Sustainable Agriculture Literature Review - Boulder County

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Green manure: "Green manuring" involves the soil incorporation of any field or forage
crop while green or soon after flowering, for the purpose of soil improvement. 907
Humus: Complex organic compounds that remain after many organisms have used and
transformed the original material. Humus is not readily decomposed because it is either
physically protected inside of aggregates or chemically too complex to be used by most
organisms. Humus is important in binding tiny soil aggregates, and improves water and
nutrient holding capacity. 908
H7-1 sugar beet: Roundup Ready® sugar beet H7-1 plants (hereafter also referred to
as H7-1) are genetically modified to express tolerance to glyphosate-based Roundup®
herbicides, allowing their use for weed control in the crop not just in pre-emergence, but
also throughout the growing season. 909
Indirect Energy Use: The energy embedded in the goods and services purchased, but
not directly consumed by the end-user. 910
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA): A technique to assess the environmental aspects and
potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service, by: compiling an
inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases; evaluating
the potential environmental impacts associated with identified inputs and releases;
interpreting the results to help make a more informed decision. 911
Living mulch: An extension of cover crops used to decrease soil erosion, suppress
weeds, improve soil structure and nutrient cycling, and in the case of legumes, supply
nitrogen to a grain crop. Unlike cover crops that are killed before planting the grain crop,
living mulches co-exist with the crops during the growing season and continue to grow
after the crop is harvested. 912
Low-input agriculture: A process that seeks to minimize the use of production inputs
(i.e. off-farm resources), such as purchased fertilizers and pesticides, and to optimize
the management and use of internal production inputs (i.e. on-farm resources) wherever
and whenever feasible and practicable in order to lower production costs, avoid pollution
of surface and groundwater, reduce a farmer's overall risk, reduce pesticide residues in
food, and increase both short- and long-term farm profitability. 913
Monoculture (Monocropping): The growing of a single crop species on a field year
after year. Contrast crop rotation and mixed cropping. 914
National Organic Program: Develops, implements, and administers national
production, handling, and labeling standards. Responds to site-specific conditions by
integrating cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources,
promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. 915
Natural farming: A farming method that involves no tillage, no fertilizer, no pesticides,
no weeding, no pruning, and minimal labor through careful timing of seeding and careful
combinations of plants. 916
Net irrigation: The net amount of water that must be applied by irrigation to supplement
stored soil water and precipitation to supply the water required for the full yield of an
irrigated crop. 917
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