Agrotechnologies

Chapter Commentary

The third step along the central path is the arrival point, i.e., the finished or nearly finished agroecosystem. Resulting agrosystems can be grouped as to their unique design and their field application parameters. These groupings are the agrotechnologies. From a systems perspective, these can define agroecology.

For many, this is the starting point. The recognized agrotechnologies are a simplification that allows users, those not willing or capable of taking the design path, to successfully employ agroecologically superior agroecosystems.

Whereas individual plants, either productive or facilitative, are the bio-components of a plot, there are other agrotechnologies that often do not yield but prove a facilitative service. These can be either plant or land modification based. These are introduced in this chapter.

The few variations on the simplest agroecosystem, the monoculture, are also part of the discussion. As most common of the agrotechnologies, these are usually differentiated by the crop species (one) contained. There are, in addition to the single-age, one variety monoculture, other types.