Ensuring the use of sustainable crop management strategies by small wheat farmers in the 21st century
1998
Sayre, K.D.
Virtually all current strategies to implement modern, sustainable crop management production practices involve conservation/zero tillage prior to seeding, some form of crop residue retention and management, fertilizer application methodologies that minimize nutrient losses, and integrated insect, disease and weed management practices that relay on minimal or no use of pesticides. In nearly all instances, the use of these modern, sustainable crop management strategies has by-passed most small farmers (especially small wheat farmers) in developing countries for several reasons, including: 1) the lack of small-scale planters that are compatible with two-wheel or small four-wheel tractors, or with draft animals, and appropriate for sowing into residues in reduced or zero tillage systems; 2) the need of many farmers to remove or pasture crop residues for livestock feed or to remove residues for cooking; 3) the lack of knowledge by small farmers (and most researches) about how to best to apply fertilizers (when and where, with main emphasis on nitrogen fertilizers) to minimize losses while complementing farm level nutrient sources , including farmyard manure/composts and/or green manures, especially when combined with reduced zero tillage systems; and 4) the largely unknown ramifications of these practices, which may modify insect, disease, and weed incidence. Research is underway at different institutions in several countries to address these problems and help to ensure that sustainable crop management practices relevant to small wheat farmers will be come a reality. Some of these efforts will be discussed here, including ongoing work at CIMMYT on the application of bed-planting in wheat production systems.
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