Secrets To Sustainable Agriculture Omaha

By Henry Thomas


In order to attain food security, farmers need to continually produce more food using the same parcel of land without rendering it useless. To achieve sustainable agriculture Omaha agriculturists must adopt farming methods that preserve the fertility of their farms. This is not a hard thing to do but must be driven by commitment and a sense of responsibility to protect the environment.

Successful farmers must plan in advance and decide what crops to grow and when to do so. They must have the end user in mind as they start their venture. This means that they must do a thorough market survey before starting their venture. It is also important to find affordable skilled labor and professional agronomic support to help them manage the farm. Farmers must also get proper estimates of farm input costs before they can start any farming project to find out whether the venture will be profitable or not.

It is wise to protect your farm as a farmer and make sure that it retains its fertility. Besides the application of fertilizers, you can adopt crop rotation. This helps you to replenish nutrients utilized by one type of crop. For example, legumes are known to fix Nitrogen to the soil whereas cereals utilize the same nutrients. Growing these crops on the same parcel of land in alternate seasons will ensure that the soil retains its fertility.

Intercropping is another method of ensuring that farmlands remain fertile. This practice is best utilized when symbiotic crops are used. When crops that deplete Nitrogen from the soil are grown on the same land with those that fix the same nutrients to earth, the net effect is that the fertility of the farm is retained. This means that farmers will use less fertilizer thus saving on farm input costs and maximizing profits.

You will need to control runoff water during the rainy season. If not checked, it will wash away the top soil which supports the growth of crops. This will leave your farm barren and consequently affect your yield. To fix this problem, you can grow cover crops which will trap the water and prevent soil erosion. Also, dig terraces that will check the flow of water.

For a farmer to continually produce crops on their farm, they need a reliable source of capital. Whereas initial capital can be sourced from other sources, continual investments must come from the proceeds of selling farm produce. This way the farm will be able to run itself hence guarantee its future. As a farmer, you must think of processing your produce to final products that can be sold to customers. This will help you increase you profit margin.

Minimize the use of pesticides by using natural predators. This may not be an easy thing to achieve as it requires deploying organisms on your farm to feed on the pests and not breed. There are firms that provide such services so you will need to find out whether they operate in your area.

Be open to opinions of experts and work closely with scientists in your area. It is important to know which crops do well in your region so as to maximize your farm yields. Also, strive to have current information on pest and disease control.




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