Definitions Answer Keys

1 Agribusiness - Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the foodprocessing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations. Agriculture - The deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth's surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain. Cereal Grain - A grass yielding grain for food. chaff - Husks of grain separated from the seed by threshing. combine - A machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans gram while moving over a field. commercial agriculture - Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm. crop - Grain or fruit gathered from a field as a harvest during a particular season. crop rotation - The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil. desertification - the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert double cropping - Harvesting twice a year from the same field. grain - Seed of a cereal grass. green revolution - Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers. horticulture - The growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. hull - The outer covering of a seed. intensive subsistence agriculture - A form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land. milkshed - The area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied. paddy - Malay word for wet rice, commonly but incorrectly used to describe a sawah. pasture - Grass or other plants grown for feeding grazing animals, as well as land used for grazing. pastoral nomadism - A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals. plantation - A large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale, usually to a more developed country. prime agricultural land - the most productive farmland ranching - A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area. 2 reaper - A machine that cuts grain standing in the field. ridge tillage - System of planting crops on ridge tops, in order to reduce farm production costs and promote greater soil conservation. sawah - A flooded field for growing rice seed agriculture - Reproduction of plants through annual introduction of seeds, which result from sexual fertilization. shifting cultivation - A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period. slash and burn agriculture - Another name for shifring cultivation, so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris. spring wheat - Wheat planted in the spring and harvested in the late summer. subsistence agriculture - Agriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the farmer and the farmer's family sustainable agriculture - Farming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating soil- restoring crops with cash crops and reducing in-puts of fertilizer and pesticides. swidden - A patch of land cleared for planting through slashing and burning. thresh - To beat out grain from stalks by trampling it. transhumace - The seasoned migration of livestock between mountains and low land pastures. truck farming - Commercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because truck was a Middle English word meaning batering or the exchange of commodities. vegetative planting - reproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants wet rice - Rice planted on dryland in a nursery, then moved to a deliberately flooded field to promote growth. winnow - To remove chaff by allowing it to be blown away by the wind. winter wheat - Wheat planted in the fall and harvested in the summer. 3 TERM DEFINITION 4 Agribusiness Commercial agriculture integrated into a large food-production industry Aquaculture/ aquafarming The cultivation of seafood under controlled condtions Cereal grain/cereal A grass that yields grain for food Chaff Husks of grain separated from the seed by threshing Combine A machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans grain while moving over a field Commercial agriculture Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm Crop rotation The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year to avoid exhausting the soil Desertification Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions Dietary energy consumption The amount of food that an individual consumes, measured in kilocalories Double cropping Harvesting twice a year from the same field Food security Physical, social, and economic access at all times to safe and nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs for an active and healthy life Green revolution Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially high-yield seeds and fertilizers Horticulture The growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers Hull The outer covering of a seed Intensive subsistence agriculture A form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers expend a large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land. Milkshed The area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied Paddy The Maylay word for wet rice, commonly but incorrectly used to describe a sawah Pastoral nomadism A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals Plantation A large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale, usually to a more developed country Prime agricultural land The most productive farmland Ranching A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area