Agriculture is the science, art, and business of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. It plays a crucial role in providing food, fiber, and other materials for human survival and economic development.
Types of Agriculture
There are various types of agriculture, including:
Subsistence Agriculture: Small-scale farming primarily for family consumption.
Commercial Agriculture: Large-scale farming for profit and trade.
Organic Agriculture: Farming without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Intensive Agriculture: High-input farming with a focus on maximizing yield.
Extensive Agriculture: Low-input farming with large land areas and lower yields per acre.
Key Elements of Agriculture
Key elements of agriculture include:
Crop Production: Cultivating and harvesting plants for food, feed, fiber, and other uses.
Livestock Rearing: Raising animals for meat, milk, wool, and other products.
Soil Management: Practices to maintain soil fertility and structure for crop growth.
Irrigation: Providing water to crops through artificial means to supplement natural rainfall.
Agricultural Machinery: Use of equipment and machinery for planting, harvesting, and processing crops.
Concepts of Earth Science: A student should understand and be able to apply the concepts, processes, theories, models, evidence, and systems of earth and space sciences. A student who meets the content standard should:
Develop an understanding of the cyclical changes controlled by energy from the sun and by Earth's position and motion in our solar system.