www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture chapter-one-introduction-to-agricultural-systems-and-agricultural-systems-research-a-paradigm-change Chapter One: Introduction to Agricultural Systems and Agricultural Systems Research: A Paradigm Change Topics Covered in This Chapter Understanding Agricultural Systems Key concepts of Agricultural Systems Understanding Systems Research From Reductionist Research to Systems Theory: Getting from There to Here Changing Paradigms for Agricultural Research When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. John Muir
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture introduction-10 Introduction We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking as when we created them. —Albert Einstein Agriculture in the United States is undergoing rapid transformation. Alongside production and economic pressures, farmers face a complicated suite of environmental goals such as protecting water and air resources, reducing agrochemical use, mitigating greenhouse gases and conserving biodiversity. In […]
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture preface-2 Preface Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. —Dr. Seuss The genesis of this handbook began with a project supported by SARE during the first round of research and education grants the program offered. At the time, I was searching for a way to transition from marine ecology into agricultural research after having recently […]
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture about-sare-2 About SARE Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a grant-making and outreach program. Its mission is to ad-vance—to the whole of American agriculture—innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. Since it began in 1988, SARE has funded more than 5,500 projects around the nation that explore innovations, […]
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture about-the-author About the Author Laurie Drinkwater is a professor in the School of Integrated Plant Science at Cornell University. She was raised in Key West, Florida and became interested in agriculture while attending graduate school at at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on improving the ecological efficiency and sustainability of agricultural systems by studying the mechanisms […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-20-southern-piedmont-case-studies summary-21 Chapter 20 Summary Conservation tillage, cover crops and other practices that rebuild soil organic matter are critical to increasing crop productivity and reversing the negative impact of historical topsoil loss in the Southern Piedmont region. The bottom line is that improvements in soil properties associated with conservation tillage and increased biomass inputs are the keys to increasing crop […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies the-future The Future The interviewed producers are experimenting with new ideas for more-profitable farming. Some continue to modify their operations to improve their systems. They are still in transition. There are several remaining challenges in the near future. Because the Brocks use a cover crop in their no-till operation, the timing of crop harvest, cover crop planting, cover […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies supporting-technologies-and-practices-2 Supporting Technologies and Practices The interviewed producers use supporting technologies and practices. Some are designing new technologies and practices, especially when striving to use no-till and to become certified organic. Table 18.2 is a summary of the supporting technologies and practices used on the case study farms. Download the tables from Chapter 18.
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies why-change-to-no-till-2 Why Change to No-Till? The producers were asked why they made the transition to no-till. There were three major reasons: fewer trips across the field, the soil and future market opportunities. Table 18.1 captures the perspective of one interviewed farmer, Rawlins, on the various challenges associated with both conventional tillage and no-till. Fewer Trips Across the Field Fewer trips […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies specialty-crops-2 Specialty Crops Paul Davis is growing pumpkins with no-till, as seen in Figure 18.4. Following a no-till rye cover crop, Rawlins is growing strip-till watermelons on plastic. There is less soil-laden splashing on leaves and stems. There is less contact between the fruit and the soil. Both of these reduce disease. Reducing disease increases production quantity and […]