Weed control is vital to agriculture, because weeds decrease yields, increase production costs, interfere with harvest, and lower product quality. Weeds also impede irrigation water-flow, interfere with pesticide application, and harbour disease organisms. Provision of a guaranteed profitable income to primary producers is a powerful but expensive food policy instrument. The poorest countries that typically have the highest population growth and the greatest need to produce more food are least well placed to afford such a policy. As such, the international community and its agencies could make a huge contribution to food security by investing heavily in a program of guaranteed profitable income for farmers based on food production. Such a policy presupposes individual ownership of the land or a tenancy beneficially linked to productivity increase.
Regardless of the stage of mechanization, new power sources are always used first for power-intensive operations. Furthermore, it appears that the price of labor matters less for the mechanization of power-intensive operations than for control-intensive ones-that is, it often pays to move to a higher stage of mechanization in power-intensive operations, even at low wages, when mechanization of control-intensive operations is not profitable. For example, it appears that combine harvesters would be modestly profitable in the Indian Punjab, but their introduction would displace many migrant workers from the poorest regions (Laxminarayan and others 1981). In the absence of rapid employment growth elsewhere, the Indian government may be justified in banning combines.
Current Chinese policy emphasizes 'sideline activities,' the redistribution of industrial and service activity to rural areas to overcome interregional problems of income distribution. Although such decentralization is certainly desirable and necessary, locational and natural disadvantages in many regions limit how much can be achieved.The use of tractors can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. Some potential environmental impacts of tractor use include: Soil compaction: Tractors can cause soil compaction, which can reduce the amount of air and water that can reach plant roots and can lead to reduced crop yields. This can be especially problematic in wet conditions, when the weight of the tractor can cause the soil to become compacted more easily. Air pollution: Tractors and other farm equipment are a significant source of air pollution, particularly from the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. These emissions contribute to climate change and can have negative impacts on human health. Water pollution: Tractors and other farm equipment can also contribute to water pollution through the use of pesticides and fertilizers, which can wash off fields and into streams and rivers, where they can harm aquatic life and contaminate drinking water. Habitat destruction: The use of tractors and other farm equipment can lead to the destruction of natural habitats, particularly in areas where land is being cleared for agriculture or other purposes. This can have negative impacts on the plants and animals that rely on these habitats. On the other hand, tractors can also have positive environmental impacts, such as helping to reduce the use of animal labor and enabling more efficient land use, which can lead to reduced deforestation and habitat destruction.