1 - Introduction Flashcards
Define Agriculture:
Agriculture is the science of growing crops and raising animals to meet the needs of humans
What kind of things can agriculture produce?
- Food
- Clothing
- Shelter
What kind of historic change has agriculture gone through?
Transition from systematic harvesting of wild plants to cultivation.
What is the Fertile Crescent?
Region in the Middle East which curves like a quarter-moon shape, from the Persian Gulf
The Fertile Crescent is regarded as the _______ of agriculture.
Birthplace
Who are two important groups of people who influenced early agriculture in North America?
- Indigenous Peoples
- Colonists
How did Indigenous Peoples influence agriculture?
Through hunting and gathering for food and fibre needs.
How did Colonists influence agriculture?
Through subsistence crop production.
Started early domestication of animals; including confinement, and breeding of animals for human use.
What significant changes took place for agriculture in North America? (5)
- Advanced Technology
- Education
- Mechanization
- Scientific Discoveries
- Wise Governance
When did Tillage / Land Preparation begin? Define it:
18th Century: Oxen and Horses used for power; wooden ploughs
Who was Charles Newbold?
He patented the first cast-iron plough (1797)
When did John Deere start making steel ploughs?
1837
When did agriculture change from using horses to tractors?
Between 1900 - 1950
When did no-till agriculture become popularized?
1950 - 2000
How was seeding done in the early days?
Sowing and cultivating by hand
When did machines begin seeding at the desired row spacing and distance?
1900s
When did Chemical Fertilizers begin selling commercially?
1800-1900
When did Pesticide use become commercially feasible?
1900 - 1950
When did Mendel discover the principles of heredity?
1800-1850
When was the first hybrid crop developed?
1933
What was the first kind of hybrid crop?
Corn
What is the green revolution associated with?
Selective Breeding
When did the Green Revolution begin?
1940
Why was genetic engineering developed?
To improve crops and livestock.
What other 4 categories does agriculture consist of?
- Crop Production
- Livestock Production
- Aquaculture
- Forestry
What are the two types of crop production?
- Conventional Production
- Suburban Farming
Define Conventional Production:
Large extent of land, typically growing grain crops.
Define Suburban Farming:
Normally smaller areas of land in residential or business locations.
Define Livestock Production:
Raising large numbers of animals like swine, beef, dairy cattle, and sheep.
Define Aquaculture:
“Fish Farming”, involves raising fish or similar aquatic animals. Also includes producing aquatic plants like water cress or water chestnuts.
Define Forestry:
Involves the production of lumber and use of trees for other purposes.
Who is the father of the Green Revolution?
Norman Borlaug
Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970?
Norman Borlaug
How did the Green Revolution start?
Breeding a new hybrid which was a high-yield dwarf wheat
What is a High-yield dwarf wheat?
A strain of wheat that is resistant to most pests and diseases; more grain than traditional varieties.
What happened after the new wheat hybrid was developed?
Different breeding programs were initiated for other crops in different countries.
What is IR8?
A High-yielding semi-dwarf rice variety.
Who developed IR8?
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the 1960s.
What does Genetic Engineering do?
Produces genetically modified organisms (GMO) with new traits.
What are 6 traits of a GMO crop?
- Frost / Drougth Tolerance
- High Nutrition Value
- Low Nutrient Tolerance
- Pest-resistance
- Pesticide-tolerance
- Salt Resistance
Define Golden Rice:
A variety of rice produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.
How does Golden Rice differ from its parental strain?
By addition of three beta-carotene biosynthesis genes.
Where is Golden Rice intended to be grown and consumed?
In areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A.
True or False: Vitamin A deficiency is estimated to kill 670,000 children under the age of 5 each year
True
Why is there a significant opposition from environmental and anti- globalization activists regarding Golden Rice?
Claim that there are sustainable, long-lasting and more efficient ways to solve vitamin A deficiency.
True or False: Bioavailability of the carotene from golden rice has been confirmed. Found to be an effective source of vitamin A for humans
True
Golden Rice 2 produces up to ____ times more beta-carotene than the original golden rice.
23
Who first approved GM “Golden Rice”?
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Canada
- USA
When did commercial propagation of Golden Rice stop in Philippines by a Supreme court order?
April, 2023
Why do people genetically modify animals? Provide several examples.
- To grow faster
- Pigs to produce omega-3 fatty acids
- To produce pharmaceuticals in their milk.
- To produce milk that would be the similar to human breast milk (using genes from human beings).
- To produce allergy-free milk
- Salmon to survive near-freezing waters and
continue their development - To produce pigs with low phosphorus in manure
What is an Enviropig?
