Grade 11 Agriculture Unit One Short Notes PDF

KJN Academy Grade 11- Agriculture Unit one: - Introduction to Crop Production Short Notes N.B It is highly recommended to watch the lectures of this unit on our YouTube channel prior to reading these short notes. What is Agriculture? The de...

KJN Academy Grade 11- Agriculture Unit one: - Introduction to Crop Production Short Notes N.B It is highly recommended to watch the lectures of this unit on our YouTube channel prior to reading these short notes. What is Agriculture? The deliberate cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for food production and survival of societies. Who are Hunter-gatherers? Pre-agricultural societies that relied on hunting animals and gathering plants for food. What is Domestication of The early practice of taming and breeding animals primarily for food animals? production. What is Shifting cultivation? A farming method involving clearing land, cultivating it for a few years, and then abandoning it for a new area. What is Settled agriculture? The practice of continuously using the same plot of land for crop cultivation and livestock rearing over an extended period. What is Subsistence farming? Farming aimed at producing crops and livestock solely for the household's own consumption without any surplus for trade. When was the Origins of The exact time and place of the beginning of agriculture are unknown, but it agriculture? is a deliberate activity that developed over a long period of time. What are Factors influencing Features such as ease of harvest, wide availability, ease of transport, plant selection? predictability, seasonal distribution, climatic tolerance, flavor, and grain size may have influenced the selection of plants for food by hunter-gatherers What were Significant food Wild onions, sweet potatoes, hunted animals, and plant species such as sources for hunter-gatherers? coconut, oil palm, and olive were important sources of food for hunter- gatherer communities. What were Oil sources for Hunter-gatherers utilized certain plant species like coconut, oil palm, and hunter-gatherers? olive as sources of oil. What is Role of agriculture? Agriculture provides food and other goods for society, including crop plants for human consumption and livestock feed What are Factors influencing Crop production is primarily influenced by the type of crop and the crop production? environmental conditions in which it is grown Follow KJN Academy – Ethiopia on Page 1 What are the Steps in Agriculture involves selecting crop species, specific crop types, and land agricultural process? preparation before planting. It also includes timely planting, crop protection, and productivity-enhancing techniques. What are current Technological Technological progress in agriculture has led to improved seeds, production advancements in agriculture? practices, harvesting and storage facilities, and the use of machinery, agrochemicals, irrigation, biotechnology, and genetic improvement What are Eras of agriculture in Agricultural development in industrialized regions can be classified into the industrialized regions? Mechanical Era, Chemical Era, and Biotechnology/Information Technology Era. Characterize Mechanical Era of The era in agriculture characterized by the introduction and adoption of Agriculture? machinery, such as tractors, for land preparation, planting, and other farming activities. Characterize Chemical Era of The era in agriculture marked by the widespread use of agricultural Agriculture? chemicals, including pesticides and fertilizers, to control crop diseases, weeds, and pests, leading to increased productivity Characterize The current era in agriculture characterized by the application of Biotechnology/Information biotechnology and information technology, including genetic improvement Technology Era? of plants, precision farming techniques, and advanced data analysis, to enhance productivity and sustainability What are Major crops in Teff, wheat, maize, sorghum, and barley are the five major crops in Ethiopia, Ethiopia? occupying approximately 75% of the country's cultivated area What are factors influencing Soil degradation, traditional farming systems with limited technology use, low crop yields in Ethiopia? uncertain and variable rainfall, low irrigation levels, and low use of inputs like improved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides contribute to low crop yields in Ethiopia What are Classifications of crop Crop plants can be categorized into four major groups: food crops, oil crops, plants? fiber crops, and sugar crops What are Major food crops Wheat, rice, and maize are the three most important food crops in terms of globally? production volume worldwide, with sorghum, barley, and oats also being significant crops Follow KJN Academy – Ethiopia on Page 2 What are Monocots and Monocots have seeds with a single embryonic leaf or cotyledon on the other dicots? hand dicots have seeds with two cotyledons. Where is Storage of food in Monocots store food primarily in their endosperm, which contains starch and crop plants? small quantities of protein and other nutrients. Dicots, such as legumes and oil seeds, store food in their cotyledons, which contain protein, oil, and carbohydrates What are Important legumes Soybean, peanut, beans, and peas are significant food and feed legumes or and oil seed grains? oil seed grains. What is Cotyledon? The seed leaf within the embryo of a seed that serves as a food source for the plant embryo during germination What is Endosperm? Tissue produced inside the seeds of flowering plants that provides nutrition in the form of starch. It serves as a source of nutrition in animal diets