3. Soil Enrichment: Soil is a central component of agricultural ecosystems. Healthy soil is full of life, which can often be killed by the overuse of pesticides. Good soils can increase yields as well as creating more robust crops. It is possible to maintain and enhance the quality of soil in many ways. Some examples include leaving crop residue in the field after a harvest, and the use of composted plant material or animal manure.
4. Natural Pest Predators: In order to maintain effective control over pests, it is important to view the farm as an ecosystem as opposed to a factory. For example, many birds and other animals are in fact natural predators of agricultural pests. Managing your farm so that it can harbor populations of these pest predators is an effective as well as a sophisticated technique. The use of chemical pesticides can result in the indiscriminate killing of pest predators.