European management practices for sustainable agriculture

Abstract

The impact on agriculture is arising from unintended adverse effects of herbicide use on plant life, and the resistance of plants to herbicides has become a global problem. The current approach is to limit the use of herbicides and pesticides in agriculture by integrated pollution prevention and control directive. Over the past two decades, tolerance to specific herbicides has been introduced intentionally, as a novel trait into a number of crop species to provide farmers with the additional means to control weeds without damaging their crops. In recent years, biotechnology has been used in the development of other herbicide tolerant crops. The practices for sustainable agriculture are essential, and it is recommended the promotion and maintenance of careful management practices for farmers. There are a number of beneficial management practices (BMPs) which agricultural producers can incorporate into their farming practices to decrease their impact on environment. These BMPs can be placed into four management sectors: soil and land management, livestock management, crop management, and nutrient management. This paper states the current European management practices used for achieving the sustainable agriculture concept and that can be applied in Romania too.