An agricultural field can be defined as a field that is used for growing crops or other high-value plant species. This land is highly managed and often provisioned with artificial nutrients (i.e. fertilized).
What is an agricultural field?
An agricultural field can be defined as a field that is used for growing crops or other high-value plant species. This land is highly managed and often provisioned with artificial nutrients (i.e. fertilized).
What is Agri-culture?
Agriculture is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities.
What is a field border in agriculture?
Field (agriculture) Many farms have a field border, usually composed of a strip of shrubs and vegetation, used to provide food and cover necessary for the survival of wildlife. It has been found that these borders may lead to an increased variety of animals and plants in the area, but also in some cases a decreased yield of crops.
What does an agricultural field officer do?
An agricultural field officer is usually in charge of promoting financial products like loans to farmers. Their duties often comprise travelling to remote villages and checking the prospects of the farmers applying for loans.
What are 5 examples of agriculture?
Agricultural Production ActivitiesAgriculture: cultivating soil; planting; raising, and harvesting crops; rearing, feeding, and managing animals.Aquaculture: raising private aquatic animals (fish)Floriculture: growing flowering plants.Horticulture: growing fruits, vegetables, and plants.Maple syrup harvesting.More items…•
What are the 6 types of agriculture?
6 main types of commercial agriculture in MDCs:Mixed crop and livestock.Dairy farming.Grain farming.Livestock ranching.Mediterranean agriculture.Commercial gardening and fruit farming.
What is an example of agriculture?
The definition of agriculture is the science, art and business of farming and ranching. Commercial farms and ranches which provide vegetables and meat to the general public are examples of agriculture.
What are the 11 types of agriculture?
Top 11 Types of Agricultural PracticesPastoral Farming.Arable Farming.Shifting Agriculture.Mixed Farming.Nomadic Agriculture.Sedentary Agriculture.Subsistence Farming.Commercial Agriculture.More items…•
What are examples of field crops?
Field crops include corn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans, winter wheat, durum wheat, and spring wheat. The effects of climate change on crop production will vary by region, and will largely be a factor of impacts on resources important to agricultural production, such as soil and water.
What are the 12 types of agriculture?
Top 12 Types of AgricultureSubsistence Farming: … Intensive Subsistence Farming (with or without Rice as a dominant crop): … Mediterranean Farming: … Commercial Grain Agriculture: … Arable Farming: … Shifting Cultivation: … Nomadic Herding: … Rudimentary Sedentary Tillage:More items…•
What are the 4 types of agriculture?
There exist four main branches of agriculture, namely;Livestock production.Crop production.agricultural economics.agricultural engineering.
What are the 3 types of agriculture?
There are several types of agriculture which include:Shifting Cultivation (rotating crops).Intensive Pastoral Farming (focused on grazing animals).Subsistence Cultivation (seeking out a living; often done for consumption by family).More items…
What are agricultural businesses?
Agribusiness relates to industries that are engaged in farming or that produce farm inputs. Examples of agribusiness include farm machinery manufacturing, seed supply, and agrichemicals. In common usage, the term “agribusiness” usually refers to large agricultural companies in comparison with small, independent farms.
What are the 10 branches of agriculture?
Originally Answered: What are the 10 branches of agriculture? 1- Agronomy 2- Genetics and plant breeding, 3- soil science & soil chemistry, 4- plant physiology, 5- Entomology, 6- Horticulture, 7- Agricultural Extension, 8- Agricultural Economics, 9- Agricultural Engineering, 10- Animal Husbandry, 11- Plant Pathology.
What are the 7 sectors in agriculture?
Sectors related to agriculture include: food and beverage manufacturing; food and beverage stores; food service and eating and drinking places; textiles, apparel, and leather products; and forestry and fishing.
What are the 2 main types of agriculture?
Today, there are two divisions of agriculture, subsistence and commercial, which roughly correspond to the less developed and more developed regions.
What is an agricultural field system?
Introduction. “An agricultural “field system” generally refers to innovative elements of prehistoric and historic agricultural programs. Agriculture is a variably complicated process, and improvements and innovations in the part of a field system used in some civilizations such as the Maya and Tiwanaku are centered on improving access to water, …
What is the purpose of additional management activities in agriculture?
Normally, only a single plant species is grown in an agricultural field at any particular time, and additional management activities are practiced to suppress the growth of weeds and pests.
How does tillage affect soil?
In agricultural fields, tillage increases aeration in the soil and help plant residues break down faster. This factor not only accelerates growth rates of soil microorganisms, but also increases the decomposition processes of the associated with soil microbial community.
Why is soil structure important?
“Soil structure is defined as the arrangement of particles and associated pores in soils across the size range from nanometres to centimetres.” (Oades, 1993) It is important for providing flow pathways for water and nutrients.
What are the nitrogen sources of agriculture?
The nitrogen sources of agricultural field are the important issues. Bacteria are the only organisms capable of taking nitrogen in the air and combining it with hydrogen to make ammonia. Nitrogen fixing bacteria are important in global nitrogen cycle and organic farming system.
What is crop rotation?
