Keywords:
Sustainable agriculture -- Southern States.
;
Agriculture.
;
Electronic books.
Description / Table of Contents:
This book presents applied tools and practices for sustainable agriculture. It details lessons learned from the Southeastern USA, which can be applied worldwide. All concepts are reinforced by numerous case studies, applied tools, and examples.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
Pages:
1 online resource (261 pages)
Edition:
1st ed.
ISBN:
9789400767904
Series Statement:
Environmental Challenges and Solutions Series ; v.1
URL:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/geomar/detail.action?docID=1317004
DDC:
630.975
Language:
English
Note:
Intro -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1: A Systems (Holistic) Approach to Sustainable Agriculture -- 1.1 Energy Efficiency -- 1.2 A Systems Definition of Agricultural Sustainability -- 1.3 Is Energy Efficiency the Key to Sustainability? -- 1.4 Why Does Agriculture Need Energy Subsidies? -- 1.5 Energy as a Limiting Factor -- 1.6 Other Views of Sustainability -- 1.6.1 Critique of the Definitions -- 1.6.2 Panarchy -- 1.7 What Is a System? -- 1.7.1 Mechanical Systems -- 1.7.2 Biological Systems -- 1.7.2.1 Human Bodies -- 1.7.2.2 Feedback in Human Bodies -- 1.7.2.3 Ecological Systems -- 1.8 Control in Ecological Systems -- 1.8.1 Homeostasis -- 1.8.2 Optimum Efficiency for Maximum Power Output -- 1.9 Boundaries of Ecological Systems -- 1.10 The Value of a Systems (Holistic) Approach -- 1.10.1 Holism: The Foundation for Ecosystem Analysis -- 1.11 Holistic Properties of Sustainable Systems -- 1.11.1 Energy Use Efficiency -- 1.11.2 Stability -- 1.11.2.1 Resistance and Resilience -- Natural Ecosystems -- Agricultural Ecosystems -- 1.11.3 Nutrient Cycling Efficiency -- 1.11.4 Diversity and Stability -- 1.11.5 Succession -- 1.11.5.1 Succession in the Piedmont -- 1.11.6 Productivity -- 1.11.7 Respiration and Decomposition -- 1.11.8 Pollution Discharge -- References -- Chapter 2: A History of Unsustainability in Agriculture -- 2.1 Pre-History -- 2.2 Mesopotamia -- 2.3 The Mediterranean -- 2.4 The Middle Ages and Medieval Europe -- 2.5 The Mayan Civilization -- 2.6 The Industrial Revolution - Energy Intensification -- 2.6.1 Plows -- 2.6.2 Dams and Levees - Formations Used to Store and Divert Energy -- 2.7 The Agricultural Revolution in North America -- 2.7.1 The Nineteenth Century -- 2.7.2 Subsidies -- 2.7.3 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations -- 2.8 The Green Revolution -- 2.8.1 Commercial Nitrogen Fixation -- 2.8.2 Pesticides.
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2.8.3 Herbicides -- 2.8.4 Social Aspects of the Green Revolution -- 2.9 The Second Green Revolution -- 2.9.1 Thermodynamic Considerations -- 2.9.2 Sustainability of Green Revolutions -- 2.9.3 A Tale of Two Botanies -- References -- Chapter 3: Political and Economic Challenges to Creating a Sustainable Agriculture -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Dilemmas of Two Farmers -- 3.3 The Large Scale Commodity Farmer -- 3.3.1 Subsidies -- 3.3.1.1 Is a Completely Free Market the Answer? -- 3.3.2 Tariffs -- 3.3.3 Cultural/Mindset -- 3.3.4 Social -- 3.3.5 Transition Costs -- 3.3.6 Lack of Evidence -- 3.3.7 Risk Aversion -- 3.4 The Small Scale Organic Farmer -- 3.4.1 Regulations -- 3.4.1.1 How USDA Regulations Hurt Small Sustainable Farmers -- 3.4.2 Financing -- 3.4.3 Access to Land -- 3.4.4 Competition -- 3.4.4.1 Specialization and Quality Control -- 3.4.5 Marketing -- 3.4.6 Information -- 3.5 Some Intractable Barriers -- 3.5.1 Vested Interests -- 3.5.2 Reductionistic Science -- 3.5.3 Misdirected Government Policies -- 3.5.4 Failure of the Economic System -- 3.5.5 The Law of Supply and Demand -- 3.5.6 A Short-Term Economic Horizon -- 3.5.7 The Abundance of Resources -- 3.5.8 Attitude Toward Nature -- 3.5.8.1 Are Farmers Environmentalists? -- 3.5.9 The Tragedy of the Commons -- 3.5.10 Irrational Exuberance -- References -- Chapter 4: Energetic Services of Nature that Increase Agricultural Sustainability -- 4.1 Types of Value -- 4.2 Nutrient Recycling - A Market Value -- 4.2.1 The Service Rendered: Increasing the Efficiency of Nutrient Cycling -- 4.2.2 Source of the Service: Soil Organic Matter -- 4.2.3 The Community of Soil Organisms -- 4.2.3.1 Energy Flow Through the Soil Ecosystem -- Nutrients in the Soil Organic Matter -- 4.2.3.2 Why Food Webs Differ -- The Soil Community and Compost -- 4.2.4 How Is Nutrient Cycling Efficiency Increased by Soil Organic Matter?.
