Agriculture and Environment in Today’s World

Historical civilization & modern life, as we know, both would not have been possible without agriculture. It was agriculture, which structured the society. Because of agriculture, human evolved & improved their lifestyle & thus environment also. Agriculture plays a vital role in improving maintaining balance of environment.

Agriculture has both positive & negative impacts. on environment but as compare to negative impacts, it has more positive impacts.

Positive Impacts of Farming on Environment

1) Farming Inspires People:-

Farmers have shaped a unique look of rural areas. Farming creates different types of landscapes. Which inspires many people to do it. And as in todays world of pollution, urban people are more attracted towards farming.

2) Main Plants maintain balance of carbon cycle:- 

Plants like soybean takes in Co₂, combines it with and sunlight produce glucose. This glucose is used for as food for humans & animals. Oxygen is released by every plants by photosynthesizing Healthy plants can take carbon from atmosphere & put it into glucose. They also take carbon and put it back to the soil & is stored in the soil & not in the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

3) Supports livelihoods :- 

As most of the world’s population depends on agriculture many people have only agriculture as there source of income. Most of the people only depends on agriculture for their daily basic needs,  so agriculture supports livelihood.

4) Maintains ecological balance:-

Plants traps greenhouse gases within crops & so it reduces the chances of greenhouse effect & global warming.

By the help of sustainable practices in agriculture farmer use less pesticides & fertilizers which helps in improving soil fertility.

5) Mitigate Flood risks :- 

Farming practices like felt contour farming helps to slow down the run off rate of water and also help in reducing soil erosion. Other activities like ploughing, bunding, mulching helps to reduce the run off rate.

6) Agriculture helps to create habital many species. Increase for in number of some species is noted due to agriculture.

7) Agriculture helps to maintain the balance of water in the soil. As the roots holds the water deep in the soil, it also helps in preventing soil erosion Many shurbs & herbs helps to hold the water in the soil & maintain water table in ground.

Negative impact of agriculture on Environment:-

1) Pollution:-

Excessive use of pesticides & fertilizer but use of chemicals like insecticides, cause harm not only to soil but also to the environment. It can poison the fresh water bodies &  thus disturbs the marine ecosystem. It causes soil pollution as the harmful & toxic residual gets saturated in the soil & is harmful to soil bacteria. This toxic effulent remains in soil for years & affects the future generation.

2) soil erosion: –

Wrong tillage practices like excessive wrong areas location may plauging lead to soil erosion in areas  & thus it disturbs the soil structure. It also results in polluting the water streams or dams with soil thus disturbing water ecosystem.

3) Loss in soil fertility:-

Excessive use of fertilizers & pesticides causes See loss in soil fertility, Beneficial micro-organisms in soil are could not survive because of  toxic chemicals and thus fertility of soil is lost.

4) Decrease in ground water level :-

Use of ground water for irrigation or modern agriculture practices like hydrophonics (growing plants in water instead of soil) results like depletion of ground water level.

5) Deforestation :-

Agriculture is one of the  major reason of  deforestration. With the  rising population, for rise in demand for food & to meet this demand more land is required for agriculture, therefore rapid cutting & burning of forest is taking place which leads deforestration.

6) Increase in pest attacks:-

Due to  change in harvesting pattern in irrigated areas, the problem with pest is incresing. Also the pests are becoming resistant to the available pesticides which results in harmful effect to the environment.

7) Climate change:-

Use of modern agricultural practices like use of chemicals & fertilizers in forming have negative impact on environment. Many forming practices like burning of field or using of machinery which emits harmfull gases in environment are major contributors for increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Use of synthetic fertilizers, which emits ammonia or nitrate affects the environment.

 Measures to reduce agricultural impacts on environment :-

1) Avoid unneccessary use of water :-

Proper usage of water is very important in agriculture. Excessive use of water to plants may cause negative effect on plants. Identify proper water requirement of different plants & use according water to needs of plant. This will result in avoiding excessive use of water & help in maintaing ground water to level.

2) Maintain Soil Fertility :-

Avoid excessive dosage of chemical fertilizers & pesticides to the plant. This will not only be helpful in maintaing soil fertility but will also protect the environment from harmful & toxic chemicals.

3) Avoid shifting cultivation :-

Avoiding shifting cultivation will help in improving Fertility & also helps in avoiding deforestration & control forest fires.

4) Use sustainable practices in Agriculture:-

Use of sustainable practices will helps in proper usage of all the thing according to need & requirement of plants. It avoids in using excessive use of chemicals or irrigation facilities to the plant & also helps in proper growth of plant as all the nutrients & fertilizeres are provided in required quantity. Thus, it will also help in improving the yield of crop.

5) Follow organic farming:-

Organic Farming in the practice of farming without the use of chemical fertilizers. All the nutrients & fertilizers used in this are green manure of organic origin, such as bone meal, compost manure. This it will not a cause pollution to the atmosphere & will can not disturb the ecosystem. This method is climate friendly method & does not harm to the environment.

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