Exercises: Agriculture, the Green Revolution and Pest Management
Define the term Green Revolution*. Name two technologies or practices that were part of it and state one environmental drawback that came with them.
Define the term Green Revolution. Name two technologies or practices that were part of it and state one environmental drawback that came with them.
Emma visits a farm in Iowa where the farmer plants a new crop in the same field each year in a repeating cycle: corn, then soybeans, then oats. Name this practice and…
Emma visits a farm in Iowa where the farmer plants a new crop in the same field each year in a repeating cycle: corn, then soybeans, then oats. Name this practice and state one benefit it has for the soil.
Classify each irrigation method as using water efficiently or inefficiently, and say which one loses the most water to evaporation: (a) drip irrigation, (b) flood…
Classify each irrigation method as using water efficiently or inefficiently, and say which one loses the most water to evaporation: (a) drip irrigation, (b) flood (furrow) irrigation, (c) spray (sprinkler) irrigation.
A farmer in Nebraska switches a field from conventional tillage (plowing the whole field) to no-till farming. Explain how no-till changes (a) soil erosion and (b) the…
A farmer in Nebraska switches a field from conventional tillage (plowing the whole field) to no-till farming. Explain how no-till changes (a) soil erosion and (b) the soil's ability to store carbon and water. Then give one disadvantage a farmer might face when using no-till.
A farm in California's Central Valley irrigates 40 hectares. Flood irrigation applies 12,000 m³ of water per hectare per season, while drip irrigation applies 7,500 m³…
A farm in California's Central Valley irrigates 40 hectares. Flood irrigation applies 12,000 m³ of water per hectare per season, while drip irrigation applies 7,500 m³ per hectare per season for the same yield.
(a) Calculate the total water saved per season if the whole farm switches to drip irrigation.
(b) Explain one long-term problem of irrigation in dry regions, such as salinization, and how it harms crops.
Jayden's family grows apples and is considering integrated pest management (IPM) instead of spraying a broad-spectrum pesticide on a fixed schedule. Describe three…
Jayden's family grows apples and is considering integrated pest management (IPM) instead of spraying a broad-spectrum pesticide on a fixed schedule. Describe three components of an IPM program. Explain how IPM can reduce the problem of pesticide resistance.
A county in the Midwest is comparing two farming systems on similar land. | Feature | System A (monoculture, heavy tillage) | System B (crop rotation, cover crops,…
A county in the Midwest is comparing two farming systems on similar land.
| Feature | System A (monoculture, heavy tillage) | System B (crop rotation, cover crops, no-till) |
|---|---|---|
| Soil lost per year (tons/acre) | 6 | 1.5 |
| Synthetic fertilizer applied (lb N/acre) | 180 | 90 |
| Yield (bushels/acre) | 190 | 175 |
| Pesticide applications per season | 5 | 2 |
(a) Calculate the percent reduction in soil loss and in fertilizer use for System B compared with System A.
(b) Evaluate the tradeoff between yield and environmental impact. Use evidence from the table.
(c) Explain how the choice between the systems could affect water quality in a downstream river.
Compare the Green Revolution approach (high-yield varieties with irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides) with an IPM-based, low-input approach for feeding a growing…
Compare the Green Revolution approach (high-yield varieties with irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides) with an IPM-based, low-input approach for feeding a growing population. Your answer must:
(a) describe one benefit and one cost of each approach for soil and water;
(b) explain why high-yield varieties can increase demand for irrigation water and fertilizer;
(c) argue which approach you would recommend for a region with limited freshwater, and justify your choice.