Human Geography Chapter 4-Agriculture(Important Topic) Checklist 1. Industry types. 2. Agricultural terms 3.

Types of Agriculture(Shifting Agriculture, Wet Rice Cultivation, Plantation Agriculture, Hi-tech farming) 4. Characteristics of each types of Agriculture(Purpose, Inputs, Outputs, Stages)

Industry Types Type of Industry Primary Characteristics

Activities associated with extraction or obtaining of the Earths natural resources. This includes agriculture & fishing. Activities related to the manufacturing of natural resources from Primary industries and converting them into consumer products. This includes making use of rubber to make footwear. Activities related to services. This includes Transportation.

Secondary

Tertiary

Agricultural Terms What is Agriculture It is the growing of crops or the raising of animals on a farm. It is important to the people as it supplies food. There is insufficient for everyone in the wild, hence, the need for farms. Farms may also produce cotton, silk, rubber which are not consumed but for industrial or used by us by other means. Related words Inputs: Physical Labour Description Things to put in to ensure smooth running of the system. Land amounts required, Temperature required, Water required(rain). Relation to Climate types. Labour required

Capital

Money put in to purchase equipment needed. Includes: Technological: Drainage, Irrigation, Materials: Fertilizers, Machines, Seeds etc. Steps, Cycle. Results, end products. Cereals, rice, noodles from arable farming Meat & dairy products from Pastoral farming One type(monotype) or Variety of crops Low output per unit area(subsistence or/and low technology) High output per unit area(Commercial or/and high technology) Commercial: Crops produced on a large scale for sale in market. Subsistence: Crops produced for own production

Process Outputs

Purpose

Types of Agriculture (Shifting Agriculture, Wet Rice Cultivation, Plantation Agriculture, Hitech farming)

Shifting Agriculture General Characteristics

1. Involves moving the location of a family or tribes farming land from one site to another, depending on the lands fertility, they temporarily clear areas in forests to grow food. 2. After 2 years when the plot is no longer fertile, it is abandoned as it is also invaded by weeds every few years. 3. Widely practiced in Southeast Asia; especially: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Process 1) Clearing: - plot of land selected by head of tribe or family. - trees cleared with axes or power saws. - This is done at the start of the dry season. 2) Burning: - takes place a few weeks after cutting. - when the cut vegetation has dried out. The ashes are left to fertilize the soil. un-burnt trunks are used to separate the plots. 3) Planting: - holes are made using digging sticks. - rice and vegetable seeds are planted. Some weeding may take place. 4) Harvesting: - crops are harvested through the year depending on when they mature. Food is produced for their own needs (subsistence). 5) Moving on: - fertility declines after a few years - a new area needs to be selected and cleared. old garden left to fallow for 20-30 years. to allow it to regain its fertility.

This usually involves a single family but sometimes an entire village. Around 250-300 million people depend on such farming. Impact on environment may be significant when not enough time is given for land to regenerate or each time forested areas are cleared Purpose: Subsistence Farming Inputs

Physical Each farmer only requires a small plot of land at any one point of time since its subsistence. However, a large amount of land is required as farmers move to a new plot of land after every few years.

Capital Almost no capital is required. Only simple tools are used (sticks, matches, axes & sticks). Seeds from previous harvests are used.

Labour The family provides all of the labour required. Other than the initial clearing of forest, little labour is required

Technology Low. Only simple tools are used. Neither are there any research carried out to improve the quality and quantity of output.

Produce: Output per unit area is low. Only a small variety of goods are grown. This includes crops like dry land rice, banana, maize & tapioca.

Wet Rice farming General Characteristics Stages Pre-planting (October): Fields are ploughed using buffalo or tractors. Rice seeds grown in nursery Repair mud walls to make sure water stays on the padi fields. Growing of rice in flooded fields Is a staple diet of around half of the worlds population. Rice is mostly grown in Asia, 90% of the rice is grown here. Require high temperatures & a large amount of water. Hence, it is commonly grown in Asia due to the climate here.

Fields are fertilized, and leveled. Planting (November): Seedlings transplanted into field, usually by hand. Weeding and pest control are carried out through the growing season. Harvesting (around January February): Fields are drained to encourage crops to ripen. Harvesting is usually done by hand Second or third cropping: This can happen only if there is irrigation and fast growing as the physical conditions during this period of time is poor and not suitable but with some irrigation systems. Cycle begins again in next October. Purpose Traditionally Subsistence farming but is now commercial in some countries like: Thailand & Japan. Inputs Physical 1) High annual temperatures (>25C). Necessary for rice to germinate 2) Suitable Soils: Clayey soils are ideal as they help to retain water. Some also have volcanic soils that help give high yield. 3) Available water: High rainfall (avg.2000mm) is needed to flood the rice fields during the growing period. Hundreds of small and medium sized dams hold water, which can be released for drier seasons for irrigating rice. 4) Land should also be flat. This is to allow water levels to be even throughout. 5) In hilly places, steps should be cut to create flat terraces. 6) Size of land required also varies from small(2 hectares) to large, depending on purpose. Capital 1) Amount required depends on the country & its method of cultivation 2) Little Capital is required for traditional methods as only simple tools are used. 3) Modern methods require a larger sum of capital as this includes Machinery, Research and Irrigation Canals. Labour 1) Labour is generally very extensive, much of the work is done by hand, this includes field preparations., planting, fertilizing, weeding & harvesting. 2) Labour can be provided by the farmers family or by hired workers. 3) Animals such as the water buffaloes are sometimes used to plough fields.

Technology 1) Low for traditional farms. 2) High for modern ones: New, higher yields and varieties are develop via research, cross-breeding. This can allow crops to mature faster & produce more rice per unit area as well as to become more resilient to pests & diseases. Modern machines which supply water to crops all year round. Fertilizers, Pesticides, Herbicides Produce: Output of Produce per output is high. Plantation Agriculture General Information Is a form of Commercial Farming, most of the time for exports. Is especially important for countries like Malaysia It is monocropping type of plantation(involves only 1 crop), sometimes 2/3 Grown over large areas, to produce high-value cash crops: rubber, palm oil, tea. Located mainly in between the tropic of Cancer & Capricorn. It was of Colonial Origins (Colonial masters forcing locals to plant) Owned by local governments / corporations.

Purpose Inputs Physical 1) 2) 3) 4) Capital Labour intensive, most work is done by hand This especially includes the field preparation. Labour is provided by farmers family (subsistence) or hired workers (commercial). Depending on purpose, Water Buffaloes might be used to plough fields. Commercial farming. However in special cases, Subsistence (rare). Some crops are sold as raw materials to manufacturing industries. Eg. Cotton to textile industries.

1) Large amount of Capital is needed. This includes -Machinery & Construction of factories to process & harvest. -Fertilisers and Pestisides are also used in large amounts -Salarises and housing for workers. 2) It might vary due to the technology involved. Labour 1) Many workers required.

Technology 1) High/Low. Mostly high. 2) Machinery, factories, processing plants, water sprinklers etc. 3) MNCs invest a lot on Research & Development to develop high-yielding seeds etc. Output The total output is high however, output per per unit area is low. Hi Tech-Framing Farming General Characteristics Purpose Is a form of Commercial Farming. Involves the application of scientific methods to improve the crop yield. Automation are used to reduce labour needed Is highly supported in Singapore.