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Until 2000, agriculture was the mainstay of employment around the world. Since then, the services sector has assumed this mantle and the gap between the two has widened. Although employment growth in agriculture has slowed, the number of workers in this sector reached over one billion, representing 1 in 3 of all workers. The agriculturalRead more

The practice of supplying crops in the field with fertilizers via the irrigation water is called fertigation. Fertigation – a modern agro-technique, provides an excellent opportunity to maximize yield and minimize environmental pollution by increasing fertilizer use efficiency, minimizing fertilizer application and increasing return on the fertilizer invested. In fertigation, timing, amounts and concentration ofRead more

Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the many services they provide, including nutrients and water cycling, soil formation and retention, resistance against invasive species, pollination of plants, regulation of climate, as well as pest and pollution control by ecosystems. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in human nutrition through its influence on world foodRead more

Agricultural productivity nowadays may seem to have reached a stationary (maximum) point due to the global availability of fertilizers and pesticides which are used to improve crop yield. However, misuse of these products and lack of awareness of the field parameters can decrease our productivity and endanger the environmental balance in the cultivation area. FarmingRead more

There can be no life without it, it feeds us and we are responsible for it! Soil is formed from rocks that are decomposed slowly by sun, the wind and the rain, by animals and plants. But it is in danger because of expanding cities, deforestation, unsustainable land use and management practices, pollution, overgrazing andRead more

Biointensive agriculture is an organic agricultural system that focuses on achieving maximum yields from a minimum area of land, while simultaneously increasing biodiversity and sustaining the fertility of the soil. The goal of the method is long term sustainability on a closed system basis. It is particularly effective for backyard gardeners and smallholder farmers in developing countries and also has been used successfully on small-scale commercial farms. MostRead more

Industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) is an annual broadleaf plant with a taproot and is capable of very rapid growth under ideal growing conditions. Hemp is one of the easiest plants to cultivate, requiring little or no fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. More than 50 different viruses, bacteria, fungi and insect pests are known to affect theRead more

Of all of the issues facing the planet, few seem more urgent than the global food shortage. Sufficient food – our single most vital need as living creatures – eludes the grasp of nearly 1 billion people, a problem that may worsen as the population rises. But even more disturbing is the other side ofRead more

Agriculture is one of the most important areas of human activity worldwide. As the population rises there is a need to increase the agricultural production. Agricultural modernization due to commercialization, land-saving and labor intensive production between 1870 and the 1920s doubled agricultural production per land area. Over the past 15 years however, farmers started usingRead more

Pest and disease occurrence is one of the main causes of lower than expected yield. Damages can be huge, depending on the size of surface, scope of infection, and weather conditions. Weather conditions in particular have an important role in pest and disease occurrence. Lower or higher temperatures, combined with rain and high moisture areRead more