food and soil resources
DESCRIPTION
Soil Properties Review O horizon Leaf litter A horizon Topsoil B horizon Subsoil C horizon Parent material Mature soil Young soil Regolith Bedrock Immature soil Soil Properties ReviewTRANSCRIPT
Food and Soil Resources
Agriculture and Soil Conservation Soil Properties Review
O horizon Leaf litter A horizon Topsoil B horizon Subsoil C horizon
Parent material Mature soil Young soil Regolith Bedrock Immature
soil Soil Properties Review Soil Properties Review
Water High permeability Low permeability Infiltration Leaching
Porosity/permeability 100%clay Increasing percentage silt
percentage clay 20 40 60 80 100%sand 100%silt Increasing percentage
sand Texture pH Soil Types and Their Properties
TextureNutrientInfiltrationWater-HoldingAerationWorkability
CapacityCapacity ClayGoodPoorGoodPoorPoor
SiltMediumMediumMediumMediumMedium SandPoorGoodPoorGoodGood Loam
MediumMediumMediumMediumMedium Which biomes make the best places
for agriculture? Types of Food Production
Industrialized agriculture or high-input agriculture uses fossil
fuels, water, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides to produce
monocultures 25% of all cropland mostly in developed nations;
spread to some developing nations lately Plantation agriculture
industrialized agriculture in developing countries cash crops -
grown to be sold in large market (bananas, cacao, coffee)
Traditional agriculture - almost 1/2 of all people Traditional
subsistence agriculture only enough crops produced for a single
families survival uses human labor and draft animals ex. nomadic
herding or shifting cultivation in tropics subsistence crops - used
by the grower or sold locally Traditional intensive agriculture
increased inputs of human, draft effort and fertilizer and water
increases yield allows surplus to sell Inputs into Agriculture
Systems Pattern of Food Production Methods What is the Green
Revolution?
The green revolution is the increase in crop yield that has
occurred since 1960. 3 steps developing monoculture excess water,
pesticides, and fertilizer increasing frequency ofcropping 1st
green rev in developed countries 2nd green rev. - since new
varieties were introduced to tropicswith yields 2-5x normal due to
new genetically engineered strains of rice and wheat Green
Revolutions First green revolution (developed countries)
Second green revolution (developing countries) Major International
agricultural research centers and seed banks The Green Revolution
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES Three crops deliver majority of worlds
nutrients:
Wheat, Rice, and Corn Potatoes, barley, oats and rye are staples in
cool, moist climates. Cassava, sweet potatoes, and other roots and
tubers are staples in warm wet climates. Consequences of Food
Production Animal Farming: Livestock
More than 50% of the worlds cropland is used to produce food for
animals livestock consume 38% of worlds grain (70% in U.S.!) 14% of
topsoil loss is due to grazing 50% of annual water goes toward
livestock Cattle produce 12-15% of all methane Livestock produce
21x more waste than humans Meat and Milk distribution is highly
inequitable More developed countries make up 20% of world
population, but consume 80% of meat and milk production. Every 16
kg of grain and soybeans fed to beef cattle in feedlots produce
about 1 kg of edible beef. If we ate the grain directly, we would
obtain twenty-one times more calories and eight times more protein
than we get from eating the beef. Areas of highest concentration
Kilograms of grain needed per kilogram of body weight
Beef cattle Pigs Chicken Fish (catfish or carp) 7 4 2.2 2
Agricultural Policy Farming is an uncertain business because of
weather, infestations, etc. In order to keep food production and
farmers going in spite of bad times, most governments help farmers
financially. Subsidizing - too much, too little, how much? You want
to keep farmers going, but in a good year, you can have too much
produced Food aid has been done since the 60s in order to help
others Problems not a permanent solution (teach to fish) increases
populations where there is no food to support it makes countries
dependent decreases domestic production drives food prices down
Food aid should be done locally, not globally Alternative Food
Sources
Most food comes from 16 widely grown crops At least 3,000 species
of plants have been used for food at some point in time. Many new
or unconventional varieties might be valuable food supplies. New
food is being produced due to genetic engineering (wheat, rice,
tomatoes) Foods traditionally grown in local areas are being
adapted for global use (winged bean, insects, soy beans) Most major
improvements in farm production have come from technological
advances and modification of a few well-known species. Corn yields
jumped from 25 bushels per acre to 130 per acre in last century
(hybridizing) Also seen rise of dwarf varieties that take a shorter
time to produce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Contain DNA
