5 Things We Can Do to Improve Agriculture

We must increase our investment into breeding new crops, in addition to increasing the use sustainable farming practices. Conventional breeding is responsible for the majority of crop yield gains. However, molecular biology holds the promise for even greater yield increases. It is possible to map plant genetic codes, test for desired DNA traits and purify crop strains. It is important to increase public and private investment in crop-breeding, particularly for orphan crops.

Diversification of operations

Diversifying your operations can bring you many benefits, including increased revenue. Diversifying your farm is more sustainable that one that is primarily focused on one crop. Diversifying your crops into several different types helps create more jobs in the community and helps maintain the food supply. Diversification breaks the cycle and reduces weeds. We will be discussing the benefits of crop rotations in the bulletin below. In addition to boosting the yield of rotational crops, diversifying your operations can provide nutrients for the soil and enhance the soil’s structure and moisture.

Rainwater harvesting is increasing

Although Ethiopia was an early adopter RWH technologies, implementation has faced many obstacles. The country’s eastern region is experiencing an acute water shortage. Farmers are not receiving better technologies to capture rainwater. Ethiopia has proposed RWH technologies in an effort to reduce drought and increase agricultural productivity. This technology can be beneficial in several ways. It can help farmers save money, improve crop yields, and reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Increasing nitrogen efficiency

Increasing the efficiency of nitrogen use can dramatically increase productivity and profitability for farmers. Current research suggests that nitrogen loss is at least 70 per cent, and increasing N use efficiency can significantly increase crop yields. This research focuses on the use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers (EENFs), which can increase soil N uptake and decrease fertilizer losses. This study used a multilocation field trial with cauliflower in seven districts to determine the efficacy of UB and sulphur-coated urea on curd yield.

Increasing farmer-to-farmer education

In order for increased farmer-to-farmer education to improve agriculture, we must take advantage of grower knowledge in the context of the larger farming system. Social learning is a great way to encourage innovation because it allows farmers to learn from each other. Communities of practice encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience between farmers, both traditional and unconventional. We can encourage more farmer participation and transform our farming system by offering opportunities for farmers to share their knowledge.

Reforming tree-ownership laws

Achieving both objectives through selective support to extensive agriculture is a win-win proposition for rural areas. Higher agricultural outputs will reduce the costs of expanding agriculture and put downward pressure on local output prices, both of which benefit the environment. In the meantime, farmers will be more inclined to invest in land if they have better tenure security. Reforming tree-ownership laws in order to improve agriculture will improve yields and help reach both of these goals simultaneously.

How Can I Be a Successful Farmer?

To succeed in the farming business, there are several things you should do. You need to create a solid business plan that will attract investors. Next, get the best equipment and machinery for your farm to make it more productive. You will also need vehicles, so it is important to have them ready for use. Feed your livestock the highest quality feed. And if you’re planning to keep livestock, it is also important to use the best feed for them.

Business plan

A business plan for being a successful farmer can help you get off to a good start. This document should include information about the financial situation of your farm, as well as a list of all resources available to you, such water, electricity, and land. This section should describe how you plan to manage the farm. It should also include information about the people involved as well as external resources such as government agencies or lenders.

A farm business plan should contain information on the market size, which is the total number of consumers in the area. This can be calculated by multiplying the area you live in by the population. You should also include information about the customer segments that you will be serving. You will be targeting food manufacturers, wholesalers, restaurants, and consumers. The size of your customer base will affect the type of business that you run.

Intuitiveness

Dr. Peter Nuthall examined the ability of farmers to use their intuition. He discovered that successful farmers had traits that were closely related to managerial abilities. They were well-informed, engaged in research and development, engaged with family consultations, and used their own experience and expertise to improve their intuition. They also sought feedback from others, learned from their mistakes, and utilised the expertise of other people to make better decisions.

Farmers learn a variety skills early in life, and their parents’ education is vital. Their experience and education over the course of their lives are their ‘teachers’. A good farmer uses the lessons they have learned from daily life to inform his decisions. Recent research found that many farmers are highly intuitive. This type of intuition involves analysis, decisions, actions, and planning that are made in the mind, rather than through formal processes.

Size of farm

Although there is no single formula for farming success in general, there are several important factors that you should consider. These include the size of the farm as well as the number of employees. Recent papers on the subject have highlighted the importance smallholders play in food security. Ricciardi et al. (2018) reported that smallholders contribute between 30 and 34 percent to global food production. They also occupy 20 to 24 percent of cropland. Samberg et al. (2016) estimate that smallholders provide 41% of the world’s calories. However, the thresholds used to measure farm size in these papers are different.

Over the past 40 years, the number large farms has increased from 3 to 15% of all farms to 15 percent. Family-owned farms make up 97% of Australia’s agricultural land and 86% of its farms. The remainder is vertically integrated with supply chains operations and owned non-farm equity shareholders. Increasing rural wages and decreasing rural populations have led large numbers of smallholders and farmers to invest in mechanization, expanded farm operations, and other investments.

Avoiding debt

Aspiring farmers should focus on keeping their farms out of debt while pursuing the dream of becoming a farmer. Aspiring farmers should rent land, or live in tipis for several decades until they can purchase their own land. They should maximize the income from their farm and minimize their debt during this time. Two acres can accommodate 500 laying hens, 30 honeybee hives and 50 turkeys. There are also $20,000 worth of specialty fruits and vegetables like blackberries.