Agricultural Sciences Flashcard Set

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from agricultural genetics, production factors, marketing, and entrepreneurship notes.

Genetics

The study of how biological characteristics are transferred from parents to offspring, also known as the study of heredity.

Quantitative Characteristics

Characteristics influenced by many pairs of genes (polygenic inheritance) and environmental factors that give rise to continuous variation across a range of phenotypes.

Qualitative Characteristics

Characteristics influenced by a single pair of genes and unaffected by environmental conditions, exhibiting discontinuous variation with fixed phenotype forms.

Law of Dominance

Mendel's first law stating that in a gene pair for a contrasting trait, the dominant allele masks the phenotypic expression of the recessive allele.

Law of Segregation

Mendel's law stating that allele pairs separate during gamete formation in meiosis so that offspring inherit one allele from each parent.

Law of Independent Assortment

Mendel's law stating that allele pairs for different traits segregate independently of one another during gamete formation in a dihybrid cross.

Complete Dominance

A pattern of inheritance where the effect of the dominant allele completely masks the recessive allele in heterozygous individuals.

Co-Dominance

A pattern of inheritance in which both alleles in a heterozygous gene pair are equally dominant and fully expressed in the phenotype of the offspring.

Incomplete Dominance

A pattern of inheritance in which neither allele is dominant, resulting in an intermediate phenotype that is a mix between both parent phenotypes.

Atavism

The reappearance of an ancestral characteristic in an organism after it has been absent for many generations, also referred to as a throwback.

Continuous Variation

A type of variation that exhibits a complete gradient of intermediate forms between two extremes, controlled by quantitative polygenic traits.

Discontinuous Variation

A type of variation where traits fall into distinct, fixed categories without intermediate forms, controlled by single-gene qualitative traits.

Mutation

A sudden change in the molecular structure or nucleotide sequence of a gene or DNA molecule.

Selection

The process of choosing specific individual plants or animals with desirable characteristics for breeding purposes.

Heritability

The proportion or degree to which a specific trait is determined by genetic factors as opposed to environmental influences.

Estimated Breeding Value (EBV)

An estimate of how much better or worse than average the offspring of an individual animal will perform for a specific characteristic.

Inbreeding

The mating of closely related individuals, such as parent to offspring or brother to sister, which increases homozygosity.

Line Breeding

The mating of less closely related individuals within a line, such as grandparent to offspring or half-siblings.

Hybrid Vigour

The superior performance or improved biological qualities displayed by crossbred offspring compared to the average of their parents, also called heterosis.

Species Crossing

The mating of two animals belonging to different species, typically resulting in sterile offspring.

Upgrading

The continuous mating of commercial or inferior female stock with purebred superior males over successive generations.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A soil bacterium utilized as a vector in biotechnology to transfer desired DNA sequences into plant cells.

Micro-injection

A genetic engineering procedure where desired genes are directly injected into the cell nucleus using a micro-needle.

Law of Diminishing Return

An economic law stating that increasing inputs of a production factor yields progressively smaller increases in output beyond a certain point, eventually causing total yield to decline.

Labour Productivity

A measure of agricultural production output produced per unit or individual of the labour force.

Fixed Capital

Capital invested in long-term, non-movable farm assets such as land, buildings, dams, and boreholes that appreciate in value over time.

Working Capital

Capital invested in short-term operational expenses and current assets such as seeds, fertilizers, fuel, feeds, and wages.

Net Worth

The total financial value of a business determined using the balance sheet equation $\text{Net worth} = \text{Total assets} - \text{Total liabilities}$.

Whole Farm Budget

A comprehensive financial planning document that combines estimated income and expenditure for all combined enterprises across the farm.

Enterprise Budget

A detailed financial statement estimating expected costs, revenues, and returns for a single, specific farming activity or enterprise.

Diversification

A risk management strategy involving the operation of multiple distinct agricultural enterprises on a single farm to spread potential financial losses.

Law of Demand

An economic rule stating an inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded: as price increases, consumer demand decreases.

Law of Supply

An economic rule stating a direct relationship between price and quantity supplied: as price increases, producer supply increases.

Price Elasticity of Demand

A measure indicating how responsive the quantity demanded of a product is to changes in its selling price.

Market Equilibrium

The market price level at which the quantity of a product demanded by consumers equals the quantity supplied by producers.

Floor Price

A legal minimum price set by government above the equilibrium price to protect producer incomes from falling too low.

Ceiling Price

A legal maximum price set by government below the equilibrium price to prevent product prices from becoming unaffordable to consumers.

Shift in Demand

A movement of the entire demand curve caused by changes in non-price factors such as consumer income, preferences, or market population.

Shift in Supply

A movement of the entire supply curve caused by changes in non-price factors such as weather events, technology, or production costs.

Niche Marketing

A targeted marketing strategy focusing on selling to a small, specialized segment of the market that is not served by mainstream suppliers.

Sustainable Marketing

The application of environmentally friendly marketing practices, such as eco-labelling, organic product production, and recyclable packaging.

Agricultural Cooperative

An autonomous association of independent farmers who unite voluntarily to meet common economic and marketing goals through joint ownership.

Controlled Marketing

A marketing system where the distribution, sale, and pricing of agricultural commodities are regulated directly by government legislation.

Agribusiness Chain

The sequence of steps, functions, and costs involved in transferring an agricultural product from initial farm production to the end consumer.

Entrepreneur

A person who identifies a business opportunity, combines resources, and assumes financial risks to build and manage a profitable enterprise.

Entrepreneurship

The active practice of starting, operating, managing, and growing a business enterprise established by an entrepreneur.

SWOT Analysis

A strategic business evaluation framework used to analyze internal Strengths and Weaknesses along with external Opportunities and Threats.