IGCSE Geography Agricultural Systems

Output

the amount produced; product or yield:

Commercial Farming

refers to a process of large-scale production of crops for sale, intended for widespread distribution to wholesalers or retail outlets.

Specialisation

Concentration on skillful production of one type of output which enables greater productivity

Arable Land

Land suitable for growing crops

Pastoral (Farming)

pertaining to raising animals, usually on grass and on land that is not suitable for crops.

Cash Crop

The growing of crops for sale as opposed to consumption

Crop Rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Fallow Land

land that was not being used so that it could replenish its nutrients

Monoculture

farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop, year after year

Subsistence Farming

farming that provides for the basic needs of the farmer without surpluses for marketing

Extensive Farming

farming practices that involve putting relatively little energy into the land for the calories extracted

Intensive Farming

farming that requires much labor

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period.

Sedentary Farming

Agriculture conducted at permanent settlements

Plantation Agriculture

Production system based on a large estate owned by an individual, family, or corporation and organized to produce a cash crop. Almost all plantations were established within the tropics; in recent decades, many have been divided into smaller holdings or reorganized as cooperatives

Expenditure

The cost of inputs put into a farming system such as labour, fertiliser, machinery costs, e.t.c

Flood Water

Not only does it provide alluvium, but it keeps the ground moist

Human Inputs

These inputs are provided by people:

1. Capital (money)

2. Labour

3. Machinery and tools

4. Seeds

5. Social Structures

6. Government influence

7. Market influence

8. Fertilizer, pesticides, herbacides

9. Irrigation

Physical Inputs

Climate, temperature, rainfall, sunshine, soil, and land and relief

Processes

Actions that individuals, groups, and organizations engage in as a result of inputs and that lead to certain outcomes

ploughing, sowing, weeding, application of chemicals, harvesting, storage and transportation

Sustainable

A way of using natural resources without ,depleting them, and of providing for human needs without causing long term environmental harm

Conserved

protect of soil from erosion

Structure of soil

2 parts of the soil - 1. minerals, and 2 organic matter

Soil Erosion

Movement of soil components, especially topsoil, from one place to another, usually by wind, flowing water, or both. This natural process can be greatly accelerated by human activities that remove vegetation from soil.

Wind Erosion

wind action primarily known for smoothing and rounding landscapes as sand and dust carried by wind wear away rocks and land surface

Water Erosion

the movement of rock, sediment, and/or sand by water; helps create canyons; can be increased by increasing slope or increasing water speed

Terracing

"Steps" carved into mountains to make the land flatter for farming.

Contour Ploughing

A method of ploughing parallel to the contours rather than up or down a slope. It is used to check soil erosion and the formation of gullies.

Strip-Cultivation and Intercropping

different crops are grown in narrow bands in a single field. And harvested at different times -- soil will be caught in the planted part -- prevents wind and water erosion

Cover cropping

Planting a crop after the harvest of a cash crop and before planting another - prevents wind and water erosion

Reducing Stock Density

by having fewer livestock the piece of land will not be over grazed and alway cover vegetation to protect the soil. Prevents water and wind erosion

Check Dams

where gully erosion has occurred small walls are built across the gullies - prevents water erosion

Filling Gullies

gullies are filled with rocks and other materials to prevent them from becoming larger- prevents water erosion

Afforestation

the conversion of bare or cultivated land into forest, the conversion of bare or cultivated land into forest (originally for the purpose of hunting)

Shelter Belts

a belt of trees or shrubs arranged as a protection against strong winds

Dry Farming Irrigation

a series of events - stop ploughing, fallowing, ripping, strip fallowing

Capital

An economic system based on private property and free enterprise.

Labour

Another term for what working-class people do. Working with hands.

Tradition farming

Agriculture that is biologically powered agriculture using human and animal muscle power. "Using animals, irrigation, tradition fertilizer"

Machines

Mechanical devices that reduce force when doing work. Ideal machines reduce force but do not change work

Seeds

structures that contain a young plant inside a protective covering

Tools

Utensils used in agricultural such as: axes, shovel, plough, spades, etc

Fertilizer

any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile

Manure

animal droppings used to fertilize land

Irrigation

Supplying land with water through a network of canals

Improving Subsistance Farming

it is a cycle of poverty that must be improved through the investment of capital to improve seeds, irrigation, etc.

Food Shortages

The main causes are poor distribution of agricultural products.

Marsmus

progressive emaciation caused by lack of protein and calories

Kwashiorkor

A disease of chronic malnutrition during childhood, in which a protein deficiency makes the child more vulnerable to other diseases, such as measles, diarrhea, and influenza.

Soil Exhaustion

a condition in which soil has lost nutrients and becomes nearly useless for farming

Drought

A long period of dry weather

Floods

An overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, esp. over what is normally dry land

Tropical Cyclones

A severe storm with high winds that spiral around a calm center. Terms used in Australia and India

Pests

Destructive insects or other animals that attack crops, food or livestock.

Disease

An abnormal state in which the body is not functioning normally

Low Capital

not much cash

Poor Transport

Transporting the crops is hard because the machines are not modern and the roads are not smooth etc.

War

on guard against danger

Biofuels

Fuels, such as ethanol or methanol, that are created from the fermentation of plants or plant products.

