the Roles of Tech + Innovation in Dev. of Food Production

Question 1

What is agri. tech.?

Answer 1

• applying techniques to control the growth + harvesting of animal + veg. products

Question 2

What are examples of agri. tech?

Answer 2

• dev. of HY seeds
• genetic engineering
• better equipment + management
• hydroponics + vertical farming
• crop spraying from the air
• integrated pest management

Question 3

What is innovation?

Answer 3

• new ideas/approaches to inc. farming efficiency which may or may not require tech.

Question 4

What does innovation involve?

Answer 4

• transferring techniques from other areas/cultures
• new crops/animals
• use of waste or by products from crops or animals
• more efficient processing + packing

Question 5

What is the Green Revolution?

Answer 5

• the package of agri. improvements + techniques such as:
  
  • irrigation, mechanisation, use of fertiliser + pesticides

Question 6

Describe the Green Revolution in India.

Answer 6

• 1966-67: India was 1 of the 1st countries to benefit from a high-yielding variety of seed programme: turning point for Indian agri.
• HVP introduced new hybrid varieties of 5 cereals: wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, millet
  - drought resistant (except rice), very responsive to fertilisers + shorter growing season than previous varieties

Question 7

What were the advantages of the Green Revolution?

Answer 7

• yields 2-4x greater
• shortens growing season (allows Xtra crop in some areas)
• inc. farming income: can purchase machinery, better seeds, pesticides + fertilisers
• diet of rural communities now varied
• local infrastructure upgraded
• employment created in industries supplying farms w supplies + machinery
• higher returns: inc. in irrigation

Question 8

What were the disadvantages of the Green Revolution?

Answer 8

• lots of fertiliser + pesticide needed to optimise production: eco. + envi. costly
• HYVs need more weed control + are more susceptible to pests + disease
• middle + higher-income farmers benefited > low-income farmers: widens income gap in rural communities + inc. rural-urban migration
• mechanisation inc. rural unemployment
• some HYVs have an inferior taste
• HYVs can be low in minerals + vitamins: many ppl in LICs + MICs extremely low in Zn, Fe + vitamin A

Question 9

What are perennial crops?

Answer 9

• crops that don’t die off once harvested + regrow each yr + protect soil from erosion
• in future plant biologists hope to breed these crops by crossing methods or genetic engineering but process slow