SUSTAINABLE CROP

PRODUCTION

Efren E. Magulama
Department of Farming Systems
College of Agriculture
University of Southern Mindanao

EEMagulama Sustainable Crop Production 1

 Global Crop Production
Needs to Double by 2050
• Yield increases of 2.4% / year needed to meet demand
without putting more land in production
Current
1.6%
1.0%
0.9%
1.3%

Ray DK, Mueller ND, West PC, Foley JA (2013) Yield Trends Are Insufficient to Double Global Crop Production by 2050. PLoS ONE 8(6):
e66428. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
 SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION

Sustainability
 Persistence and capacity of a system to continue
for a long time
 Resilience and ability to bounce-back after
unexpected difficulties
 Simply developmental activities --- account of
environment

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 SUSTAINABILITY and AGRICULTURAL
SYSTEMS (Bases)
1. Agricultural production possibilities
• High or low potential
• Favorable or marginal

2. Technological concentrations
• Green revolution
• Complex and diverse
• Ever green revolution

3. Quality of available natural resources

• Resource – rich
• Resource – poor

4. Use of external inputs

• High external input
• Low external input

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 SA: Levels of Perception

levels of perception

 Sustainable  Resource-conserving
 Alternative  Biological
 Regenerative  Natural
 Low external input  Ecoagriculture/
 Low-input sustainable agroecological
agriculture
 Organic/biodynamic/
 Balanced-input sustainable
agriculture permaculture
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Sustainable Agriculture

“Often presented in opposition to modernized

agriculture”
 Conventional
 Resource degrading
 Intensive or high external input

“Common reference point”

 Resource-conserving
with greater use of
 Low-input local resources and
 Regenerative knowledge

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 Comparison: Traditional & Modern
Agriculture

Traditional Agriculture Modern Agriculture

 Low-input  High-input
 Low yield/productivity  High productivity
 Highly sustainable  Low sustainability
 Diversified  Less diversified
(monoculture)
* Use of synthetics/agrochemicals
* Highly artificial environment

Misconception about SA
 Incompatible with existing farming methods
 Represents backward or traditional approaches
 Low external input = low productivity
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 Sustainable Crop Production

Main Goals

Strategies Environmental health

Economic profitability
Socioeconomic equity
 Farming/natural
Features
resources
 Plant & animal
 Diversification  Meet present and future
Production

production
system

 Conservation/ practices generation needs

regeneration  Systems approach ---
 Economic, social/
 Production/ political issues aspects of environment
stability  Interdisciplinary approach
(all stakeholders)

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SCP Feature: Diversification

Depth of rooting system

 Reduce competition for water and nutrients
 Allow certain soil layers to rest/regenerate
 Multi-layer nutrient and water extraction

Intercropping Canopy architecture

 Efficient utilization of light based on crop canopy
Relay cropping structure and light requirement
Crop rotation
Nutrient uptake – temporal and spatial
Others  Differential peaks of demands (inputs)
 Feeding degree --- light, medium, heavy feeders

Maturity dates or growth duration

 Differential peaks of demands (inputs)
 Scheduling of output

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 SCP Feature: Resource Conservation
and Regeneration

Based on the following basic challenges:

 better use of internal resources
 minimizing external inputs
 regenerating internal resources

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SCP Feature: Productivity and Stability of
a Production System
1. More thorough incorporation of natural processes into agricultural
production processes  nutrient cycling, N-fixation, pest-predator
relationships, diversity

2. Reduction in the use of off-farm, external and non-renewable

inputs  minimize environmental hazards, variable costs

3. Greater productive use of biological and genetic potential of plant

and animal species

4. Greater use of local knowledge and practices  innovative

approaches & farmers’ adoption

5. Increase in self-reliance among farmers

6. Matching cropping patterns and productive potential carrying

capacity of the system
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Strategies: Farming and Natural Resources

Water
 drought resistant farming system
 improvement of water conservation & storage measures
 improvement of water-use efficiency
 maintenance of water quality

Energy Gradual substitution of non-renewable energy sources

 hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar

Air
 management of crop residues, appropriate level of tillage, use of
windbreaks

Soil
 management
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of crop residues,Sustainable
appropriate level of tillage, mulching, use 12
Crop Production
of soil covers, managing irrigation runoff (avoidance of soil erosion)
Strategies: Plant Production Practices

Selection of Site, Species and Variety

 pests and environmental stress resistant varieties
 consideration of local conditions --- agroclimatic factors

Diversity
 optimum diversity, e. g., crop-livestock integration

Soil Management
 use of cover crops
 improvement of soil fertility/quality, e. g., use of composts, organic matter

Efficient Use of Inputs

 input-use efficiencies

Consideration of Farmers Goals

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 Strategies: Economic, Social & Political
Concerns
new policies to simultaneously promote
 Food & agricultural policy environmental health, economic profitability and
social/economic equity

 Land use Acreage control due to urbanization

Policies/Programs  socially oriented (wages, working conditions,

 Labor
health benefits, clearances of economic stability

 Rural community development Diversified agricultural production

Strengthen community institutions

 Consumer & food system

Consumers role in creating a sustainable food system

 broaden consumer perspective  environmental
EEMagulama quality, resource use
Sustainable & social equity issues are
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considered
 Thank You

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