Food Production Flashcards
How can greenhouses and polythene tunnels increase crop yield?
The conditions are kept at the optimum for growth, including the use of artificial lighting and trapping heat from the sun.
How does increased temperature increase the crop yield?
- Enzymes work more efficiently at higher temperatures and reaction rates are faster
- Enzymes are involved in key growth processes and photosynthesis
How does a continuous supply of carbon dioxide increase the crop yield?
- CO2 is needed for photosynthesis which is needed to provide energy for growth
- Without a constant supply of enough CO2, it may become a limiting factor and so the rate of photosynthesis is slower
How do fertilisers increase crop yield?
Fertilisers provide nutrients for the plant which are needed for growth to make the crops large and give a plentiful yield.
State 2 methods of pest control
- Biological control
- Pesticides
What is biological control?
It is a method of controlling plant pests by deliberately introducing organisms that feed on the pests to decrease the number of them.
Give 2 advantages of pesticides
- They are cheap
- They are easy to use
Give 3 disadvantages of pesticides
- They are not specific and so can kill other insects that are not pests
- They can contaminate water sources
- They have to be applied more than once
Give 3 uses of yeast
- Fermentation of alcohol
- Baking (causes bread to rise)
- Making biofuels
How does yeast cause bread to rise?
The yeast breaks down the sugars in the bread in respiration and produces carbon dioxide which causes the bread to rise.
Describe how yoghurt is made from milk
- Bacteria (Lactobacillus) is used to break the lactose in milk down into lactic acid
- Lactic acid lowers the pH of the milk which causes proteins to denature and makes the milk turn into yoghurt
What is a fermenter used for?
To produce large cultures of microorganisms
State 5 things that need to be controlled in an industrial fermenter
- Temperature
- pH
- Nutrient levels
- Oxygen levels
- Contamination
Label this diagram of a fermenter
Give 6 methods used in fish farming to increase yield
- Ensuring good water quality
- Controlling predation
- Controlling disease
- Clearing waste
- Managing feeding
- Selective breeding