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ENV IGCSE > Chapter 3: Agriculture and the Environment > Flashcards

Chapter 3: Agriculture and the Environment Flashcards

1
Q

Q: What are mineral particles in soil composed of?

A

A: Rock fragments and other inorganic substances.

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2
Q

Q: How are mineral particles formed?

A

A: Through physical, chemical, and biological weathering of parent rock.

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3
Q

Q: What does organic content in soil include?

A

A: Living plants, animals, microorganisms, and their dead remains.

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4
Q

Q: How does air enter the soil?

A

A: By diffusion.

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5
Q

Q: What role does water play in soil?

A

A: It is held in pore spaces and is available for plant growth.

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6
Q

Q: How does water enter the soil?

A

A: Through precipitation or irrigation.

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7
Q

Q: What is the size range and texture of sandy soil?

A

A: 2.0-0.02 mm, gritty.

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8
Q

Q: What factors affect the proportion of soil components?

A

A: Type of soil, management, local climatic conditions, and size of mineral particles

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9
Q

Q: What is the size range and texture of silty soil?

A

A: 0.02-0.002 mm, silky or soapy.

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10
Q

Q: What is the size range and texture of clay soil?

A

A: <0.002 mm, sticky when wet and hard when dry.

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11
Q

Q: What are the key functions of soil for plants?

A

A: Provides water, mineral nutrients, anchorage, and oxygen.

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12
Q

Q: What elements do plants require from soil?

A

A: Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other elements.

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13
Q

Q: How is nitrogen supplied to plants?

A

A: As nitrate ions (NO3-).

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14
Q

Q: How is phosphorus supplied to plants?

A

A: As phosphate ions (PO43-).

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15
Q

Q: How is potassium supplied to plants?

A

A: As potassium ions (K+).

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16
Q

Q: What is the role of earthworms in soil?

A

A: They break down vegetation, mix the soil, aerate it, and spread organic matter.

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17
Q

Q: What role do bacteria play in soil?

A

A: They work on organic matter, convert waste products to simple chemicals, and some convert nitrogen to nitrates.

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18
Q

Q: What role do fungi play in soil?

A

A: They feed on dead matter, digest woody items, and help plants take up nutrients.

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19
Q

Q: How does high organic matter benefit soil?

A

A: Increases water-holding capacity, air spaces, decomposers, and prevents nutrient loss.

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20
Q

Q: Compare sand and clay in terms of air spaces and drainage.

A

A: Sand has larger air spaces and drains well, clay has poor air spaces and drainage

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21
Q

Q: What factors influence soil pH?

A

A: Type of parent rock and pH of incoming water.

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22
Q

Q: Why might farmers adjust soil pH?

A

A: To either acidify or make it alkaline for better nutrient availability.

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23
Q

Q: What is subsistence agriculture?

A

A: Cultivation of food to meet the needs of farmers and their families.

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23
Q

Q: What is the capacity of soil drainage?

A

A: It should be medium—no water loss or surplus.

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24
Q

Q: What is commercial agriculture?

A

A: Cultivation of food with the main aim of selling for cash.

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25
Q

Q: What are examples of subsistence crops?

A

A: Wheat and rice.

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26
Q

Q: What are examples of commercial crops?

A

A: Tea, coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, cotton, rice, wheat, and corn.

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27
Q

Q: What is arable agriculture?

A

A: Production of plants for human consumption.

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28
Q

Q: What is pastoral agriculture?

A

A: Production of animals or animal-related products.

29
Q

Q: What is mixed agriculture?

A

A: Farms that grow crops and rear animals.

30
Q

Q: What is crop rotation?

A

A: Growing different types of plants in different plots each year.

31
Q

Q: What benefit do legumes provide in crop rotation?

A

A: They have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.

32
Q

Q: What are the advantages of crop rotation?

A

A: Reduces diseases and pests, maintains nutrient levels, and less waste.

33
Q

Q: What are the types of fertilizers?

A

A: Organic and inorganic.

34
Q

Q: What are the advantages of organic fertilizers?

A

A: Uses natural resources, supplies organic matter, and has minimal transportation costs.

