Chapter 19

2. Chapter 19 Agricultural and Related Technology

3. Objectives • Explain what agriculture is. • Name the two major types of agriculture. • List the six major groups of crops grown on farms. • Describe the seven main types of machines used in growing and harvesting crops.

4. Objectives • Label the five main types of livestock farms. • Give examples of how technology is used in aquaculture. • Summarize how biotechnology can be used in agriculture.

5. Objectives • Identify five methods of food preservation used today. • Paraphrase the definition of artificial ecosystem.

6. Early Agriculture • Began about 10,000 years ago • First farmers were nomads in the Middle East • They planted seeds of grasses for food • These grasses produced a new crop called grain • Crops were tended with crude hoes and bone sickles

7. Modern farming uses science Plant science Cross-pollination Animal science Crossbreeding Weather and seasons Modern farming uses agricultural technology New machines Modern equipment Food preservation and storage techniques Science and Technology

8. Types of Agriculture • Agriculture takes place: • On farms • On ranches • In gardens • Main branches: • Crop production • Animal husbandry (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

9. Crop Production • Grows plants to provide: • Human food • Animal feed • Natural fibers • Ingredients for medicines • Ingredients for industrial processes • Plants for landscaping • Trees for ornamental and wood products

10. Animal Husbandry • Involves: • Breeding animals • Feeding animals • Training animals • Uses of these animals include: • Food • Fibers • Physical work • Pleasure

11. Agricultural Crops • Crops raised today come from all over the world • Major types of crops: • Grains • Vegetables • Fruits • Nuts • Forage crops • Nonfood

12. Grains • Members of the grass family with edible seeds • Include wheat, rice, corn, barley, and oats • Main food energy source for 75% of the world’s population (Deere and Company)

13. Vegetables • Plants with edible leaves, stems, roots, or seeds • Provide important vitamins and minerals • Include beets, carrots, lettuce, celery, peas, melons, and cabbage • Grown on truck farms (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

14. Fruits • Plants cultivated for their edible parts • Include berries, apples, pears, plums, lemons, limes, figs, dates, and grapes • Grown in orchards or on berry farms

15. Nuts • Plants with hard-shelled seeds • Include walnuts, pecans, almonds, filberts, coconuts, and peanuts • Most are grown on trees in orchards • Peanuts grow underground on farms

16. Forage Crops • Plants grown for animal food • Include: • Hay crops, such as alfalfa and clover • Grasses used for pasture

17. Nonfood • Plants grown for uses other than food • Includes: • Tobacco • Cotton • Rubber • Nursery stock for landscaping • Christmas trees

18. A Crop’s Life Cycle

19. Advances in Agriculture • Growing crops used to be labor-intensive • Farming has become equipment-intensive • New tools and machinery have been developed • Work is easier and more productive

20. Growing crops involves technological devices and systems Power (pulling) equipment Tillage equipment Planting equipment Pest control equipment Irrigation equipment Harvesting equipment Storage equipment Technology in Agriculture

21. History of Pulling Equipment • Animals were tamed and trained to pull loads in the Stone Age • By 3500 B.C., oxen were used to plow fields • During the 1900s, tractors replaced animal power on most farms (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

22. Discussion What are some other uses, other than farm applications, for tractors?

23. Wheel tractors Track machines Types of Tractors (Deere and Company)

24. Features of Tractors • Tractors provide power to pull all types of farm equipment • All tractors have: • Power source (engine) • Way to transmit the power for pulling a load • Method of controlling speed and direction • Traction devices (wheels or tracks) • Operator’s area (seat, cab, and controls) • Hitch for fastening equipment

25. Tillage Equipment • Breaks and pulverizes the soil • Develops a seedbed for seeds and plants • Includes: • Plows • Discs • Harrows

26. Plows • Cut, lift, and turn over soil • Can be traced back to tree branches and antlers • Iron and steel plows were developed in the 1800s • Modern plows have a blade-shaped plowshare (Case IH)

27. Discs • Prepare the seedbed • Used after or instead of the plow • Series of curved discs on a shaft • Slice and crumble the earth as they are pulled through the ground (Deere and Company)

28. Harrows • Used after plowing and discing • Frames with spikes or spring-shaped teeth • Dragged over the ground to make the soil fine and crumbly

29. Minimum Tillage • Today, farmers are doing less tillage • This technique uses small amounts of work to prepare the soil • Often used on soil that erodes easily • A set of chisels on a frame might be used to open the soil • Sometimes, no-tillage systems are used

30. Discussion What are the advantages and disadvantages of minimum tillage and no-till farming?

31. Fertilizer must be applied to the soil Seeds must be planted to start the crop cycle In early days, this was done by hand Today, this is done with a grain drill Planting Equipment (Deere and Company)

32. Used to plant vegetable plants Potatoes Corn Tomatoes Cabbage Specialized Planting Machines (Deere and Company)

33. Pest Control Equipment • Developed to help control pests • Diseases • Insects • Neighboring plants • Cultivators are used to remove weeds • Break up the ground • Allow water to enter the soil • Cut off and pull out weeds

34. Discussion How is this farmer applying fertilizer while cultivating a crop? (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

35. Pest Control Sprays • Herbicides control weeds • Pesticides control insects • Can be applied with ground equipment or airplanes

36. Elements of irrigation systems: Reliable source of water Canals, ditches, or channels to move water Way to control and distribute water Dams are often used to control water at its source Irrigation Equipment

37. Irrigation Methods • Flood irrigation • Sprinkler irrigation • Drip irrigation

38. Flood Irrigation • Used on level fields • Sheet of water advances across a field • Furrows might be used between rows of plants to move water to the other end of the field (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

39. Sprinkler Irrigation • Involves water source, pump, main lines, lateral lines, valves, and sprinkler heads • Common types of systems: • Solid set sprinklers • Pivot sprinklers (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

40. Drip Irrigation • Uses main lines to bring water near plants • Tubes bring water from main lines to each plant • Ensures each plant is properly watered • Reduces amount of water lost to evaporation

41. Discussion Why is irrigation important to American agriculture?

42. Harvesting Equipment • Crops must be harvested upon reaching maturity • Combines are used to harvest grains • Combination of a header and a thresher • Cut off top of plant and separate out grain (Deere and Company)

43. Specialized Harvesting Machines • Combines or other special machines are harvest vegetables, cotton, fruits, and nuts • Swathers and balers harvest hay (Deere and Company)

44. Storage Equipment • Crops are often stored before being sent to processing plants • Crops are stored in: • Silos • Grain elevators • Hay barns • Climate-controlled buildings

45. Animals are raised to provide: Meat Milk Materials for clothing Animals are raised on: Cattle ranches Dairies Swine farms Horse farms Poultry farms Raising Livestock

46. Equipment for Raising Livestock • Buildings to house animals • Buildings to process feed • Machines used to feed animals • Pumps and tanks to provide water • Machines and equipment to dispose of animal waste

47. Discussion How is this cattle feedlot similar to a small-scale city?

48. Hydroponics Growing plants without soil Aquaculture Growing and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants Forestry Growing trees for commercial uses Special Types of Agriculture

49. Agricultural Biotechnology • Used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals, and microorganisms • Can improve the nutritional value of foods • Can combat human and animal diseases

50. Uses for Biotechnology • Increase crop yields • Produce plants resistant to pests, diseases, and herbicides • Genetic engineering and gene splicing