Agricultural land (% of land area) in Sri Lanka was last measured at
41.62 in 2009, according to the World Bank. Agricultural land refers to the
share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent
pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary
crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or
for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow.
Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under
permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long
periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee,
and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees,
nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.
Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including
natural and cultivated crops. This page has the latest values, historical data,
forecasts, charts, statistics, an economic calendar and news for Agricultural
land (% of land area) in Sri Lanka.
Sustainable
Agriculture
“Sustainable Agriculture is any agricultural system
that are complementary to natural resources and environmental conditions in
order to produce safe and diversified products so as to reduce natural and
economic risks while passing the learning process of farmers from generations
to generations”
Agricultural
Services
Agricultural services can be categorized main three
groups, there are economics, environmental and social. That all groups have
market values and non-market values.
•
Market Values – Economics value, that gives direct economical
benefits to the people. (Eg - Agro-tourism)
•
Non – Market Values – Values for the nature, no direct economics value
for the people. (Eg - Non-wood products)
Market
Values
01.
Agro-tourism
·
In recent times there has
been a tremendous increase in the interest surrounding the concept of Agro
tourism.
·
According to Agro tourism
that builds environmental values such as less environmental pollution and
directly gives benefits for the animals.
02.
Non-wood products
·
Foods
·
Medicine
·
Flowers
Environmental
Services from Agriculture
Non-market
values
•
Biodiversity
•
Soil nutrients
•
Top soil
protection
•
Water
purification
•
Water
retention
•
Flood
resistance
•
Waste
recycling
Biodiversity
•
Biodiversity
is the degree of variation of life (Plant and Animals).
•
Agricultural
biodiversity is a sub-set of general biodiversity.
•
It is necessary
to sustain key functions of the ecosystem in its structure and processes.
•
Agriculture
which improve the diversity of plants and animals by using breeding and genetically modified crops.
Soil
nutrients
•
Soil
building practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic
associations, cover crops, organic fertilizers and minimum tillage are central
to organic practices
•
These
encourage soil fauna and flora, improving soil formation and structure and
creating more stable systems
•
Agricultural
techniques also play an important role in soil erosion control and act as a
soil cover which reduce the exposed to erosive forces and nutrient
leaching.
When we
consider about sustainable agriculture, we can reduce nutrient losses from
erosion.
Top
soil protection
•
Top soil
contain more diversity and more value such as nutrients
•
Under the
sustainable agriculture nutrients are always recycling, So that control the
soil fertility and structure
•
Agriculture
act as a soil cover, so that reduce the nutrient leaching and protect the top
soil layer
Water
Retention
•
Using
Sustainable agriculture increase the soil water holding capacity
•
Mulches
also protect the soil surface from extreme temperatures and greatly reduce
surface evaporation, which is particularly important in tropical and
sub-tropical climates
Flood
control
•
Flooding
is a natural process. In floodplain ecosystems such as the Everglades, rainfall
collects on the surface and drains into the soil, recharging the water supply
of the underground aquifer.
•
In
sustainable agriculture use proper irrigation and drainage systems. So Water control structures provide
routes for excess water to drain into impoundment areas or into the ocean.
Waste
recycling
•
Green waste
is biodegradable waste that can be composed
•
Biogas
captured from biodegradable green waste can be used as bio fuel
•
Using
organic fertilizer such as compost, that help the removing waste from the land
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