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Lecture 2 PRT2009

The document outlines the evolution of agriculture from early hunter-gatherers to modern agricultural practices, highlighting significant milestones such as the Green Revolution. It discusses the characteristics and advancements in agriculture since the 1950s aimed at increasing yields and addressing food security. Despite improvements in food production and living standards, challenges such as population growth and urbanization continue to threaten agricultural sustainability.

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4 views22 pages

Lecture 2 PRT2009

The document outlines the evolution of agriculture from early hunter-gatherers to modern agricultural practices, highlighting significant milestones such as the Green Revolution. It discusses the characteristics and advancements in agriculture since the 1950s aimed at increasing yields and addressing food security. Despite improvements in food production and living standards, challenges such as population growth and urbanization continue to threaten agricultural sustainability.

Uploaded by

tanyesabe8005
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRT 2009

Transformation of
Agriculture
• First hominid hunters
and gatherers recorded
ca 4 million years ago.
– Gather wild fruits &
hunt wild animals

First human farmers: about


12,000 years ago

• Global Agricultural
Evolution: 1650 – 1850
AD
• Modern Agricultural
Evolution: 1950 -
present
Agriculture in the Middle Ages.

Areas of agricultures:
• Western Asia (Turkey; Iran; Iraq(Fertile Crescent);
Israel; Jordan; Syria.
• The Nile Valley
• Europe (Danube River Valley and Macedonia)
• Yangtze and Yellow River Valleys
• Tehuacan Valley of Mexico
Timeline of Early
Farming
Time Types of crops / livestock; Area
9000 BC Wheat/Barley; Fertile Crescent
8000 BC Potatoes; South America
7500 BC Goats/Sheep; Middle East
7000 BC Rye; Europe
6000 BC Chicken; South Africa
Modern Agriculture (1950s)
• Modern Agriculture systems developed with
two goals:
1. To obtain highest yields possible
2. To get the highest economic profit possible.
WHY MODERN AGRICULTURE STARTED
AFTER 1950s??
Characteristics of Modern Agriculture
1. Mass Production
2. Intensive tillage
3. Extensive use of agriculture inputs
4. Use of clone, hybrid and high yield varieties
5. Knowledgeable workforce
6. Monoculture
Green Revolution
Transformation of agriculture that led to significant increases
in agricultural production between the 1940s and 1960s.
Occurred as the result of programs of :
 Agricultural research
 Extension
 Infrastructural development.
What Was the Green Revolution?
• Main Objective:
– to eliminated hunger by improving crop
performance
• Important figure Norman Borlaug (1914 -
2009)
• Father of Green Revolution
• U.S. plant pathologist/plant breeder
• Won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize
Need for Green Revolution?
• Resource Limitation and Constraints
– Fertile Land.
– Labour and Mechanisation.
– Population Increase.
– Need for Diversity Of Products.
– Trend Towards Environmental Friendly Practices.
– Technological Advances.
Promise of Green Revolution
• Eliminate hunger
• Increase global carrying capacity
• Increase yields
• Increase technological knowledge
• Get the materials to rural farmers
 Modern Agricultural Evolution started in 1950s… until now
agriculture has improved so much that yield per land unit has grown
many times more.
Movement to increase yield by :
1. New crop cultivars.
• Tissue culture
• Genetic engineering.
2. Usage of Chemicals and Bio agents
– improve yield and quality
– Biocontrol (Parasitic insects and predators)
3. Innovations In Mechanisation and Automation
• They save energy and time while producing quality products.
They are incorporated in many applications including
irrigation, fertigation and controlled environment systems.
Ability to farm much larger acreages
Less field variability
Fewer people involved in production
Higher total output
Precision Agriculture
• Engineering and design skills using tools such as artificial intelligence, remote
sensing, and GIS modeling are applied to solve problems involving soil and water
affecting production agricultural communities.
– Ex: Water resource, Controlled Environment, Soil fertilization and crop protection
4. Agricultural Biotechnology
• Advanced processing methods and genetically
modified organisms to improve yield and quality.
• Examples can be seen in the production of high
yielding clones, fast and frozen foods, dehydrated
fruits, nutriceuticals, antioxidants, vitamins,
cosmetics and enzymes.
Summary
• Food production increased over 1000% from 1960 to 1990
• Famine decreased 20% from 1960 to 1990
• Caloric consumption per capita increased 25% from 1960 to
1990
• Rise in incomes and standards of living
Unsolved Problems
• Growth rate of population still increasing
• Growth rate of production slowing down
• Not much more crop land
• Losing crop land to urbanization
• Famine still exists
• Meat consumption increasing
PERT 2008
THANK YOU

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