Principles of AgriculturePrinciples of Agriculture

Recognizing The Role Of Agriculture In Society

LessonLesson

Determining The History Of Agriculture

Student Learning ObjectivesStudent Learning Objectives

Define agriculture and the agriculture industry

Identify important historical developments in agriculture

Explain major technological developments in agriculture

TermsTerms

Agriculture industry

Agriculture Agribusiness Aquaculture Biotechnology

Domestication Farming Forestry Inventions Natural

Resources

Terms (continued)Terms (continued)

Ornamental Horticulture

Suburban Farming

Technology

Objective OneObjective One

Define Agriculture and The Agriculture Industry

What is Agriculture?What is Agriculture?

Agriculture is the science of growing crops and raising animals to meet the needs of humans

What is the What is the Ag IndustryAg Industry??

Involves all activities involved with providing people with food, clothing, and shelter

Includes farm operations, and Nonfarm operations Largest industry in America

What are Farming What are Farming Operations?Operations?

Uses land and other resources to grow crops and raise animals

Includes conventional farming, suburban farming, aquaculture, and forestry

Conventional Conventional FarmingFarming

Larger acreage of land growing typical grains of corn, soybeans, wheat, and other similar crops

Producing larger numbers of animals like swine, beef and dairy cattle, and sheep

Suburban FarmingSuburban Farming

Normally involves smaller areas of land

Normally found in residential or business locations

Typical products would include vegetable crops and small animals

AquacultureAquaculture

“Farming the Water” Involves raising fish or similar

aquatic animals Also includes producing aquatic

plants like water cress or water chestnuts

ForestryForestry

Involves the production and use of trees

What are Nonfarm What are Nonfarm Operations?Operations?

Normally referred to as Agribusiness

Agribusiness is nonfarm work in areas such as ag supplies, services, marketing, and product processing

Agriculture Also Makes the Agriculture Also Makes the Lives of People BetterLives of People Better

Ornamental Horticulture produces flowers and plants for their beauty

Natural Resources involve working with things found in nature like soil, water, and air

Objective TwoObjective Two

Identify Important Historical Developments in

Agriculture

Two Important Groups of Two Important Groups of People That Affected Early People That Affected Early AgricultureAgriculture

Native Americans

Colonists

Native AmericansNative Americans

Includes Indians, Hawaiians, and Eskimos

Hunting and gathering met their food and fiber needs

Indians first began simple farming By 1000 AD, corn is being grown in

large plots

ColonistsColonists

Learned many successful ag practices from Native Americans

Credited with early domestication of animals, which is the taming, confinement, and breeding of animals for human use

Objective ThreeObjective Three

Explain major technological developments in agriculture

What is Technology?What is Technology?

Technology is the application of knowledge to practical use

Uses inventions (new devices, products, or ways of doing work) for easier work and better living

History of American AgricultureHistory of American Agriculture1776-19901776-1990

Farm Machinery and

Technology

18th Century18th Century

Oxen and Horses used for power

Crude wooden plows Sowing and cultivating by hand Harvested grain with sickle Threshing grain with flail

1776 To 17991776 To 1799

Cradle and scythe introduced 1793--Cotton Gin invented 1794--Thomas Jefferson’s moldboard of

least resistance tested 1797--Charles Newbold patented first

cast iron plow Charles Townsend develops crop rotation

systems

1800 To 18301800 To 1830

1819--Jethro Wood patented iron plow with interchangeable parts

US food canning industry was established

Gregor Mendel discovers basic principles of heredity

1830’s1830’s

250 hours needed to produce 100 bushels (five acres) of wheat

1834--McCormick Reaper patented 1837--John Deere began making

steel plows 1837--Practical Threshing machine

patented

1840’s1840’s

1841--Practical grain drill patented 1842--First grain elevator in

Buffalo, New York 1844--Practical mower patented 1847--Irrigation begun in Utah 1849--Mixed chemical fertilizers

sold commercially

1850’s1850’s

75 hours needed to produce 100 bushels (2.5 acres) of wheat

1854--Self-governing windmill perfected

1856--2 horse straddle-row cultivator patented

1860’s1860’s

Use of horses keys first American ag revolution

Gang and sulky plows came into use 1868--Steam tractors tried out 1869--Spring-tooth harrow appears USDA established

1870’s1870’s

Silos came into use Deep well drilling first widely

used 1874--Joseph Glidden patents

barbed wire. Era of open range grazing ends

1880’s1880’s

1880--William Deering put 3000 twine binders on the market

1884--Horse drawn combine used in Pacific Coast wheat areas

1890’s1890’s

1890--Cream separators came into wide use

50 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) wheat

40 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels (2.5 acres) corn

1900 To 19101900 To 1910

Annual commercial fertilizer consumption 3.7 million tons

George Washington Carver finds new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. Ag in southern United States diversifies

First successful gas tractor is built

1910 To 19201910 To 1920

Annual commercial fertilizer consumption 6.1 million tons

Big open-geared gas tractors came into use

1919--Small prairie type combine with auxiliary engine introduced

1920’s1920’s

1926--Successful light tractor developed

1926--Cotton stripper developed Increased ag production results

from expanded use of mechanized power

1930’s1930’s

Annual commercial fertilizer consumption 6.5 million tons

Rubber tired tractor with complementary machinery came into use

20 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels (2.5 acres) corn

1940’s1940’s

One farmer supplies 10.7 other people Change from horses to tractors leads

to second American ag revolution Frozen foods popularized Annual commercial fertilizer

consumption 13.6 million tons

1950’s1950’s

One farmer supplies 15.5 others 1954--Number of tractors on farms

exceeds number of horses for first time

Anhydrous ammonia use increases, spurring higher yields

1960’s1960’s

One farmer supplies 25.8 others Annual commercial fertilizer

consumption 32.3 million tons 5 labor hours required to produce

100 bushels (3.3 acres) wheat using 14 ft. drill and 14 ft. self propelled combine

1970’s1970’s

No-till agriculture popularized One farmer supplies 75.8 others 3 hours labor required to produce

100 bushels (1 1/8 acres) corn using tractor, 5 bottom plow, 20 ft. disk, 12 ft. self propelled combine

1980’s1980’s

More farmers using low-till methods to reduce erosion

Farmers using low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) techniques to reduce chemical applications

Other 20th Century Other 20th Century AdvancementsAdvancements

Improved varieties of crop seeds Development of chemicals to control

weeds, insects and other pests Genetic engineering implemented to

improve crops and livestock Widespread application of computers

Other 20th Century Other 20th Century AdvancementsAdvancements

Biotechnology--putting our scientific knowledge of biology (plants and animals) to practical use

BT corn and Roundup Ready Soybeans for example