal products.

• Efficiency in feeding, managing, and housing animals in large numbers.

• Disadvantages:*

• Environmental pollution (waste, manure) due to density.

• Negative impact on animal welfare in confined spaces.

• Use of antibiotics and hormones in dense conditions may lead to resistance in the environment and increase health concerns.

Rangelands vs Pastures

• Similarities:*

• Used for grazing livestock.

• Differences:*

• Rangelands are typically unmanaged by humans and more variable environment conditions, while pastures have managed grazing.

• Rangelands are more extensive and require a wider area of land than pastures.

LD50

• The lethal dose (amount) of a substance that kills 50% of a test population.

Dose-Response Curve

• Graphical representation showing the relationship between the dose of a substance and the response (e.g., toxicity).

Threshold of Toxicity

• The minimum dose of a substance that elicits a response.

Explore the concepts of monoculture and its impact on biodiversity, alongside the practices of organic farming. Understand how these agricultural approaches influence crop resilience and ecosystem health. This quiz will help you grasp the implications of farming practices on our environment.