35
Q

Q: What are the disadvantages of organic fertilizers?

A

A: Unpleasant to handle, harder to transport, and variable in composition.

36
Q

Q: What are the advantages of inorganic fertilizers?

A

A: Quick acting, easier to store, and meet specific needs.

37
Q

Q: What is the purpose of irrigation?

A

A: To supply water to crops.

38
Q

Q: What are the disadvantages of inorganic fertilizers?

A

A: Costly to manufacture, leach out in heavy rain, and potential for deficiency problems.

39
Q

Q: What are common water application methods in irrigation?

A

A: Overhead sprinklers, clay pot irrigation, trickle drip system, and flood irrigation.

40
Q

Q: What is the advantage of clay pot irrigation?

A

A: Simple technology and high efficiency.

40
Q

Q: What is the main disadvantage of overhead sprinklers?

A

A: Water can evaporate quickly from leaves and soil.

41
Q

Q: What is a disadvantage of clay pot irrigation?

A

A: Only suitable for permanent plants and has a large labour cost.

42
Q

Q: What is the main advantage of the trickle drip system?

A

A: Water is used very efficiently.

43
Q

Q: What is a disadvantage of the trickle drip system?

A

A: Expensive to install and complex to maintain.

44
Q

Q: What is a disadvantage of flood irrigation?

A

A: Inefficient use of water and can damage soil structure.

45
Q

Q: What are the main purposes of pesticides?

A

A: To control pests and diseases in crops.

46
Q

Q: What are the advantages of herbicides?

A

A: Easier to manage, cheaper, and results are more predictable.

46
Q

Q: What are herbicides used for?

A

A: Weed control.

47
Q

How are crop diseases caused?

A

By fungi, bacteria, or viruses.

47
Q

Q: What are alternatives to herbicides?

A

A: Hand weeding, hoeing, weed barriers, and flame guns.

48
Q

What are insecticides used for?

A

Insect control.

49
Q

What is a common method to control fungal crop diseases?

A

Using fungicides.

50
Q

What is an alternative to insecticides?

A

Biological control using natural predators.

51
Q

What are the advantages of biological control for pests?

A

No chemical residues and no impact of sprays.

52
Q

What are the disadvantages of biological control for pests?

A

Not as instant as chemical control and predators may feed on unintended plants.

53
Q

What is selective breeding?

A

Choosing parents with desired characteristics to breed offspring with those traits.

53
Q

What is mechanisation in agriculture?

A

Using machinery to cultivate larger areas and reduce labour costs.

54
Q

Q: What is a drawback of selective breeding?

A

A: It is a slow process with a less success rate.

55
Q

Q: What is genetic modification?

A

A: Inserting DNA from one organism into another.

56
Q

Q: What are some advantages of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

A

A: Increased disease resistance, nutritional value, and herbicide resistance.

57
Q

Q: What are some disadvantages of GMOs?

A

A: Unknown health impacts, reduced biodiversity, and possible reduction in the gene pool.

58
Q

Q: What is a greenhouse used for?

A

A: To manage the environment for optimal plant growth.

59
Q

Q: How can temperature be increased in a greenhouse?

A

A: By operating a heating system.

60
Q

Q: How can humidity be decreased in a greenhouse?

A

A: By using open roof ventilators

61
Q

Q: What is the impact of overuse of herbicides and insecticides?

A

A: Development of resistance in pests and unintended environmental damage.

62
Q

Q: What is salinization?

A

A: Increase in soil salt content due to irrigation.

62
Q

Q: What is eutrophication?

A

A: Excess nutrients from fertilizers causing algae blooms and oxygen depletion in water bodies.

63
Q

Q: What is soil capping?

A

A: When the surface of the soil becomes hard and difficult to cultivate.

64
Q

Q: What is the purpose of terracing?

A

A: To prevent soil erosion on steep slopes by holding water and reducing run-off.

64
Q

Q: What is contour ploughing?

A

A: Ploughing along the contours of the land to prevent soil erosion.

65
Q

Q: What are bunds used for?

A

A: To hold back water and increase soil fertility.

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