ENV 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Reserve Program, Soil Retrogression And Degradation
Document Summary
Chapter 7: soil, agriculture, and the future of food. The race to feed the world: food security adequate, reliable, and available food supply to all people at all times. Soils: soil complex plant-supporting system of disintegrated rock, organic matter, air, water, nutrients, and microorganisms, consists of 50% mineral matter, up to 5% organic matter, air, and water. Maintaining healthy soils: soil degradation deterioration of soil quality and decline in soil productivity, resulting primarily from forest removal, cropland agriculture, and overgrazing of livestock, has reduced potential rates of global grain production on cropland by 13% In the u. s. , crop yields have increased, erosion has been reduced, soil quality has been enhanced, and pollution has declined. Sustainable fertilizer use involves monitoring and targeting nutrients: drip irrigation systems, no-till systems, and regularly monitoring for overapplication, embracing organic fertilizers because they can provide some benefits that inorganic fertilizers cannot, provides nutrients and organic matter.
