·
History of Agriculture
o
Pre-Modern Agriculture
1.
Animals and humans need nutrients
2.
Most populations were Nomadic (moved where food was available)
3.
10,000 years ago, agriculture developed and spread across
different areas overtime.
a.
SW Asia (9500 BC)
·
Emmer and einkorn, hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chickpeas,
and flax.
b. Persian Gulf, areas
around Nile river, and China (7000 BC)
·
Domestication of sheep, goats, and ox.
c.
South America (3000-2700 BC)
·
Maize appeared, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, squash, and
varieties of bean developed.
4.
Intensive domestication and crop production formed around 5500
BC.
a.
large plots of cultivated crops, organized irrigation,
and the use of a specialized labor force.
5.
Armies were established to protect cropland.
6.
Ag led to colonization and to new farming techniques.
a.
Crop rotation
b. Fertilizers
c.
Terraced fields
d. Plowing
e.
Irrigation
f.
Silk and cotton production
7.
Agriculture directly contributed to the Atlantic Slave Trade
because of world trade.
8.
New advanced developments in the 1800’s
a.
Breeding techniques
b. The invention of greenhouses,
storage silos, and grain elevators, and tractor.
c.
Discovery of important fertilizers and vitamins
9.
Irish Potato Famine
a.
1845-1851 killed around a million people due to starvation.
o Moving Towards Modern Agriculture: The Green Revolution
1.
After WWII the Green Revolution
began.
2.
Chemical warfare led to
development of agrochemicals
3.
Agriculture Industry
Industrialization
a.
Genetic Engineering
b.
Antibiotic and Supplemental
vitamin containment and usage.
4.
Industrial Agriculture
production has not increased due to…
a. land degradation, social and political
conflicts, and economic market volatility.
5.
The push for lower cost and
increased productivity comes with many consequences.
·
Issues of Modern Agriculture
o Water Pollution from
Fertilizers
1.
Fertilizers can enhance plant growth but also have negative
impacts on the environment.
2.
Two most common fertilizers with negative impacts:
a.
Nitrates- naturally or synthetically produced, water soluble,
easily transported to a waterscape (above or below ground) during a rain.
b.
Phosphorus- naturally or synthetically produced, less water
soluble, moves with dirt particles during a rain, tend to accumulate in large
bodies of water.
3.
Fertilizers contribute to algae which is unsafe to humans and
animals.
o Pesticides and Pesticide
Resistance
1.
Insects, weed, and other pest can destroy crop.
2.
Pesticides are applied to reduce impact on crop.
a.
If improperly applied, it could devastate the crop.
4.
Genetically modified crops developed in response to improper use
of herbicides/ pesticides.
a.
Broad Spectrum Herbicide (example)
·
Herbicidal resistant weed has become a major problem.
5.
Insecticides are used to control insects
6.
Neonicotinoids are used globally
a.
Found in waterways and toxic enough for beneficial insect, such
as bees.
o Climate Change
1.
24% of global greenhouse emission come from agriculture and
forestry.
2.
Emission occurs from: the cultivation of soil, nitrogen
fertilizers, and methane released from livestock belching.
3.
Plant and tree roots store harmful emissions.
4.
Climate change presents agriculture with opportunities and
challenges.
a.
Opportunities: longer growing season, greater productivity.
b.
Challenges: Increase in pest and disease, frequency and severity
of weather, droughts and higher temperatures.
o Soil Loss
1.
Soil is key resource in Agriculture
a.
Holds water, nutrients, and anchors roots.
2.
Contributing factors of soil loss
a.
Cultivation, leaving a field fallow, removing and failing to
plant trees.
·
What is Sustainable Agriculture
o What is Sustainable
Energy
1.
Sustainable Agriculture is farming practice that considers
ecological function. Ex:
a.
Nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and evolution.
2. Reduces
inputs from fossil fuels, especially in terms of pesticides and fertilizers.
3. Has many
benefits if done correctly. A few examples:
a.
Soil health, reducing pest and weed issues, and
promoting biodiversity
4. Methods of sustainable farming
a.
integrated pest management, organic farming
through intercropping, and maintenance of biodiversity.
o
Food
Security and Safety
1. To achieve food security, implement
sustainable food and Agriculture practices.
2. Food security is when an adequate
amount of nutritious food, quality, or quantity.
3. GMO’s make consumers suspicious
a. Corporations’ main goals are to
maximize profits, make more palatable, and extend shelf life.
4. Health Canada works with governments,
industry, and consumers to establish policies, regulation, and standards
related to nutritional food in Canada.
o
Complexity
of the Agriculture and Food Production System
1. Food chain encompasses wide range of
producers, commodities, buyers, and sellers.
