Challenging targets for future agriculture.

摘要

A discussion and review of the problems agriculture is facing, agricultural quality components and defined aims for them, and the shortcomings of organic farming. Some important research areas are proposed, and an outlook for the future is presented. The quality components outlined are concerned with protection of the environment, production of healthy food and ethical practices. These components can be integrated into the general aims of sustainable agriculture. The inability of organic farming methods to solve some of the major environmental problems is discussed. Important research areas outlined are precision agriculture, low leaching cropping systems, management of soil biological processes and maximum recirculation of nutrients. Some issuesof future agricultural development are discussed, including intensive farming, nutrient imbalances caused by regional farm specialization, and the development of an agricultural quality assessment system.