ABSTRACT
Agro-ecology goes beyond a one-dimensional view of agro-ecosystems their genetics, agronomy, edaphology, and so on, to embrace an understanding of ecological and social levels of co-evolution, structure and function. Instead of focusing on one particular component of the agro-ecosystem, agro-ecology emphasizes the interrelatedness of all agro-ecosystem components and the complex dynamics of ecological processes. Agro-ecology is the holistic study of agro-ecosystems, including all environmental and human elements. Implicit in agroecological research is the idea that, by understanding these ecological relationships and processes, agro-ecosystems can be manipulated to improve production and to produce more sustainably, with fewer negative environmental or social impacts and fewer external inputs. From a management perspective, the agro-ecological objective is to provide balanced environments, sustained yields, biologically mediated soil fertility and natural pest regulation through the design of diversified agro-ecosystems and the use of low-input technologies.