Reaper A machine that cuts cereal grain standing in a field 5 Ridge tillage A system of planting crops on ridge tops in order to reduce farm production costs and promote greater soil conservation Sawah A flooded field for growing rice 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 few years and left fallow for a relatively long period. Slash-and-burn agriculture Another name for shifting cultivation, so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris Spring wheat Wheat planted in the spring and harvested in the late summer Sustainable agriculture Farming methods that preserve the long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating crops and minimizing fertilizers/pesticides Swidden A patch of land cleared for planting through slashing and burning Thresh To beat out grain from stalks Transhumance The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures Truck farming Commercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because truck was Middle English for bartering Undernourishment Dietary consumption that is consistently below the minimum requirement for maintaining a healthy life and carrying out physical activity Wet rice Rice planted on dry land in a nursery then moved to a deliberately flooded field to promote growth Winnow To remove chaff by allowing it to be blown away in the wind Winter wheat Wheat planted in the autumn and harvested in the early summer TEST 1 1. According to Boserup's model, ________________________ compels subsistence farmers to consider new farming approaches to generate higher yields A) local governments B) population growth C) emigration D) civil strife 6 E) hydroelectric power projects- B) population growth 2. According to von Thunen's model of agricultural land use, which of following products should be grown closest to the market? A) wheat B) beef C) strawberries D) rice E) peppers - C) strawberries 3. After corn, the most important crop in the US mixed crop and livestock region is A) wheat B) soybeans C) barley D) fruits and vegetables E) sugar beets - B) soybeans 4. Before the first agricultural revolution, what were humans doing for food? A) fishing B) planting crops C) hunting and gathering D) genetically engineering food for mass production E) buying it in small, food-specific establishments - C) hunting and gathering 5. Farming varies around the world because of ____________ across space A) cultural and environmental factors B) cultural and economic factors C) farmers' personal preference and environmental factors D) weather and climate E) climate change - A) cultural and environmental factors 6. In the US many farms are integrated into large food production industry. This is known as A) agribusiness B) commercial farming C) food processing D) mechanized farming E) mixed crop and livestock farming - A) agribusiness 7. Only about 15 million people are nomads, but they sparsely occupy A) 50 percent of the undifferentiated highlands B) 1 percent of the earth's land area C) most of the tropical regions of the earth D) most of the islands of the south Pacific E) 20 percent of the earth's land area - E) 20 percent of the earth's land area 7 8. The decline in the number of farmers in MDCs can best be described as a consequence of A) push/pull economic factors, including the lack of opportunity in rural areas and higher-paying jobs B) urban sprawl. including the development of rings of suburbs and exurbs around major C) push/pull economic factors, including greater opportunities in rural areas and lower-paying D) the increase of populations in urban areas and the reduced population in rural areas E) the spread of disease and starvation in rural areas, which quickly reduced the populations of farmers - A) push/pull economic factors, including the lack of opportunity in rural areas and higherpaying jobs 9. The different areas of the world where Mediterranean agriculture predominates have similar A) social customs B) cultural beliefs C) broad expanses of flat land along sea coasts D) climate E) levels of livestock production with the mixed crop and livestock regions - D) climate 10. The earliest known domesticated wheat, barley, and rice crops are thought to have originated in Asia A) 100,000 years ago B) 10,000 years ago C) 1.1 million years ago D) 1,000 years ago E) 10 million years ago - B) 10,000 years ago 11. The farther a dairy farm is from a large urban area the lower the percentage of output devoted to fresh milk. This occurs primarily because A) land costs are lower farther from the urban area B) processed milk, in its various forms, is less perishable C) transport costs are greater farther from the urban area D) the quality of soil is lower near an urban area E) rural populations drink less milk per capita than urban dwellers - B) processed milk, in its various forms, is less perishable 12. The first people to domesticate lentils and olives were in A) western India B) northern China C) Ethiopia D) Southwest Asia E) South America D) Southwest Asia 13. The most important distinction for dividing the world into agricultural regions is A) whether the product is consumed by families near the farm or it is sold to others off the farm B) whether crops are grown or animals are raised C) the location of the first agriculture D) the population density