2012 Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages 88-93
Sustainable agriculture must face the challenge of suffi-cient productivity to feed and clothe up to 10 billion people this century. As a re-sult, strictly organic methods, while environmentally welcome, can be no more than a partial solution because more land is needed than is available. However, recent development in a range of biotechnologies may provide safer environmen-tal protection together with improving yields. For example, plant growth-promoting (PGP) microorganisms in Vietnam have been shown in field studies to offer reduced needs for seed, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, water and harvest yield losses. Interestingly, one PGP inoculant called BioGro was designed using validation of microbial strains from farmers’ results; but these very same species are now being characterised in laboratories world-wide as PGP strains. Their la-boratory analysis has shown similar traits as observed by farmers, such as ex-tended root structure, nutrient mobilisation, biocontrol for pathogens and insecti-cidal activity. Despite less nutrient and pesticide needs and thus reduced envi-ronmental impacts, agrochemicals will still be needed for sufficient productivity. Research on tools for environmental risk management by farmers such as immu-nological ELISA analysis can also contribute here. Rapid 5-minute tests for moni-toring both food and environment for pesticides can provide better stewardship of such chemicals, helping to ensure a ‘greener future’.
