Sustainable Soil Management Is More than What and How Crops Are Grown - Principles of Sustainable Soil Management in Agroecosystems - page 383

alternatives based on tillage agriculture cannot be considered in new developments,
but when they are being planned for deployment, the results in terms of output, pro-
ductivity, and ecosystem services will generally not match those from agroecologi-
cal low-disturbance systems in terms of sustainability, and the decision makers and
policy planners must be made aware of this.
Regardless of which institution is developing or revising policies, the policies
need to be adaptable to changing societies, changing markets, and developing farm-
ing practices. This is a case for creating adaptive policies (Swanson and Bhadwal
2010). Analysis must be integrative and forward looking, not a reinvention of the
past. Collective and collaborative discussions are needed to ensure that concepts and
understanding are consistent, and that all points of view result in common values and
agreement on direction. Ultimately, adaptive policies have automatic adjustments
that arise because the system is well understood, and policies adjust when anticipated
conditions arise. Such is not the case with CA, and a more conservative approach of
formal policy review and continuous learning should be favored. A key component
of adaptive policy is to enable self-organization and social networking. Successes in
CA are associated with these developments, and further support is needed for CA
organizations. Finally, because CA is complex, an integrated promotion of variation
in policy should be analyzed. If a variety of policies are directed at an issue from
different directions or sources, and if one fails, then the others may succeed.
14.8.2 t echnology anD k nowleDge S uPPort
Current crop production systems vary widely. There are many production systems
that take a predominantly ecosystem approach and are not only productive but
also more sustainable in terms of environmental impacts (FAO 2011b; Pisante et
al. 2012). Such sustainable production systems, when fully developed, are based on
sustainable soil management. They are, by definition, management and knowledge
intensive and relatively complex systems to learn and implement as they must work
with nature and integrate as much as possible with the natural ecosystem processes
into the design and management of the production systems. This is a continuing
task with many possible permutations for farmers to choose from so as to suit their
local production circumstances and constraints. They cannot be reduced to a simple
standard technology, and thus, pioneers and early adopters face many hurdles before
the full benefits of such systems can be realized. Indeed, the upscaling of no-tillage
systems to achieve national impact requires a dynamic complement of enabling poli-
cies and institutional support to producers and supply-chain service providers.
One bottleneck is often insufficient knowledge about the new soil management
and production system. Site-specific research is needed to assist farmers in respond-
ing to no-till soil management and production system changes, such as in nutrient
requirements and pest, disease, and weed problems, as well as for options of green
manure cover crops to be incorporated into the crop rotations.
Farmers are not alone in the need for education. Across the countryside, farm
consultants and input suppliers also need to learn about and understand CA systems.
They are important partners and contributors to local clubs, farmer associations,
and CA conferences. If field staff of consulting and retail companies understand