of the crop-producing region E) B and D - A) whether the product is consumed by families near the farm or it is sold to others off the farm 8 14. The predominant forms of agriculture in the US Southeast are A) mixed crop and livestock, commercial gardening, and plantation farming B) dairy farming and grain farming C) Mediterranean agriculture,commercial gardening, and plantation farming D) grain farming and plantation farming E) plantation farming and subsistence agriculture - A) mixed crop and livestock, commercial gardening, and plantation farming 15. The primary factor in von Thunen's model for choosing commercial farm products is A) land price B) market location C) climate D) soil character E) labor cost - B) market location 16. The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures is A) pastoral nomadism B) shifting cultivation C) transhumance D) practiced mostly in the tropics E) livestock ranching - C) transhumance 17. The type of agriculture near large cities, which includes producing fruits & vegetables, is called A) sawah B) truck agriculture C) subsistence agriculture D) truck farming E) truck hybridization - D) truck farming 18. To increase crop yields, farmers in South China commonly practice A) double cropping B) transhumance C) threshing D) pastoral nomadism E) shifting cultivation - A) double cropping 19. Unlike other forms of commercial agriculture, plantations are A) part of agribusiness B) owned by day laborers in less developed countries C) found primarily in less developed countries D) situated in densely populated locations E) found primarily in more developed countries - C) found primarily in less developed countries 9 20. Von Thunen's model can best be used to explain the location of which of the following types of agriculture? A) dairying in the northeast United States B) ranching in the dry lands of North Africa C) shifting cultivation in the tropics of South America D) intensive subsistence in South China E) Mediterranean agriculture in central Chile - A) dairying in the northeast United States 21. What is the purpose of crop rotation? A) maintaining fresh products for market B) maintaining price supports C) maintaining the fertility of fields D) responding to shifting consumer preference E) reducing transportation cost - C) maintaining the fertility of fields 22. Which is not a characteristic of shifting cultivation? A) Land is cleared by slashing the vegetation B) Debris is burned to provide the soil with nutrients C) A new site is designated every few years D) Swiddens not under cultivation are used for fruit trees E) All of the above are characteristics - E) All of the above are characteristics 23. Which of the following is a subsistence crop? A) corn B) cotton C) rubber D) cocoa E) timber - A) corn 24. Which of the following is NOT true about GMOs? A) Approximately 10 percent of all farmland, worldwide, is devoted to GMO crops B) Over 75 percent of all foodstuffs Americans consume has GMO products C) North America produces around 50 percent of all GMO foods D) The NAFTA nations, the US, Canada, and Mexico have fully embraced the idea of labeling GMO foods E) Africa is reluctant to adopt GMOs because it negatively influences their export opportunities to Europe 25. Which of the following regions has little dairying in its traditional agriculture? A) Eastern Europe B) Western Europe C) South Asia D) East Asia E) North America - D) East Asia 10 26. Which type of agriculture is practiced by the largest percentage of the world's people? A) hunting and gathering B) shifting cultivation C) pastoral nomadism D) intensive subsistence E) plantation - D) intensive subsistence TEST 2 1.Before the first agricultural revolution, people were engaged primarily in what type of agriculture? hunting and gathering 2.About how many years has farming existed? - 12,000 years 3.When did farming start? - 10,000 BC 11 4.What were 4 of the first important agricultural hearths? - Fertile Crescent (SW Asia), Ancient Egypt, N. China, Indus Valley (S. Asia), Ethiopia 5.Where do most scientists think seed agriculture had its origin? - SW Asia-Fertile Crescent 6.What was the dominant crop of the fertile crescent? - Wheat and barley 7.What is the purpose of crop rotation? - to maintain soil fertility 8.What was the driving force behind the diffusion of many of today's crops from their original source? - As the industrial revolution creates factories, factories need raw materials which leads to colonialism and imperialism which causes crops to diffuse around the world 9.Which of the following countries owes its cotton fields to the influence of Great Britain? - India 10.List 4 main factors related to the Green Revolution - -automated or mechanical irrigation -pesticides, chemical fertilizers -plant hybridization -increased yield 11.Name 4 geographical realms significantly affected by the Green Revolution - US, Middle East, Asia, Europe (everywhere other than Sub-Saharan Africa) 12.Name 4 consequences of the adoption of hybrid seeds - -reduced genetic diversity -migration from rural farming to urban cities -heavy use or fertilizers and pesticides -heavy use of freshwater 13.What has been the consequence of genetically engineered foods? - mad cow disease, artificial hormones, antibiotic overuse and harmful diseases 