AP human agriculture Unit 5 quiz 1

Agribusiness

The business of agricultural production, including farming, food processing, packaging, distribution, and retail sales; agriculture operated primarily for profit and often involving large-scale, corporate farming.

Agriculture

The deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of plants and the raising of animals to obtain food, fiber, and other products used by humans.

Commercial Agriculture

The production of agricultural goods primarily for sale rather than for personal consumption, usually involving large-scale farming, mechanization, and advanced technology.

Crop

A plant cultivated for the purpose of consumption, sale, or use in other products, such as food, fiber, or fuel.

Crop Rotation

The practice of alternating different crops in the same field from one growing season to the next to maintain soil fertility, reduce pests and diseases, and prevent soil depletion.

Desertification

The process by which formerly fertile land becomes increasingly arid and unproductive, often as a result of overfarming, overgrazing, deforestation, or climate change.

Double cropping

The practice of planting and harvesting two different crops in the same field during a single growing season to increase agricultural output.

Extensive Agriculture

A type of farming that uses large areas of land with minimal labor and capital input per unit of land, often producing just enough for local or subsistence needs rather than large-scale commercial sale.

Extensive Commercial Agriculture

A form of commercial agriculture that uses large areas of land, relatively low labor input per unit of land, and is typically found in regions with abundant land and mechanized farming.

Extensive subsistence Agriculture

A form of subsistence farming that uses large areas of land with minimal labor and technology, producing primarily enough food to feed the farmer’s family rather than for sale.

Grain Farming

A type of commercial agriculture focused on growing cereal crops such as wheat, corn, rice, barley, or oats, primarily for sale rather than personal consumption.

Green Revolution

A series of agricultural innovations (including high-yield crop varieties, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanization) that dramatically increased food production worldwide, especially in developing countries, starting in the mid-20th century.

Horticulture

The branch of agriculture that focuses on growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, often on a small scale and for local consumption or sale.

Intensive Agriculture

A type of farming that uses small areas of land with high labor and capital input (fertilizers, machinery, irrigation) to maximize crop yield, often for commercial sale or subsistence.

Intensive Commerical Agriculture

A form of commercial farming that focuses on high-yield production on small plots of land using significant labor and capital (fertilizers, machinery, irrigation), with the primary goal of selling crops for profit.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

A type of subsistence farming that uses small plots of land with high labor and input (fertilizers, irrigation, hand tools) to produce enough food to feed the farmer’s family.

Milkshed

The ring or geographical area surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling.

Mediterranean Agriculture

A type of agriculture practiced in regions with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It typically occurs in coastal areas where sea breezes moderate temperatures.

Market Gardening

The small-scale, intensive production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops, which are frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants.

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

An intensive commercial agricultural system where both crops and livestock are raised on the same farm. Most of the crops grown are not for human consumption but are instead fed directly to the animals.

Sustainable Agriculture

An agricultural system that meets current food needs while preserving environmental resources, supporting economic viability for farmers, and maintaining social equity for future generations.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture (practiced in LDCs) based on the herding of domesticated animals. It is adapted to dry (arid and semi-arid) climates, where planting crops is impossible

Plantation

A large-scale form of commercial farming specialized in the production of one or two cash crops (like sugar, coffee, or cocoa). It is typically located in tropical or subtropical regions of LDCs but is often owned or operated by European or North American corporations.

Prime Agricultural Land

The most productive farmland that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics (soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply) for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops.

Ranching

A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock (typically cattle or sheep) graze over an extensive area. It is practiced in developed countries (MDCs) and increasingly in developing countries (LDCs) where the vegetation is too sparse and the soil too poor for crops.

Reaper

A machine that cuts cereal grain standing in a field. Patented by Cyrus McCormick in 1834, it allowed farmers to harvest crops much more quickly than using a hand sickle or scythe

Ridge Tillage

A system of planting crops on permanent, raised ridges (mounds of soil) that are created and maintained from year to year. The soil in between the ridges remains undisturbed throughout the year, and seeds are planted directly on the tops of the ridges.

Seed Agriculture

The reproduction of plants through the annual planting of seeds that result from sexual fertilization. This method is used by the vast majority of farmers today and involves more complex steps than earlier methods, such as soil preparation and seed selection.

shifting Cultivation

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

Slash and Burn agriculture

A farming method in which farmers clear land for planting by slashing (cutting down) vegetation and burning the debris. The remaining ash (often called potash) provides a temporary boost of nutrients to the soil.

Subsistence Agriculture

The production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer and the farmer’s family. It is mostly found in LDCs (Less Developed Countries) and is characterized by a high percentage of the population working in agriculture.

Threshed

The process of separating edible grain (such as wheat or rice) from the stalks and husks, traditionally done by beating the harvested crop or using animals or machines.

Transhumance

A form of pastoral nomadism in which livestock are seasonally moved between lowland and highland pastures to take advantage of changing climates and vegetation.

Transnational Corporations

Large companies that operate facilities and conduct business in multiple countries, with headquarters in one country and production, offices, or markets in others.

Truck Farming

A type of commercial agriculture in which fruits and vegetables are grown for sale, often in large quantities, and transported (“trucked”) to urban markets.

Vegetative Planting

A form of asexual reproduction in which plants are grown from cuttings, roots, or buds rather than from seeds, producing genetically identical crops.

Wet rice

A labor-intensive form of subsistence agriculture in which rice is grown on flooded fields (paddies), often using irrigation and terracing.

Winter Wheat

A variety of wheat that is planted in the fall, remains dormant during winter, and is harvested in early summer, commonly grown in regions with cold winters and moist soils.

Spring Wheat

A type of wheat that is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer, typically grown in regions with harsh winters where winter wheat cannot survive

Value added Crops

Agricultural products that have increased economic value due to processing, packaging, branding, or changing their form before being sold.

Value added Farming

A type of agriculture in which farmers increase the economic value of their products through processing, packaging, branding, or other enhancements before selling them, rather than selling raw commodities.

Vertical Farms

Agricultural systems in which crops are grown in vertically stacked layers, often indoors and using controlled-environment agriculture such as hydroponics or aeroponics.

Vertical Interation

A business strategy in which a company controls multiple stages of production and distribution for a product, from raw materials to finished goods, often to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Von Thunen Model

A theoretical model that explains the spatial organization of agricultural activities around a central market, based on transportation costs, land rent, and perishability of products.