Agricultural Geography PDF

Module GEOGRAPHY 1 (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY)  Chapter 5 Agricultural Geography Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to: 1. Discuss the history of agricultural production 2. Describe the different methods of agric...

Module GEOGRAPHY 1 (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY)  Chapter 5 Agricultural Geography Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to: 1. Discuss the history of agricultural production 2. Describe the different methods of agricultural production 3. Discuss on the positive and negative aspect of the Green Revolution 4. Analyze the concept of Green Revolution 5.1 Origins of Agriculture Overview of Agriculture Agricultural Geography is a sub- discipline of human geography concerned with the spatial relationships found between agriculture and humans. That is, the study of the phenomenon and the effects that leads to the formation of the earth’s top surface, in different regions. Humans have been interacting with the surroundings since as early as man has been around. It is traditionally considered the branch of economic geography that investigates those parts of the Earth’s surface that are transformed by humans through primary sector activities for consumption. The history of agriculture records the domestication of plants and animals and the development and dissemination of techniques for raising them productively. Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa. At least eleven separate regions of the Old and New World were involved as independent centers of origin. Early Civilizations Sumerian farmers grew the cereals barley and wheat, starting to live in villages from about 8000 BC. Given the low rainfall of the region, agriculture relied on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Irrigation canals leading from the rivers permitted the growth of cereals in large quantities to support cities. Vegetable crops were also grown which included chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, onion, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard. Ancient Egypt was indebted to the Nile River and its dependable seasonal flooding. The river’s predictability and the fertile soil allowed the Egyptians to build an empire on the basis of great agricultural wealth. Egyptians were among the first people to practice agriculture on a large scale. This was made possible with the development of basin irrigation. Their staple food crops were grains such as wheat and barley, alongside industrial crops such as flax and papyrus.  Barley and wheat cultivation—along with the domestication of cattle, primarily sheep and goats were practiced in the Indian subcontinent. Pastoral farming in India included threshing, planting crops in rows and storing grains in granaries. Irrigation was developed in Indus Valley Civilization by around 4500 BC. Middle Ages and Early Modern Period The Middle Ages saw further improvements in agriculture. Monasteries spread throughout Europe and became important centers for collection of knowledge related to agriculture and forestry. The manorial system allowed large landowners to control their land and its laborers, in the form of peasants or serfs. During the medieval period, the Arab World was critical in the exchange of crops and technology between the European, Asia and African continents. Besides transporting crops, they introduced the concept of summer irrigation to Europe and developed the beginnings of the plantation system of sugarcane growing through the use of slaves for intensive cultivation. Modern Agriculture Between the 17th century and the mid-19th century, Britain saw a large increase in agricultural productivity and net output. New agricultural practices like enclosure, mechanization, four-field crop rotation to maintain soil nutrients, and selective breeding enabled an unprecedented population growth, freeing up a significant percentage of the workforce, and thereby helped drive the Industrial Revolution. Advice on more techniques for farming began to appear in England. The main problem in sustaining agriculture in one place for a long time was the depletion of nutrients, most importantly nitrogen levels in the soil. To allow the soil to regenerate, productive land was often let fallow and in some places crop rotation was used. 5.2 Agriculture in Less Developed Countries Small Farmers and the Market In developing countries, agriculture continues to be the main source of employment, livelihood, and income for between 50%-90% of the population. Of this percentage, small farmers make up the majority up to 70-95% of the farming population. Small farmers are therefore a significant proportion of the population. They have traditionally survived on subsistence production. The industrialization and export orientation have not benefited them. In the globalized market, GEOGRAPHY 1 (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) Chapter 5 Page 3 of 5 USMKCC-COL-F-050 the small players have been marginalized. Policies which have led to their marginalization has meant the continuation of the vicious cycle of poverty for sectors of society, highly uneven development and hence the inability of many developing countries to attain satisfactory levels of overall development. 5.3 Agriculture on Most Developed Countries Intensive Agriculture Developed countries practice intensive agriculture, signifying food production that employs permanent cultivation of fields, made possible by the use of more modernized tools. With this in mind, most developed countries’ agricultural economies are based on commercialization, producing for a market, making one dependent on the buying and selling of goods. Stated simply, farmers in most developed countries are not just planting crops to fill their own pantries. They are farming for monetary gain. This commercialization has also led to most developing countries having thriving agribusiness—which is a corporately-owned landholding, farmed and operated by large companies. Gardening and Mixed Crops People living in most developed countries also take part in gardening. Being very familiar, gardening is officially defined as tending and cultivating vegetation, especially as a pastime. It plays no part in a person’s or a family’s actual survival. This is a direct contrast to some third world countries in which cultivation is a matter of life and death. 5.4 The Green Revolution The Concept of Green Revolution The Green Revolution or the Third Agricultural Revolution (following the first and second agricultural revolution in the 17th century) is the set of research technology transfer initiatives occurring between 1950 and the late 1960s that increased agricultural production in parts of the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s. The initiatives resulted in the adoption of new technologies, including high- yielding varieties (HYVs) of cereals, especially dwarf wheat rice. It was associated with chemical fertilizers, GEOGRAPHY 1 (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) Chapter 5 Page 4 of 5 USMKCC-COL-F-050 agrochemicals, and controlled water-supply and newer methods of cultivation including mechanization. The key elements of the revolution include: 1. Use of the latest technological and capital inputs, 2. Adoption of modern scientific methods of farming, 3. Use of high yielding variety of seeds, 4. Proper use of chemical fertilizers, 5. Consolidation of landholdings, and 6. Use of various mechanical machineries. Positive Effects of Green Revolution Green Revolution increased significantly the production, to almost 2.5 times in wheat between 1960 and 2010. It also has been able to save the lives of millions of people and exponentially increase the yield of food crops. It improved the economic lot of farmers, and their standard of living greatly improved. It reduced the import of grains. Negative Effects of Green Revolution The revolution increased the use of fertilizers. The fertilizer has the chance to soak into the soil and spread to other areas if it rains. It diminishes soil quality due to increased reliance on synthetic fertilizers rather than natural fertilizer, which allow replenishing of nutrients. The increase in mono cropping has deceased soil quality. The use of heavy machine causes soil compaction. The pesticides travel through food chain and are accumulated in higher organisms. Some of them persist in soil, air surface water and ground water surface and continue to poison them for a long time. GEOGRAPHY 1 (HUMAN GEOGRAPHY) Chapter 5 Page 5 of 5 USMKCC-COL-F-050