Technologies for Rural Development/Ways of farming

Ways of Farming

Farming can be divided into two main sections, crop farming and animal husbandry. Both have been a major part of human development over last few thousand years.

The first farming began in the Fertile Crescent located in present day Iraq and Syria, with wheat harvesting and the husbandry of sheep and goats around 8000BC. Agriculture was also developed independently in China and the New World at later dates.

Animal Husbandry

Organic farming according to Köpke (1990) comprises the principle of a precise organisation of an agronomically appropriate ( A. Young ), largely self-contained farm organisms. The overall concept makes the combination of plant production and animal husbandry, that is the traditional mixed farm or appropriate cooperations necessary.

Animal husbandry an important financial pillar of organically producing farms. Usually they earn more than 50% of their turnover with animal husbandry.

Environmental Considerations

Soil Stability

Soil erosion is a very important problem for agriculture today; it is caused by overgrazing and also by land clearing.

To solve this problem trees can be planted on steep slopes, or in some cases types of grass such as Vetiver (a grass that grows on my types of soils).