possessing genes borrowed from unrelated species. Can produce crops
with pest-resistance and wider tolerance levels. Opponents fear
traits could spread to wild varieties, and increased expense would
largely hurt smaller farmers. 70% of all processed foods in NA
contain transgenic products. OTHER AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
Water Agriculture accounts for largest single share of global water
use. As much as 80% of water withdrawn for irrigation never reaches
intended destination. Cheap cost encourages over-use. Waterlogging
Salinization Lack of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus often
limits plant growth. Adding nutrients via fertilizer usually
stimulates growth and increases crop yields. Average of 20 kg/ha
fertilizer used. Average of 91 kg/ha fertilizer used. Manure and
nitrogen-fixing bacteria are alternative methods of replenishing
soil nutrients. Farming in industrialized countries is highly
energy-intensive. Between , energy use rose directly with
mechanization of agriculture, and indirectly with spraying of
chemicals. Altogether, US food system consumes 16% of total energy
use. Most foods require more energy to produce, process, and
transport than we yield from them. WAYS WE USE AND ABUSE
SOILS
Approximately 11% of the earths land area is currently in
agricultural production. Up to four times as much could potentially
be converted to agricultural use. Much of this additional land
suffers from constraints. Many developing countries are reaching
limit of lands that can be exploited for agriculture without
unacceptable social and environmental costs. In developed
countries, 95% of recent agricultural growth has been from altered
agricultural practices (pesticides - fertilizer). Less land
cultivated in NA now than 100 years ago. Estimated nearly 3 million
ha of cropland ruined annually via erosion, 4 million ha
transformed into deserts, and 8 million ha converted to
non-agricultural uses. Definitions of land degradation are based on
both biological productivity and expectations of what land should
be like. Generally, land is considered degraded when soil is
impoverished or eroded, run-off is contaminated, or biodiversity is
diminished. Water and wind are the driving forces for vast majority
of soil degradation. Soil Erosion Soil erosion: the movement of
topsoil and leaf litter from one place to another Caused by wind
and air Although erosion is normal, plants normally anchor topsoil
logging, farming, grazing, burning an off-road vehicles are causing
rapid erosion Types Sheet erosion:surface water moves down a slope;
thin uniform sheets of soil are removed Rill erosion:little
rivulets gather to cut small channels Gully erosion:water forms
channels and ravines Streambank erosion:washing away of soil from
the banks of a river; results from tree removal and cattle damage
Global Soil Erosion Areas of serious concern Areas of some
concern
Stable or nonvegetative areas Soil Degradation Desertification
Salinization Waterlogging
Denuding and degrading land induces a desert-producing cycle
productive potential of arid or semiarid land falls by 10% or more
(more than 50%) Things leading to desertification overgrazing of
rangelands deforestation surface mining soil compaction salt
buildup and waterlogging Salinization Water contains dissolved
salts When water evaporates, the salts are left behind Soil salt
levels increase Waterlogging Farmers apply large amounts of water
in order to leach salts deeper into the soil Roots are saturated
with water, killing plants Evaporation Transpiration Waterlogging
Less permeable clay layer Desertification SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURESoil Conservation
Conservation (Reduced) Tillage Minimum-Till (Chisel plow): soil is
not disturbed over the winter No-Till (Drilling): inject seeds,
fertilizers, and weed killers Often farmers using conservation
tillage must depend relatively heavily on pesticides because
traditional tillage helped control weeds and pests. Managing
Topography Contour farming - Plowing and planting crops in rows
across slope to slow flow of water. Strip cropping - Planting
different crops in alternating strips along land contours.
Terracing - Shaping land to create level shelves of earth to hold
water and soil. Alley cropping (agroforestry)- a form of
intercropping where trees can provide shade and nutrients for
crops. Providing Ground Cover Annual row crops cause highest rates
of erosion because they leave soil bare for much of the year. Leave
crop residue after harvest. Plant cover crops after harvest
(alfalfa, clover, rye). Contour Farming Strip Cropping Terracing
Alley Cropping SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURESoil Restoration
Organic Fertilizers Animal manure: dung and urine of cattle,
horses, poultry, and other farm animals Green manure:freshly cut or
growing green vegetation plowed into the soil Compost:leaves, food
wastes, paper, and wood Crop Rotation:alternate different crops
between nutrient expensive (corn/tobacco/cotton) and nutrient
replenishing (soybeans/alfalfa).