CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF MODERN AGRICULTURE

What is Agriculture ?

   

  

Agriculture can be defined as the utilization of resources systems to produce commodities which maintain life. Example: Food, Fiber, Forest Product, Horticultural crops and their related services. It involve farming; production crops for food and rearing livestock. 

Production Crops for Food

 Rearing Livestock

What is Modern Agriculture?

Modern agriculture is a business; it is not only the production, but also the processing of produce onto food and non-food items. Example: Oil Palm - processed into many food items, pharmaceuticals, soap, detergent and biofuel.  Other example:  Rubber, Cocoa and Herbal Plants .

                       

                                                                                The products containing Palm Oil

                

             

 The products containing Rubber

                         

                    

 The products containing Cocoa

There have been continuous improvement in agriculture:

1. Productions methods, technology adopted to increase the efficiency of production.
2. Resources such as resources and knowledgeable human capital including scientists, inventors, engineers, chemists and economists.
3. Involve many disciplines of science.

Other field involve in agriculture such as engineering, technology, biological sciences and physical sciences.

WHY Importance in Agriculture??

1. Underdeveloped Country - need food to survival
2. Developing/Advance industrialized country - produce raw material for industrialized nation.(Example: Rubber, Livestock, Cocoa, Palm Oil etc)
3. Maintain social-political stability in difficult time (Eg: Drought) - need food stock-pile
4. Income - now the agriculture wastes into feeds and fertilizers (organs farm), and oil palm wood press, and high value wooden tiles (waterproof).

Agriculture Systems and Practices

Subsistence Farming

This is a farming system characterized by a low input with a resultant low yield and inter-cropping. Practices may involve slash and burn and more progressive stationary cultivation. Subsistence farming involve working on plot of land to produce only enough food to feed the household and there is no extra food to sell or store.

Shifting Cultivation

  

• Most Primitive form
• Once Soil fertility declines, farmer abandon
• Domesticated livestock for food- small enclosure or limited free range

Commercialised Farming

 

In plant agriculture, it is charactised by monoculture or cultivation of a combination of a few crops( example :oil palm and rubber). It requires the use of high yielding modern varieties, application of chemical (pesticides, weedicides and fertilizers), high technology and extensive mechanisation.

1. Tropical Plantation Agriculture

 It is solely a monocropping system dominated by perennial crops. (Eg: Rubber, Oil palm, cocoa, coffee, coconut and tea). It is suitable for the humid tropical climate. The raw material export to industrial nation.

 Rubber

 Oil Palm

Tea

2. Vegetable Farming

It is labour intensive and involves specialised cultivation in rowa and blocks, open or enclosed. The use machinery has increased efficency and output. Due to market demand for fresh vegetables, ripening technologies and refrigeration have been developed to reduce the problems with getting produce to market in good condition.

 Soilless Culture System

Organic Farming

3. Aquaculture

It is a purposeful cultivation od aquatic organisms as opposed to simply catching them from wild. Aquaculture includes maricultture (culture in the ocean), algaculture (production of kelp/ seaweed and other algae), fish  and prawn farming and the growing of oysters and cultured pearls.

Fish or prawn

Oyster

Fish or prawn

4. Livestock Farming

It involving raising livestocks to make products such as food and fibre. Livestock are generally kept in an enclosure or allowed to roam freely.

 Cow -Milk

Chicken - Egg