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Agriculture and the environment
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Agriculture and the environment are intimately linked and much debate has taken place in recent years about the sustainability of some farming practices. Farming efficiencies, technological innovations and organic farming are all used to reduce the environmental impact of farming. History Effects Agricultural chemicals Agricultural chemicals Climate change Fertilizers Fertilizers are often used to replenish the loss of nutrients due to farming. Overuse of fertilizers can result in nutrient runoff polluting nearby water bodies and is a cause of eutrophication. An innovative approach to best management practices (BMPs) for fertilizer is the Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place concept. It is also known as 4R nutrient stewardship. It can be applied to managing either crop nutrients in general (including organic sources) or fertilizers in specific. This concept can help farmers and the public understand how the right management practices for fertilizer contribute to sustainability goals for agriculture. In a nutshell, the 4R nutrient stewardship concept involves crop producers and their advisers selecting the right source-rate-time-place combination from practices validated by research conducted by agronomic scientists. Goals for economic, environmental and social progress are set by—and are reflected in performance indicators chosen by—the stakeholders to crop production systems. Pollution Water abstraction Irrigation is used to supplement the natural availability of water and in some cases "water wars" have been the result. Mitigation Organic farming See Also
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