14.Name 4 practices of sustainable agriculture - -sensitive use of land management systems -use of organic fertilizers -limited use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides -better integration of crops and livestock 15.agribusiness - -the industrialization of agriculture 16.4 characteristics of the industrialization of agriculture - -combining smaller farms into fewer, larger food production facilities -use of biotechnology and hybrid seeds -industrial substitutes are used for additional farming material 17. What innovation increased the production of livestock in Argentina and Australia in the late 19th century? - refrigerated ships 18. What country purchases over half of the worlds annual production of coffee? - USA 19. In what country were rubber trees first tapped? - Brazil 12 20. what is the downside of LDC's becoming reliant on cash crops such as sugar, cacao and coffee? they are at the mercy of MDC's who purchase them 21. which unique rectangular scheme system in the US was adopted after the American Revolution? township and range 22. what is a form of village that still exists today in many rural areas? - walled villages 23. Rural housing throughout the world reflects different housing types based on what type of environment? - cultural 24. Who does most of the agricultural work in Africa and much of the less developed world? - women 25. economic activities are grouped into five major aggregates of productive activities. which denotes the extractive sector? - primary: products close to the ground 26.what is desertification and where is it occurring? - degradation of land in arid areas due to manmade activities. Sahel, North Africa 27. is there a relationship between the percentage of a country's labor force and the number of subsistence farms, if so, what is it? - less people working in agriculture, the richer the country is. lost of farmers-> more subsistence 28.where in the world has many wooded areas been deforested to provide beef for hamburgers for fast-food chains in the US - Brazil and Thailand 29. Where does slash and burn agriculture exist in the world? - tropical rainforests 30. Which type of agriculture is primarily found in less developed countries? - small, family farms that grow vegetables, eggs, corn and fruit. intensive subsistence and plantation. 31. define subsistence farming and indicate where in the world it is still prevalent - subsistence farming-growing enough food to survive, small, family farms that grow vegetables, eggs, corn and fruit, prevalent in LDC's 32. Name 3 characteristics of rice production - 1. SE Asia, E. India, SE China 2. labor intensive 3. small plots 4. major food staple of Asia 5. not exported 33.which type of agriculture involves the greatest percentage of people in the world today? - intensive subsistence 34. 3 characteristics of Extensive agriculture - 1. large, extensive areas 2. few inputs, but heavy machinery usage 3. dependent on natural conditions 4. food value crops 35. what was the most important factor in Von Thunen's model of agricultural land use in 1826? - cost of transportation governs use of land 13 36. why did Von Thunen call his book "The Isolated State"? - refers to the self contained situation 37. in the Von Thunen model ,what does the second concentric circle around the city represent? dairy 38. What are the concentric circles in order from urban->rural - city, dairy, forest, cattle/grazing land 39. In the Von Thunen model, what product is most likely to locate closest to urban areas? - market gardening and dairying 40. Name 4 reasons why the decline in the number of US farms - -higher yields of milk per cow -less demand for milk products -increased use of machinery in milk production -increased size of individual dairy heads 41.What are two agricultural products prevalent in the Corn Belt? - hogs and cattle 42.name the top 4 wheat exporting countries... - US, China, Canada and India 43.What agricultural product does the USA lead in? - wheat 44.which type of agriculture has increased significantly in the US since 1970? - chicken and broiler farming 45.Mediterranean crops in the US are most likely to be found in which states - California and Oregon 46.Name 4 crops that are typically found in Mediterranean Agriculture.olives, grapes, nuts and fruits 47.List 2 products typically found in Florida: - citrus and sugarcane 48.List 2 products typically found in the Great Plains: - winter and spring wheat 50. List 2 products typically found in the Midwest: - corn and soybeans 51. List 2 products typically found in the northwest: - potatoes, fish and mushrooms 52. List 2 products typically found in the Southeast - apples, lettuce and tomatoes 53. What is the major form of agriculture in the Southeast US? - commercial gardening/truck gardening Test 3 1.Name 3 characteristics of plantation agriculture: capital intensive, specialized mono-cropping, large scale 2.Name 3 crops of plantation farming that are examples of export-based agriculture: bananas, cocoa, coconuts, coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rubber and tea 14 3.Brazil produces most of it's ethanol from what crop? sugar cane 4.The multiple hearths of agriculture derive from what uniqueness in each area? A. Climatic conditions B. Cultural preferences C. Wild