🌱 Environment & EcologyUPSC 2021Sustainable Development

How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming?1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant.2. Conventional chemical farming can cause an increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such a phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming.3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions.4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming.Select the correct answer using the code given below

a1 and 3
b1, 2 and 4
c4 only
d2 and 3
✓ Correct answer: b) 1, 2 and 4
ExplanationPermaculture is a totally integrated design system that’s modelled on nature.Statement 1 is correct: Permaculture farming promotes multi-cropping and integrated farming systems.While chemical farming is more suitable for monoculture cropping due to the use of crop-specific inputs like irrigation, chemical fertiliser and har- vesting methods.Statement 2 is correct: Conventional farming usually alters the natural environment, increases soil salinity, and eliminates biodiversity.Such problems are not seen in permaculture farm- ing as it relies on organic fertilizers.Statement 3 is incorrect: Chemical farming is based on the intense use of inputs like chemical fertilizers and irrigation that make the soil less fertile over time, thus restricting its practice in semi-arid regions.Thus, conventional farming is not suitable for semi-arid regions.Permaculture involves well-designed sys- tems that don’t produce waste and permaculture tries to imitate well-designed systems.Thus, it can work in arid climates as well.Statement 4 is correct: Mulching is an important component of Permacul

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