TABLE 2. Agriculture Production Systems: Requisites, Metrics, and System Comparisons
Agricultural
Production
System
Requisites		 Metrics-"Currencies" Of Performance And Sustainability
Product-
ivity-
Yield		 Economics-
Profit-
ability		 Risk
Aversion		 Thermo-
dynamic
Efficiency		 Integrity of
Ecological
Processes		 Environ-
mental
Compati-
bility
and
Responses		 Land-Labor
Substi-
tution-
Compe-
tition		 Social
Acceptance
Amenity
Values
  • Choosing Lifestyle-
    Production System
    • Market availability, production system
      1. Animal-based
      2. Crop-based
      3. Diversified-
        niche markets
    • Part-time, hobby, amenity values
    • Capital-resource requirements/
      availability
      1. Land
      2. Human capital; amount, education
      3. Buildings, facilities, infrastructure
      4. Other production resources
  • Matching Production System-
    Natural Resource Base
    • Soil resources
      1. Rooting environment; OM, tilth, texture, pH, density
      2. Productivity, yield capability
      3. Spatial variability
    • Topography, landscape complexity
    • Climate, crop adaptation
    • Water availability
  • Maintaining Ecological Processes
    • Solar energy flux, biological capture, temp. moderation
    • Biological processes
      1. Macro- microbiol. productivity
      2. Diversity
      3. Decomposition
      4. Soil ecology; rhizosphere, biology, aeration
    • Hydrologic flux, infiltration, storage, runoff
    • Biogeochemical cycling
  • Selection-Managing Production Requisites
    • Germplasm selection; cultivars, breed stock
    • Seed -soil contact; planting - tillage systems
    • Nutrient mgt.; mineral, organic, biologic
    • Water mgt.; drainage, irrigation
    • Weed control-suppression
    • Disease-insect control--suppression
    • Harvesting sys.; perishability, storage, drying
    • Residue-waste mgt.
  • Selecting-Managing Post-Harvest System
  • Developing-Marketing Value-Added Products
    •