plants D. All of the above - A. Climatic Conditions 5.What grain was introduced to the Eastern Hemisphere after AD 1500? A. Wheat B. Barley C. Sorghum D. Maize - B. Barley 6.What is "Maize" known as in English-speaking countries? - Corn Which of these characteristics do not belong to shifting cultivation? A. Slash-and-Burn Agriculture B. People live in small villages who practice shifting cultivation C. Constant cultivation until nutrients are depleted and then land is fallowed D. No well-recognized land boundaries under village control - D. No well-recognized land boundaries under village control 7.Which of these characteristics do not belong to pastoral nomadism? A. Size of the herd is not important. B. Pastoral nomads generally eat no meat. C. Animals provide milk, as well as clothing and tents, through their skins. D. Pastoral nomads depend primarily on animals rather than crops for survival. - A. Size of the herd is not important. 8.Transhumance is what? A. Pastoral nomads moving based on the seasons. B. Shifting cultivation using the only form of cheap fertilizer available in LDCs. C. Seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas. D. All of the above. - C. Seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas. 9.Why is pastoral nomadism in decline? A. Government boundaries B. Land coming under restrictive private boundaries and used for other purposes C. Modern technology D. All of the above - D. All of the above 10.Why is double cropping not common in India? A. Cold winters B. Dry winters C. Growing season not long enough for double cropping D. All of the above - B. Dry winters 11.Which of these crops are not cereal grains? 15 A. Oats B. Barley C. Rye D. Sorghum E. Wheat - D. Sorghum 12.Where is the U.S. Corn Belt centered? A. South Dakota B. Iowa C. Kansas D. Nebraska - B. Iowa 13.After corn, what is the most important crop in the U.S. mixed commercial farming region? A. Wheat B. Soybeans C. Barley D. Sorghum - B. Soybeans 14.What is the dominant type of commercial agriculture practiced on farms near the large urban areas of the Northeast United States? A. Mixed crop and livestock farming B. Commercial gardening and fruit farming C. Dairy farming D. Livestock ranching - C. Dairy farming 15.Which state makes up part of the winter wheat belt? A. Kansas B. North Dakota C. Montana D.Texas - A. Kansas 16.Which state makes up part of the spring wheat belt? A. Colorado B. South Dakota C. Oklahoma D. Kansas - B. South Dakota 17.What was the farmer's most potent weapon in fighting cattle ranchers during the "range wars?" A. U.S. law B. Guns C. Barbed wire D. Posse - C. Barbed wire 18.What are the physical characteristics shared by all Mediterranean climatic areas in the world? A. Summers are hot and dry B. Land is hilly and mountainous C. All border a sea D. Winters are wet with moderate temperatures E. All of the above - E. All of the above 16 19.Shifting cultivation is considered as what type of agriculture? A. Extensive subsistence. B. Intensive commercial. C. Extensive commercial. D. Intensive subsistence. - D. Intensive subsistence. 20.Mediterranean agriculture -- known for its grapes and olives, among other products -- is generally found in which climate region? A. A B. B C. C D. D - C. C name this region 21.The crops of sugarcane and cotton are usually grown on: A. Plantations. B. Terraced paddies. C. Truck farms. D. Swidden plots. - A. Plantations. 22.According to the distribution of so-called Animal Centers, the most important regional hearth of livestock herding is: A. Southwest Asia B. Andean South America C. Northern South America D. East Africa E. Eastern Mediterranean - A. Southwest Asia 23.True/False: Carl Sauer argued that seed agriculture came later (after vegetative planting), and is the reproduction of plants through annual planting of seeds. A. True B. False - A. True 24.True/False: Prime agricultural farmland in the United States is in danger of being lost to urban sprawl. A. True B. False - A. True 25.True/False: A newly cleared area for shifting cultivation is known as a swidden. A. True B. False - A. True 26.True/False: Most farmers in LDCs practice intensive subsistence agriculture. A. True B. False - A. True 27.True/False: The term wet rice refers to the practice of planting rice on dry land in a nursery, and then moving the seedlings to a flooded field to promote growth. 17 A. True B. False - A. True 28.True/False: Most wet rice cultivation is located in river valleys and deltas. A. True B. False - A. True 29.True/False: Double cropping means producing two harvests per year from one field. A. True B. False - A. True 30.True/False: Much of the interior lands of India and China are devoted to crops other than wet rice. A. True B. False - A. True 31.True/False: Crop rotation is the practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year. A. True B. False - A. True 32.True/False: Even though the government of China owns all the farmland, the villagers can sign contracts to farm portions of the land as a private individual. A. True B. False - A. True 33.True/False: The most distinctive characteristic of mixed crop and livestock farming is that most of the crops are fed to animals rather than consumed directly by humans. A. True B. False - A. True 34.True/False: A two-field crop rotation system was developed in Northern Europe around the fifth century A.D. A. True B. False - A. True 35.True/False: The most important grain crop grown in the United States is wheat. A. True B. False - A. True 36.True/False: Ranching is the commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area. A. True 37.True/False: Growth in ranching in South America was stimulated because more cattle could graze on a given area of land in the pampas of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, than in the U.S. West. A. True B. False - A. True 38.True/False: Horticulture forms the basis for commercial farming in the Mediterranean areas. 