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LISA: Current Status and Future Outlook

Table of Contents

The Development of LISA

What is LISA?

Strategies for Sustainability

Sustainable Agriculture in North Carolina

Summary 

Prepared by
Maurice G. Cook, Extension Soil Science Specialist

Published by
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Publication AG-439-7
November 1990 (DED)

Last Web Update:
December 1997 (DBL)

Low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) continues to attract much attention at all levels of United States agriculture. Much of the current debate about the nature and potential of LISA centers around definitions. There is no universally accepted definition of LISA. This is to be expected in view of the various interpretations of low input and sustainable. Some people consider sustainable agriculture to be a philosophy, whereas others say it provides guidelines for choosing practices. Still others view it as a management strategy. As a result, the concepts of LISA range from organic farming at one end of the spectrum to maximum economic returns on the other.

This fact sheet describes the background of LISA, defines low input and sustainability, identifies several strategies for sustainability, and suggests a meaningful interpretation for LISA in North Carolina agriculture.

 

The Development of LISA

For more than a decade, public concern has been increasing steadily because of groundwater and surface water pollution, pesticide residue in foods, and the potential health risks associated with consuming contaminated food and water. Land degradation, ozone depletion, and wildlife habitat destruction are examples of environmental quality deterioration that concern many citizens. Meanwhile, farmers have been looking for more cost-effective ways of farming. Substituting more on-farm resources for purchased resources is economically and environmentally appealing to farmers. LISA is the response to farmers and the general public on these issues.

Actions by scientists and government of officials in the last decade have stimulated the development of LISA, but have also contributed to the confusion surrounding the term. In 1980, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a favorable report on organic farming. It cited several successful organic farmers with medium- and large-scale enterprises. The report also recommended that USDA and agricultural universities devote more attention to research and education on organic farming.

Shortly after the USDA study, the Council of Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) released a report that was highly critical of organic farming. It estimated that yields would decrease significantly and pest problems would increase significantly with the use of organic farming systems. This report intensified discussion in many circles both inside and outside of mainstream agriculture.

These two reports, one highly positive and one highly negative, were largely responsible for stimulating a decade of dialogue on low-input and sustainable agriculture. A significant outcome of discussions at many regional and national meetings was Congressional funding for LISA in 1987, through Sub-title C of the Agricultural Productivity Act. These funds are administered and distributed by regions through the Cooperative States Research Service (CSRS) of the USDA. They support research and extension programs focusing on sustainable agricultural systems. The program was initially funded at about $4 million. The 1991 appropriation is expected to be about $40 million, a tenfold increase.

 

What is LISA?

The term LISA actually embodies two separate concepts: low input and sustainability. These two ideas do not mean the same thing.

The term low input applies to systems that reply less on external, purchased inputs and more on internal resources. Some people add other qualifications to purchased inputs, such as nonrenewable energy and inorganic or synthetic inputs. These qualifications may add clarity in some situations, but they generally add confusion.

Low input conveys a negative impression in various agricultural circles. This image is often cited as a major barrier to wider adoption of LISA. To some people, low-input farming means low management, low levels of production, and thus low economic return. Others believe it means abandoning the use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides. Because of the negative connotation of low input and the widespread confusion that the term generates, the emphasis should be on sustainability.

Sustainability is a concept with long-term implications. When applied to agriculture, it refers to farming systems that are capable of maintaining their productivity while providing benefits to society indefinitely. The term sustainability has agronomic, environmental, social, economic, and political dimensions. It is not merely a set of best management practices or simply a profitable system of compatible enterprises. It is site specific, management intensive, and resource conserving.

The need to sustain the natural resources on which agriculture depends is obvious. Farming practices need to minimize the immediate problems of soil erosion and groundwater contamination and also to sustain soil productivity through stewardship of our vital land resource. Sustainability also implies minimizing the adverse environmental consequences of farming activities. Using lower amounts of pesticides, for example, is a major factor in reducing potential groundwater contamination. Farmers, as much as anyone else, are concerned about the health of their families.

The difficulty in defining low input satisfactorily and the consequent confusion caused by that difficulty prompted us to use the term sustainable agriculture in place of LISA. Therefore, sustainability is emphasized throughout this fact sheet.

Table 1. Selected Sustainable Components and Examples of Their Application
Component Application
Crop selection

Choose crop, hybrid, or variety to meet site-specific conditions. Choose new hybrids or varieties with genetic resistance to insects, nematodes, and diseases; drought tolerance; and nitrogen-use efficiency. Plant a range of maturities of hybrids to enhance pollination and spread harvest activities.

Crop production Select the proper plant population.

Plant at the proper time, depth, row spacing, and soil condition. Use crop rotation effectively, that is, select crops that are compatible and that produce carryover benefits to succeeding crops. Adopt Copping systems that will spread economic and weather risks.

Soil fertility Fertilize for realistic crop yields.

Use legumes and animal wastes judiciously; for example, calculate the amount of nitrogen they contain. Apply nitrogen at the proper time and by the method that gives greatest nitrogen efficiency. Overseed legumes or grasses to capture nitrogen and help recycle nutrients.

Soil conservation Use conservation tillage options appropriate to the cropping system. Minimize soil compaction by timely field operations and by avoiding wet fields with heavy equipment.

Employ best management practices, such as strip cropping, using field borders, and planting trees to reduce soil erosion and conserve moisture. Maximize the use of crop residues.

