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The Nature of Sustainable Agriculture

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Soil Microbiology and Sustainable Crop Production

Abstract

By 2050 the world’s population will have increased by a third and demand for agricultural products will rise by 70% with meat consumption doubling. Lateral expansion of the agricultural sector through the clearing of land is untenable without significant negative implications on already stressed natural ecosystems and the range of drivers, including climate variability, that farmers will have to cope with, will require changes in the way we undertake agriculture. In meeting future food production demands without consuming more land and water will require technological innovation and changes in the way agriculture is undertaken. The chapter discusses the future global demands for food and highlights the importance of addressing soil chemical and physical constraints in increasing the productivity of degraded production systems. The role of clays in permanently changing the surface charge characteristics of soils and the potential for selected grass species to remediate compacted soil layers are presented as possible options in addressing the sustainability of degraded production systems.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute, c/o National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Andrew D. Noble

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

    Sawaeng Ruaysoongnern

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  1. Andrew D. Noble
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  2. Sawaeng Ruaysoongnern
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Correspondence to Andrew D. Noble .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AS, United Kingdom

    Geoffrey R. Dixon

  2. Scottish Universities Environmental Rese, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom

    Emma L. Tilston

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Noble, A.D., Ruaysoongnern, S. (2010). The Nature of Sustainable Agriculture. In: Dixon, G., Tilston, E. (eds) Soil Microbiology and Sustainable Crop Production. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9479-7_1

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