Food Production & Crop Yield (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Environmental Management): Flashcards
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- FrontTypes of Agriculture
Define arable farming.
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Define arable farming.
Arable farming is the growing of crops, such as cereals, vegetables or fruits.
Where do farmers often choose pastoral farming?
Farmers often choose pastoral farming where growing crops is difficult, such as in mountains or dry regions.
Mixed farming allows natural recycling of nutrients, for example using to fertilise fields.
Mixed farming allows natural recycling of nutrients, for example using manure to fertilise fields.
Define subsistence farming.
Subsistence farming is growing crops or rearing livestock mainly to feed the farmer and their family.
True or False?
Subsistence farming relies on high levels of machinery, technology and money.
False.
Subsistence farming uses low inputs: simple tools, small plots of land and little labour, technology or money.
What is the main aim of commercial farming?
Commercial farming aims mainly at sale and profit, using high yields to supply national or international markets.
Define intensive farming.
Intensive farming is producing as much food as possible on a particular area of land, using high inputs of labour, capital, or both.
Define monoculture.
Monoculture is growing a single crop species over a large area.
Why does monoculture increase the risk of pest outbreaks and disease?
Monoculture increases this risk because all the plants are genetically similar, so a pest or disease can spread through the whole crop.
True or False?
Monoculture makes planting and harvesting less efficient.
False.
Growing one crop makes planting and harvesting easier and more efficient and lets farmers specialise.
Define sustainable food production.
Sustainable food production is producing enough food for the present generation using methods that ensure future generations can grow enough food from the same land.
How does crop rotation support sustainable food production?
Crop rotation keeps soils healthy by preventing nutrient loss.
Sustainable farms conserve water with efficient irrigation systems, such as irrigation.
Sustainable farms conserve water with efficient irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation.
Why do sustainable farmers apply fertilisers carefully?
Sustainable farmers apply fertilisers carefully to avoid polluting rivers and other water bodies with excess nutrients.
True or False?
Sustainable food production involves growing crops that suit the local climate, soil and water availability.
True.
Matching crops to local conditions reduces the need for irrigation, chemicals and energy.
How do sustainable farms protect biodiversity?
Sustainable farms protect biodiversity by keeping hedgerows, trees and natural habitats around fields and encouraging pollinators such as bees.
Define intercropping.
Intercropping is growing different crops in alternating rows.
How does mixed cropping reduce the risk of complete crop failure?
Mixed cropping reduces this risk because different crops respond differently to pests or weather.
Crop rotation means growing different crops in a planned over several seasons.
Crop rotation means growing different crops in a planned sequence over several seasons.
How does drip irrigation increase irrigation efficiency?
Drip irrigation delivers small amounts of water directly to plant roots, which cuts water loss through evaporation.
True or False?
Rainwater harvesting increases pressure on groundwater and river supplies.
False.
Collecting and storing rainwater for irrigation reduces pressure on groundwater and river supplies.
What do automated watering systems use to detect dry soil?
Automated watering systems use soil moisture sensors to detect when the soil becomes too dry.
How does mechanisation increase food production?
Machines such as tractors, ploughs and harvesters speed up planting and harvesting, so farmers grow more food in less time.
Define genetic modification.
Genetic modification is changing the genetic material of an organism by inserting, removing or altering genes.
Genetically modified crops can have tolerance to drought, heat or .
Genetically modified crops can have tolerance to drought, heat or salinity.
Define hydroponics.
Hydroponics is growing plants in nutrient solutions instead of soil.
True or False?
In aeroponics, plant roots grow in nutrient-rich soil.
False.
In aeroponics, roots hang suspended in air and receive a nutrient mist, which improves their oxygen supply.
How do greenhouses increase crop yield?
Greenhouses protect crops from extreme weather and pests and allow year-round production.
Why do farmers rotate livestock between fields?
Farmers rotate livestock to prevent overgrazing, so vegetation and soil can recover.
True or False?
Urban farming increases the distance food travels to consumers.
False.
Urban farming shortens the distance food travels, which keeps produce fresh.
