Use crop rotations to break pest reproductive cycles. Select the most environmentally safe chemicals. A new emphasis on sustainable agriculture does not mean going back 50 years to a less complicated system of agriculture. As we develop a better technical understanding of the complex biological, soil, and climatic interactions that influence crop and animal production, we increase the potential for high levels of sustained production. Thus, successful sustainable farming will continue to be management intensive, relying on the creative application of research and conventional wisdom.
Several strategies can make farming systems more sustainable.
One is to increase input efficiency within existing systems. Much of the scientific information gained through research and applied through extension can be used directly to achieve this efficiency. For example, breeding crops for insect and disease tolerance or resistance can drastically reduce the need for pesticides. Conservation tillage systems and improved planting equipment have introduced new potentials for moisture conservation and reduction of erosion on susceptible lands. Improved pasture management, such as controlled grazing, can reduce the cost of producing milk and meat while improving the nutrient status and physical properties of the soil.