Agricultural Systems and Productivity

Question 1

What is agriculture

Answer 1

The science or practice of farming

Question 2

What does agriculture inculde

Answer 2

• Cultivation of soil for the growing of crops
• Rearing of animals to provide food, wool and other products

Question 3

What type of system is agriculture

Answer 3

Agriculture is an open system

Question 4

What are the PHYSICAL inputs of an agricultural system

Answer 4

• Climate
• Precipitation
• Sunlight
• Temperature
• Soils and drainage

Question 5

What are the HUMAN inputs of an agricultural system

Answer 5

• Labour
• Transport costs
• Machinery
• Fertilisers / pesticides
• Seed / livestock
• Energy
• Market demand

Question 6

What processes happen within an agricultural system

Answer 6

• Ploughing
• Weeding
• Harvesting
• Milking

Question 7

What are the positive outputs of an agricultural system

Answer 7

• Crops (wheat, oats etc.)
• Meat
• Milk
• Wool

Question 8

What are the negative outputs of an agricultural system

Answer 8

• Pollution
• Soil erosion
• Waste products

Question 9

What is the definition of cooperative

Answer 9

A group of people that works together to share costs and maximise profits

Question 10

What are agrochemicals

Answer 10

Artificial pesticides and fertilisers that are used in farming

Question 11

What are the advantages of cooperative farming

Answer 11

• Legal support
• Higher farm profits
• Improved quality of products and services
• Larger markets and better competition

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of cooperative farming

Answer 12

• Conflict and lack of understanding
• Lack of communication
• Low financial sustainability
• Low adoption of new technologies

Question 13

What are the 11 types of farming

Answer 13

• Sedentary
• Nomadic
• Subsistence
• Commercial
• Arable
• Pastoral
• Mixed
• Extensive
• Intensive
• GM
• Organic

Question 14

What is sedentary farming

Answer 14

Farming that occurs in one place

Question 15

What is nomadic farming

Answer 15

When a farmer moves from one place to another to find water supplies and better pasture land

Question 16

What is subsistence farming

Answer 16

Farming for personal consumption. Small inputs of capital but large inputs of labour. Often associated with LICs

Question 17

What is commercial farming

Answer 17

Farming for a profit

Question 18

What is arable farming

Answer 18

Farming that produces crops

Question 19

What is pastoral farming

Answer 19

Farming using livestock to produce meat

Question 20

What is mixed farming

Answer 20

Farming that produces crops and uses livestock to produce meat

Question 21

What is GM farming

Answer 21

The act of genetically modifying plants to improve their characteristics. Food produced will have a higher yield, more nutritious and have better disease resistance

Question 22

What is organic farming

Answer 22

Farming with sustainability in mind. Inputs include natural fertilisers and pest control.
Does not use artificial pesticides or fertilisers.

Question 23

What is extensive farming

Answer 23

Low inputs in relation to the amount of land farmed, i.e. low amounts of
labour, capital investment or stock needed to produce a sufficient yield, but without too much investment.

Yields are lower per area

Question 24

What is intensive farming

Answer 24

High inputs in relation to the amount of land farmed, i.e. large amounts of
labour, capital investment or stock needed to maximise yield.

Negative outputs can be high due to intensive use of agrochemicals

Question 25

What is capital investment

Answer 25

Funds invested in a firm or enterprise for the purposes of furthering its business objectives

Question 26

What are cash crops

Answer 26

A crop produced to sell rather than the farmer to consume