The world of agriculture has its own set of opportunities, but it is a well-known fact that with opportunities comes challenges. So when you plan to buy a farm for sale in Abbotsford or a house with acreage in Mission BC or any other agricultural property for that matter, it is important to be informed about the outlying challenges in modern day agriculture.
While pollution and soil erosion remain the prominent challenges today, there are other factors that add to the difficulty faced by farmers in the present day scenario. In this article we will take a look at some of these modern day challenges in agriculture.
- Crop specialization: Also known as monoculture in modern agriculture, farmers are seen growing the same crop season after season on their agricultural land. When a specific crop is grown time and again on same piece of land it tends to diminish the necessary nutrients that would keep the land fertile and reduces longevity.
This strategy might help you mitigate some costs, but after sometime the crops will begin to fail and so will the farmer’s efforts. With a nutrient less soil farmers resort to using chemical based fertilizers which are even more harmful when subjected to the soil on a regular basis, creating really unhealthy crops in the process. Thus, as a farmer you should always try crop rotation and avoid falling under the trap of monoculture.
- Genetically modified crops: GM crops refers to the crops grown by using genetically modified saplings or seeds in order to grow a crop that boosts certain features in it. These crops are genetically modified to make the yield resistant to pests and often to boost the levels of production. Although, experts claim that these newer version of genes can create a wide range of side effects and long term consequences related to environment and financials can be observed. Not to forget the high costs involved, which don’t make it a promising option for the future.
- Soil erosion: The problem since the beginning of time, soil erosion. It is a global phenomenon with no real control on it. It is often seen that large pieces of land lose their productivity and soil erosion is a major reason behind it. It can occur via wind, water or other man made means. When the soil is covered with enough plants and natural vegetation, the soil is bound together by the roots. Various erosion agents like ice, water, gravity and water play a significant role in eroding the lands of fertile soil.
When the land is ploughed multiple times it leads to the lands being exposed to these agents and being eroded at a rapid pace. Expansion of farming ventures also adds to this phenomenon. Grazing livestock eat the grass covers which help keep the soil bound together and thus farmers have to turn their attention to chemical fertilizers to restore the nutrients in the soil. Overgrazing has proved to be a major player in the process of erosion in the recent years.
Keeping the aforementioned problems in mind, farmers plant trees around their farms to avoid soil erosion and create a more sustainable form of agriculture. They often adopt practice like crop rotation to combat monoculture and turn to organic farming for naturally healthy crops on their farms. Careful study and constant effort is required to become successful in the field of agriculture and if you are up for the challenges and are also interested in starting your own agriculture venture then visit http://fraservalleyfarm.ca/ today to explore a wide range of options in your preferred locations.
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