What are Oil crops/oil seed These crops are grown to extract oil from their seeds. Major oil seeds include crops? olive, linseed, sesame, sunflower, soybean, coconut, palm, maize, and peanut. Uses of plant-derived oils? Plant-derived oils are used for both food and industrial purposes. They provide essential fatty acids, vitamins A, K, D, and E, and are composed of triglycerides, which consist of glycerine and three fatty acids. What are Major fiber crops? Plant fibers are used in the textile industry. Cotton lint is the most important fiber for cloth-making. Other fiber crops include flax, jute, hemp, ramie, kenaf, nettle, and bamboo. Cotton fibers are used for sewing threads and cloth, while barks of certain plants are used for packaging materials. What are Major forage crops? Forage crops are used as food for livestock. Major forage crops include alfalfa, Sesbania sesban, Leucaena leucocephala, clovers, Timothy, elephant grass, Desho grass, Rhodes grass, Panicum grass, Sudan grass, and Johnson grass. Cereal grain crops can also be used as livestock feed. Classification of crops into C3 Crop plants are classified based on their photosynthetic pathways. C3 plants and C4 plants? have a carbon compound with 3 atoms, while C4 plants have a carbon compound with 4 atoms. C4 plants have higher photosynthetic rates at low CO2 levels and are more efficient in water and nitrogen use compared to C3 plants Follow KJN Academy – Ethiopia on Page 3 What is Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and energy in the form of sugar. It is the primary process through which plants convert light energy into chemical energy What are examples of C3 Wheat, barley, teff, soybean, groundnut, and sweet potato are examples of crops? C3 crops. What are examples of C4 crop? Sorghum, maize, sugar cane, and most weed species are examples of C4 crops A cropping system refers to the types and sequences of crops and the What is Cropping system? practices used to grow them. Different cropping systems have their own advantages and disadvantages and require specific management approaches. What is Monocropping? Monocropping involves growing a single crop type in a given plot of land. It is commonly practiced in large-scale commercial crop production. While it allows for uniform management and increased efficiency, it carries the risk of total crop failure and reduced soil fertility. What is Mixed cropping? Mixed cropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. It reduces the risk of total yield loss, enables more efficient use of soil nutrients, water, and light radiation, and helps break the cycle of crop pests and diseases. Intercropping and relay planting are common forms of mixed cropping What is Intercropping? Intercropping is the planting of more than one crop in regular rows on the same field at the same time. It often involves planting cereal crops, such as maize, alongside legumes. Intercropping provides better soil cover, reduces soil erosion, and slows the spread of crop diseases compared to monocropping What is Relay planting? Relay planting is a system where a second crop is planted after the first crop has grown alone for a certain period. It reduces the risk of total crop failure by not relying solely on the yield of one crop Follow KJN Academy – Ethiopia on Page 4 What is Crop rotation? Crop rotation is the practice of sequentially growing different crop species on the same plot of land. For example, planting maize in the first season, followed by beans in the next season, and teff in the third season. Crop rotation aims to improve soil fertility, control crop pests and diseases, but it can also lead to the development of resistant diseases and weeds. Changing climates may pose challenges to crop rotation What is Indigenous Indigenous knowledge refers to traditional or local knowledge that local knowledge? communities have accumulated over generations in a specific geographic location. It is unique to a particular culture and often develops independently of scientific knowledge. It includes beliefs, traditions, and practices related to culture, landscape, and agricultural production Explain Development of Indigenous knowledge often develops in response to agricultural indigenous knowledge? production-related problems, such as land degradation, soil erosion, climate changes, and working with the natural features of an area. It also considers social and cultural settings, as well as the observation and experience of local communities over time What is Importance of Communities with indigenous knowledge possess valuable insights about indigenous knowledge their natural resources and environment. They believe in the gift and blessing of natural resources, their role in livelihoods across generations, and the importance of conservation. Indigenous knowledge can enhance soil fertility, rainfall patterns, soil moisture, temperature, and overall crop productivity Give Example of indigenous The Konso people demonstrate traditional skills in terracing to protect knowledge? against soil erosion. Their extensive terracing practices help maintain soil quality and prevent erosion. Traditional irrigation techniques are also employed to supplement unpredictable rainfall in their region. Give more Examples of 1. Farmers in Bale protect potato crops from porcupine attacks by preparing indigenous knowledge in trenches around the plots. agriculture? 2. In Gondar, farmers shift their barns to different farmlands to collect cow dung for fertilizing the land. 3. Highland farmers use kitchen ash to fertilize soil and reduce acidity, and they utilize smoke to minimize frost damage. 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