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4.2.4.1 Synchronization -- 4.2.4.2 Phosphorus Solubilization -- 4.2.4.3 Nitrogen Fixation -- 4.2.4.4 Nutrient Uptake by Mycorrhizae -- 4.2.4.5 Physical Properties of Soil -- 4.2.4.6 Increased Vigor of Plants -- 4.2.5 The Energetic and Economic Value of Soil Organic Matter -- 4.2.5.1 Value of Soil Organic Matter -- 4.2.6 Energy Subsidies Replaced by Soil Organic Matter -- 4.3 Pest Control - An Attributable Value -- 4.3.1 The Service Rendered - Controlling Insect Pests -- 4.3.2 Source of the Services -- 4.3.2.1 Beneficial Insects -- 4.3.2.2 Complexity and Diversity of Crop Systems -- 4.3.2.3 Natural Insecticides -- 4.3.3 The Energetic and Economic Value of Insect Pest Control -- 4.3.4 Energy Subsidies Replaced by Nature's Insect Control -- 4.4 Weed Control - An Attributable Value -- 4.4.1 The Service Rendered - Fighting Succession -- 4.4.2 Source of the Services -- 4.4.2.1 Allelopathy -- The Energetic and Economic Value of Weed Control -- 4.4.2.2 Fire -- Fire Research -- 4.5 Pollution Abatement - An Attributable Value -- 4.5.1 The Service Rendered: Prevention of Stream Pollution -- 4.5.1.1 Source of the Service: Bottomland Forests -- 4.6 Pollination - An Attributable Value -- 4.6.1 The Service Rendered - Fertilizing the Ovary of Plants -- 4.6.1.1 Source of the Service - Birds, Bees, Bats -- 4.7 Biodiversity - An Intangible Value -- 4.7.1 The Service Rendered - Increasing Sustainability -- 4.7.2 Source of the Service - Genetic Diversity -- 4.7.2.1 Selective Breeding and Reduction of the Genetic Pool -- 4.7.2.2 Insect Resistance and Genetic Variation -- The Evolutionary Race -- 4.7.2.3 Increasing Efficiency of Ecosystem Function -- Overyielding -- Facilitation and Mutualism -- 4.8 Soil Rehabilitation - An Intangible Value -- 4.8.1 The Service Rendered: Improving Structure of Georgia Red Clay -- 4.8.2 Source of the Service.
