Biological Processes and Soil Fertility

The success of shifting cultivation systems developed by subsistence farmers testifies to the resilience of the "natural" soil-plant ecosystems to recover from the offtake of nutrients in crops and loss of soil structure. By contrast, the development of intensive cropping systems requires large inputs especially of nitrogen, together with phosphorus, sulphur and other essential elements in order to maintain the nutrient levels needed for abundant crop yields. As Dr. Cooke ably pointed out i...