As the world’s population keeps growing and our environmental awareness is higher than ever, the pressure on the agricultural sector increases. After all, it is our sector that is responsible for feeding billions of people around the globe, whilst ensuring that we are not negatively impacting the environment. These are our top 4 ways you can make your contribution to the environment more sustainable.
1. Natural Pest Management
One of the biggest challenges we face when farming is pest management. Although synthetic pesticides or other chemicals are easy to use, it doesn’t serve as a long term solution and could negatively affect the soil. Natural Pest Management is the key to long-term sustainability and soil health. A diverse composition of crops is one way to naturally manage your pest, as pests are often attracted to one type of crop, and the presence of other crops keep them away. Another method would be to provide habitat for pest-eating predators. These could be ladybugs and fly parasites, but also birds and bats.
2. Crop diversity
Yes, economically it may seem more profitable to only grow a single crop in the field. Perhaps it is the only crop there is true demand for in your local market, or other crops simply do not grow as well in your climate. This monoculture, however, exhausts your soil, strongly degrading its quality. Planting a diversity of crops does not only keep your soil of great quality, but crop diversity also means more genetic diversity, meaning your crops are less susceptible to disease.
3. Drip irrigation
Traditional sprinkler systems cause more harm than you may think. Not only do they cause salinization, but they are not particularly economical when it comes to water usage. Try drip irrigation; a system where tiny holes are inserted at several points along a hose, allowing the water to slowly drip out of these holes exactly at the points where you need water. Save some water and irrigate your crops more accurately, what more could you wish for?
4. Buy & Sell at BartsParts
Yes, our platform is very sustainable! Sustainability was one of the main missions the company had in mind when it was established. Parts laying in warehouses for over 10 years are usually scrapped. Many obsolete parts are disposed of and much waste is produced. BartsParts makes sure supply and demand meet each other, as dealers have the opportunity to sell their obsolete stocks, extending the item’s lifespan. Farmers can find and buy hard-to-find parts that are not available at their local dealers. Not to forget, imagine the energy that is saved on manufacturing new parts for machines when old parts can be easily found at BartsParts. Do you want to know more about our business model? Check out how to buy & sell at BartsParts here.