Discussion question - Research Paper Example

Lidia M. Lujan Environmental Biology 2406 Do you think that current agricultural practices aresustainable? Why or why not? What changes in agriculture do you think will need to happen in the next 50 years? Indeed, there are sustainable modern practices in agriculture that have adopted and customized even conventional means yet whether they can maintain this sustainability or not seems to crucially depend upon a range of applicability considering the prevailing crop species and frequency of quality operations.

As such, crop rotation still proves to be an effective tradition of regulating destructive pests to enhance crop production. By an inclusive task of allowing legume growth and green manure, crop rotation potentially facilitates soil renewal through addition of the necessary nutrients (Redelf). Similarly, zero tillage is able to provide agricultural sustenance to a rather limited extent due to complexity in managing weed control. This practice however, results to lower risks of unfavorable environmental impact and a significantly economical alternative of reducing costs with fuel, labor, and equipment (Redelf).

In the next fifty years, with the fast-changing trends in technology and most industries in general, adjustments with agricultural measures would inevitably follow and necessitate shifting course. Certain agriculture experts have conjectured that if artificial standardization proceeds via pursuing biotechnological objectives with advanced breeding approach, number of food crops according to category would diminish, eventually leading to a worldwide famine (Redelf). It is therefore a must to keep a well-balanced biodiversity in the farm produce that are amply cultivated for human consumption by innovating new ways that satisfy instead the reverse order of current aim in advancement (Redelf).

A set of changes to be undergone in this respect ought to account for nurturing direct variation between fulfilling human requirements of healthy intake and holding environmental safety in equivalent regard. Additionally, a more sustainable practice should attain to a desirable equilibrium among farmers yearning for quality living, biological circumstances and factors associated with plantation concerns as well as the feasibility of meeting good economy and integration of resources to establish a farming system with higher levels of efficiency and reliability (Field to Market).

Works Cited Redelf. “Sustainable Agriculture – Best Agricultural Practices For Sustainable Food Production.” 2011. http://hubpages.com/hub/SustainableAgricultureBestPractices. 29 Mar 2011. “Field to Market: Using Sustainable Agriculture to Meet the World's Future Food Needs.” Feb 2010. http://www.foodinsight.org/Newsletter/Detail.aspx?topic=Field_to_Market_Using_Sustainable_Agriculture_to_Meet_the_World_s_Future_Food_Needs. 30 Mar 2011.