Agriculture 2

AGRICULTURE
Objectives:
• Define Agriculture
• Analyze the different types of machinery
AGRICULTURE
• Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops
and raising livestock. It includes the preparation of plant and animal
products for people to use and their distribution to markets.
Agriculture provides most of the world’s food and fabrics. Cotton, wood,
and leather are all agricultural products. Agriculture also provides wood
for construction and paper products.
These products, as well as the agricultural methods used, may vary from
one part of the world to another.
Start of Agriculture
• Over centuries, the growth of agriculture contributed to the rise of civilizations.
Before agriculture became widespread, people spent most of their lives searching for food—hunting
wild animals and gathering wild plants. About 11,500 years ago, people gradually learned how to
grow cereal and root crops, and settled down to a life based on farming.
By 2,000 years ago, much of the Earth’s population had become dependent on agriculture. Scholars
are not sure why this shift to farming took place, but it may have occurred because of climate
change.
When people began growing crops, they also began herding and breeding wild animals. Adapting
wild plants and animals for people to use is called domestication.
The first domesticated plant was probably rice or corn. Chinese farmers were cultivating rice as
early as 7500 BCE.
• The first domesticated plant was probably rice or corn. Chinese

farmers were cultivating rice as early as 7500 BCE.
The first domesticated animals were dogs, which were used for
hunting. Sheep and goats were probably domesticated next. People
also domesticated cattle and pigs. Most of these animals had once
been hunted for hides and meat. Now many of them are also sources
of milk, cheese, and butter. Eventually, people used domesticated
animals such as oxen for plowing, pulling, and transportation.
• Agriculture enabled people to produce surplus food. They could use
this extra food when crops failed or trade it for other goods. Food
surpluses allowed people to work at other tasks unrelated to farming.
• Agriculture kept formerly nomadic people near their fields and led to
the development of permanent villages. These became linked through
trade. New economies were so successful in some areas that cities grew
and civilizations developed. The earliest civilizations based on
intensive agriculture arose near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in
Mesopotamia (now Iraq and Iran) and along the Nile River in Egypt.
Improved Technology
• For thousands of years, agricultural development was very slow. One

of the earliest agricultural tools was fire. Native Americans used fire
to control the growth of berry-producing plants, which they knew
grew quickly after a wildfire. Farmers cultivated small plots of land
by hand, using axes to clear away trees and digging sticks to break
up and till the soil. Over time, improved farming tools of bone,
stone, bronze, and iron were developed. New methods of storage
evolved. People began stockpiling foods in jars and clay-lined pits
for use in times of scarcity. They also began making clay pots and
other vessels for carrying and cooking food.
Improved Technology
• Around 5500 BCE, farmers in Mesopotamia developed

simple irrigation systems. By channeling water from streams
onto their fields, farmers were able to settle in areas once
thought to be unsuited to agriculture. In Mesopotamia, and later
in Egypt and China, people organized themselves and worked
together to build and maintain better irrigation systems.
Improved Technology
• Early farmers also developed improved varieties of

plants. For example, around 6000 BCE, a new
variety of wheat arose in South Asia and Egypt. It
was stronger than previous cereal grains; its hulls
were easier to remove and it could be made into
bread.
Improved Technology
• As the Romans expanded their empire, they adapted

the best agricultural methods of the people they
conquered. They wrote manuals about the farming
techniques they observed in Africa and Asia, and
adapted them to land in Europe.
Improved Technology
• The Chinese also adapted farming tools and methods

from nearby empires. A variety of rice from Vietnam
ripened quickly and allowed farmers to harvest several
crops during a single growing season. This rice quickly
became popular throughout China.
Improved Technology
• Many medieval European farmers used an

open-field system of planting. One field would
be planted in spring, another in autumn, and
one would be left unplanted, or fallow. This
system preserved nutrients in the soil,
increasing crop production.
Improved Technology
• The leaders of the Islamic Golden Age (which reached its height
around 1000) in North Africa and the Middle East made agriculture
into a science. Islamic Golden Age farmers learned crop rotation.
• In the 15th and 16th centuries, explorers introduced new varieties of

plants and agricultural products into Europe. From Asia, they carried
home coffee, tea, and indigo, a plant used to make blue dye. From the
Americas, they took plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, corn (maize),
beans, peanuts, and tobacco. Some of these became staples and
expanded people’s diets.
Machinery
• One of the most important of these developments

was an improved horse-drawn seed drill invented
by Jethro Tull in England. Until that time, farmers
sowed seeds by hand. Tull’s drill made rows of
holes for the seeds. By the end of the 18th century,
seed drilling was widely practiced in Europe.
Machinery
• Many machines were developed in the United States. The cotton gin,
invented by Eli Whitney in 1794, reduced the time needed to separate
cotton fiber from seed. In the 1830s, Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical
reaper helped modernize the grain-cutting process. At about the same
time, John and Hiram Pitts introduced a horse-powered thresher that
shortened the process of separating grain and seed from chaff and straw.
John Deere’s steel plow, introduced in 1837, made it possible to work the
tough prairie soil with much less horsepower. Along with new machines,
there were several important advances in farming methods. By
selectively breeding animals (breeding those with desirable traits),
farmers increased the size and productivity of their livestock.
Machinery
• Cultures have been breeding animals for centuries—
evidence suggests Mongolian nomads were selectively
breeding horses in the Bronze Age. Europeans began to
practice selective breeding on a large scale beginning in
the 18th century. An early example of this is the
Leicester sheep, an animal selectively bred in England
for its quality meat and long, coarse wool.
Machinery
• Plants could also be selectively bred for certain
qualities. In 1866, Gregor Mendel’s studies in
heredity were published in Austria. In experiments
with pea plants, Mendel learned how traits were
passed from one generation to the next. His work
paved the way for improving crops through genetics.
Machinery
• New crop rotation methods also evolved during this time. Many of these
were adopted over the next century or so throughout Europe. For example,
the Norfolk four-field system, developed in England, proved quite
successful. It involved the yearly rotation of several crops, including wheat,
turnips, barley, clover, and ryegrass. This added nutrients to the soil,
enabling farmers to grow enough to sell some of their harvest without
having to leave any land unplanted.
Most of the world was not affected by these developments, however.

