Browsing by Author "Hepperly, Paul"

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    Conservation agriculture and soil quality
    Hepperly, Paul (Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech, Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED), 2009)
    The implementation of conservation agriculture can beneficially add to the soil's organic matter, decrease erosion, and increase the soil's water holding capacity. A substantial increase in carbon and nitrogen in the soil is also experienced. Ecological regeneration is another positive impact of conservation agriculture since it cleans waterways, improves water dynamics, helps avoid droughts, improves food quality and increases adaptability to climate change.
  • Environmental, energetic, and economic comparisons of organic and conventional farming systems
    Pimentel, David; Hepperly, Paul; Hanson, James; Douds, David; Seidel, Rita (American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2005)
    Since 1981, the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial (FST) has compared organic and conventional grain-based farming systems. The results presented here represent a 22-year study of these farming systems, based on environmental impacts, economic feasibility, energetic efficiency, soil quality, and other performance criteria. The information from this trial can be a tool for developing agricultural policies more in tune with the environment while increasing energy efficiency and economic returns.
  • The field system
    Mueller, J. Paul; Finney, Denise; Hepperly, Paul (Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 2009)
    The most fundamental socio-ecological system through which humans interact with the biosphere is the field system. The field system comprises both biotic and abiotic components that interact with physical elements such as sunlight and temperature through biogeochemical cycles and ecological processes. With human intervention, field systems produce food and other useful resources that are a large part of the economy and the daily lives of humans. For this reason, it is very important that field managers and law-makers pay close attention to the efficiency, productivity, integrity, and resilience of the field system.
  • New reasons to perfect organic no-till: USDA study finds conventional no-till is no panacea when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions
    Hepperly, Paul (Kutztown, Pa.: The Rodale Institute, 2005)
    This article addresses the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and a method in which to reduce one of these gases. The use of ammoniated fertilizers on crops such as corn contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions. These fertilizers are also used on reduced tillage crops, there by negating the positive effects of no-till. The Rodale Institute's Farming System Trial® has developed another method of soil conservation through the use of legume cover crops, which achieves the same yields as with the use of ammoniated fertilizers. This process, however, does not have the detrimental fuel, health and environmental costs associated with the fertilizers.
  • SANREM: Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Managment: A new dawn for longer-term thinking
    Hepperly, Paul (Kutztown, Pa.: The Rodale Institute, 2006)
    This article discusses a brief overview of the history of agriculture technology and conservation, and the failures of past programs. From there, the author explains the need for a new approach, listing the SANREM CRSP (Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management- Collaborative Research Support Program) as a recent government initiative that recognizes the need for environmental conservation in international agriculture development. The author also expresses the need for long-term projects that invest in these concepts, rather than short-term remedies that have little lasting impacts.
  • Soil quality and nutritional quality
    Hepperly, Paul (2006)
  • Twelve reasons to make and use compost
    Hepperly, Paul (Kutztown, Pa.: The Rodale Institute, 2005)
    Following the author's trip to Ghana, he outlined twelve reasons that farmers should consider using compost for fertilizing their crops. These reasons include cost effectiveness, nutrient density and completeness, increased productivity of clay soil and tilth, decrease of weeds, pests and diseases, increased biological activity, increased storability and taste of corn seed, and positive effects on carbon sequestration.