Sustainable development embedded in agronomy of sugar beet cultivation

38 Pages·2004·3.84 MB·English

by  Frans Tijink

IRS
P.O. Box 32
NL - 4600 AA Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands
www.irs.nl / [email protected]
Sustainable development embedded
in agronomy of sugar beet cultivation
Frans Tijink
“Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their needs.”
The Brundtland Commission, 1987
ddiiggggiinngg aatt hhoommee
aafftteerr 11 mmeetteerr ddiiggggiinngg
11000000 yyeeaarrss ffaarrmmiinngg
aafftteerr 33 mmeetteerrss ddiiggggiinngg
ssttoonneess ddeeppoossiitteedd iinn tthhee
llaatteesstt ggllaacciiaall ppeerriioodd
aafftteerr 440000 mmeetteerrss ddiiggggiinngg
ssaalltt ddeeppoossiitt
220000 mmiilllliioonn yyeeaarrss oolldd
critera for sustainability are not stable in
time sustainable development
Trends in Australian sugar production (1951-1998)
6
5
4
3
2
‘productivity plateau’
1
0
‘53 ‘56 ‘59 ‘62 ‘65 ‘68 ‘71 ‘74 ‘77 ‘80 ‘83 ‘86 ‘89 ‘92 ‘95 ‘98
area (00,000 ha) sugar production (000,000 t)
sugar yield (10 t/ha)
(source: SRDC, 1999)
Sugar yield 1950 - 2003
12
)
10
a
h
/
n
o
8
t
(
d
l
e
6
i
y

r
a
g 4
u
S
2
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Characteristics sugar beet
efficient at accumulating photosynthate
in useful form
efficient in recovering residual
soil nitrogen
deep (2 m) and dense network of
root fibres
efficient use of water and nutrients
leave a clean soil profile
high dry matter yield