Swaziland- Large scale farming

LEDC

Sugarcane

59% of agricultural output,

35% of agricultural wage

77% of sugarcane production - large scale

23% of sugarcane production- small scale

Swaziland - natural inputs

Temperature: 29 C

Sunshine for many hours a day

flat land

Alluvial soil rich in nutrients

Needs 1800 MM of rain -- irrigation needed - annual is 750-1000 mm

Swaziland -capital

Needed for irrigation

Swaziland - machinery

Needed for the sugar mills and harvesters

Swaziland - labor

both skilled and unskilled labor needed -- engineers, managers, chemists and machine workers. The workers get benefits such as - medical, housing, school, security, etc.

Swaziland - markets

they are a part of the international market and are given help by the government

Swaziland - political input

Multiple associations

1. SACU Sugar Cooperation Agreement, which allows 1/5 of their sugarcane to go to other African countries

2. ACP-EU which allows sugar sales in Europe

3. United States Sugar Program -- allows sale in USA 16,000 tons per year

Swaziland - process- irrigation

canals are built from the rivers to irrigate the fields -- furrow, sprinklers, drip and centre pivots

Swaziland - processes- burning

it is burned first to make it easier to harvest b/c it removes all of the leaves but does not damage the sugar inside, then it is cut down and taken to sugar mills

Swaziland - outputs

3 mills: Mhlume, Simunye and Ubombo

M and S are part of the Royal Swazi Sugar Corporation

Swaziland - output

raw sugar, brown sugar, refined sugar, molasses

Swaziland - bagasse

is the fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice

Brazil - large scale farming

NIC in South America

2nd largest beef producer in the world 16% of the world

25% of the beef world export

Brazil - land

Large areas of land -- deforested from the Amazon Rainforst

Brazil - climate

Northern Region -- 40% of the beef herd

Ranches are 8000 hectares, cerradoes

Southern Region/Central-West - temperate climate, with 23% and 35% of the beef herds

Brazil - human inputs - markets

As countries become more affluent they want more meat.

growing domestic market - NICE

many international companies such as Carrefour, Walmart and Royal Ahold and Sonae

Brazil - JBS Friboi

Brazil multinational food industry company. Production and exports both increased greatly from 2000 on wards.

Brazil - Capital

Multinational companies have invested money b/c large profits can be made

Brazil - research and development

In addition to different types of cuts, beef aficionados may soon be able to find healthier varieties of the product in the country's butchers and supermarkets. Beef has long been considered the antithesis of a healthy diet because of its high saturated fatty acid and cholesterol contents.

Researchers from the School of Zootechny and Food Engineering (FZEA) at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Pirassunungra campus developed beef enriched with vitamin E, selenium and canola oil and less cholesterol

Brazil - Process North Region

Must improve- quality, traceability, and standardization

Northern Region: Felling the forest for seeding and grazing. Little fencing, natural tropical grasslands are used as pastures.

Brazil - Process South-East and Central-West

Closer to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo

- concentrate on the growth and fattening

Well organized and large breeders -- then they are slaughtered and meat-processing are concentrated in these regions.

Brazil - outputs

beef- converted to burgers across Brazil, Russia, and Venezuela

processed meats- canned and ready meal products in Europe and America

leather - goes to China, Italy, Vietnam and Hong Kong

Brazil - impact on the Amazon basin

beef ranches account for 70% of the deforestation

over 20 years led to 20 million hectares of forest

changes the traditional ways of life for the Brazilian

Brazil -sustainable beef

Need to make use of land already deforested --

International supermarkets - suspend contracts

Canada- large scale farming

MEDC, North America

3 Prairie Provinces - Alberta, Sashatchewan, Manitoba

75% of Canada's farmland - from these 3 places

Canada- physical inputs - climate

Very warm summers, rain comes during summer, cold winters frost breaks up soil, and kills pests

Canada-land

flat, and undulating

Canada- soil

humus-rich soil (very fertile)

Canada- large spaces

the Prairies stretch 1500 kilometers from east to west and a typical farm is 300 km

Canada- rain fall

its summer is maximum enough, but drier areas to the north and south can be a problem during drought.

Canada- labor force

highly skilled -- just needs 2 or 3 people

Canada- capital

repair machines, harvester just needs 1 person for 30 tons of wheat a day

Canada- chemicals

fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides

Canada-research and development

new strain of wheat, disease resistant and time to maturity -- shorter growing season

Canada- processes

sown in the spring and harvested in autumn, taken to shipping points and taken to rail to the ports

Canada- outputs

wheat grain, and cereal such as barley

Canada- problems

Fluctuations in world prices and demand

Main problem is from soil erosion-- strong winds blow across the plains

Canada- stop ploughing

cultivators cut weeds below the surface and seeds are sown into the stubble of the previous year's crop.

Canada- fallow periods

the land is cultivated only every other year to conserve the soil moisture

Canada- ripping

the machine rips up the frozen ground in winter into large chucks, which block the wind close to the surface.

Canada- strip fallow

growing wheat in strips at right angles to the prevailing wind with fallow strips in-between. The fallow strips trap any soil that is blown away by the wind.