IA A.1 Agriculture and Its Divisions.pdf

Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM Subject Code AGRI Basics of Agricultural Science: Appreciation and Applications in a...

Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM Subject Code AGRI Basics of Agricultural Science: Appreciation and Applications in a Philippine Setting Module Code IA A Introduction to Agriculture Lesson Code IA A.1 Agriculture and Its Divisions Time Frame 30 minutes (1 meeting) Components Tasks TA ATA (min) (min) a b Target By the end of this learning guide, you should be able to: 1 1. define agriculture as a science, an art and as a business, 2. distinguish and correlate correctly the different divisions of Agriculture, and 3. appreciate the careers in agriculture. Hook “Agriculture? Di ba farming lang din ‘yan?” 3 Figure 1: The common idea of Agriculture: “A farmer and her carabao”. (Source: Women and agricultural biodiversity photo contest entry. The Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIA. https://www.bioversityinternational.org.) A lot of young people see Agriculture as a profession of the uneducated and the poor. High school students often prefer degrees in college which will eventually lead to corporate jobs for a “better life”. Agriculture is unattractive as it portrays a common idea of hard work under the heat of the sun with low income. Unknown to many, Agriculture is not synonymous to farming – it is a growing industry which employs most of the people all around the globe. There are also corporate jobs in the Agricultural Industry and it even hires engineers, computer scientists, chemists, and even doctors in order to continually provide the needs of the growing population. Including Agriculture in the elective offering of the Philippine Science High School System is a leap to correct the misnomers about Page 1 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM the industry and encourage scholars to take up Agriculture-related degrees. As an agricultural country, there are numerous avenues for research and development which are not yet explored. The importance of Agriculture? James A. Garfield, as quoted by Brauer (1969), says it all: “At the head of all sciences and arts, at the head of civilization and progress, stands not militarism, the science that kills, not commerce the art that accumulates but AGRICULTURE, the mother of all industries and the maintainer of human life”.. Ignite What is Agriculture? 20 Throughout the course of history and even that of scientific evolution, the human race manipulated the environment in order to survive which also gave rise to the development of agriculture. Different industries developed as the raw materials became available and to serve as a support system to the different production practices. Agriculture came from two Latin words ager which means “field” and cultura which means “cultivation or growing”. Merriam- Webster Dictionary (2020) defines agriculture as “the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products”. This definition touches on the three (3) aspects of agriculture – a science, an art, and a business. Agriculture is considered as a science since it utilizes the scientific method framework. It does not arrive at irrational decisions but our ancestors were very observant of the growth of plants and animals. Though there were no formal records on such, existing species were results of selection which cannot be done without observation. It can be a form of trial and error which was done throughout the years and such practices were handed down as traditions instead of being scientific texts. In the early years of civilization when formal writing systems were developed, records were found about crop cultivation and management of livestock. Page 2 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM Figure 2: The Science in Agriculture. First bunch harvests from Phil Fresh Fruits Corp in Lasang, Davao City. Data on bunch and hand characteristics were taken in the field before packing. (Source: Molina, A. B. (2014). Annual report on mitigating banana Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 through a farmer-participatory approach of developing disease management strategies. Bureau of Agricultural Research. http://banana- networks.org.) As an art, agriculture requires certain skill sets which cannot be honed by theories alone but by experience. Due to the dependence of agricultural activities to the natural environment, our ancestors are very observant of the different weather patterns which also dictate the planting and harvesting season. In the absence of machineries before, workers develop their speed, precision and techniques through constant practice. An example of which is a nurseryman who is very experienced in grafting and budding but did not enter college to get an agricultural degree. However, his “art” in grafting and budding plants with high success rate, precise judgment in the selection of rootstocks and scions, and speed of work made him eligible for work. Though the concepts might be taught, the mastery will take years. The art in agriculture is present in all the distinguished fields which makes it a very open industry that could cater even to people without or with very limited schooling. Page 3 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM Figure 3: Art is honed through experience in Agriculture. Nursery men are grafting cacao seedlings of UF18 and BR25 at Carloza Plant Nursery, Kidapawan City. Compare the speed of the two men working. (Source: Carloza Plant Nursery (2020) Grafting uf18 and br25 #taggedcacaoseedlings #cacao.jpeg. https://www.globuya.com.) Even if considered as an industry of survival, agriculture is considered as a business as well since people who are dependent on it also need to earn in order to survive. Most industries depend on farmers for the raw materials they use in the production of feeds, food, construction