Modern agriculture is a term used to describe the wide
majority of production practices employed by farmers. More than 90% of farmers
today embrace using the most innovative practices and growing techniques to
produce enough food, fuel and fiber for a growing world, while minimizing their
environmental footprint at the same time. The term “modern agriculture” depicts
their commitment to innovation, stewardship and meeting the global food
challenge all at once there is nothing conventional about that.
Until about four decades ago, crop yields in agricultural
systems depended on internal resources, recycling of organic matter, built-in
biological control mechanisms and rainfall patterns. Agricultural yields were
modest, but stable. Production was safeguarded by growing more than one crop or
variety in space and time in a field as insurance against pest outbreaks or
severe weather. Inputs of nitrogen were gained by rotating major field crops
with legumes. In turn rotations suppressed insects, weeds and diseases by
effectively breaking the life cycles of these pests. A typical corn belt farmer
grew corn rotated with several crops including soybeans, and small grain
production was intrinsic to maintain livestock. Most of the labor was done by
the family with occasional hired help and no specialized equipment or services
were purchased from off-farm sources. In these type of farming systems the link
between agriculture and ecology was quite strong and signs of environmental
degradation were seldom evident.
Basic Practices of Modern Agricultural Systems
Modern agricultural systems have been developed with two
related goals in mind: to obtain the highest yields possible and to get the
highest economic profit possible. In pursuit of these goals, six basic practices
have come to form the backbone of production: intensive tillage, monoculture,
application of inorganic fertilizer, irrigation, chemical pest control, and
genetic manipulation of crop plants. Each practice is used for its individual
contribution to productivity, but when they are all combined in a farming
system each depends on the others and reinforces the need for using the others.
The work of agronomists, specialists in agricultural production, has been key
to the development of these practices.
Importance of Modern Agriculture:
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow to
nearly nine billion. While the
ratio of arable land to population continues to decrease. The United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that global food
production must double by 2050, and 70 percent of the world’s additional
food needs can be produced only with new and adapting agricultural
technologies. In light of this challenge, modern agriculture enables
farmers to utilize new innovations, research and scientific advancements
to produce safe, sustainable and affordable food. Intensive scientific
research and robust investment in modern agriculture during the past 50
years has helped farmers double food production while essentially
freezing the footprint of total cultivated farmland. This allows for responsible food production: new
technologies help farmers use precise applications and fewer inputs,
leading to increased productivity and higher yields, and creates an
affordable supply of nutritious food and produce for those who need it
most.