18 A. True B. False - A. True 39.True/False: Truck farming refers to raising commercial gardening and fruit crops. A. True B. False - A. True 40.What is Agriculture? - Agriculture is the deliberate modification of Earth's surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain. 41/\.True/False: According to the Boserup thesis, subsistence farmers increase the supply of food through intensification of production, achieved by leaving land fallow for shorter periods. A. True B. False - A. True 42.Where do today's hunter's and gatherers live in the world? - These people live in isolated locations. - The Arctic - The interior of Africa - The interior of Australia - The interior of South America 43.Give an example of hunters and gatherers today. - - African Bushman of Nambia and Botswana - Aborigines in Australia 44.What is vegetative planting? - Reproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants. 45.What is seed agriculture? - Reproduction of plants through planting of seeds. 46.True/False: Agriculture originated only in Southeast Asia and diffused from there. - False. Agriculture originated in multiple hearts around the world and diffused. 47.Subsistence Farming is found in what types of countries of the world? – LDCs Best Study Guide Agribusiness - 1. Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the foodprocessing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations. 19 2. General term for the businesses that provide the vast array of goods and services that support the agriculture industry. Example: Examples of agribusinesses include seed and agrichemical producers like Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta; biofuels, and micro-ingredients, ADM, grain transport and processing; John Deere, farm machinery producer; Ocean Spray, farmer's cooperative; and Purina Farms, agritourism farm. Agriculture - 1. A form of food production in which fields are in permanent cultivation using plows, animals, and techniques of soil and water control. 2. Large-scale cultivation using plows harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources. Example: USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) is a great example in our agriculture in America. Chaff - 1. Husks of grain separated from the seed by threshing. 2. The separation of seed from the husk. Example: Wheat grains found after threshing is an example of chaff. Commercial agriculture - 1. Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm. 2. The production of crops for sale, crops intended for widespread distribution to wholesaler or retail outlets. Example: An example could be the larger crop farmers, feedlot livestock farmers, or the small organic farmer who go to the farmer's market to sell their produce. Crop - 1. Grain or fruit gathered from a field as a harvest during a particular season. 2. Any plant cultivated by people for food or profit. Example: Examples would be corn, wheat, apples, oranges, lettuce, potatoes, etc. Crop rotation - 1. The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil. 2. Planting different crops at different times to avoid nutrient depletion. Example: Feild A grows x crop one year, y crop the next year, z crop the year after that, and then goes back to x crop once the cycle has restarted. Deforestation - 1. The process of stripping the land of its trees. 2. Destruction of forest land. Example: The destruction of the Amazon Rainforest for urban sprawl. 20 Desertification - 1. Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting. 2. A form of land degradation in which 10% of a land's productivity is lost due to erosion or other factors. It can result in the expansion of desert areas. Example: A good U.S. example of desertification is, of course, the "Dust Bowl" in the Great Plains that took place during the drought of the 1930s. Double cropping - 1. Harvesting twice a year from the same field. 2. Growing more than one crop a year on the same land. Example: An example of double cropping might be to harvest a wheat crop by early summer and then plant corn or soybeans on that acreage for harvest in the fall. Green Revolution - 1. Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers. 2. A shift in agricultural practices in the twentieth century that included new management techniques, mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, and resulted in increased food output. Example: The Green Revolution introduced robust grain crops to the developing world but also changed their traditional methods of agriculture, especially in India. Horticulture - 1. The growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 2. A method of cultivation in which hand tools powered by human muscles are used and in which land use is extensive. Example: Examples would include things like herbology, silvoculture, crop science, pasture and rangeland science and management, plant biology, etc. Intensive subsistence agriculture - 1. A form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land. 2. Term applied to subsistence agriculture that means that farmers must work more intensively to subsist on a parcel of land. Example: The best examples are in developing countries were the farmer and his family lives from year to year on what they produce, usually a staple food crop like rice, corn or wheat, and a few animals like goats, sheep, or pigs plus a few chickens, to supply meat, eggs and milk. Milkshed - 1. The area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied. 2. The ring surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling. Example: A milkshed could be 100 miles around a city. 21 Pastoral nomadism - 1. A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals. 2. A traditional subsistence agricultural system in which practitioners depend on the seasonal movements of livestock within marginal natural environments. Example: Camel Herders, Shepard and his flock. Plantation - 1. A large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale, usually to a more developed country. c 2. A large-scale agricultural enterprise growing commercial crops and usually employing coerced or slave labor. Example: Sugar Cane plantation in South. Prime agricultural land - 1. The most productive farmland. 2. Term for the most productive farmland. Example: Much Prime agricultural land has been lost due to show times. Ranching - 1. A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area. 2. The practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or other products. Example: Cattle Ranching in West Texas. Ridge tillage - 1. System of planting crops on ridge tops in order to reduce farm production costs and promote greater soil conservation. 2. A system of planting crops on ridge tops. Example: Planting corn and wheat on ridge tops. Shifting cultivation - 1. A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period. 2. Cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings in which the forest vegetation has been removed by cutting and burning. These clearings are usually abandoned after a few years in favor of newly cleared forestland. Also known as slash-and-burn agriculture. Example: Shifting cultivation is practiced by nearly 250 million people, especially in the tropical rain forests of South America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Slash-and-burn agriculture - 1. Another name for shifring cultivation, so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris. 2. A farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land. 22 Example: An example would be subsistence farmers to provide temporary fertility to the soil by burning plants. Subsistence agriculture - 1. Agriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the farmer and the farmer's family. 2. Farmer produces just enough to support himself and his family wih little left for purchasing manufactured goods. Example: The best examples are in developing countries were the farmer and his family lives from year to year on what they produce, usually a staple food crop like rice, corn or wheat, and a few animals like goats, sheep, or pigs plus a few chickens, to supply meat, eggs and milk. Sustainable agriculture - 1. Farming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating soil- restoring crops with cash crops and reducing in-puts of fertilizer and pesticides. 2. Agriculture that fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of the soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer. Example: Crop Rotation Transhumance - 1. The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures. 2. A seasonal periodic movement of pastoralists and their livestock between highland and lowland pastures. Example: Moving cattle up and down the Swiss Alps. Truck Farming - 1. Commercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because truck was a Middle English word meaning bartering or the exchange of commodities. 2. Commercial gardening and fruit farming. Example: For example, in England, south Sussex was famous for growing tomatoes for the London market that were delivered by train Wet Rice - 1. Rice planted on dryland in a nursery, then moved to a deliberately flooded field to promote growth. 2. Rice planted on dryland in a nursery, then moved to a deliberately flooded field (sawah) to promote growth. Example: Seen primarily in the East, especially in China. Von Thunen model - 1. A model that explains the location of agricultureal activities in a commercial, profit-making economy. A process of spatial competition allocates various farming activities into rings around a central market city, with profit-earning capability the determining force in how far a crop locates from the market. 23 2. An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive, with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less. Example: Suppose the land surrounding a city market can be used for: truck farms for growing tomatoes orchards for growing apples wheat farms