Crop rotation is a method that utilizes different type of crops in the same field in different time periods. It is one of the oldest agricultural methods, and it is beneficial for pest and pathogen control.
When were legumes first used?
Legumes were recognized and used on agricultural very early in the history of agriculture, and their symbiotic root-nodule bacteria of the genus Rhizobium was identified to have the ability of nitrogen fixation in 1888. [15]
What is agricultural science?
Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. It covers topics such as agronomy, plant breeding and genetics, plant pathology, crop modelling, soil science, entomology, production techniques and improvement, study of pests and their management, and study of adverse environmental effects such as soil degradation, waste management, and bioremediation.
Why is agriculture important?
Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some are banned in certain countries.
What were staple food crops?
Staple food crops were grains such as wheat and barley, alongside industrial crops such as flax and papyrus. In India, wheat, barley and jujube were domesticated by 9,000 BC, soon followed by sheep and goats. Cattle, sheep and goats were domesticated in Mehrgarh culture by 8,000–6,000 BC.
How does industrialized agriculture depend on fossil fuels?
Industrialized agriculture depends on fossil fuels in two fundamental ways: direct consumption on the farm and manufacture of inputs used on the farm. Direct consumption includes the use of lubricants and fuels to operate farm vehicles and machinery. Agriculture and food system share (%) of total energy.
How much of the world’s land is used for livestock production?
Livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the planet. It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases, responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO 2 equivalents. By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO 2.
How does agriculture increase yield?
Agriculture seeks to increase yield and to reduce costs. Yield increases with inputs such as fertilisers and removal of pathogens , predators, and competitors (such as weeds). Costs decrease with increasing scale of farm units, such as making fields larger; this means removing hedges, ditches and other areas of habitat.
How does agriculture affect the environment?
Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, which cause decrease in crop yield. Agriculture is one of the most important drivers of environmental pressures, particularly habitat change, climate change, water use and toxic emissions. Agriculture is the main source of toxins released into the environment, including insecticides, especially those used on cotton. The 2011 UNEP Green Economy report stated that agricultural operations produced some 13 per cent of anthropogenic global greenhouse gas emissions. This includes gases from the use of inorganic fertilizers, agro-chemical pesticides, and herbicides, as well as fossil fuel-energy inputs.
What is the science of agriculture?
Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops and raising livestock. It includes the preparation of plant and animal products for people to use and their distribution to markets. Agriculture provides most of the world’s food and fabrics. Cotton, wool, and leather are all agricultural products.
How did agriculture help people?
Agriculture enabled people to produce surplus food. They could use this extra food when crops failed or trade it for other goods. Food surpluses allowed people to work at other tasks unrelated to farming. Agriculture kept formerly nomadic people near their fields and led to the development of permanent villages.
How many acres of corn do farmers plant?
U.S. industrial farmers may plant a thousand acres of just corn. The practice of specializing in a single crop is known as monoculture.
How big was the average farm in 2007?
The size of an average farm in the United States in 2007 was 449 acres, or about the size of 449 football fields. agriculture. Noun. the art and science of cultivating land for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock (ranching). aquaculture.
What was the system of planting used by medieval farmers?
Many medieval European farmers used an open-field system of planting. One field would be planted in spring, another in autumn, and one would be left unplanted, or fallow. This system preserved nutrients in the soil, increasing crop production.
How did agriculture contribute to the rise of civilizations?
Start of Agriculture. Over centuries, the growth of agriculture contributed to the rise of civilizations. Before agriculture became widespread, people spent most of their lives searching for food—hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants.
When did farms become electrified?
By 1960, most farms in the U.S. and other developed countries were electrified. Electricity lit farm buildings and powered such machinery as water pumps, milking machines, and feeding equipment. Today, electricity controls entire environments in livestock barns and poultry houses.
What is an agriculture career?
Agriculture careers are professionals paths related to farming, cultivation and animal husbandry. These career paths involve everything from growing crops and nurturing the soil to raising livestock like cattle, pigs and chickens. Careers in agriculture also incorporate manufacturing, marketing and selling the products that result from crops …
What are the jobs in agriculture?
Careers in agriculture also incorporate manufacturing, marketing and selling the products that result from crops and livestock as well as providing support and assistance throughout the field.
What is a farm worker?
Some farm workers also assist with herding livestock and operating farm machinery and tools. Farm workers often perform general tasks, but some specialize in crops or livestock. 2. Grower.
How much does a crop manager make?
National average salary: $61,035 per year. Primary duties: Also known as farm managers, crop managers oversee the many steps in the crop production process. They supervise seed sourcing, planting processes and scheduling as well as fertilizing, irrigation and harvesting.
What are the duties of a grower?
Primary duties: Growers are responsible for raising crops, which involves managing their growing environment to keep them healthy. They plant seeds, fertilize and irrigate crops and devise schedules that allow them to achieve maximum yield. Some growers may also experiment with new types of seed or innovative growing methods.
What is an engineering job?
Engineering jobs: Engineering roles involve using high-level science and math to solve complex problems. These professionals evaluate, design, test and install systems a range of equipment and systems. They also oversee manufacturing and maintenance processes. In the agriculture field, most engineers specialize in mechanical, …
What is the primary job of an agriculture specialist?
