Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Soil Management for
Sustainable Agricultural
Intensification in the
Himalayan Region
Roshan M. Bajracharya, Dil Prasad Sherchan,
Bed Mani Dahal, and Nani Raut
CONTENTS
6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 143
6.2 Impacts of Agricultural Intensification on the Environment ........................ 145
6.3 Social and Economic Aspects of Intensive Agriculture ............................... 149
6.4 Sustainable Agricultural Intensification ....................................................... 150
6.4.1 Integrated Nutrient Management ...................................................... 150
6.4.2 Crop Rotations and Cropping Patterns ............................................. 152
6.4.3 Biofertilization and Seed Inoculation ............................................... 152
6.4.4 Minimum and Zero Tillage .............................................................. 153
6.4.5 Biogas and Biochar ........................................................................... 155
6.4.6 Microirrigation and Water Management .......................................... 155
6.4.7 Other Holistic Management Approaches .......................................... 156
6.5 Future Priorities for Food Security and Environmental Protection ............. 157
6.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................... 159
References .............................................................................................................. 160
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Soils have been and still are the primary medium for large-scale agricultural pro-
duction upon which human civilizations have depended for sustenance and expan-
sion. Over millennia, since the first human communities began settled agriculture,
people have learned to manage and successfully cultivate their lands to produce the
food required for nurturing modern societies and the development of their regions.
Previously, communities were small and the demand on land and soil resources
was low; hence, traditional agricultural practices could meet the needs of the popu-
lation (Braidwood 1960; Piggot 1961). Following the industrial revolution in the
1800s, the world's human population has grown tremendously, currently surpassing
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