How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming?
1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are pre-dominant.
2. Conventional chemical farming can cause increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such 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:
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: Permaculture mimics natural ecosystems by integrating multi-cropping, polyculture, and agroforestry, actively discouraging single-crop systems. Conversely, conventional chemical farming relies predominantly on monoculture cropping optimized for mechanized inputs.
Statement 2 is correct: Synthetic fertilizers and heavy groundwater irrigation in conventional farming leave concentrated mineral salts, accelerating soil salinization. Permaculture relies on organic compost, biological recycling, and natural nitrogen fixers, eliminating chemical salt buildup.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Permaculture is exceptionally well-suited for arid and semi-arid regions through water-harvesting earthworks like swales, contour bunds, and microclimate engineering (such as the famed ‘Greening the Desert’ projects). In contrast, conventional farming requires massive external water inputs, making it unsustainable in water-scarce zones.
Statement 4 is correct: Mulching is an indispensable core pillar of permaculture design to suppress weed growth, conserve soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and nourish beneficial soil biota, whereas conventional chemical farming relies heavily on synthetic herbicides and tillage.
Hence, statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct — Option B.