Farming Flashcards
(23 cards)
what is the main type of farming in the Ganges Delta
Intensive rice production
Describe the location of the lower Ganges delta
The delta region of the Ganges occupies a large area of Bangladesh as well as West Bengal and southern Sri Lanka
Why is it good that rice is very labour intensive in Bangladesh?
high density population with high unemployment and underemployment
Describe the temperatures through out the year
small temperature range, about 8˚C. Temperatures of 21˚C and over throughout the year
Why are the temperatures favourable for rice production?
it allows two crops to be grown annually (rice needs a growing season of only 100 days)
There are two distinct seasons of rainfall. Explain when these are and how much rainfall.
Monsoon rainfall from May to October is over 2000mm. August is the month with peak rainfall reaching about 300mm, while December has the lowest with about 5mm. Dry period Nov to April.
What do farmers do during high rainfall periods
flood the fields and plant rice
why is the dry period from Nov to April important?
For harvesting
The flooding of the Ganges provides water to flood the fields. What else does it provide?
rich alluvial soil
Why are the plots so small in Bangladesh
they are divided up between relatives when a land owner dies so they get increasing smaller
how many months is the growing season
5 months
Give 4 physical inputs for the farming system of rice
monsoon rain of over 200mm, flat land for flooding, temperatures over 21 degrees, alluvial soils-nutrients and impermeable layer for rice paddies, dry period for harvesting
Give 3 human inputs or non physical
large labour force, rice seeds, manure from water buffaloes and water buffaloes for ploughing
Name 5 processes for rice production
ploughing, planting, threshing, weeding, constructing bunds and canals
name the 2 outputs
rice and rice seeds
how much water does it take to produce 1kg of rice
5000litres so very water intensive
where is rice grown first before it is transferred into the paddy fields
nurseries
when is the second rice crop planted
November
explain two issues that face these rice farmers in Bangladesh
- Land tenure- many farmers are tenants and pay for the use of the land by giving a share of their crop to the landlord.
2.Shortage of land and many plots are too small to support a farmer and his family and may be spread over a wide area which is inefficient. Coupled with a high population growth, this has led to food shortages. - Wastage of nutrients especially nitrogen in irrigated and wetland cultivation due to inefficient use of fertilisers.
- Drought- When monsoon rains fail then the farmer is forced to seek off-farm employment.
- Floods provide water and silt for the rice to grow but severe floods destroys the crop.
- Environmental- continual flooding of paddies account for 25% of methane released into the atmosphere.
- Stagnation in productivity and declining soil fertility
Why was the green revolution started in the 1950s?
to increase yields
what was the most important change in the green revolution?
High yielding rice varieties eg. IR8 tripled the production of rice in India
give two disadvantages of the green revolution
more fertilsers, more pesticides and more water was needed. Mechanisation lead to unemployment. Reliance on foreign companies for seeds. Poor farmers couldnt afford HYVs
Why is rice production considered an intensive form of cultivation in Bangladesh?
small plots of lands with very high inputs and labour intensive
