Environmental risk of chemical agriculture - Environmental Deterioration and Contamination: Problems and their Management - page 109

Chemical agriculture and general soil management should consider not the techno-
logical aspects, i.e. the production alone, but the environmental and socio-economic
compartments too. There are sustainability approaches and technological solutions
available, which may change agricultural practice and make a step toward sustain-
ability with much less chemicals and conserving the diversity of our soils, waters and
ecosystems.
Finally, a list of these options demonstrates the necessary changes and goals.

- Healthy soil is the basis of sustainable agriculture. Healthy means good qual-

ity, high diversity of soil-dwelling organisms, well-balanced nutrient and water
regime, low potential for soil deteriorations such as erosion, deflation, leaching,
shortage in nutrients, compaction, contamination, and high potential to buffer
disadvantageous changes and resist pests.

- High diversity of ecosystems, including agroecosystems, increases its flexibility,

adaptability and resistance to stress.

- Properly planned crop rotation may reduce weeds, insects and pathogenes.

- Stable plant cover controls water regime and helps to keep nutrients inthe soil,

instead of leaching and erosion.

- Well selected cover crops give an advantage and protect arthropods, which are

beneficial against pests and substitute chemical plant protection.

- Diversity and its protective effect increases when crop production and keeping

livestock are coupled, similar to the historical solution. Integrated agricultural
practice within one farm makes the most fitting land use selection possibility (e.g.
pastures on slopes for erosion reduction).

- Methods to protect and enhance the productivity of the soil include using cover

crops, compost and/or manures, reducing tillage, avoiding traffic on wet soils,
and maintaining soil cover with plants and/or mulches. Applied agrotechnologies
should facilitate the formation of stable humus in the soil: regular additions of
organic matter can increase soil aggregate stability, water regime and soil microbial
diversity. Utilization of natural, renewable, and on-farm waste and by-products.

Many nutrient depletion and pest problems can be prevented by proper soil man-
agement, but others cannot. There are cases when the use of agrochemicals (nutrients,
plant protection products and livestock biocides) is more sustainable than any other
“green'' solution. The decision should be based on an integrated assessment of risks
and benefits.

REFERENCES

Anonymous (2000) Hormonally active agents in the environment . Committee on Hormonally
Active Agents in the Environment. Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Com-
mission on Life Sciences, National Research Council. Washington DC, National Academy
Press. [Online] Available from: http://books.nap.edu/books/0309064198/html/R1.html#
pagetop. [Accessed 29th July 2013].
CLP (1999) The classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations. 1999/45/EC
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 1999 concerning