Primary duties: Agriculture specialists perform administrative support and clerical tasks that focus on a certain aspect of farming. Some agriculture specialists focus on storage, which requires them to work with farmers to develop high-performing crop and grain storage and inventory systems.
What does an agricultural field officer do?
Knowing the answer to, “What does an agricultural field officer do?,” can help you make an informed decision about entering this field. An agricultural field officer is usually in charge of promoting financial products like loans to farmers.
Requirements of an agricultural field officer
Here are some essential requirements to become an agricultural field officer:
Skills of an agricultural field officer
Here are some skills you might require as an agricultural field officer:
Introduction
See more on microbewiki.kenyon.edu
Physical Environment
- pH
Soil pH is an important chemical property that affects the availability of nutrients in the soil as well as the structure and activity of the soil microbial community. These soil microorganisms have important functions that not only build soil structure, but also cycle organic matters and nit… - Soil structure
“Soil structure is defined as the arrangement of particles and associated pores in soils across the size range from nanometres to centimetres.” (Oades, 1993) It is important for providing flow pathways for water and nutrients. Aggregation of soil particles determinants the soil structure, a…
Factors Affecting Microbial Communities in Agricultural Fields
- Crop rotation
Crop rotation is a method that utilizes different type of crops in the same field in different time periods. It is one of the oldest agricultural methods, and it is beneficial for pest and pathogen control. Rotation also can help increase biodiversity and soil nutrients by using dissimilar crops … - Fertilization
Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are the essential elements for all organisms. Crop fertilization is an important factor of the soil nutrient pools . The availability of nutrients have also been reported to influence soil microbial growth and activity ,. Recent studies have indicated that high concentr…
Microbial Processes
- Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is present in various chemical forms, including dinitrogen gas, organic nitrogen, and inorganic ammonium and nitrate ions. The microbial consortia involved in nitrogen cycling play an important role in transforming N between these various forms. Important bacterial N-cycling fun… - Carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is one of the most important cycles on earth. There are two major biological fluxes of carbon dioxide in nature: photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis can reduce and transfer carbon compounds form inorganic form to organic form. In respiration process, carbon …
Key Microorganisms
- Alphaproteobacteria
Legumes were recognized and used on agricultural very early in the history of agriculture, and their symbiotic root-nodule bacteria of the genus Rhizobiumwas identified to have the ability of nitrogen fixation in 1888. Another Alphaproteobacteria, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is a very im… - Betaproteobacteria
Betaproteobacteria is an important soil bacterial group that functions in ammonia oxidation. Ammonia oxidation is a vital process that can transform organic nitrogen into inorganic forms that are easy for plants to acquire from the soil, and this leads to increased crop yield.
Example of Organisms Within The Group
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Diverse microorganisms inhabit an agricultural field, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Fungi. Agrobacterium tumefaciensAgrobacterium tumefaciensis a plant pathogen that has ability to transfer DNA between itself to plants. Agrobacterium is a good biotechnological tool and is used to make GMO foods in USA . Nitroso…
External Links
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Soil pH: Tillage: Edited by student of Angela Kent at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Overview
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. The history of agriculture began thousands of years ago. After gathering wild grains beginning at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farm…
Etymology and scope
The word agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager ‘field’ and cultūra ‘cultivation’ or ‘growing’. While agriculture usually refers to human activities, certain species of ant, termite and beetle have been cultivating crops for up to 60 million years. Agriculture is defined with varying scopes, in its broadest sense using natural resources to “produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops, and t…
History
The development of agriculture enabled the human population to grow many times larger than could be sustained by hunting and gathering. Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa, in at least 11 separate centers of origin. Wild grains were collected and eaten from at least 105,000 years ago. In the Paleolithic levant, 23,000 years a…
Types
Pastoralism involves managing domesticated animals. In nomadic pastoralism, herds of livestock are moved from place to place in search of pasture, fodder, and water. This type of farming is practised in arid and semi-arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India.
In shifting cultivation, a small area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning th…
Contemporary agriculture
From the twentieth century, intensive agriculture increased productivity. It substituted synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for labour, but caused increased water pollution, and often involved farm subsidies. In recent years there has been a backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic, regenerative, and sustainable agriculture movements. O…
Production
Overall production varies by country as listed.
Cropping systems vary among farms depending on the available resources and constraints; geography and climate of the farm; government policy; economic, social and political pressures; and the philosophy and culture of the farmer.
Shifting cultivation (or slash and burn) is a system in which forests are burnt, r…
Crop alteration and biotechnology
Crop alteration has been practiced by humankind for thousands of years, since the beginning of civilization. Altering crops through breeding practices changes the genetic make-up of a plant to develop crops with more beneficial characteristics for humans, for example, larger fruits or seeds, drought-tolerance, or resistance to pests. Significant advances in plant breeding ensue…
Environmental impact
Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, which cause decrease in crop yield. Agriculture is one of the most important drivers of environmental pressures, particularly habitat change, climate change, water use and toxic emissions. Agriculture is the main source of toxins released into the …