Module 1: Principles of Agriculture Flashcards
agriculture
the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock
- not limited to just the production of crops, but also includes the cultivation of soil, grazing of livestock, and the production of crops. Agriculture also includes the production of crops that are not consumed as food.
agriculture as a practice
techniques, skills, and methods used to raise animals, produce crops, and cultivate soil
what are examples of non-food commodities?
tobacco and cotton
what are silage ingredients?
corn leaves, corn stalks, and almost ripe corn cobs
what are some examples of institutions used for research, education, and outreach in agriculture?
International rice research institute
International potato center
International maize and wheat improvement center
International crops research institute for the semi-arid tropics
USDA agricultural research service
UF IFAS extension
what type of crop feeds the world?
grasses
what are typical inputs in food production?
land, labor, fertilizer, water, energy to run equipment, and other factors
what are typical outputs in food production?
crop products and livestock products
what happens when there is an increase in agricultural lands?
over time this results in a loss of natural ecosystems
how much of freshwater withdrawals is used for agriculture? for other uses?
70% for agriculture and 30% for other uses
what is the triple bottom line in sustainability?
economic stability, environmental quality, and social viability
what is sustainability?
- the intersection of the environment, society, and economics
- When we balance the triple bottom line, agriculture as a practice is working towards sustainability
how can agronomists be successful in their field?
need to operate under a set of rules that establishes or defines boundaries and tells them how to behave inside those boundaries: Do no harm and balance the triple bottom line
what is environmental quality?
- Environmental quality is the capacity of an ecosystem to function
- Air, water, and soil determine how well the ecosystem is functioning
how many crops are recognized by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization?
173
what crop covers the most land?
- wheat, followed by corn then rice
- wheat is the number one cereal produced based on land cultivated
what type of crop is cotton?
- a fiber crop; other examples include hemp and jute
how much of agricultural land covers our ice free land area?
37%
Is most agricultural land cropland or meadows and pastures?
Most of the global land under agricultural land cover is managed as meadows and pastures
How is agriculture used as a science?
- Used in farmer-led experiments on alternative options to chemical insecticides for cauliflower production in eastern nepal
- Tools to reduce insecticide use
How do growers meet global food demands?
By monitoring cereal yield over time
Cereals are a group of grasses that include wheat, barley, corn, and rice
rain fed crops
the crops do not receive additional inputs of water from irrigation
meadows and pastures
maintain their plant cover year after year, impacting natural biodiversity and ecosystem function in a range of ways
croplands
have undergone a complete land cover change but some natural lands may exist as a mosaic within cropland area
perennial cropland
continuous crop cover
- allows for less soil disturbance but dryer climates require more water throughout the year
annual cropland
planted and harvested annually
- have a shorter growing season which could result in tilling the soil and only needing irrigation for part of the year
annual croplands throughout the year
Wheat, then double-crop soybean in the first year with a cutoff of oct 1
Winter with no crops then corn in the second year
Or a cover crop can be placed in the winter
pasture
natural or improved (grasses, fertilizer)
rangeland
natural (grassland, shrublands, woodlands)
managed through ecological methods not agronomic methods
- Managed through ecological methods and does not involve the use of fertilizers or planting of grasses
what are chill hours?
- the accumulation of hours when temperatures are between 32 and 45
what makes florida a water state?
- precipitation: second most rainfall in the US
- groundwater (aquifer): several larger aquifers, many springs around the state
what is now agricultural land was once what?
- was once a natural ecosystem such as a forest, shrubland, or grassland
- the conversion of forests to either croplands or pasture has been and continues to be a major cause of deforestation
what can promote plant growth and increase biodiversity?
grazing of livestock
cover crop
decrease soil erosion from annual crops
best management practices
minimize fertilizer use that apply across a range of crop types, climates and soil types
what is most of florida covered in?
covered in forest, followed by pasture and rangelands, developed lands, and then cropland
what does florida grow?
trees, cows, people, sugar and food
how much total land cover does pasture and rangeland use in florida?
17%
how much total land cover does cropland use in florida?
7%
what are the four major crops in florida?
sugarcane, oranges, hay, and peanuts
Why is florida a leading state in the production of fruits and veggies?
- 3 climate zones
- soil types
- precipitation
what are the three climate zones in florida?
- tropical
- subtropical
- temperate
what crops are suitable in south florida?
has a tropical to subtropical climate suited for citrus, mangoes, sugarcane, and winter veggies
what crops are suitable in gainesville and the panhandle?
more temperate climate for potatoes, cotton, peanuts, and sweet corn
what soil is cotton grown in?
north florida’s sandy loam soils
what soil is potatoes grown in?
north florida but in sandy soils
what soil is sugarcane and tomatoes grown in?
grown in south florida and prefer organic soils
Tomatoes grow well in calcareous soils
calcareous soils
light in color and have a high pH
how much water do we use per year?
4 trillion cubic meters
if you combined earth’s oceans, ice caps, lakes, streams, and groundwater in one sphere, what would the diameter be?
- 860 miles in diameter
- stretch from salt lake city to kansas city
- If we were to pour all that water back in 98% would return to the ocean and 2% contains both fresh and saline water on land, liquid water, and ice on land, and water above and below ground
if you combined all the freshwater lakes and rivers into one sphere what would the diameter be?
34.9 miles in diameter
what are our 9 freshwater resources?
Ice caps/glaciers/permanent snow
Groundwater
Ground ice and permafrost
Lakes
Soil moisture
Atmosphere
Swamp water
Rivers
Biological water
what percentage of earth’s water is in ice and snow? fresh water? and other?
68.7% ice and snow
30% ground water
1% other
how much of our total freshwater resources do we use? (out of the 4 trillion meters cubed
.011%
fluxes
Fluxes are the movement of water between pools on an annual basis
how much of our global withdrawals was used as irrigation for agricultural lands?
70%
what is an example of sustainable agriculture?
rice cultivation in the southeastern region of yunnan province in china
what is the generalized process of growing rice?
- germination, seedling emergence, tillering, and heading require flooding
- ripening and harvesting require dry conditions
what is the growing process for rice?
- precipitation from the river soaks into the forest and percolates downwards into the terraces
why are wetlands important in florida?
serve as spawning areas and nurseries for many species of fish and wildlife, perform important flood-storage roles, cycle nutrients in runoff water, contribute moisture to the hydrologic cycle, and add plant and animal diversity. They also can provide limited grazing for animals.
how are wetlands defined under florida law?
areas inundated
or saturated by surface water or ground water at
a frequency and duration sufficient to support,
and that under normal circumstances do support,
a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for
life in saturated soils
what are florida wetlands?
swamps, marshes, bayheads, bogs, cypress
domes and strands, sloughs, wet prairies, riverine
swamps, hydric seepage slopes, tidal marshes,
how does the florida geological survey define spings?
a point where underground water emerges to the
earth’s surface. Springs flow naturally from underlying aquifers and are classified based on their
magnitude, or amount of flow coming from the
spring vent.
springshed
The area within ground water and surface water
basins that contributes to the flow of a spring is a
spring’s recharge basin
how many miles of rivers and streams are there in florida?
51,000
Rank the FAO’s 6 categories of crops by area harvested
cereals
oilcrops
fruits, veggies, and nuts
pulses
roots and tubers
fiber crops
Identify which single crop in Florida has the highest production value
Oranges at 1 billion dollars
