23/8/22, 00:00

Agroecology: Current Agricultural Problems and Paradigm Shifts

12/08. By preserving natural resources and biodiversity, agroecological systems can reduce production costs by 50% without sacrificing yields.

Within a context of what is currently happening in agriculture, Martín Zamora (INTA) said that we tend to simplify production systems, when in fact they are complex schemes, with interrelationships and external factors that we are not taking into account. "We are increasingly using more inputs, which translate into higher costs and negative impacts on the environment. In order to move from simple systems to more complex systems and manage them it is necessary knowledge." Then he added, “When we were thinking about solving the problems, at Chacra Experimental Barrow of INTA, we began to work on developing systems with an agroecological approach." 

Shifting paradigms, Zamora explained that the Barrow Agroecological Demonstration Module considers basic principles of cooperation, recycling and regeneration. From a systemic approach, they have increased genetic and functional biodiversity through crop rotation, incorporating polycultures, combining wheat with clovers, oats with vicia, sorghum with vicia, etc. They also integrated agriculture with livestock and determined biological corridors. An important aspect of this concept is the protection of the soil through stubble by the implementation of no-till farming, which improves the levels of organic matter and biological activity, among other benefits. Thanks to management, the aim is balancing the arthropod population and the progressive elimination of agrochemicals. 

Sharing some results, the INTA’s engineer underlined “For the last 10 years, we have not been using chemical products. We enhanced biological nitrogen fixation and the lower fertilization increased the level of phosphorus solubilizing enzymes. Service crops reduced herbicide use to zero. We increased Nan levels from 36 to 78 and the total biomass exceeds 28%.” Finally, he said, "Without reducing yield, and improving physical, chemical and biological indicators, the profitability perceived by the producer increases by 50% due to lower input costs." 

Moving on to another specific case of agroecological production Margarita Lais Tourn (Argelanda) mentioned her experience in 300 ha in the area of Claromecó (Province of Buenos Aires). "We have been implementing a different production system for some time now, and now we know it is called agroecology. We started in 1993 with no-till farming system to reduce the problems of wind erosion of the soil. Then we are looking to address the problem of resistant weeds," she added.

Rooted to their land and with a strong family conviction, Lais Tourn explained that they changed management by aiming at rotations, choosing species in advance and, like a Sudoku, determining the best combination of crops that will enhance results. We added perennial pastures throughout the site, incorporated harvest crops associated with legumes (vicia), substituted summer harvest crops and summer fast-growing crops and deferred forage, and left behind biological corridors. "According to FAO's evaluation for agroecological performance, it rated Argelanda at 82%. The challenge now is to reduce tillage operation in order to lower fuel consumption and buy fewer inputs," she stressed.

In order to add value and diversity, the agricultural producer said that they started milling flour, obtaining an agroecological product for a niche market.

Debunking the myth that agroecological systems are possible in smaller areas, César Belloso (Aapresid) explained what they are doing in 1,000 hectares in the area of Salto (Province of Buenos Aires), "I feel I am an agroecological producer, even using transgenics. The challenge is to innovate," Belloso said. He explained that we must think about no-till farming, with high diversity and intensity in rotations. This management facilitates regenerating the soil, its physical, chemical and biological properties. "Currently, biological indicators allow us not only to say that we are doing things right, but that we can prove it," he argued. In this sense, he commented that his property is certified under the Aapresid Certifications standard. 

Adding diversification to his company, the former President of Aapresid mentioned, "We started to produce pecan in order to increase the activities in the fields themselves, to retain people and have them live in the fields." To conclude, he said, "Everything we are doing has the same purpose, to imitate nature, which is the best system.”

From an academic and ecological approach, Diego Ferraro (FAUBA) shared what Zamora initially said and added "Agricultural systems are simplified because they have an advantage, they are easier to manage. We are not considering that we manage complex biological systems that are constantly changing, with plants, animals and people living in it. Sustainability is not immutable, it is dynamic." In this respect, he stated that it is not possible to replicate a production model from one site to another, given that the characteristics and dynamics of each lot or agroecological region are specific.

Ferraro warned that the paradigm shift to more complex agricultural systems presents challenges or limitations in the application, and the first challenge is knowledge. "Agronomy is going to have to recover what we know in terms of the cycle of weeds, insects, etc. to manage them more efficiently."