Define agroforestry.
Agroforestry is growing trees and crops on the same land at the same time.
How do tree roots benefit farmland in agroforestry?
Tree roots help prevent soil erosion.
Inorganic NPK fertilisers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and .
Inorganic NPK fertilisers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Why do inorganic fertilisers work quickly?
Inorganic fertilisers contain nutrients in a ready-to-use form, so plants can absorb them quickly.
True or False?
Organic fertilisers release their nutrients quickly.
False.
Organic fertilisers release nutrients slowly, which supports long-term plant growth.
Define mulch.
Mulch is a layer of organic material, such as straw, wood chips or leaves, spread on top of the soil.
How does mulch help soil retain moisture?
Mulch helps soil retain moisture by reducing evaporation.
Define crop residue.
Crop residue is the leftover plant material, such as stalks, leaves and husks, after harvesting.
Define biological control.
Biological control is using natural predators or parasites to control pest species.
Farmers can release ladybirds to eat the that damage crop leaves.
Farmers can release ladybirds to eat the aphids that damage crop leaves.
What do herbicides kill?
Herbicides are chemical pesticides that kill weeds.
Define unsustainable agriculture.
Unsustainable agriculture is farming that damages the environment and reduces the land's ability to produce food in the future.
Which resources does food wastage also waste?
Food wastage also wastes the energy, water and land used to grow the food.
How can growing cash crops cause local food shortages?
Cash crops can replace food crops, so communities may have to rely on food imports.
True or False?
Growing biofuel crops tends to lower food prices.
False.
Biofuel crops reduce the land available for food, which can push food prices up for low-income communities.
Define salinisation.
Salinisation is the build-up of salt in soil when repeated irrigation in hot climates leaves salt deposits behind.
Poor drainage can make soil , so crop roots lack oxygen.
Poor drainage can make soil waterlogged, so crop roots lack oxygen.
Why can overusing pesticides make pests harder to control?
Overuse can cause pests to develop resistance, so they survive pesticide treatments.
Define pest resurgence.
Pest resurgence is a rapid increase in pest numbers after pesticides kill the pests' natural predators.
True or False?
Overusing pesticides affects only the target pest species.
False.
Pesticides also harm pollinators such as bees, which lowers pollination rates and crop yields.
Excess fertiliser can wash into rivers and lakes, polluting sources.
Excess fertiliser can wash into rivers and lakes, polluting drinking water sources.
Which nutrients from excess fertiliser mainly cause rapid algae growth in water?
Nitrates and phosphates mainly cause rapid plant and algae growth in water.
How does eutrophication kill aquatic animals?
A thick layer of algae blocks sunlight; when the algae die, bacteria decompose them and use up oxygen in the water, so aquatic animals die.
What causes soil nutrient exhaustion?
Growing crops repeatedly without replenishing nutrients causes soil nutrient exhaustion.
True or False?
Soil nutrient exhaustion can make farmers use more and more fertiliser.
True.
Poorer soils give lower yields and need more fertiliser, which creates an unsustainable cycle.
Define overgrazing.
Overgrazing is when animals eat vegetation faster than it can regrow, leaving bare soil exposed.
Define overcultivation.
Overcultivation is growing crops continuously without sufficient rest periods between harvests, which weakens soil structure.
How does deforestation for farmland leave soil open to erosion?
Deforestation removes the protection that tree roots and tree canopies give the soil.
Why does monoculture cause faster nutrient depletion?
Monoculture causes faster depletion because the same crop removes the same nutrients every year.
Define intensification.
Intensification is high-input farming that uses lots of machinery, fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation.
True or False?
Intensification keeps crop yields high in the long term.
False.
Intensification gives high yields in the short term but can cause soil degradation over time.
Topsoil is the uppermost and most layer of soil.
Topsoil is the uppermost and most fertile layer of soil.
Why is the loss of topsoil a long-term problem?
Topsoil loss is a long-term problem because rebuilding topsoil takes decades.
Which nutrients does eroding soil carry away?
Eroding soil carries away nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which lowers crop yields.
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