materials, medicines, and textiles. However, farm workers often do not know how to account and monetize their efforts. Thus, the field of economics is prominently used in agriculture in order to place a definite amount for every effort exerted and to provide equity to the workers. Engaging in business ventures related to agriculture is a very good opportunity due to its daily consumption which makes the product sellable at any point. As everybody eats, everyone will buy agricultural products. Page 4 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM The Divisions of Agriculture Agriculture Agribusiness Agricultural Agricultural Crop Science Animal Science and Aquaculture Soil Science Extension Engineering Management Crop Crop Livestock Agricultural Agribusiness Production Protection Production Education Agricultural Plant Poultry Agricultural Agronomy Extension and Pathology Production Economics Development Raising of other Agricultural Development Agricultural Horticulture emerging Entrepreneurs Communicatio Entomology important hip n species Plant Breeding Weed Science Figure 4. A diagram of the different divisions of Agriculture 1. Crop Science Crop Science deals with the production of economically important plant species which are called crops. There are numerous plants with different uses yet crops are very well studied since they are essential for the survival of man. Under Crop Science, there are two distinct branches: Crop Production and Crop Protection. a. Crop Production focuses on enhancing the efficiency of producing crops and their economically important parts. It covers the whole processes and fields of study involved from planting up to postharvesting. i. Agronomy focuses on field crops which are often annual by nature such as cereals, pulses and root crops. Such crops require large areas for production. ii. Horticulture, on the other hand, focuses on the production of high value crops which needs more care and attention. It is further divided into pomology (study of fruits), olericulture (study of vegetables) and floriculture (study of flowers and ornamental plants). iii. Plant Breeding focuses on the improvement of crops utilizing genetic information and combining both traditional and modern techniques. The development of different improved species became faster and more utilized after being studied. b. Crop Protection focuses on ensuring the health of crops being grown and management of the different Page 5 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM pests which can inhibit their growth. Management of pests became an important field of study since most losses are due to them and failure to focus on the different practices resulted to detrimental effects to the environment. Crop Protection is further divided into Plant Pathology, Agricultural Entomology and Weed Science. i. Plant Pathology focuses on microscopic species which can cause diseases to plants. These include fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, mycoplasmas, and viruses. ii. Agricultural Entomology is the branch of entomology which focuses on insects which are important in agricultural activities. Due to the expansion of areas for planting and monocropping, many insect species are displaced which then disturbs plant growth. The aim of agricultural entomology is to manage the insects in population levels which are not economically detrimental to crop growth and to preserve the ecological balance as well. iii. Weed Science focuses on the management of plant-to-plant competition. A weed is any plant which grows in an area which is meant for crops and often deemed to be of no purpose. Weeds compete directly for space, sunlight and nutrients which are needed to produce healthy crops thus studying weeds and their control became necessary. 2. Animal Science Animal Science is the field of agriculture which deals with the domestication of important species. The domestication process generally places the general welfare of the animals parallel to the economic needs in order to adhere to animal rights and good animal husbandry practices. It is divided into the livestock, poultry and raising of other emerging important species. a. Livestock Production focuses on the mammal species such as swine, horse, large ruminants and small ruminants. Page 6 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM b. Poultry Production focuses on the bird species such as chickens, quails, pigeons, turkey, guinea fowls, geese and ducks. c. Raising of other emerging important species is also a classification being added due to the growing demand of the industry for fast producing animals which are not yet commercially produced. Rabbits, crocodile, ostrich and dogs as sources of meat are getting much attention and these could be sources of innovative practices in the industry. 3. Agribusiness and Management Agribusiness and Management emerged for the purpose of placing commerce into perspective. As agriculture is also a business, monetizing and considering its effect on the global economy while providing equity to the farmers became an objective. a. Agribusiness focuses on the business models utilized in agriculture. It dwells on the other business aspects where farmers might need more focus specially in managing their finances and in coming up with feasible and profitable business ventures. b. Agricultural Economics deals with the interplay of demand and supply of different agricultural goods and their effect in microeconomics and macroeconomics. Placing monetary value in every effort exerted from planting to plating, it projects the probable effects of different factors of production. Marketing of products is placed under Agricultural Economics as it studies the different behavior not only of the product but also of the producers, middlemen, sellers and consumers. c. Agricultural Entrepreneurship nurtures the innovative spirit of agriculture businesses which emerged out of need, creativity and betterment. Unlike the traditional Agribusiness, Agricultural Entrepreneurship often supplies products which are new and adaptive to the needs of emerging markets or new group of consumers. Business structures in Agricultural Entrepreneurship can be very diverse and might deviate from the known models. 