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4.9 Ecosystem Services in an Energy-Scarce Future -- References -- Chapter 5: Applied Tools and Practices for Sustainable Agriculture -- 5.1 Combating Soil Erosion -- 5.1.1 Cover Crops -- 5.1.2 Conservation Tillage -- 5.1.3 Contour Plowing -- 5.1.4 Hedge Rows -- 5.1.5 Wind Breaks -- 5.1.6 Kudzu ( Pueraria sp.) -- 5.1.7 Perennial Grains -- 5.2 Increasing Soil Fertility -- 5.2.1 Manuring -- 5.2.2 Composting -- 5.2.3 Other Organic Amendments -- 5.2.4 Liming -- 5.2.5 Microbial Priming -- 5.2.6 Crop Rotations -- 5.2.7 Tightening the Nutrient Cycle -- 5.3 Suppressing Weeds -- 5.3.1 Herbicides -- 5.3.2 Plastic Weed Barriers -- 5.3.3 Flaming -- 5.3.4 Soil Solarization (Sterilization) -- 5.4 Controlling Insect Pests -- 5.4.1 Crop Management -- 5.4.2 Beneficial Interactions -- 5.4.3 Natural Pesticides -- 5.4.3.1 Before You Use Pesticides -- 5.5 Increasing Resource Use Efficiency -- 5.5.1 Mixed Species Agriculture -- 5.5.2 Mixed Species Forest Plantations -- 5.5.3 Mixed Species Grazing -- 5.6 Improving Pastures -- 5.6.1 Intensive Grazing Management -- 5.6.2 Rotational Grazing -- 5.7 Increasing Efficiency of Irrigation Systems -- 5.8 Farmscaping -- 5.8.1 Farmscaping at Spring Valley Ecofarm -- 5.8.2 Working with Nature -- 5.9 Organic Agriculture -- 5.9.1 Why Do People Buy Organic? -- 5.9.2 Is It Sustainable? -- 5.9.3 Are High Yields the Answer? -- 5.10 Future Directions -- References -- Chapter 6: An Economic, Ecological, and Cultural Evaluation of Agriculture in the American South -- 6.1 The Invisible Hand of the Marketplace -- 6.2 Why Focus the South? -- 6.3 An Agricultural History of the South -- 6.3.1 The Cultural Context -- 6.3.2 The Colonial Period -- 6.3.2.1 Jamestown -- 6.3.2.2 The Migration Westward -- 6.3.2.3 The Coastal Plain -- 6.3.2.4 The Piedmont -- Piedmont Soils -- 6.3.2.5 The Mountains -- 6.3.3 Carolina and Georgia.
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6.3.3.1 The Rice Plantations -- 6.3.4 The Post-revolutionary War Period -- 6.3.4.1 Agricultural Decline -- 6.3.4.2 The Agricultural Revival: A Reprieve from the Downward Spiral -- Soil Amendments -- 6.3.5 King Cotton -- 6.3.5.1 Settlement of Central Georgia -- 6.3.5.2 The Movement Westward -- Slavery as a Subsidy -- 6.3.6 The Civil War -- 6.3.7 Reconstruction: 1865-1900 -- 6.3.7.1 Pharsalia -- 6.3.8 Southern Agriculture Since 1900 -- 6.3.8.1 Corn -- 6.3.8.2 Tobacco -- 6.3.8.3 Cotton -- 6.3.8.4 Legumes -- 6.3.8.5 Vegetable Crops -- 6.3.8.6 Fruit Trees -- 6.3.8.7 Timber Trees -- 6.3.8.8 Cattle -- 6.3.8.9 Poultry -- 6.3.8.10 Hogs -- 6.3.9 Agriculture in Georgia: 2012 -- 6.4 Southern Conservatism -- 6.5 An Economic Evaluation of Agriculture in the Old South -- 6.5.1 The Colonial Period -- 6.5.1.1 Tobacco -- 6.5.1.2 Subsistence Agriculture -- 6.5.1.3 Rice -- 6.5.2 Settlement of the Georgia Colony -- 6.5.2.1 Early Settlers -- 6.5.2.2 The Cotton Era -- 6.5.2.3 Alabama and Mississippi Territories -- 6.5.3 "How Well did the Invisible Hand Work in the Old South?" -- 6.6 An Economic Evaluation of Agriculture in the New South -- 6.6.1 Agricultural Crops -- 6.6.2 Fruit Tree Crops -- 6.6.3 Forest Products -- 6.7 How Well Is the Invisible Hand Working in the New South? -- 6.8 An Ecological Evaluation of Agriculture in the South -- 6.9 Maximum Power vs. The Invisible Hand (H.T. Odum vs. Adam Smith) -- 6.9.1 Verdict at the Frontier -- 6.9.2 Verdict Beyond the Frontier -- References -- Chapter 7: Case Studies of Contemporary, Sustainable Farms in the South -- 7.1 Sustainable Specialties -- 7.1.1 Free Ranging Livestock -- 7.1.1.1 White Oak Pastures, Bluffton, Georgia -- 7.1.1.2 Polyface Farm, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia -- 7.1.1.3 Grass Roots Farm, Walton County, Georgia -- 7.1.2 Heritage Breeds -- 7.1.2.1 Grove Creek Farm, Crawford Georgia.
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7.1.2.2 Broad River Pastures, Elberton, Georgia.
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