Unit 7: Agricultural types

Chong Boon Secondary SchoolHumanities Department Geography Unit Sec 2

Geography

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By the end of this topic you will be able to :◦Identify and explain the inputs, processes and outputs of the 4 key agricultural types Shifting Cultivation Wet Rice Cultivation Plantation Agriculture High Tech farming

Objectives

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Also known as “Slash and Burn Farming”

Used by traditional tribes

Small plots of land usedSubsistence agriculture

Shifting Cultivation (Key Characteristics) COP

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1. Tribe Elder selects plot of land2. Slash and burn applied to wild vegetation 3. Small area cleared (only areas used are

cleared)4. Simple tools used in seeding (dibble

stick)5. Cultivation carried out on cleared areas6. Minimal weeding done on crops7. After repeated harvests (when fertility is

reduced), the land is abandoned (fallow period)

8. New plot selected and process is repeated.

Shifting cultivation process COP

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Amazon Basin (South America)

Indonesia (South East Asia)

Congo Basin (Africa)

Where can we find Shifting Cultivation

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Kalimantan IndonesiaKey crops cultivated include Rice, root crops, vegetables, banana, maize, pumpkin, etc.

Soil able to sustain for 3-4 years Fallow period usually up to 10 years before plot is reused again.

The Kantu tribe in Indonesia

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Complete the exercise provided.

You may use your notes to help you.

You have a total of 15 minutes!

Good luck!

Let’s take a look at the exercises

Wet Rice Cultivation

Tropical regions (monsoon lands)◦South Asia, South-East Asia and South China

Growing of padi (Wet Rice)◦Requirement for flooding for cultivation

Highly intensive cultivation

Wet Rice Cultivation

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1. Flat land2. Large amount of sunlight3. Heavy rainfall during

growing season4. Fertile alluvial soil

Key Physical inputs

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Draught animals for ploughingFertilizers

◦Natural Fertilizers (Animal Waste)◦Chemical Fertilizers (Nitrates)

Irrigation◦Lack of rainwater during growing

Relief modification◦Absence of flat land

Key Human inputs

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1. Ploughing, planting in nursery and fertilising

2. Transplanting to fields3. Irrigation (maintain flooding)4. Breaking bunds and allow for

ripening5. Harvesting6. Threshing and Winnowing

Wet Rice Cultivation Process

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Terracing method used Lack of natural flat lands Modification of hills into terraces Mud walls (bunds) are built at edge of steps to retain water (flooding)

When crops are mature, bunds are broken and rice will ripen

Harvesting done by hand.

Wet Rice Cultivation Thailand

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Terracing methodCOP

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Complete the exercise provided.

You may use your notes to help you.

You have a total of 15 minutes!

Good luck!

Let’s take a look at the exercises

Plantation Agriculture

Dominant in countries with◦High temperature, humidity and heavy

rainfall Former colonies

◦Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Colombia

Typical cash crops◦Rubber, cacao, oil palm, coconut,

pineapple, tea, sugar cane.

Plantation Agriculture

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Climatic conditions◦High humidity◦High temperature◦High rainfall

Large arable land area

Physical Inputs

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Cheap labour Management team High Capital Modern machinery Processing facilities Fertilisers and Pesticides Transport infrastructure Research and Development facility

Human Inputs

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Cultivation and processing of the crops

Processes

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Semi-processed / Processed products.

Profit ($)

Outputs

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World’s top producer of Palm Oil

Started cultivation in 1917Small private estates and Large MNC (Multi-national Corporation) estates ◦E.g. Sime Darby

Oil Palm Plantation COPY

Pre-nursery stage◦ Good seeds soaked in water and germinated for 80 days

between 39°C to 40°C. Transplanted to nursery for one year Second transplanting into fields at start of rainy

season Cover crops grown in between oil palm trees

◦ Provide shelter from heavy rains◦ Extra income for farmers

Chemical fertilisers added. Harvesting starts after 3 years and fruits are sent

for processing.

Cultivation Process

Harvested fruits are loaded onto containers and sent for processing within 24 hours

Fruits are sterilised by steam Fruits are stripped and mesocarp is

separated from the kernel Mesocarp is cooked further and pressed to

extract oil that is sent to a refinery Kernel also pressed and high quality kernel

oil is extracted.

Processing Stage

Read Pg 56 of

your Textbook!

As a filler ingredient◦Ice Cream, Soap, Plastics, Biscuits, Chocolates, Sweets

As a consumable oil◦Cooking oil (Palm Oil & Palm Kernel Oil)

Products from Palm Oil

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10 Seconds !

Advent of green revolutionGreen Revolution – the use of technology to increase crop yield

Helps maximise profits and minimise costs

High Tech Farming

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Agro-ChemicalsIrrigationFarm MachineryComputerised ControlHigh Yield Variety (HYV) Seeds

Tools of High-tech farming

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Chemicals added for nutrients (nitrates)

Chemicals added as pesticides ◦Kills pests (locusts, grasshoppers)

Chemicals added as herbicides ◦Kills weeds

Agro-Chemicals

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Provision of water supply during dry season.

No limitation of 1 growing season per year.

Double / multiple harvests in a year ◦Double cropping◦Multiple cropping

Re-cropping arid areas

Irrigation

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Raise the efficiency of farming processes

Increase production and replace human labour.◦Harvesting crops◦Milking cows

Refrigerated trucks ◦Help keep perishables fresh from farm to

market/factory

Farm Machinery

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Use of computers to calculate nutrition needs

Increases the efficiency and quality of produce

Computerised Control

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Genetic engineering selects best characteristics of the crop

More produce per plantMore resistant to disease and hazards◦Super rice (Wind and Drought resistant rice)

HYV (High Yield Variety) Seeds

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Little land used in Singapore for farming. Land scarcity – high demand for urban

land. Presence of agro-tech parks in Singapore

◦ Help in food stability ◦ Aquaculture◦ Egg farms

Non-food farms◦ Ornamental fish◦ Orchid farms

High-Tech Farming in Singapore

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Food and non-food productsHigh investment in machinesUse of highly specialised workforce

Engaged in Research and Development (R&D)

Characteristics of High Tech Farming in Singapore

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Physical inputs◦Sunshine / shade◦Land

Human inputs◦Capital◦Seedlings◦Nutrient solution◦Chemical fertilisers◦Specialised equipment and labour◦R&D

IPO of a high-tech farm

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Germination in dark room Transplanting to growing troughs Adding nutrient solutions / spraying nutrients on roots

Monitoring plant growth with computers

Manual harvesting Packaging and refrigerated transport

Processes COPY

Local leafy vegetables◦Caixin, KangKong

Temperate and subtropical vegetables◦Butterhead lettuce, HongKong kai lan

Dwarf cabbage

Outputs

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Let’s look at the exercise Complete the exercise in 20 minutes

Exercise