Cultural methods
In agriculture, cultural methods are practices used to enhance crop and livestock health and prevent weed, pest or disease problems without the use of chemical substances. Examples include the selection of appropriate varieties and planting sites; selection of appropriate breeds of livestock; providing livestock facilities designed to meet requirements of species or type of livestock; proper timing and density of plantings; irrigation; and extending a growing season by manipulating the microclimate with green houses, cold frames, or wind breaks.
History:
1.0 Pre-chemical fertilizer & pesticide In this period, agriculture is an important part of societies. Agricultural output equal to the strength of country, because the productive power that can be spared is directly proportional to the army size that can be raise by that country; and the produces can use to support the army in sustained operation. Care was taken to recycle resources, and soil fertility is critical to a successful agricultural economy.
1.1 Cultural methods can be divided into active composting and fertilizing, and "slash and burn" farming -- but actually in society that really know to rest their land and let the wild plant to restore the soil, this is more than "slash and burn".
In densely populated area, fields are fertilized with green manure, organic waste of different source, and kitchen waste, and ashes. In sparcly populated area a slash and burn strategy may be more demanding on labour.
An extension of the active composting, is by add charcoal, and terra cotta bits; see Terra preta.
(reference : Journeytoforever.org Farmers of Forty Centuries -- or Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea and Japan by F. H. King Weeds -- Guardians of the Soil by Joseph A. Cocannouer
2.0 Chemical fertilizer & pesticide Chemical fertilizer & pesticide was available, with the practice of improper tillage brought a period of great abundant of cheap farm products.
2.1 "Industrial" Agri-business/Enterprise With the success of introduction of the chemicals and the mechanized of operation on the farm, farms become larger and farmers equated the chemicals and machines as a substitute for labour input. Farms became larger, and number of workers decreased. (eg. population involved in farming directly fell from 48% to about 2% in the 20th century.) The soil was depleted by imbalanced fertilizing, and the productivity is further reduced by improper tillage where the weeds are not permitted to grow, therefore inhibit it to tap the buffer available in the subsoil.
3.0 Organic movement Orgnic movement is a force that see that the productivity is pivot on the health of the soil.
SEE ALSO TOPIC ON, ley farming, Weeds -- Guardians of the Soil by Joseph A. Cocannouer, Trap crop, terra preta
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from Jasper Womach. Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition (PDF). Congressional Research Service.