A genetically enhanced line of Yorkshire pigs in Canada
Why did they invent the Enviropig?
- Capable of digesting plant phosphorus better.
- Less P supplement in feed (Reduce algal growth in water)
What are the four types of Agriculture methods?
- Industrialized
- Plantation
- Traditional Subsistence
- Traditional Intensive
Define Industrialized Agriculture:
A form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops.
Define Plantation Agriculture:
A commercial tropical agriculture system which is essentially export-oriented. Eg. Tea, coffee
Define Traditional Subsistence Agriculture:
A self-sufficient farming system in which the farmers
focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families.
Define Traditional Intensive Agriculture:
A farming system with high inputs (fertilizer, pesticides,
irrigation) and labor to produce more food per area of cultivated land to the point that they have enough to sustain their families and still some for profit.
What is an Intensive Production System?
They use high inputs (Fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, labour, etc.)
True or False: Traditional Subsistence Agriculture is intensive.
False.
Provide 6 characteristics of Intensive Cropping:
- Extensive Pesticide Use
- High fertilizer inputs
- High water inputs
- Monoculture
- Multi-cropping
- Selectively bred or GM crops
Define Monocropping/Monoculture:
Monocropping involves growing only one crop on a piece of land year after year.
Define Multiple Cropping:
Multiple cropping involves growing two or more crops on the same piece of land within one calendar year.
Define Crop Rotation:
Planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land
Define Intercropping:
Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land with a definite row pattern.
Define Strip Cropping:
Strip cropping involves alternating closely sown strip crops, such as cotton with small grains, such as wheat.
Define Shifting Cultivation:
An agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned while post-disturbance fallow vegetation is allowed to freely grow.
What are the 5 most common types of crop production?
- Corn
- Wheat
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Cassava
What are the 4 most common types of livestock production?
- Chicken
- Cattle
- Pigs
- Sheep
Has the world food supplies kept put with the increasing human population?
Yes ! World food supplies have more than kept up with human population growth over the past 2 centuries.
Population growth has averaged ___% per year.
1.7%
Food production has increase an average of ____%.
2.2%
Which areas of the world having increasing agricultural area?
Africa & Latin America
Which areas of the world having declining agricultural area?
Europe and Asia
What 3 categories is water use divided in Canada? Consequently.
- Industry
- Public
- Agriculture
What are examples of Genetic Resources?
- Plants/crops, animals, aquatic resources, forests, micro-organisms and invertebrates
How much energy use in Canada does agriculture account for?
2%
Why do we use fertilizers and manures?
- A rich source of nutrients (N and P)
- A good way to recycle nutrients
What should be the role of science and technology in agriculture? (7)
- Genetic Improvement
- Information Transfer & Use
- New Agriculture Products
- Mechanization
- Reducing Stress
- Reduce Waste
- Reducing Environmental Impact
What is the role of Genetic Improvement?
To increase yield and quality per area/animal/time
What is the role of Reducing agricultural Stresses?
- Better management providing crop nutrients/ irrigation/crop protection/ animal nutrition and health etc.
- To minimize losses due to stress and improve animal welfare
What are some ways of reducing environmental impact from agriculture?
- Minimum tillage
- Precision farming
- Nutrient management
Why is Information Transfer & Use important to agriculture?
To improve decision making
Define Food Security:
Ability to obtain sufficient food on a daily basis.
What is the greatest threat to food security?
Poverty
What are Famines characterized by? (4)
- Economic Chaos
- Large-scale food shortages
- Massive starvation
- Social disruption
Define Malnourishment:
Nutritional imbalance caused by a lack of specific dietary components
What are the 3 Nutritional problems humans face?
- Iron Deficiency
- Iodine Deficiency
- Vitamin A Deficiency
Which is the most common dietary imbalance in the world?
Iron
What does a lack of Iodine lead to?
- Leads to goiter as well as stunted growth and reduced mental capacity.
What is a result of Vitamin A deficiencies?
Blindness
What are two main Protein Deficiency Diseases?
- Kwashiorkor
- Marasmus
What is Kwashiorkor?
A protein deficiency that is prone to children (Bloating, orange/red hair)
What is Marasmus?
A protein deficiency known “To waste away...”
True or False: we consume 33% more calories than we need.
True
What percentage of Americans are overweight?
62%.
Define a Food Pyramid:
A food pyramid or diet pyramid is a triangular diagram representing the optimal number of servings to be eaten each day from each of the basic food groups.
What are the 4 global trends in Agriculture?
- Historical, present, and future trends
- Resource Use
- Science and Technology
- Food Security through Enhanced Production