Farmers in Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America continued to use old
ways of agriculture.
What are the harvesting machines in the
Philippines?
1.Rice Harvester
2.Sugarcane Harvester
3.Corn Harvester
4.Cassava Harvester
5.Multi-Crop Harvester
• From rice, sugarcane, corn, and cassava—agricultural
farms in the country are growing different types of
crops for their livelihood. The use of a mechanized
harvester in the Philippines can help save time,
making it possible for earlier crop establishment, which
can improve higher yields during the next planting.
Rice Harvester
• As one of the staple foods for Filipinos, rice is one of the most important crops in the
country. From climate conditions, growing population, limited land area, and more—
there are plenty of constraints in the production process which means that having the
right machinery for harvesting can help make work more efficient. It can significantly
reduce labor, increase harvesting capacity, and more.
• By using a rice harvester, farms can reduce grain loss associated with manual
harvesting methods which can improve their yield, thereby increasing income.
Depending on the size of the machinery, it could handle hectares of land per day with
fewer people, which makes it a worthy investment in the long run.
• Some rice harvesters are capable of numerous functions, such as gathering, threshing,
separating, cleaning, and transport materials. Because of this, it is considered a
‘factory on wheels’ by farmers.
Rice Harvester
Sugarcane Harvester
• The Philippines produces million metric tons of sugarcane. It is used to make sugar,
ethanol, muscovado, and vinegar. Because of this, it is one of the essential crops in the
country. But manual harvesting of sugarcane is tiring and laborious for farmers. The
stalks are cut by hand with knives, which can cause muscle and joint injuries.
• Sugarcane harvesters can help ease the physical impact of manual harvesting on farmers.
It lessens the need for frequent breaks because fatigue is avoided. The machine is driven
from inside the cab like a tractor and the attachments are used to cut the stalks at the
base, clean the sugarcane, and chop it into billets. By using a sugarcane harvester,
farmers can prepare high amounts of the crop in less time.
Sugarcane Harvester
Corn Harvester
• A high percentage of farm households in the Philippines depend on corn as their
main source of livelihood. Other than the crop itself, it is processed into other
essential products such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, and corn snacks.
• One of the machines that can be helpful in increasing corn production is a
harvester. It is a machine specifically designed for harvesting and preparing
corn for storage. Like other farm machinery, this is driven by an operator. The
main attachment used to harvest the corn is located at the side of the cab, so the
operator has ample visibility of the field they’re working on.
• A corn harvester allows farmers to achieve multiple sacks per hour while
lessening grain losses. Depending on the model, there are also different features
available—such as grain tank with auto-discharge, two-rows, and more.
Corn Harvester
Cassava Harvester
• Along with rice and corn,

cassava is one of the important sources of calories in the country. It is planted in
an estimated 120,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Philippines. It is turned into
dried chips, suman, sago, and bibingka. As the demand for the crop is increasing,
farmers need to rely on mechanical harvesting methods more than ever.
• Harvesting is one of the most difficult parts of cassava production because the crop
can deteriorate quickly. This means that it needs to be harvested at the right time and
with the right methods.
• The use of a cassava harvester can help farmers achieve more yields and gain more
income. The equipment can dig out the cassava roots, which can reduce the heavy
physical work involved in manual harvesting. Because it can uproot one plant easily,
farmers can cover a hectare of land within hours.
Cassava Harvester
Multi-Crop Harvester
• A multi-crop harvester is beneficial for farms that plant more than

one crop. It comes in a variety of sizes, which makes it suitable for
both small and large land areas. Farmers can harvest up to 10
hectares on an 8-hour shift while reducing total grain losses, which
makes it the most efficient way to gain more income.
• Depending on the model of the harvesting machine, it can be used
for rice, corn, and more. Some models have interchangeable heads
which makes harvesting of different crops convenient. Compared to
manual harvesting methods, it can improve the quality of the crop
harvested too.
Multi-Crop Harvester

Agriculture 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Agriculture 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Agriculture 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AGRICULTURE

• The first domesticated plant was probably rice or corn. Chinese

• For thousands of years, agricultural development was very slow. One

• Around 5500 BCE, farmers in Mesopotamia developed

• Early farmers also developed improved varieties of

• As the Romans expanded their empire, they adapted

• The Chinese also adapted farming tools and methods

• Many medieval European farmers used an

• In the 15th and 16th centuries, explorers introduced new varieties of

• One of the most important of these developments

Most of the world was not affected by these developments, however.

• Along with rice and corn,

• A multi-crop harvester is beneficial for farms that plant more than

You might also like