Our nation's grandest enterprise is our agricultural industry. It is second to none in terms of assets, workers, and exports. Agricultural success has be­ come an accepted fact and is taken for granted by the majority of the American public. Few believe or are even willing to consider that the con­ tinued future success of this industry is threatened. Yet threatened it is. The resource base of agriculture is becoming dimin­ ished through overuse and environmental misuse. A further complication is the competition for agricultural resources by other users. The energy, soil, and water resources cannot sustain agriculture into the far future at their present rate of use. Something must be done to bring about public awareness and support for the changes needed to move our nation toward a sustainable agriculture. More research and funding must be directed toward this end. Our agriculture educators and other information disseminators must make sure that the farmers, politicians, and the public receive the message. Farmers must be willing to make the necessary changes. Something is being done. Our agricultural system is in a transitional stage. Traditional agriculturists are changing some practices and their attitudes.

Springer Book Archives

1 Our Threatened Agricultural Resources.- Agricultural Problems.- Energy.- Water.- Soil.- Transitional Agriculture.- Meeting the Challenge.- References.- 2 Organic Farming.- Prevalence, Size, Common Practices.- Energy Usage.- Crop Productivity.- Economics.- Labor.- Conservation and Environmental Quality.- Soil.- Water.- Environment.- Future Prospects.- Research Needs.- References.- 3 Crop Energy Conservation.- Energetics of Crop Production.- Fertilization.- Reduction of Fertilizer Usage.- Use of Organic Wastes.- Use of Legumes.- Field Operations: Farm Machinery.- Field Operations: Tillage.- Irrigation.- Reduction of Pumping Frequency.- Pump Efficiency.- Improved Management.- System Alterations.- Pesticides.- Crop Drying.- Frost and Cold Protection.- Transportation.- Future Directions.- References.- 4 Greenhouse Energy Conservation.- Fuel and Furnaces.- Microclimate Heating.- Temperature Control.- Split-Night Regime.- Temperature Averaging.- Insulation.- Polyethylene Over Glass.- Bubble Pack.- Thermal Sheets.- Sausage Tubes.- Lapseal.- Miscellaneous Insulation.- Roofing Materials.- Acrylic Panels.- Polycarbonate Panels.- Double-Glass Panels.- Future.- Cost Payback Period.- Experimental Greenhouses.- References.- 5 Animal Husbandry Energy Conservation.- Environmental Maintenance.- Insulation.- Waste Heat Recovery.- Ventilation.- Evaporative Cooling.- Lighting.- Brooding and Farrowing Areas.- Feed.- Cattle Feed.- Feed for Other Livestock.- Feed Processing and Handling.- Transportation.- Waste Disposal.- References.- 6 Postproduction Energy Conservation.- Food Processing.- Energy Accounting Techniques.- Equipment.- Miscellaneous Energy Conservation Measures.- Food Waste Recovery.- On-Site Food Processing.- In- and Out-of-Home Food Preparation.- Marketing and Distribution.- Transportation.- Fiber.- References.- 7 Sustaining Resources: Soil.- Organic Matter.- Organic Amendments.- Animal Manures.- Crop Residues.- Sewage Sludge and Septage.- Other Organic Wastes.- Soil Erosion.- Erosion and Crop Yields.- Status of Research on Erosion and Soil Productivity.- Economics of Erosion Control.- Practices to Control Erosion of Croplands.- Soil Compaction.- Cropping Systems to Sustain Productivity.- Multiple Cropping.- Rotations, Nitrogen Fixation, and Forages.- Organic Agriculture and Soil Maintenance.- Maintenance of Range Productivity.- References.- 8 Sustaining Resources: Water.- Usage and Availability.- Groundwater Depletion.- Future Demand.- Additional Problems.- Subsidence.- Saltwater Contamination.- Reduced Surface Water Flow.- Groundwater Contamination.- Salinization.- Drainage.- Conservation of Water.- Control of Runoff Losses.- Control of Evaporation Losses.- Reduction of Losses from Deep Percolation.- Conservation Irrigation.- Salt-Tolerant Crops.- Dryland Farming.- References.- 9 Sustaining the Environment.- Agriculture's Impact on the Environment.- Water Quality.- Air Quality.- Soil Quality.- Reducing Agricultural Pollutants.- Integrated Pest Management.- Practices.- Economic Benefits.- Current Research.- Research Directions.- Future Directions.- Genetic Resources.- References.- 10 Future Technology.- Solar Technology.- Crop Drying.- Space and Water Heating.- Future Uses for Solar Energy.- Windpower.- Hydroelectric and Geothermal Power.- Biotechnology.- Genetic Engineering.- Embryo Transfer.- Biomass.- Alcohol Production.- Biogas Production.- Oils from Seeds.- Assessment of Alternate Energy.- Mechanization.- Management.- Computer-Assisted Management.- Computer Constraints.- References.