Agriculture Lecture Notes Flashcards

What is Agriculture?

The science that deals with growing crops and rearing livestock.

What is the Economic importance of Agriculture?

Source of food, draught power, raw materials, and manure.

What is the Social importance of Agriculture?

They are used as food in ceremonies, to pay bride price, for prestige, and in ritual ceremonies.

What is the impact of HIV and AIDS on Agricultural Productivity?

Farmers and farm workers are sick and unable to work; they take care of ill relatives; skilled people die; money is spent on medicines.

What is the Impact of Agricultural Activities on the Environment?

Overgrazing, soil erosion, pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, habitat loss, nutrient depletion, diseases spread to wild animals, and water resource depletion.

How does Agriculture relate to Biology?

Living plants and animals.

How does Agriculture relate to Geography?

Soil, weather, and climate.

How does Agriculture relate to Chemistry?

Pesticides and fertilizers.

How does Agriculture relate to Mathematics?

Calculations and measurements.

How does Agriculture relate to Physics?

Farm machinery care and repair.

How does Agriculture relate to Home Economics?

Food use in animal bodies.

How does Agriculture relate to Economics and Accounting?

Understanding the market.

What are the Branches of Agriculture?

Soil Science, Agronomy, Animal Science, Forestry, Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Economics.

What is Animal Husbandry?

Livestock production and management.

What is Agronomy?

Field crops production and soil management.

What is Forestry?

Growing and managing trees and forests.

What is Soil Science?

Classification, conservation, and management of soil.

What is Horticulture?

Production and management of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals.

What is Agricultural Economics?

Farm management and economics of agricultural production.

What is Agricultural Engineering?

Farm machinery, tools, structures, and irrigation.

What are Careers and training in Agriculture?

Teacher of Agriculture, Ranch manager, Agricultural Demonstrator, Artificial Inseminator, Veterinary assistant, Soil conservation officer, Farm manager, Agricultural research officer.

What Institutions offer Agriculture training?

Botswana College of Agriculture, Ramatlabama Ranch Management Centre, Colleges of Education, and Rural Training Centres.

What are Factors limiting food production and security in Botswana?

Adverse climate, drought, pests, diseases, poor management, unskilled farmers, low technology adoption, unreliable rainfall, and cultural norms.

What are Ways of improving food production and security?

Increased training, new technologies, access to credit, prevention of soil erosion, better water use, recommended management practices, and increased fertilizer use.

What are Government strategies to improve food production and security?

Control diseases and pests, provide infrastructure, train human resources, establish livestock advisory centers, support research, and provide financial assistance.

What is the Food Situation in Botswana?

Botswana is a net exporter of beef and beef products; annual domestic production is less than national requirement demand; net importer of food stuff.

What is Food self-sufficiency?

A country produces adequate food for itself and does not import food.

What is Food security?

A country or household has access to adequate food at all times.

What are Production Problems of Agriculture?

Poor soil, erratic rainfall, lack of skills, competition, high costs, risks, and uncertainty.

What are Marketing Problems of Agriculture?

Seasonal production, bulkiness, inadequate storage, perishability, lack of personnel, lack of uniformity, and lack of market information.

What are Types of Farming?

Arable farming, pastoral farming, and mixed farming.

What are Scales of farming?

Commercial and subsistence farming.

What are the Characteristics of Commercial farming?

High capital input, high productivity, machinery use, and large scale.

What are the Characteristics of Subsistence farming?

Low capital input, low productivity, hand tool use, and small scale.

What is a Tool?

A device used to carry out mechanical functions using hands.

What is an Implement?

A device used to carry out mechanical functions, larger than a tool and require great power.

What is a Machine?

A device with fixed and moving parts performing work using power.

What are Safety protocols for Tools and Machines?

Carry sharp tools pointed down, ensure enough work space, store equipment with care, and avoid carrying passengers on a tractor.

What is the Care and storage of farm tools, implements and machines?

Use equipment for its intended purpose, clean it after use, store away from sunlight and rain, oil moving parts, check oil levels, and sharpen tools regularly.

What are the Advantages of Farm Mechanization?

Work is faster and easier, labor saving, farms can be larger and high yield, minimizes pests and diseases.

What are the Disadvantages of Farm Mechanization?

Machinery is expensive, creates unemployment, destroys soil structure, and requires skilled operators.

What are the Problems tools implements and machines on the environment?

Soil erosion, water source siltation, pollution from exhaust fumes, and soil compaction.

What are the solutions to the problems on the environment?

Reduce soil cultivation, avoid ploughing on slopes, use machines with low carbon monoxide, and service machines regularly.

Define Soil Fertility

The ability of soil to promote plant growth by supplying enough nutrients

What is the importance of fertilizers to the soil?

They add nutrients to the soil, correct pH, improve structure, and provide food for soil microbes

What are the types of Fertilizers?

Organic fertilizers, Inorganic fertilizers.

What are Organic fertilizers?

Come from plants and animal products.

What are the advantages of Organic Fertilizers?

