Better Management of Agricultural Resources
Some recent research from papers presented at the FFTC seminar
Genetic Resources
Ever since crops were first domesticated, they have undergone a continuous process of natural and human selection. Human beings have selected "the best of the best", according to local needs, and more recently, specific market qualities. As a result, the germplasm base for crop plants has become steadily smaller.
This is a problem for plant breeders, who need diverse genetic materials. Solutions suggested at the recent FFTC seminar included the manipulation of genes at the DNA level, to modify the structure and function of genes or introduce new genes from other species. There are also more traditional methods, including conservation of wild species and populations, and maintaining the genetic purity of advanced cultivars and lines.
Rice has been undergoing a process of selection in Asia ever since it was first domesticated, more than five thousand years ago. Recently, transgenic rice crops have been developed which contain genetic material from other species. These include the use of rice plants as factories for the production of recombinant proteins. These are valuable raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. "Molecular farming" may give rice farmers a range of new, high-value crops. However, care must be taken to avoid the genetic pollution of ordinary rice from the pollen of transgenic rice crops.
Agriculture nearly always means a loss of genetic diversity. Particularly in high-income countries, efforts are being made to reverse this trend. In Japan, a pilot project was carried out to restore paddy fields as a habitat for freshwater fish. Methods included building small fishways, so that fish could migrate from rivers into paddy fields to spawn, and the use of volunteers to transplant water plants into riverbeds and along riverbanks.
Genetic resources are also important in the improved recycling of nutrients in agriculture. Various microorganisms participate in composting. Seeding compost with the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis prevented the pH from falling during fermentation, and stimulated the decomposition of organic matter.
Exploring the potential of microorganisms in agriculture is still at an early stage. However, it is generally agreed that genetic resources, whether of crop plants or of very tiny species such as microorganisms, are a basic resource on which all agriculture depends.
Soil Resources
Good nutrient management means matching the nutrient supply to the nutrient needs of the crop. Precision agriculture uses information technology and remote sensing to make precise measurements of field conditions, and record any changes that may occur. Precision agriculture for individual farms is well suited to countries such as the United States, where farms are large and agriculture is capital-intensive. On the small farms of Asia, it can be used to detect environmental
stresses over a wider area. The seminar included two paper presentations on precision farming. An important program in the Philippines is helping rice farmers achieve precision soil and plant nutrient management. Methods of achieving this include the correction of micronutrient deficiencies and the promotion of compost production and use.
Water Resources
The world's food supply depends in many regions on the availability of water. This is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, as demands for it increase. Water-saving strategies in irrigated cropping systems, and better adaptation of crops to limited water and nutrient availability, are key issues for future research.
Agriculture in the densely populated countries of Asia depends heavily on irrigation. Some countries in the region are already facing seasonal water shortages. These are likely to become increasingly common, as industrial and residential users increase their water consumption. Efficient water management is a vital part of sustainable agriculture.
Efficient water usage can save a lot of water by reducing the amount of waste. If the cost of water is very low, wasted water does not cost the user anything. There is little incentive for people to use water more efficiently. The price of irrigation water is much lower than the cost of the water in most Asian countries. In Taiwan and Korea, irrigation water is even free of charge to farmers. Residental and industrial users in most Asian countries also pay less than the cost of the water they use. Most scientists and policy makers concerned with water management favor a higher price for water than is found in most countries.
However, poverty alleviation is a major goal of national development in most countries of the region. If the overall cost of water is to increase, there must be some provision to protect the poor. Irrigation systems must be managed in a way that does not disadvantage poor farmers on small farms. It is important that the poor be represented on decision-making bodies. The burden of water on the poor can also be reduced by government subsidies, or by reducing water fees for low-income users.
Index of Images
Figure 1 Drought When Sorghum Crops Are Ripening Drastically Reduces the Yield
