Agricultural systems Flashcards
Why is agriculture considered an open system?
It is an open system with inputs, outputs and processes. Energy can be gained or lost.
What are some physical inputs?
Temperature
Percipitation
Soil type
What are some cultral inputs?
Farm site
Local diet
Economic inputs of farming
Farm machindery
Fertilisers/ pesticides
Storage facilities
The farmer inputs
Ambtion
Age
Knowledge/skills
What are some processes involved in a agricultural farming system?
Arable -
Ploughing
Harvesting
Fertiliser/pesticides application
Pastoral Farming activites
Calving
Feeding
Milking
Agricultural outputs
Cereal crops - Wheat, barley, Oats
Market Garden crops
Vegetable crops
Animal products
Fruit
Agricultural losses and hazards
L - Soil erosion, leaching of nutrients, and poorly stored crops
H - Drought, hail, fire, diseases
Pastoral Farming and Example
It involves livestock rearing and can be subsistence, such as pastoralism ( herding of cattle, sheep, goats and camels)
Less fertile soils prone to water logging are best used for pastoral farming.
Soils that are less nutritious and can support only the growth of grass work best for pastures.
It occurs is semi-desert regions of West Africa, and commercial farming such as sustainable beef ranching occurs on the South American Pampas.
Arable Farming and Example
Arable is the farming of cereal and root crops, and can be subsistence such as slash and burn shifting cultivation.
Arable farming needs slightly sloping land, fertile soil with balanced moisture - not too dry or wet, warm climate to support growth and suitable machinery and human resources to work.
Slash and burn shifting cultivation usually occurs on countries such Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia. Whilst commercial farming such as potato cultivation occurs in the UK. The Southern and Eastern part of the UK has many arable farms
Commercial Farming and Example
Is mainly agribusiness that produces one type of crop or animal products which are in high value so maximize profits witch cause monocultures
They involve high levels of machinery , chemicals and labour with chemically engineered plants or animals to have the greatest yield to maximize profits
They run very much like a business using marketing strategies to boost their demand.
Tea plantation farms in east Africa where they sole grow tea leaves (cash crops) and they have acers of land dedicated to tea production on mass scale
Subsistence Farming and Example
Subsistence farming is the production of food at a very small scale and that crops and cattle produce products that are efficient at sustaining the life of the local population and no more any excess produced is sold locally for a small sum of cash
In Venezuela the tribe slashes and burns a small section of the rainforest which provides growing spaces and the ash from the trees provide nutrients and creates fertile soil in which they grow yams , peppers , beans and maize in the hot wet conditions , weeding needs to be done by hand regularly to keep nutrients after 5 years the land has lost nutrients to does the process again somewhere else and lets that part of the rainforest regrow
Capital intensive and Example
A farming system that involves high investment in capital. It produces high yields per hectare often from small areas of land. Uses a high level of inputs per unit area of land. Money is invested in soil improvement, machinery, buildings, pest control, high-quality seeds/animals and irrigation systems. There are few people employed and so output is high per hectare and per worker.
One example of where it is used is tomato production in the Netherlands.
Also, horticulture in Cornwall uses both polytunnels and glasshouses but the mild climate gives the region an advantage over other areas in the production of early spring vegetables and flowers.
Labour Intensive and Example
A farming system that involves high investment in labour. It produces high yields per hectare often from small areas of land. Uses a high level of inputs per unit area of land. Money is invested in a high number of workers on the farm. Due to this high number of workers, there is a high output per hectare but a low output per worker.
This method of farming is used for rice cultivation in the Ganges Valley.
Extensive Farming and Example
Extensive farming uses low inputs of labour, machinery and capital but usually involves large areas of land; yields per hectare are low.
Extensive farming is carried out over a large area with relatively fewer capital or labour inputs per unit area of land being farmed.
These areas are where labour force is minimal, there is a high capital input. Inputs include quality seeds/animals, pesticides and insecticides.
Extensive farming system usually produces a high total output because of the large area being farmed, but the output would be lower than in intensive farming systems.
An example is hill sheep farming which is in areas such as Snowdonia.The main source that brings the families the most money is family farms producing wool and lamb.
