Introduction to agriculture Flashcards
what is agriculture?
agriculture is the growing of crops and rearing of animals to produce food and useful products
give 5 reasons why agriculture is important
- it provides the population with food in the form of harvested produce.
- it provides employment for people working on farms.
- it provides raw materials for manufacturing eg wool for cotton and leather.
- it provides income for those selling.
- it is a market for industries that sell fertilisers etc.
what does it mean when we say agriculture is an applied science?
this means that when we study agriculture we use the ideas gained from studying other science subjects.
name 6 subjects and their use to agriculture
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.
what impact does HIV/AIDS have on agriculture?
- reduced labor due to sickness of workers
- reduced productivity
- income is diverted to treat the disease and not on the farm
what are the positive impacts of agriculture on the environment?
when farmers apply organic fertilisers, it is food for soil insects.
plants give out oxygen we breathe
roots hold soil particles together
what are negative impacts of agriculture on the environment?
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
name 7 branches of agriculture
agronomy, animal husbandry, horticulture, forestry, range mangement, economics and engineering
what does range management do
it conducts studies of all aspects of agriculture and how to improve
name 5 agricultural careers
ranch manager, veterinary assistant, agricultural researcher, extension officer, irrigation engineer
what does botswana university of agriculture and natural resources offer?
- certificate cources
- diploma cources
- degree cources
where do we find colleges of education?
tonota, serowe, francistown, tlokweng, lobatse
name 2 other insititutions that offer training in agriculture
ramatlabama ranch management centre, rural trining centre/vocational training centre
name 3 types of farming practiced in botswana
arable farming, pastoral farming, mixed farming
name 2 scales/levels of production
commercial farming and subsistence farming
what is food self-sufficiency?
this means enough food is produced within the country to satisfy the needs of the population
what is food security?
this means food is provided in botswana through internal or external production
what factors limit the food production?
unreliable rainfall, poor soil, pests and diseases, lack of capital, lack of skills, temperatures
how can we improve food production?
use irrigation to supplement rainfall, use fertilisers, loans from the government
how does ISPAAD help and what does it stand for?
intergrated support programme for arable griculture development helps by giving free seeds and encouraging food security
what does TGLP stand for an how does it help?
tribal grazing land policy helps by encouraging fencing to control grazing
what does CEDA stand for and how does it help?
citizenship entrepreneurial development agency gives loans to farmers
how does NAMPAAD help and what does it stand for?
national master plan for arable agriculture and dairy development helps by recommending ways to increase production
