Lesson 9 - Farming and Technology Flashcards
(8 cards)
what are 2 examples of technology increasing agriculture yields?
- New equipment, computers and phones
- Genetically modified seeds
why are new equipment so important in the farming industry?
It allows farmers to micro-manage every aspect of their farm.
what do optrx crop sensors do?
OptRx Crop Sensors measure and record data about crops in real time using the reflectance of
light shined on the growing plants
what does seedstar do?
SeedStar Mobile collects and monitors seed population rates, singulation, seed spacing, applied downforce, gauge wheel margin, variety, ride quality and ground speed on a row-by-row basis. This data is shown to the operator on an iPad in the cab in real-time
what does brandt tank pro do?
BRANDT Tank Pro allows applicators to choose the herbicide formulation they plan to use and the BRANDT SMART SYSTEM micronutrient formulation they want to add to the tank mix
how were the gros michel bananas wiped out?
Gros Michel bananas were wiped out when a fungus (called Panama disease) spread through them. So farmers tried growing different types of bananas and the Cavendish banana was immune to Panama disease, so that’s what they all started growing instead.
how do GMS seeds work?
Scientists insert genes into the DNA of plants and then produce seeds that have whatever features they want. Scientists (and now large companies) genetically modify seeds to make sure they have specific
features.
what are the 3 dangers in GMS seeds?
a. People who are worried about GM foods argue that we don’t know the long-term health effects
b. Often it’s the company that makes the chemical pesticides that also produces the seeds that can resist the pesticides
c. Farmers have always had control over their crops but GM seed-making companies make sure that farmers can only buy their seeds from that one company forever (if a farmer “saves” seeds by collecting them from their crop to plant the next year, the GM seed company sues
them!).
