Understanding Agronomy
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Transcript of Understanding Agronomy
* Understanding Agronomy
*Objectives*Discuss the relationship between agriculture and the environment;*Describe issues with water associated with crop production; and*Explain how conservation practices protect the environment
*Ag. and the Environment
*Environment: external conditions that affect an organism or community and influence its development or existence*Ag crop production happens in the environment
*Is there a demand for food?*Fiber?*Shelter?
*Yes
*Ag. and the Environment*What drives that demand?*Population growth
*Ag. production has had to expand a lot since agriculture began 10,000 years ago*Forests cut down; wetlands drained; prairies plowed
*What happens to wildlife in those areas?*Some become extinct, endangered, or threatened*Is that just animals?*No*Native plants as well
*Ag. and the Environment
*The major cause for an animal or plant to become extinct, endangered, or threatened is habitat loss*That is the alteration of the environment causing an organism to adapt or die
*Another cause is competition*New species are introduced with few natural enemies to control them.*Native species are also viewed as pests and controlled as such
* Water and Crop Production
*What are some issues associated with crop production’s impact on our water supply?*Pollution is the #1 issue related to crop production*In some areas over-use is an issue
* Water and Crop Production
*Pollution can occur in both surface and groundwater*Groundwater is found under the surface usually in porous rock, sand, and gravel and must be accessed by drilling a well
*Two types of water pollution*Point Source*Pollutant added directly to body of water
*Non-Point Source*Pollutants come from a wide area and travel through
something else first
* Water and Crop Production
*What can pollute our water supply?*Chemical pesticides and fertilizers*Usually dissolve in water and soak into soil and drain naturally with the water*Concentrations of nutrients and other chemicals
interupt natural balance*Some areas are more susceptible than others
*Erosion *Sediment in water can be detrimental to aquatic life
* Water and Crop Production
*The Ag industry is the largest user of the world’s fresh water supply*Ultimately we are using more water from aquifers than is being replaced*So what do we need to do?
*Protecting the Environment through
Conservation*Production methods have been discovered that reduce and in some cases eliminate pollution*Which is easier to correct: point source or non-point source pollution?*Point source*These issues can be taken care of
*Some land can actually be taken out of production and – here is the key*Put back into a natural state*Is this always economical?*No
*Erosion can be reduced by creating terraces, grass waterways and conservation tillage*Technological advances in irrigation practices have cut down on water use and waste*Pumps, application, sensors
*Conservation tillage and genetically engineered crops reduce the number of times equipment has to be used*Less emissions pollution and lower fuel use
*Protecting the Environment through
Conservation
*Genetic engineering and biotechnology*Plants that can resist pests on their own*less pesticide use
*Could genetic engineering have a negative impact on the environment?*How?*Cross pollination*New genes*Pest resistance
*Protecting the Environment through
Conservation
*Agronomy Presentation
*Choose a partner*Choose a topic from the list*Research that topic *History*Development* Technology*How it is done*Why it is done
*Present the ins and outs *Cite your sources*Must use visual aides (pictures, videos, or models)*Do not plagiarize! (I don’t want to see huge chunks of ‘copy/paste’)
*Assignment