Why intensive farming is good

Advantages of Intensive Farming 1. One of the major advantages of this farming technique is that the crop yield is high. Another advantage is that large productivity of food is possible with less amount of land. Disadvantages of Intensive Farming 1. The use of chemical fertilizers contaminates soil and water bodies such as lakes and rivers. The Role of Animals and Animal Products. Intensive farming has a very attractive financial aspect, but this is countered by the significant ethical argument that is put against it.

At the end of the day it all comes down to how important profit is over reputation and this should be a primary driver in your decision about whether to adopt intensive farm methods.

Your email address will not be published. Leave this field empty. Advantages and Disadvantages of Intensive Farming Intensive farming has become a buzzword in the precision farming community, it has also split opinions as to whether or not it is beneficial.

So, what are the pros of this? Advantages of Intensive Farming The major advantage of intensive farming is extreme yields and high outputs. GPS is also allowing them to track their produce after it leaves the farm. Drones and robots may seem futuristic but are already in use, delivering targeted pesticides and picking out damaged or diseased crops before they can infect others around them. In parts of the world where space is at a premium, vertical farming is catching on.

This refers to the practice of stacking crops, usually vegetables, in shallow containers in layers, which can reach any height available. It not only saves on space, but can also be managed to use water and energy more efficiently, as water can be pumped to the top and allowed to flow down by gravity.

Some systems use hydroponics, by which the plants are immersed in water containing mineral solutions, in place of soil. Temperatures can be carefully controlled, water reused, and nutrients recycled. Software systems can control the delivery mechanisms and monitor how the plants are faring. Our new-found abilities to control light, temperature, air and other environmental factors open up new vistas for farming. Underground growing used to be reserved for mushrooms and niche crops such as forced rhubarb, grown in large warehouses.

If LEDs can take the place of sunlight, a far greater variety of plants can thrive in these conditions, making not only rooftops but basements and disused underground spaces from worked-out mines to old railway lines potentially viable venues for growing short-cycle foodstuffs. Our reliance on artificial fertiliser and intensive farming techniques did not happen overnight, but took decades.

Along the way, these methods revolutionised farming and enabled huge population growth and economic growth. We now have a wealth of scientific evidence that shows that continuing down the same path would risk runaway climate change, the extinction of species vital to human life, pollution of our water and air, and the death of our soils. The agrochemical effects of industrial agriculture conditioned serious governmental regulation worldwide via banning the most dangerous chemicals, especially those containing neonicotinoids.

Monocropping of high-yield species like rice, soybeans , corn , or wheat provokes high pest establishment and soil depletion. Particular pests attack particular crops; intercropped cultures act as barriers since they are non-host plants.

Furthermore, reduced diversity of crops due to this fundamental industrial agriculture practice means better pest establishment and development of their resistance to controls applied. This results in extreme use of chemicals often critical to humans and nature and stronger option introductions. Also, the same agro culture requires the same set of nutrients, and intercropping vs. Precision farming is extremely helpful in industrial agriculture and is part of the business-as-usual practices of many enterprises nowadays.

Field monitoring with drones and satellites enable industrial agriculture landowners to grasp the situation in real time day and night while historical data for profound analysis is available on online agro platforms. Even the most remote farms can be inspected as the scale of internet connectivity expands. Locally, field sensors accurately report the state of things. For example, trunk diameter sensors in almond trees signal the urge for irrigation.

Another significant discovery for intensive agriculture is GPS providing the exact location data and thus enabling to distinguish separate areas. Smartphone and tablet apps help agronomists inspect and manage farming operations, order supplies, schedule product sales, and track transportation from any place connected to the internet.

Achievements of electronics and robotics find their implementation in intensive farming as well, assisting in machinery control, mechanical and chemical weed and pest management, seeding and harvesting, etc. Experiments of replacing sunlight with LED open new horizons to abandoned area use for agricultural needs, like attics, mines, former plants, or factories.

Industrial agriculture implies heavy exploitation of land aiming to ensure sufficient food supplies. With all respect to nature, humankind cannot reject this practice completely.

However, mitigation of risks and negative consequences is possible with smart solutions and precision agriculture, in particular. Remote sensing and satellite data-based agricultural platforms are greatly helpful to industrial agriculture supporters, too. They enable farmers to reduce chemical allocations only to affected areas. Crop Monitoring is all-in-one farming software which allows more accurate and, thus, cost-effective decision-making to industrial agriculture practitioners.

It provides credible information for everyday agricultural routine, including weather analytics, data on vegetation state, productivity, efficient distribution of resources, and overall field inspection. Productivity maps let farmers compare historical data on a specific region to identify the most and the least productive areas for optimal seed distribution in intensive farming.

This feature assists in reducing the side effects of industrial agriculture on the environment and saving cost inputs. Vegetation indices data based on remote sensing allow scheduling field activities to improve the state of crops. Check the crops available for enhanced monitoring in your region at sales eos.

Also, Crop Monitoring elaborates Custom Projects upon request.