Sustainable Agriculture Literature Review - Boulder County

! !!
"#$%&!'())!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I/-44#$F!-J!K1$B4!
demonstrate that an agricultural product has been produced and handled in a
sustainable manner, from soil preparation and seed planting through production,
harvest, post-harvest handling, and distribution for sale.” 942 This proposed standard
would be voluntary and would not replace the legal or regulatory requirements of any
country in which agricultural products are produced, handled, or sold. The SCS
recognizes eight key elements of sustainability, which include: 943
! Sustainable Crop Production
! Ecosystem Management and Protection
! Resource Conservation and Energy Efficiency
! Integrated Waste Management
! Fair Labor Practices
! Community Benefits
! Product Quality
! Product Safety and Purity
Teratogenicity: Potential to cause or the production of structural malformations or
defects in offspring. 944
Tilth: The physical condition of soil as related to its ease of tillage, fitness of seedbed,
and impedance to seedling emergence and root penetration. 945
Transgenic crops: Crops that result from the insertion of genetic material from another
organism so that the plant will exhibit a desired trait. Recombinant DNA techniques
(DNA formed by combining segments of DNA from different organisms) are usually used
to develop transgenic plants.
Transpiration: Transpiration is the biological process that occurs mostly in the day.
Plants transpire to move nutrients to the upper portion of the plants and to cool the
leaves exposed to the sun. 946
Turbidity: A measure of the cloudiness of water – the cloudier the water, the greater the
turbidity. Turbidity in water is caused by suspended matter, such as clay, silt, and
organic matter that interfere with the passage of light through the water. 947
Variable rate application (VRA): Allows a prescribed rate of fertilizer or lime to be
applied to each location within a field, based on soil test results. 948
Vermicompost: Composting with earthworms. Can contain worm castings, bedding
materials, and organic wastes at various stages of decomposition. It can also contain
worms at various stages of development and other microorganisms associated with the
composting processing. 949
Vermiculite: A mineral that is used in horticulture and mixed with soil to create a more
porous, absorbent soil. 950
Windrow: organic waste is formed into rows of long piles of compost called windrows
that are aerated by turning the pile periodically by either manual or mechanical means.
The ideal pile height, which is between 4 and 8 feet, allows for a pile large enough to
generate sufficient heat and maintain temperatures, yet small enough to allow oxygen to
flow to the windrow's core. The ideal pile width is between 14 and 16 feet. 951
!
"'*#"
!,342#.5#6/1!78$.%3/23$1!
9.21$#23$1!:1;.1