Sheep and wheat are the staples of dryland farms in the Mediterranean zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The commonly used dryland farming system introduced in the 1950s, however, is proving unsustainable. What is needed is an alternative system that is both environmentally sustainable and within the means of most farmers in the region. This book analyzes the quagmire of development on dryland farms to try to find some answers to these issues for scientists in agriculture and economics.
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Editorial Reviews
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"Only when these wider ecological and cultural issues are taken into account can an impression be gained as to whether the medic system is truly sustainable and appropriate for use in North Africa and the Near East." David I. McCracken, Ecoscience
Book Description
Dryland farmers in Mediterranean zones need a new farming system to help prevent soil erosion and increase production of sheep and wheat. Innovative Australian farmers have evolved a system using annual medic pasture that is environmentally sustainable, low risk and within the farmer's means. This book tells how this system was discovered, how it proved its sustainability, and what is needed to enable farmers in other dryland zones to benefit from its benevolent effects and productivity.
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This review is from: Sustainable Dryland Farming: Combining Farmer Innovation and Medic Pasture in a Mediterranean Climate (Hardcover)
Nobody else has reviewed this, so here goes. I obtained a good copy at a reasonable price as part of my research into dry land farming. Written by a couple originally from South Australia, where dry land farming is widely practiced. To me, "medic" is something you need in a war zone if you get injured. To them, "medic" is a slang term for the plant genus "Medicago", which includes alfalfa (lucerne) and 82 other species, most of which are native to the Mediterranean region. This book is a scholarly review of the many attempts, successful in some places (like Australia), unsuccessful in other areas, to use Medicago pastures (grazed by sheep) in rotation with "cereal" (grain) crops. Even if you are not interested in this aspect of dry land farming, this book provides a detailed and interesting historical review of various agricultural development programs throughout Australia and the Middle East. The primary purpose of some trade programs is apparently to sell farm equipment, whether appropriate or not, with no lasting results expected. Example after example of how NOT to do things, along with a few inspiring success stories. Anybody interested in the relationships between agricultural "experts" and farmers, exporting agricultural practices to other countries, and evaluating agricultural export programs must read this book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Dryland farmers in North Africa and the Near East have, in the past fifty years, been the focus of many schemes to try to improve the productivity of their farms. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
medic seed, medic pastures, combine seeder, medic system, cereal phase, local seed industry, unauthorised grazing, using scarifiers, dryland farming project, medic hay, cereal zone, sowing program, medic varieties, poor quality straw, poor seed bed preparation, shallow seed bed, cultivated bare fallow, seed production unit, using shallow cultivation, medic plants, grazing phase, using medic, haymaking equipment, volunteer pasture, cereal stubble Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
South Australia, North Africa, Near East, Department of Agriculture, Western Australian, Roseworthy College, Waite Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Domaine Chouhada, Akhdar Authority, Algerian Government, Circle Valley, Bashir Joudeh, Northern Hemisphere, United States, British Government, Principal of Roseworthy, Ford Foundation, Iraqi Government, Iraqi Ministry, Yorke Peninsula, Gefara Plains Authority, Journal of Agriculture, Sa'd Abujaber, World Food Program New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Dryland farmers in North Africa and the Near East have, in the past fifty years, been the focus of many schemes to try to improve the productivity of their farms. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
medic seed, medic pastures, combine seeder, medic system, cereal phase, local seed industry, unauthorised grazing, using scarifiers, dryland farming project, medic hay, cereal zone, sowing program, medic varieties, poor quality straw, poor seed bed preparation, shallow seed bed, cultivated bare fallow, seed production unit, using shallow cultivation, medic plants, grazing phase, using medic, haymaking equipment, volunteer pasture, cereal stubble Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
South Australia, North Africa, Near East, Department of Agriculture, Western Australian, Roseworthy College, Waite Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Domaine Chouhada, Akhdar Authority, Algerian Government, Circle Valley, Bashir Joudeh, Northern Hemisphere, United States, British Government, Principal of Roseworthy, Ford Foundation, Iraqi Government, Iraqi Ministry, Yorke Peninsula, Gefara Plains Authority, Journal of Agriculture, Sa'd Abujaber, World Food Program New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7
books:
See all 7 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- North Africa: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia Including Gibraltar, Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands and Malta by Graham Hutt in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Making of the South Australian Landscapes: Study in the Historical Geography of Australia by Michael Williams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Range Plant Handbook by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in Back Matter
- The Agricultural Bureau: a Sociological Study (Sociology Research Monograph) by A.W. Black in Back Matter
- Range Plant Handbook by U.S. Forest Service in Back Matter
See all 7 books this book cites
- DROUGHTS - WILHITE V2 (Routledge Hazards and Disasters Series) by Donald Wilhite on page 68
- Conservation Agriculture: Environment, Farmers Experiences, Innovations, Socio-Economy, Policy by L. García-Torres on page 455
- Working With Nature by Jordan in Back Matter
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