Introduction to agriculture

Question 1

what is agriculture?

Answer 1

agriculture is the growing of crops and rearing of animals to produce food and useful products

Question 2

give 5 reasons why agriculture is important

Answer 2

1. it provides the population with food in the form of harvested produce.
2. it provides employment for people working on farms.
3. it provides raw materials for manufacturing eg wool for cotton and leather.
4. it provides income for those selling.
5. it is a market for industries that sell fertilisers etc.

Question 3

what does it mean when we say agriculture is an applied science?

Answer 3

this means that when we study agriculture we use the ideas gained from studying other science subjects.

Question 4

name 6 subjects and their use to agriculture

Answer 4

biology- understand plant growth
physics- maintenance of implements
chemistry-understanding chemical processes
accounting- financing or selling products
home economics- understand nutrition and how animals bodies use food.

Question 5

what impact does HIV/AIDS have on agriculture?

Answer 5

1. reduced labor due to sickness of workers
2. reduced productivity
3. income is diverted to treat the disease and not on the farm

Question 6

what are the positive impacts of agriculture on the environment?

Answer 6

when farmers apply organic fertilisers, it is food for soil insects.
plants give out oxygen we breathe
roots hold soil particles together

Question 7

what are negative impacts of agriculture on the environment?

Answer 7

continuous use of inorganic fertilisers can lead to soil pollution.
pesticides can pollute water
frequent ploughing can destroy soil structure
trees can be cut down leading to soil erosion

Question 8

name 7 branches of agriculture

Answer 8

agronomy, animal husbandry, horticulture, forestry, range mangement, economics and engineering

Question 9

what does range management do

Answer 9

it conducts studies of all aspects of agriculture and how to improve

Question 10

name 5 agricultural careers

Answer 10

ranch manager, veterinary assistant, agricultural researcher, extension officer, irrigation engineer

Question 11

what does botswana university of agriculture and natural resources offer?

Answer 11

1. certificate cources
2. diploma cources
3. degree cources

Question 12

where do we find colleges of education?

Answer 12

tonota, serowe, francistown, tlokweng, lobatse

Question 13

name 2 other insititutions that offer training in agriculture

Answer 13

ramatlabama ranch management centre, rural trining centre/vocational training centre

Question 14

name 3 types of farming practiced in botswana

Answer 14

arable farming, pastoral farming, mixed farming

Question 15

name 2 scales/levels of production

Answer 15

commercial farming and subsistence farming

Question 16

what is food self-sufficiency?

Answer 16

this means enough food is produced within the country to satisfy the needs of the population

Question 17

what is food security?

Answer 17

this means food is provided in botswana through internal or external production

Question 18

what factors limit the food production?

Answer 18

unreliable rainfall, poor soil, pests and diseases, lack of capital, lack of skills, temperatures

Question 19

how can we improve food production?

Answer 19

use irrigation to supplement rainfall, use fertilisers, loans from the government

Question 20

how does ISPAAD help and what does it stand for?

Answer 20

intergrated support programme for arable griculture development helps by giving free seeds and encouraging food security

Question 21

what does TGLP stand for an how does it help?

Answer 21

tribal grazing land policy helps by encouraging fencing to control grazing

Question 22

what does CEDA stand for and how does it help?

Answer 22

citizenship entrepreneurial development agency gives loans to farmers

Question 23

how does NAMPAAD help and what does it stand for?

Answer 23

national master plan for arable agriculture and dairy development helps by recommending ways to increase production