Sustainable agriculture

Sustainability:
According to the lecture, sustainability is to keep something from getting destroyed or getting effected in a bad and trying to sustain something. Yes, sustainability is very important because without trying to maintain something, it could get damage and a heavy loss would occur.
Sustainable agriculture:
Agriculture can be made more sustainable by polyculture of perennials, finding alternative crops, growing more nitrogen fixing crops and increasing the growth of organic crops.
Polyculture of perennial:
One alternative to monoculture is polyculture which mean to grow different kind of crops in such a way that warm and cold season grasses and nitrogen fixing crops could be grown closely. These crops have different life cycles so that they will not be competing with each other for soil nutrients , but the would mature at the same time and it would be easier to harvest them. For example, Illinois bundle flower is a warm season legume and nitrogen fixer which is high in protein and can be harvested year after year with out replanting. Polyculture of perennial would reduce soil erosion from plowind every year whichle it would make it easier to control diseases and pests.
Alternative crops:
Growing crops other than the monoculturing crops would be of great benefit . Alternative crops being high in nutritional value and additional nutrients provide consumers the health benefit of consuming nutrients that their bodies were deprived of. For example alternative crops such as Quinoa, Amaranth, Tarwi, Tomarillo, Niranjilla and Oca. Amarnath, Tarwi, Oca and Quinoa are high in Lysine, protien and fats while Naranjilla and Tomarillo is high in vitamins. Ability to withstand harsh temperatures will make it possible to grow crops even in high altitudes and high temperatures where otherwise the regular crops would not have survived. Alternative crops such like Niranjilla, Ocas and Tarwin which can endure droughts and cold temperature while Amaranth can be grown in extreme heat. Alternative crops that can be grown in poor soil such as Amaranth, and Oca, will make it possible to use less fertile soil also. Nitrogen fixing alternative crops would make it possible to nourish poor quality soil while yielding crops at the same time. For example,Tarwi, an alternative crop, is a nitrogen fixing legume can be grown in poor quality soil and can also be used as manure to nourish poor quality soil.
Organic farming :
Organic farming is a type of agriculture in which the plant sare grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pestcides and insecticides. This method of farming is good for the environment and consumers because the soil is not damaged during organic farming and the food produced is free of chemicals which is good for health.
Legume and nitrogen cycle.
Legumes have nitrogen fixing bacteria in its root nodules so the legumes can convert nitrogen from the soil into nitrates and ammonium and use themselves without the help of nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil . These bacteria are species of Genus Rhizobium convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium and nitrates which is used by plants to make protein and nitrogenous compounds. Due to the presence of nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules of soil, legumes can also nourish the soil that is stripped off of nitrogen. This property means that legumes can be grown in poor quality soil and even to treat barren land. Legumes are used as green manure to enrich soil.
Consumers and agriculture sustainability:
Consumers can help in spreading the word that sustainability is very important in agriculture. Consumer are the one buying all the crops, So, they are very important in the whole crops growing and selling chain. Producers will only produce what consumers like. So, consumers should try to promote the sustainable agriculture practices.