Farming Methods - Edubirdie

University:
Texas Lutheran University
Course:
ENVS 130 | Environmental Science
Academic year:

2020
Views:

264

Pages:

2
Author:

Dominick Dickson

FARMING METHODS ● History of Agriculture ○ The history of agriculture records the domestication of plants and animals and the development and dissemination of techniques for raising them properly. ■ In Colonial America, farming was the primary livelihood of about 90% of people. In the beginning, many farms were mainly used for producing food for the family. Some were used for trade and taxes. ■ As the population increased, larger farms and plantations were developed. ● In North America, farmers domesticated numerous crops including sunflowers, tobacco, cotton, and corn. ● They would usually rotate the crops so that the soil would remain healthy. They would fertilize the crops with small fish. ● Alternative Farming Methods ○ 31 million acres of farmland were lost to development, in total, between 1992 and 2012. ■ The US lost 11 million acres of America’s best agricultural land - land with superior soil conditions and weather for growing food. ○ Hydroponics vs. Aquaponics ■ Hydroponics: Refers to growing plants without soil. Gardeners grow plants in other substances like water, sand, and gravel instead. ● These plants get nutrients through the watering process. Gardeners put fertilizer into the water before watering the plants. ■ Aquaponics: A type of hydroponics where gardeners choose water as their medium in which to grow plants ● They also raise fish and other water life, such as snails and crayfish, whose waste provide the plants with nutrients ● Raising fish and plants together in the same environment creates a cycle where the plants clean the water for the fish and the fish provide nutrients for the plants. ■ Advantages of Hydroponics and Aquaponics: ● You don’t need soil to grow plants, gardens are easy to move ● No need to worry about pests attracted to soil ● Using other methods to grow plants (like water) is more cost-effective than soil ● You can control the nutrients the plants get either through fertilizer in hydroponics or how well you raise fish (aquaponics) ■ Disadvantages of Hydroponics and Aquaponics ● Extra cost to set up raise fish for aquaponics ● Plants will die fast if not properly monitored Aquaponics vs. Hydroponics.