2. Growers and producers can be small
family farms or multi-glomerates.
3. 10 major corporations that control most
food around the globe.
4. Women around the world play a key role
in farming.
·
Practices
in Sustainable Agriculture.
o
Integrated
Pest Management
1. Environmentally friendly approach to
control pest in fields and greenhouses.
2. Based on Inspection, monitoring, and
reporting.
3. IPM combats pest by removing clutter,
food, standing water, etc.
4. Pest trapping, cold/heat treatments,
and mechanical removal.
o
Organic
Farming through intercropping
1. Cultivating two or more crops in the
same field during growing season.
2. Intercropping methods:
a. Temporal-
Planting various crops in temporal succession.
b. Spatial
intercropping- Arrangement of crops in the field.
3. Benefits include stability,
availability, reduced loss, pest/disease, erosion control, etc.
4. Long process to become organically
certified farmer.
o
Enhancing
Biodiversity in Agroecosystems
1. Buffers and enhances ecosystem
functions in environmental stresses.
2. The use of several cultivars can
increase genetic diversity.
o
New
Trends: Diversified Agroecological Farming
1. Agriculture is one of most prevalent
threats to biodiversity.
2. Long-Term solutions:
a. Diversifying farms and farming
landscapes
b. Replacing chemical inputs
c. Optimizing biodiversity
d. Stimulating interactions between
different species
o
Case
Study: Drinking Tea in a Healthier Environment
1. Tea is a widely cultivated tropical/subtropical
shrub used for beverages
2. Tea has beneficial effects for humans.
3. Is associated with prolonged and
extensive use of synthetic pesticides.
4. China found alternatives to reduce use
of pesticides by enhancement of biodiversity.
a. Trees
b. Cover crop
c. Yellow sticky cards
d. Release of volatiles
o
Case
Study: But What About Fertilizers?
1. Chemical fertilizers advantages
a. Nutrients are readily available
b. Exact ratios of major nutrients need
c. Easy to use
2. Organic fertilizers reduce negative
environmental impacts.
3. Manure and compost make up most of
organic fertilizer.
4. Organic Fertilizers
a. Retain water
b. Nutrients are time released
5. Agrominerals are a natural occurring
fertilizer composed of Potassium and Phosphorus.
A
key takeaway for me was “The History of Agriculture”. As time has shown,
agriculture has changed in so many different aspects and will continue to do so
in the future. We will develop new technology or even new procedures to help
build and improve our sustainable agriculture just as our ancestors did in the
past. The world was once nomadic and now look how far we have come. I
personally never thought about or knew that agriculture was one of the main
contributing factors to colonization, but it makes total sense. Through
colonization, new techniques were invented to better suit the needs of the
community. Some of these techniques were crop rotation, fertilization, terraced
fields, plowing, new irrigation methods, and silk and cotton production. During
the 1800’s new advanced developments came about. A few of these advancements
were new breeding techniques, the invention of the green house, storage silos,
grain elevators, discovery of important fertilizers and vitamins, and most
importantly the tractor.
Another
key take away for me was “The issues of Modern Agriculture. Although the discovery of fertilizers was and
still is important to agriculture today, there is some negative effects that
make an impact on the surrounding environments. Nitrates and Phosphorus are
just two examples of fertilizers that have negative impacts. Even though
Nitrates are more soluble than Phosphorus, both of these ingredients tend to
come off crops during a rainstorm and end up in the ground/soil or in nearby
water systems, ultimately contaminating our water. Insects, weeds, and
other pest destroy our crops. To help protect the farmers hard work, pesticides
are used to lessen the impact that pest have on the crop, but if improperly
applied the chemicals will cause harm. In response to improper use of
herbicides and pesticides, “Genetically Modified” crops were developed. Agriculture and forestry account for
24% of global greenhouse emissions. Emission come from the cultivation of soil,
nitrogen fertilizers, and methane being released from livestock when they
belch. These emissions produce climate change. With climate change,
opportunities arise, such as longer growing seasons which makes for greater
productivity. Challenges also rise because climate change contributes to an
increase in pest and disease, weather severity, droughts and higher
temperatures. Soil is a key resource in agriculture because it holds water,
holds nutrients, and anchors roots into the ground. Some contributing factors
to soil loss are cultivation, leaving a field
fallow, removing and failing to plant trees. Trees, grass, weeds are sewn into
the dirt holding it in place.
Citation
Environmental
Sustainability Research Center (ESRC). (2017). Sustainable Agriculture,
In Environmental
Sustainability In Practice. http://brockuesrc.ca/environmental-sustainability-in-practice/sustainable-agriculture
