Outlook on Agriculture

Effort devoted to increased productivity in the field can be nullified by deterioration in storage before marketing. Because of their relatively high water content and soft tissues fruit and vegetables are particularly prone to deterioration due to invasion by microorganisms. Although a variety of chemical and physical treatments have been developed for the control of microbial infection of stored products, low temperature storage is probably the most effective single form of treatment.

The last 25 years have seen radical changes in agriculture in Southeast Asia. The traditional labour-intensive subsistence farming on small holdings has been increasingly replaced by new technologies involving capital inputs, such as fertilizers, agrochemicals, and machinery. This article reviews these developments and their economic, political, and social implications.

The economic importance of the cost of feeding stuffs in the raising of farm animals needs no emphasis. This article reviews the progress of a large-scale research programme launched in Hungary in 1981 to explore the prospects for making greater use of agricultural and industrial by-products – such as wheat straw, beet slices, and maize stubble – for feeding stock. Although the Hungarian situation is not typical – the ratio of pigs to cows is 4.33:1 compared with a world average of 0.66:1 – many of the substitutes evaluated are potentially relevant to the rearing of ruminants everywhere.

Although pepper is not quantitatively a major crop – exportable world production totalling only some 132 000 tonnes annually, valued at US $162 million – it is a very important constituent of the normal diet in many parts of the world. This article reviews the factors affecting the growth of the crop and the problems of maintaining a balance between supply and demand. It argues that a major obstacle to stabilizing the industry is the lack of a satisfactory control measure for the devastating footrot disease.

The western response to the OPEC oil crisis of 1973 took various forms, ranging from comprehensive fuel economy policies to the development of new energy sources. Brazil elected to replace oil substantially by substituting alcohol derived from sugar for petrol. This article reviews the development of the Alcohol Programme during the last ten years, and the effect on it of the recent sharp drop in the price of oil.

The increasing cost of synthetic fertilizers has stimulated interest in the nitrogen-fixing property of Rhizobium, particularly as genetic engineering techniques raise the possibility of a symbiotic relationship with cereals. By contrast, the similar root nodules formed by nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes of the genus Frankia have been relatively little studied. Yet, as this article shows, the actinorhizal plants have very considerable possibilities for the utilization of marginal lands, especially in developing countries.

The millions of hectares of tropical wetlands are potentially capable of producing large quantities of food and industrial crops, but only if they are carefully and effectively managed. This article discusses the principal types of soil in this category and the basis of the techniques that have been developed to make them productive.

Wool production is a very important factor in the Australian economy, representing $3 billion in exports. Nevertheless, rising production costs and growing competition from manmade fibres necessitate increased attention to all aspects of productivity if the industry worldwide is to remain viable. As some 80 per cent of labour content is involved in harvesting wool, improvements in the shearing process potentially offer particular opportunities for economies. This article reviews the results of a widely based Australian research programme which has investigated the fundamental physics of wool severance, especially in terms of energy requirement, leading to improved design of shearing devices incorporating more efficient motors and novel cutter materials. Subsequent articles will review the process of automated mechanical shearing and chemical and biological defleecing.