Final exam Agronomy Flashcards
Weeds have a significant impact on the farm profitability, which of the below dose not describe the direct impact of weeds on profitability?
a) reduced water available for crops
b) reduced grain quality
c) Reduced product marketing options
d) reduced organic matter input into the system
Reduced organic matter input into the system
The most important role of legumes play in pasture system is to:
a) Provide variation in diet for the animal
b) improve pasture nutrition quality for the livestock
c) Fix nitrogen to supply the grass species
d) improve pasture competition with weeds
b) improve pasture nutrition quality for the livestock
In general terms, what tends to be happening with global crop productivity and demand?
a) agricultural productivity tends to be plateauing in developed nations while population growth is slow
b) developing nations in areas such as Latin america and Asia have large rates of population growth but agricultural productivity has reached its potential
c) Europe and North america have the greatest potential to increase agricultural productivity
d) developing nations ten to have the ability to increase agricultural productivity and population growth is slow
a) agricultural productivity tends to be plateauing in developed nations while population growth is slow
Which of the following is unlikely to assist in management of stubble born diseases?
a) controlling volunteer plants in the following season
b) rotation of crop types
c) retained stubble
d) fertilization
c) retained stubble
Plant industries in Australia often (but not exclusively) follow basic geographic trends. Select the correct answer:
Select one:
a. Southern areas tend to grow summer crops because their summers are mild
b. Southern areas tend to grow winter crops because rain falls in the winter
c. Northern areas tend to grow summer crops because winter is too cold
d. Northern areas tend to grow winter crops because rain falls in the winter
b. Southern areas tend to grow winter crops because rain falls in the winter
Why does soil texture matter?
Select one:
a. It determines the organic matter and nutrient concentration of the soil
b. It determines how much water will be available to the plant
c. It determines how much charge the soil has and how much water it can hold
d. It determines the pH of the soil
c. It determines how much charge the soil has and how much water it can hold
Identify which reason is the LEAST likely to explain why Agricultural enterprises have got bigger over time
Select one:
a. Cost-price squeeze (declining terms of trade)
b. Economies of scale- farms are more profitable if they are bigger
c. Technology reduces labour requirement
d. Corporate farms have bought up large areas as investments
a. Cost-price squeeze (declining terms of trade)
Select the answer that does NOT directly influence water available to the crop.
Select one:
a. Sowing configuration (row spacing, plan density)
b. Fallow management
c. Fertiliser rates
d. Stubble retention
e. Sowing timing
c. Fertiliser rates
How did the introduction of freehold land titles encourage the development of the agricultural industry?
Select one:
a. It stopped drovers grazing on other people’s farms
b. Because the farmers didn’t have to pay rent, they could afford new equipment
c. It incentivised investment in farm technology and infrastructure
d. They didn’t, the agricultural industry would have developed anyway
c. It incentivised investment in farm technology and infrastructure
Which management practise DOESN’T directly influence soil organic matter? Select one: a. Cultivation b. Stubble retention c. Fertilisation practise d. Application of lime
d. Application of lime
What dose Sustain mean?
a) Maintain, keep in existence
b) developments that meet the needs of the present while present while safeguarding Earths life supports
c) Maintain the natural environment
d) safeguard the earths existence
a) Maintain, keep in existence
In economics a natural resource is seen in terms of its ?
a) Dollar value rather than its environmental potential
b) cost over environment sustainability
c) expected benefits verses costs of alternative
uses and is usually on a national scale
d) National scale and expected benefits
c) expected benefits verses costs of alternative
uses and is usually on a national scale
What are the possible implication of viewing the natural environment from an economic standpoint?
Implications of this view is that degradation or
loss of production may not always be bad as
these trends may be justified in terms of
economic and social outcomes.
What dose ecological sustainability mean?
Using, conserving and enhancing the communities resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future can be increased”
What are the signs of sustainability in agricultural
using farming practices and systems that will
maintain and enhance the viability (often
defined in economic terms) of agricultural
production, the natural resource base and other
ecosystems that are influenced by agricultural
activities.
– emphasis is on maintaining or improving the resource
base in the “long” term
– implies non-sustainable system will be characterized
by degradation of a resource and/or a decline in
productivity
What sustainability issues that need to be consider in an agricultural systems?
Soil erosion Salinisation (increase salts) Acidification (lower pH) Weed and pest encroachment Water quality and availability Pollution and vegetation decline Profitability Marketing Social benefits
Estimated economic loss due to degradation of weeds?
a) 0.45 billion
b) 5.3 billion
c) 3.9 Billion
d) 2.8 billion
c) Weeds (impact and control costs) $3.9
billion annually
Estimated economic loss due to degradation of subsoil depletion?
a) 0.45 billion
b) 5.3 billion
c) 3.9 Billion
d) 2.8 billion
b) Subsoil depletion (2010-11) $5.3 billion
Estimated economic loss due to degradation of land degradation?
a) 0.45 billion
b) 5.3 billion
c) 3.9 Billion
d) 2.8 billion
a) Land degradation $0.45 billion
Factors determining the distribution of
agricultural enterprises
- Economics
- Social issues
- Transport/Technology
- Ecology (Soils & plants)
Sub tropical perennials
a) Bromes, barley grass & medics
b) Rye grass, barley grass & Poa
c) Poa, Wallaby grass and Kangaroo grass
d) Spear grass, wiregrass, native sorghums,
b) Poa, Wallaby grass and Kangaroo grass
Temperate annuals:
a) Bromes, barley grass & medics
b) Rye grass, barley grass & Poa
c) Poa, Wallaby grass and Kangaroo grass
d) Spear grass, wiregrass, native sorghums,
a) Bromes, barley grass & medics
Tropical perennials:
a) Bromes, barley grass & medics
b) Rye grass, barley grass & Poa
c) Poa, Wallaby grass and Kangaroo grass
d) Spear grass, wiregrass, native sorghums,
d) Spear grass, wiregrass, native sorghums, Mitchell and Flinders grass
Pastoral/farming Zones • Northern Pastoral – ? • Southern Pastoral – ? • Wheat -Sheep Zone – ? • Beef -Sheep Zone – ? • Dairy Zone – ? -?
Northern Pastoral – summer perennials • Southern Pastoral – temperate winter annuals • Wheat -Sheep Zone – winter annuals • Beef -Sheep Zone – cool temperate perennials • Dairy Zone – introduced pasture – Better rainfall, soil and irrigation
Rainfed (dryland) agriculture:
cropping that totally relies on rainfall. It is the dominant system in the
humid and semi-humid regions; rainfall often
insufficient (200 mm ‐ 500 mm) & unreliable
