Spudman September/October 2022 - 13

Sustainability =
Environmental Stewardship,
Economic Success
Left field: Untreated Verticillium Wilt. Right field: Treated with Strike Soil Fumigant
Sustainability is one of the more
commonly misunderstood concepts
in agriculture today. At times
agricultural success, especially
higher productivity, is put at odds
with 'sustainability'. This is not
necessary, and here's why.
Sustainable agriculture is, in a
nutshell, a system of crop production
practices which allow us to meet
our current food, fiber and other ag
product needs, while simultaneously
preserving the resources future
generations will require to grow
and produce for their needs too.
Sustainable production enhances
soil health, protects water and air
quality, uses renewable and nonrenewable
resources responsibly,
and integrates nature's own cycles.
But - and here's the part which is
too often misunderstood or overlooked
- sustainable production also
considers financial realities. Since
farm production is only possible when
farmers are willing and available to
farm, sustainability also prioritizes
the long-term economic viability of
farm businesses.
A farm's ability to protect the
environment and achieve economic
success are two sides of one coin.
Both can be achieved through the
same avenue - increased productivity.
Consider this - increasing yield per
acre decreases the cost of production
(land, equipment, input, and manhour
costs per unit produced), resulting
in better returns. Meanwhile, better
productivity means fewer acres are
necessary to feed the same number of
people, translating to more efficient
land use and a smaller environmental
footprint per unit produced.
One of the most obvious
opportunities to increase productivity
and, correspondingly, sustainability
is by promoting yield in acres where
production has dropped over time.
An uptick in soil-borne disease can
quietly strip away a potato field's
production potential. Also, disease can
push farmers into less environmentally
sustainable production practices. For
example, growers farming tired soils
are more likely to apply higher rates of
fertilizer, water, and other crop inputs,
since disease-compromised roots are less
responsive to regular nutrition rates.
There is a solution for the
sustainability issues potato growers
face. Strike is a selective soil fumigant
which manages a wide variety of soilborne
diseases, including verticillium,
rhizoctonia, black dot, and common
scab. While it seeks and reduces costly
pathogens, it simultaneously promotes
populations of saprophytes - the
beneficial soil organisms which break
down organic matter and recycle
the nutrients. Strike is designed to
revive tired soils, translating to better
yield, increased returns, and more
environmentally beneficial production
practices - all the critical hallmarks
of improved sustainability.
If you'd like to read more about
how Strike can promote sustainability,
check out The Dirt: A Blog - https://
strikefumigants.com/the-dirt.
- By Dr. Chad Hutchinson
Strike is a Federally Restricted Use Pesticide. This article was originally published in Spud Smart.
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http://www.strikefumigants.com/the-dirt

Spudman September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman September/October 2022