Monoculture
Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop, common in modern farming, especially industrial scale farming. It is in contrast to alternative approaches such as permaculture which emphasise growing multiple crops that are considered complementary.
Contents |
[edit] Monocultures damage ecosystems, diversity and soil
Indiana to the visitor looks flat and green as far as the eye can see (except in a few places such as Montgomery County). It is full of two things: cornfields and soybean fields. They line the roadsides, flashing past as you drive: cornfield, soybean field. Cornfield, soybean field. Cornfields with rusty tin-roofed barns; soybean fields with power poles marching diagonally across. Soybean fields with tree-shaded farmhouses; cornfields with peak-roofed silo towers like shiny agricultural castles. And then more soybean fields, and more corn fields.
Most of Indiana looks like this: an expanse of farmland where the only variation is between those two ubiquitous and subsidized crops. This is Big Ag country, where a farmer’s goal is to produce as many identical plants as possible. Soybeans and corn, after all, are the true backbone of America.
The fields are beautiful, in their way—but it’s an unnatural beauty, without mystery or variation. Like assembly lines, these cornrows produce ear after perfect ear with nary a bug or blemish in sight. But they rely on genetically-modified crops, nasty pesticides and irresponsible farming practices, and in the shade of those waxy green leaves lies distressed, unhealthy soil.
[edit] Arguments for monoculture
The following section of Wikipedia (dated 30 Oct 2007) was marked as having its neutrality disputed. It argues for the advantages of monocultures:
- In agriculture, "monoculture" describes the practice of planting crops with the same patterns of growth resulting from genetic similarity. Examples include Wheat fields or Apple orchards or Grape vineyards. These cultivars have uniform growing requirements and habit resulting in greater yields on less land because planting, maintenance (including pest control) and harvesting can be standardized. This standardization results in less waste and loss from inefficient harvesting and planting. It also is beneficial because a crop can be tailor planted for a location that has special problems - like soil salt or drought or a short growing season.
- Monoculture produces great yields by utilizing plants' abilities to maximize growth under less pressure from other species and more uniform plant structure. Uniform cultivars are able to better use available light and space, but also have a greater drain on soil nutrients. In the last 40 years modern practices such as monoculture planting and the use of synthesized fertilizers have greatly reduced the amount of land needed to produce much higher yielding crops. The success of monoculture cropping has produced a world wide surplus of food stuffs that has depressed crop prices that farms receive.
[edit] Interwiki links
[edit] External links
- Alternatives to intensive rice monocrops in lowlands? on the Australian Development Gateway discussion forum (Q&A with John Dore, water and natural resource management specialist).
| |