4. Agricultural Extension Agricultural Extension emerged as results of research in agriculture need to be relayed to farmers and communities who Page 7 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM will then utilize the results or the technology developed. Moreover, one of the main objectives of agricultural extension is to deliver social change in order to uplift them from poverty through their own efforts. There are different fields which focus on the sharing of knowledge: Agricultural Education, Agricultural Extension and Development, and Development Communication. a. Agricultural Education focuses on teaching agriculture in a formal classroom set-up. A teacher, equipped with educational units as well, utilizes standard teaching techniques in order to achieve the desired competencies. b. Agricultural Extension and Development focuses on teaching new technology and knowledge to adult learners, the farmers. This is commonly used by agriculture-related implementing agencies. Informal set- up for learning activities are utilized in order to fit to the farmer’s schedule. Teaching techniques are very sensitive to the farmers’ culture, beliefs and practices in order for the knowledge to be transferred and utilized. c. Development Communication is the field of communication which is adopted in Agriculture. It focuses on the use of communication to facilitate social change. It utilizes different communication media in order to convey developed technologies, knowledge, and perspectives regarding the industry. 5. Aquaculture Aquaculture focuses on production processes and practices of different important species which thrives in water bodies. Different species thrive in different types of water bodies which have varying properties in terms of water quality. Aside from production, the field of aquaculture is also inclined in researching conservation practices in order to maintain ecological balance. 6. Soil Science Soil Science is the branch of agriculture which deals with the processes concerning the soil in order to maintain or enhance its productivity. The soil is produced from chemical processes undergone by rocks and minerals and it is the primary medium wherein crops are produced. It is also the biggest carbon sink and most pollutants contaminating the soil are difficult to manage. The quality of soil directly affects the productivity of agricultural activities. Page 8 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM 7. Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Engineering focuses on applying engineering principles in agriculture, mainly by building suitable infrastructures, mechanization facilities, and applying modern technology in order to increase efficiency and productivity. This branch of agriculture also facilitates the distribution of water resources to reach farmlands. Navigate Assessment: (Graded) 5 Let us check your comprehension of the concepts we have presented and discussed in this learning guide by completing the cells in the diagram below. As an aspiring agriculturist, select one of the above-discussed specializations on how you could practice agriculture as a science, art and business. Write the specialization of your choice at the center of the diagram below, provide a brief but comprehensive description of the specialization (1 point), and then give three (3) activities which could portray this specialization as a science (3 points, 1 point for every activity given), as an art (3 points, 1 point for every activity given), and as a business (3 points, 1 point for every activity given). Partial points may be given to partially correct answers. (Total: 10 points) Submit all your outputs to the designated folder in our Learning Management System. Should you have clarifications, feel free to post them in our designated forum. Brief Description of Specialization Science Specialization Art Business Page 9 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG  Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM Knot In this lesson, we have learned the following salient points. 2 1. Agriculture is the science, art and business of raising crops and domestication of animals. 2. There are several divisions of agriculture which play important and specific roles in the holistic development of the industry. 3. Agriculture is a dynamic and non-discriminating industry which gives opportunities for all. References: Brauer, O. H. (1969). Inter-American program for training agricultural scientists. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2134/asaspecpub15.c6. Carloza Plant Nursery (2020) Grafting uf18 and br25 #taggedcacaoseedlings #cacao.jpeg. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 from https://www.globuya.com. Gomez, A. (2015). Women and agricultural biodiversity photo contest entry. The Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIA. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 from https://www.bioversityinternational.org. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (2020). Retrieved from https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/agriculture. Molina, A. B. (2014). Annual report on mitigating banana Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 through a farmer- participatory approach of developing disease management strategies. Bureau of Agricultural Research. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 from http://banana-networks.org. Prepared by: (Sgd.) JIMAE FAITH MAGNAYE Former SST I PSHS-SRC (Sgd.) ARFE G. CASTILLO SST V PSHS-CARC Reviewed by: (Sgd.) MICHELLE B. DUCUSIN SST V PSHS-IRC Page 10 of 10 AGRICULTURE (Introduction to Agriculture) IA A.1 SLG