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2- History of CA/DMC
SOIL DEGRADATION AND EROSION GAVE RISE TO DIRECT SEEDIN... Featured
The basic concept underlying direct seeding was developed and first implemented in nontropical areas, first in USA as of the 1960s, and then in southern Brazil (subtropical), Australia, Argentina and Canada as of the 1970s. Until then, agricultural practices were based on tillage, repeated spraying of soils and excessive monocropping, which led to very large-scale ecological catastrophies with heavy socioeconomic consequences. The most renowned example is the dust bowl (dust clouds covering infrastructures, fields, etc.) that occurred on the American semiarid Great Plains between the 1920s and 1940s as a result of soil degradation and severe wind erosion. Tillage was partially blamed as early as the 1930s in USA as a result of this national disaster. Comparable phenomena affected Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. In Latin America, direct seeding was first adopted by a few farmers as of the 1970s to curb severe water erosion phenomena in southern Brazil (Parana state) and Argentina, in the Central Pampas. ...
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MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANIZED AGRICULTURE IN USA AN... Featured
Groups of pioneer farmers have become mobilised, along with scientists (public and private), in response to the degradation of their land to invent new farming methods. These pioneers and atypical scientists have had a considerable impact in boosting the awareness of other farmers in all concerned countries. They have encouraged the dissemination and adoption of these techniques via on-farm demonstration visits, or through presentations at conferences, seminars, meetings, etc. Farmers’ groups, associations, cooperatives, and foundations have had a crucial role in these initiatives (in Brazil for instance).
AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SETTING THAT TRIGGERED CHANGE... Featured
Some global economic and historical data have promoted direct seeding: The oil crisis in the 1970s led to a reduction in fertilizer use and fuel consumption.The reduction in herbicide and specialised farming equipment prices in the 1990s.The increased volatility in world commodity prices prompted some countries to diversify their agricultural production and crop rotations.
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