Cheap, improve soil structure, supply soil organisms, no special skills required, and environmentally friendly.

What are the Disadvantages of Organic Fertilizers?

Bulky, low concentration, slow nutrient release, unpleasant smell, contain weed seeds, and attract pests.

What are Inorganic Fertilizers?

Made from chemicals.

What are the Advantages of Inorganic Fertilizers?

Easy to store, needed in small quantities, do not harbor insects.

What are the Disadvantages of Inorganic Fertilizers?

Expensive, pollute the environment, do not provide food for soil organisms, do not improve structure, and require special skills.

When do you apply fertilizers?

Basal Dressing, Top Dressing.

What is a Basal Dressing?

Application of fertilizer before planting.

What is Top Dressing?

Application of fertilizers to growing crops.

What are the Methods of fertilizer application?

Broadcasting, Banding, Side dressing, Drilling, Fertigation, Foliar Spraying.

What is Broadcasting?

Scattering fertilizers over the field.

What is Banding?

Applying fertilizer in a strip next to plants.

What is Side dressing?

Making shallow holes next to plants.

What is Drilling?

Placing seeds and fertilizers together in a furrow.

What is Fertigation?

Mixing fertilizer with irrigation water.

What is Foliar Spraying?

Spraying dissolved fertilizers on leaves.

What are the Plants Nutrients?

Major and Minor Elements.

What are Major Elements?

Needed by plants in large quantities.

What are Minor Elements?

Needed by plants in small quantities.

Major Elements found in fertilizers

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur.

Examples of Minor Elements

Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Cobalt, chlorine

What are the Source of Nitrogen?

Organic Matter, Inorganic fertilizers, Nitrogen fixation, Lightning Strikes

What are the Source of Phosphorus?

Organic matter, Inorganic fertilizers, Rocks.

What are the Source of Potassium?

Rocks, Inorganic fertilizers( Murate of potash)

What are the Functions of Nitrogen?

Chlorophyll formation, protein production, absorption of other elements

What are the Functions of Phosphorus?

Root development, flower production, disease resistance, and seed/fruit production.

What are the Functions of Potassium?

Chlorophyll production, carbohydrate production and storage.

What is Deficiency of Nitrogen?

Stunted growth and yellow leaves.

What is Deficiency of Phosphorus?

Early maturity, reddish/purple leaves and stems, and poor root development.

What is Deficiency of Potassium?

Stunted growth, few flowers, slow flowers, fruits and seeds development, and edges of leaves became yellowish.

What is Symptoms of Excess Nitrogen?

Long dark leaves, weak plant leaves, soft leaves

What is Symptoms of Excess Phosphorus?

Too early ripening of fruits and seeds, Slow seeds germination, erratic growth

What is Symptoms of Excess Potassium?

Reduce crop yield sometimes , May iduce calcium

What can causes Loss of Nitrogen for soil?

Leaching, Soil erosion, Removal of crop residue, Continuous cropping, Bush burning

What can causes Loss of Phosphorus for soil?

Leaching, Soil erosion, Removal of crop residue and Continuous cropping

What can causes Loss of Potassium for soil?

Leaching, Soil erosion, Removal of crop residue and Continuous cropping

What are Ways of improving soil fertility?

Crop rotation, Apply fertilizers, Prevent soil erosion, Apply mulch, weed control, ploughing crop residues or control the soil pH

What is the negative effect of Fertilizers on the environment?

Contamination of drinking water and affecting aquatic species

Define Soil pH

Measure of acidity and alkalinity of the soil.

What is the range of pH scale?

1-14.

What is the neutral point in an pH scale?

7.

What are the effects of soil pH on plant growth?

Reduce microbe activity, increase aluminum, and affect plant growth or saline soil formed.

What Activities alter or Change soil pH?

Lime, dry soil, organic matter, and sulfur.

What the Ways of controlling or Regulating Soil pH?

Add lime, organic matter, sulfur, or fertilizers.

What is the System of Crop Production?

Monoculture, Mixed cropping, Inter cropping , Crop rotation and Continous cropping

What is Continous cropping?

Growing the crops in a field in a year without allowing it to rest

What is the Advantages of the Continous cropping?

Available crop production during the year, soil cover, labour and efficient soil potential used

What is the Disadvantages of the contious cropping?

Moisture availability all year, High potential of soil, lead to gradual decline of fertility and requires irrigation during dry seasons

What is a Monoculture/ Monocropping?

Growing one crop to maturity on a piece of land

What is the Advantages of the Monoculture/ Monocropping?

Promote specialized skill, mechanization for land used and farming and carry out operation for Easy

What is the Disadvantages of the Monoculture/ Monocropping?

inadequate utilization of land, promote build ups of pests, high risk of crop failure and use of fertilizer

What is the Mixed cropping?

Growing two crops ,or More on the field at the same time

What is the Advantages of of the Mixed cropping?

Better protection from soil erosion ,high crop increase per area, efficient use and minimal spread if pests

What is the disadvantages of of the Mixed cropping?

Difficult to carry operation, limited specialization and difficult to get over things easily