Primary Production

Semester 2 - IFA

Arable Agricultural System Inputs

Soil, water, feed, labour, capital and knowledge

Arable Agricultural System Processes

Fertilization, cultivation, seeding, harvest, breeding, feed

Factors that Influence Primary Production

These include climate, soil fertility, water availability, and management practices that affect crop yields and overall productivity.

Soil

Mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and countless organisms that support life on Earth

Layers of Soil (In Order)

O Horizon, A Horizon, B Horizon, C Horizon, bedrock.

Soil Properties

include texture, structure, pH, and nutrient content that influence plant growth and ecosystem functions.

What is CEC

Used as measure of soil fertility and capacity to protect groundwater from contamination

What are yield gaps in terms of soil?

In terms of soil, yield gaps represent the significant difference between a field's actual crop harvest and its potential yield, which is what could be achieved under ideal conditions with optimal water, nutrients (often soil-derived or applied), and management, revealing how much soil productivity (or limiting factors like poor structure, nutrient deficiency, or water issues) restricts output.

Arable Agricultural System Inputs

Refers to the resources required for farming, including natural components like soil and water, as well as human-managed inputs like feed, labour, capital, and specialized knowledge.

Water degradation

Defined as decreased water quality or a decrease in water quality

Soil Degradation

Defined as change in soil health status resulting in a diminished capacity of the ecosystem

4 Reasons for Soil Degredation

• Poor Farming Practises

• Aggressive Cultivation Practises

• Misusing Fertilisers

• Deforestation

Salinisation

After irrigating, water added to soil is used by the crop or evaporates. Salt is left and if not removed is left behind

Soil Compaction

Process where stress applied to soil causes desertification as air is displaced

Soil Managemnet Techniques

• Cover Crops (Keeps soil covered throughout seasons, no erosion)

• Crop Rotations: Crops are alternated with lower residue crops to increase plant material

• Intercropping ( 2 or more crops in the same field, to produce greater yield on a piece of land)

Pasture Examples

Grasses (ryegrass), legumes(clovers)

Forage Examples

Maize, Corn, Grass/Straw

Maize

High energy crop (has lots of carbs) and is most cultivated crop for meat and dairy

Legumes

Fix nitrogen from air and flourish on nitrogen deficient soils

Dicots

Have only 2 of these baby plant leaves

Dermal Tissue (Plant Anatomy)

Used for protection and preventing loss of water

Ground Tissue (Plant Anatomy)

Responsible for metabolism and photosynthesis

Vascular Tissue (Plant Anatomy)

Responsible for transport of water (xylem) and sugars (phloem)

Double Fertilisation

Double fertilization is a unique process in flowering plants (angiosperms) where two sperm cells from a pollen grain fertilize two different female cells in the embryo sac: one sperm fuses with the egg to form a diploid (2n) zygote (which becomes the embryo), and the other sperm fuses with two polar nuclei to form a triploid (3n) primary endosperm nucleus, which develops into the nutrient-rich endosperm, the embryo's food source.