Pest management Use integrated pest management techniques such as scouting and trapping. Determine economic thresholds for each potential pest and apply pesticides only when necessary. Use crop rotations to break pest reproductive cycles. Select the most environmentally safe chemicals.

 

Strategies for Sustainability

A new emphasis on sustainable agriculture does not mean going back 50 years to a less complicated system of agriculture. As we develop a better technical understanding of the complex biological, soil, and climatic interactions that influence crop and animal production, we increase the potential for high levels of sustained production. Thus, successful sustainable farming will continue to be management intensive, relying on the creative application of research and conventional wisdom.

Several strategies can make farming systems more sustainable. One is to increase input efficiency within existing systems. Much of the scientific information gained through research and applied through extension can be used directly to achieve this efficiency.

For example, breeding crops for insect and disease tolerance or resistance can drastically reduce the need for pesticides. Conservation tillage systems and improved planting equipment have introduced new potentials for moisture conservation and reduction of erosion on susceptible lands. Improved pasture management, such as controlled grazing, can reduce the cost of producing milk and meat while improving the nutrient status and physical properties of the soil. Additionally, biotechnology may provide breakthroughs in crop productivity and plant protection that we cannot yet conceive. Thus, current research and extension efforts provide some of the needed technology.

Many specific practices have the potential to enhance sustainability. Several sustainable components and their applications are listed in Table 1, opposite page.

These strategies are just a few examples already being practiced by many farmers. Development and use of these and others are continuing. Additional research is needed that will lead to other practices to reduce input costs. Fine-tuning fertilizer recommendations and calibrating soil tests with crop responses are examples of topics on which current research needs to be intensified.

Producers need information to make rational decisions on the type of weed control that is economical in the short run as well as being sustainable. For example, use of weed indices to determine crop yield decline thresholds and levels of economic damage can be helpful. Criteria for selecting pesticides based on environmental risk compared to cost should be clearly established. Furthermore, more practical research to reduce inputs can stimulate the search for additional components of a sustainable agriculture.

Existing and newly developed ideas need to be tested on farms. A role of extension will be increased involvement in direct testing of technology. We need balance, diversity, and an ability to adapt to changes that are useful in helping agriculture be sustainable in all of its dimensions.

 

Sustainable Agriculture in North Carolina

North Carolina farmers are already using sustainable components, such as crop-livestock systems, integrated pest management, legumes in rotation, and organic wastes as nutrients. In view of the environmentally sensitive setting in which agriculture operates today, there is both the need and the opportunity to expand and intensify these components, both individually and in combination. Extension agents play a vital role in increasing awareness of sustainability. Current issues like food safety and water quality are likely to be important indefinitely. Extension can make a significant contribution by developing educational programs that address these issues and foster the adoption of sustainable practices.

Obviously, the greatest incentive for adopting sustainable farming practices is economic benefit. Modification of current agricultural policy regarding commodity programs and acreage controls would encourage widespread adoption of sustainable farming systems. For example, the benefit of including a legume in rotation and greater crop diversity can be realized only if there is greater flexibility in maintaining base acreage requirements and deficiency payments based on historic yields. Current grading and cosmetic standards for fruits and vegetables often require more applications of pesticides than is environmentally prudent.

North Carolina State University currently conducts research and extension programs on LISA. An interdisciplinary research effort was funded by the USDA in 1988 to compare low-input and conventional cropping systems. The cropping systems are: continuous corn; continuous grain sorghum; a corn-wheat-soybeans rotation; and a corn-wheat-soybeans-corn-red clover rotation. Recommended rates of commercial fertilizers and pesticides are used on the conventional plots. On the low-input plots, legumes are used to provide nitrogen, cultivation is used to control weeds, and no efforts are made to control insects, thus reducing chemical inputs.

Measurements will be made of crop yields, microbial and insect populations and activities, the influence of allelopathic compounds, soil moisture conditions, and nutrient cycling in the soil-plant system. Conservation tillage and natural reseeding techniques are being examined. It would be premature to make any recommendations now based on the preliminary results that have been obtained. As more results are obtained and verified, they will be applied to actual North Carolina conditions to determine the effects of reduced input levels on profitability.

The North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service provides leadership for sustainable agriculture through a work group, appointed by the director, that has multidisciplinary representation from departments and county staffs.

The following high-impact focus areas have been identified for emphasis:

  • Waste management and utilization;
  • Sustainable farming systems;
  • Alternative agricultural opportunities.

Extension programs in sustainable agriculture also rely heavily on the input and involvement of cooperating farmers. Farmers are a particularly valuable resource in conducting applied research and demonstrations focused on sustainable agriculture concepts, such as efficient resource use in crop and animal production; soil, water, and energy conservation; and environmentally safe use of chemicals.

 

Summary

LISA is the current buzzword across the nation; however, the term's precise meaning remains elusive. At present, LISA is still more of a philosophy and spirit of farming than an easily defined set of principles. The LISA objectives of a clean environment and sustainable production system are important and desirable goals, but the low-input approach appears to deter rather than enhance the achievement of those goals.

Sustainability is the key word in agriculture today and it is likely to be a major influence on agriculture in the United States for years to come. Few will argue with the desirability of a sustainable agriculture. It is not so much a new idea, though, as a synthesis of ideas originating from various sources and implemented over a long period of time. Ultimately, the extent to which sustainable agriculture is implemented and practiced will depend largely on the attitude and decisions of agricultural policy makers and society in general.

There are many pathways to a sustainable agriculture. It is not so important which path is selected, but rather that the path leads to the desired goal—a healthy agriculture that can be passed on to future generations.