Unit 5 Exploring Essential Vocabulary Agriculture and Farming

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

An agricultural facility that keeps a large number of animals confined to a small, densely populated space.

Agroforestry

Planting trees and crops together or combining trees with livestock.

Alley cropping

Planting of crops in strips with rows of trees or shrubs on each side.

Aquifer

An underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials like gravel and sand.

Fertilizers

Substances added to the soil to enhance plant growth.

Organic fertilizers

Made from natural materials like compost, manure, blood meal, fish meal, or bone meal containing nutrients N, P, and K.

Inorganic fertilizers

Made from chemical compounds and can contain nutrients N, P, and K or just one.

Waterlogging

The oversaturation of soil with water, often due to excessive irrigation or poor drainage.

Salinization

The buildup of salts in the soil, often caused by excessive irrigation.

Pesticides

Substances used to control or kill pests that damage crops or livestock.

Herbicides

Pesticides specifically designed to kill weeds.

Fungicides

Pesticides used to control or kill fungi that cause plant diseases.

Rodenticides

Pesticides that kill rodents, such as mice and rats.

Insecticides

Pesticides used to kill insects that harm crops, livestock, or humans.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using modern biotechnology techniques.

Feedlots

Large, confined areas where livestock are raised for meat production.

Free-Range Grazing

Allowing livestock to roam freely over a large area to graze on natural vegetation.

Overgrazing

When too many animals graze in a particular area, exceeding the land's capacity to regenerate vegetation.

Desertification

The process of fertile land becoming desert, typically due to climate change and human activities.

Antibiotic Resistance

When bacteria evolve and become resistant to the antibiotics designed to kill them.

Growth Hormones

Substances that stimulate the growth and development of animals.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

A sustainable approach to pest control that combines various methods to minimize environmental impact.

Biocontrol

Using natural enemies (predators and parasites) to control pests.

Pesticide resistance

When a pest population evolves to the point where a pesticide no longer effectively controls it.

Pesticide treadmill

The cycle of farmers needing to develop and use new pesticides to combat resistant pests.

Windbreaks

Rows of trees or shrubs planted to reduce wind speed and protect crops from wind damage.

Perennial Crops

Plants that live for more than two years and produce crops year after year.

Annual Crops

Plants that complete their life cycle within one year, producing crops only once.

Rotational Grazing

Moving livestock between different pastures to allow vegetation in each pasture to recover.

Strip cropping

Planting regular and close-growing plants in alternating rows or bands to reduce soil nutrient depletion.

Terracing

Planting crops on a slope that has been converted into broad, nearly level terraces to retain water.

Shifting agriculture

Clearing a plot in a forest and planting crops on it for a few years before moving to a new plot.

Slash-and-burn agriculture

Cutting down and burning vegetation to add nutrients to the soil for agriculture.

Intercropping

Growing two or more different crops at the same time on a plot.

Contour plowing

Plowing across the slope of the land to help retain water and reduce soil erosion.

Conservation-tillage agriculture

Crop cultivation with minimal soil disturbance to reduce erosion and lower costs.

Monoculture

Cultivation of a single crop, usually on a large area of land.

Polyculture

Complex intercropping with many different plants maturing at different times.

Crop Rotation

Planting different crops yearly in a field to reduce nutrient depletion.

Plantation Agriculture

Growing specialized crops in tropical developing countries for sale to developed countries.

Vertical farming

Farming on vertical surfaces using stacked layers to produce more food on less land.

Cover crop

Plants that cover the soil to manage soil erosion and fertility.

Regenerative Agriculture

A holistic approach to farming focusing on improving soil health and ecosystem resilience.

Organic Agriculture

Food grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Animal husbandry

A branch of agriculture dedicated to the breeding and care of domesticated animals.

Urban farming

Cultivation of food and livestock within a city or densely populated area.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming where nearly all produce is used to maintain the farmer's family.

Hydroponics

Growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution instead of soil.

Community Supported Agriculture

A system where a farm operation is supported by local shareholders who share benefits and risks.

Surface irrigation

Water is distributed over the land by gravity.

Furrow irrigation

A surface irrigation type in which trenches are dug, allowing water to seep into the soil.

Flood irrigation

A type of surface irrigation flooding the entire field to allow even soaking.

Localized irrigation

Water is distributed under low pressure through a piped network to each plant.

Drip irrigation

Localized irrigation delivering drops of water directly at plant roots.

Surface drip

Emitter lines lie on the soil surface, directly watering plant roots.

Subsurface drip

Drip lines are buried beneath the soil surface, delivering water directly to roots.

Sprinkler irrigation

Water is distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers.

Overhead sprinklers

Spray water from above, mimicking natural rainfall.

Center pivot irrigation

Water is distributed by sprinklers on wheeled towers in a circular pattern.

Lateral move irrigation

Water is distributed through pipes and sprinklers that move across the field.

Subsurface irrigation

Water is distributed by raising the water table through pumping stations.

Porous pipes

Water seeps out from perforated pipes buried beneath the soil.

Ditches and tile drains

Water fills underground ditches that seep upward to plant roots.

Manual irrigation

Water is distributed across land through manual labor and watering cans.