Transcript Animal, Plant & Soil Science

Animal, Plant & Soil Science
Research Methods in
Agriculture
Intro to Agriculture
BEA Ag Department
Ms. Covington
Interest Approach
“Is history important?”
Discuss the history of
agriculture and the role
research has played in the
development of agriculture.
Objectives
•Explain how the science of
agriculture helped develop
civilization.
•Identify and define the various
areas of science and
agriscience.
Objectives
•Discuss advancements made
through agriscience.
•Identify leading research
organizations and laboratories
in the United States.
Terms
• agriscience
• agronomy
• animal science
• applied
research
• aquaculture
• arithmetic
• basic research
• biomass fuels
• biotechnology
• botany
• chemistry
• earth science
• entomology
• environmental
science
Terms
• forestry
• genetic
engineering
• geology
• geometry
• horticulture
• life science
• mathematics
• matter
• mechanical
technology
• meteorology
• olericulture
• ornamental
horticulture
Terms
• physical science
• physics
• pomology
• poultry science
• precision farming
• remote sensing
• science
• social science
• zoology
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• The science of agriculture is the basis on
which all of civilization is built.
• Before humans began to
devise ways to produce
their own food, most of
their lives were devoted to
finding enough to eat.
• The only available food
was the plants and animals that grew wild
in the area.
• Hunting and gathering food was a timeconsuming process.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• It also prevented early humans from
settling in one place.
• If a group stayed in one area too long,
most of the wild game and wild plants that
provided food would be exhausted.
• Because gathering food took so much
time, early humans had little time for such
endeavors as building homes and cities
and developing inventions that might make
their lives better.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• A. The very first science was agriculture.
– Science is knowledge obtained through a
systematic study of naturally
occurring phenomena.
• 1. The first systematic
study by humans was
probably devising ways
to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.
– Most anthropologists agree that agriculture
began about 10,000 years ago in what is now
the Middle East.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• 2. When humans began to grow their
own food, they no longer needed to
wander about in search of edible plants
and animals.
– This allowed them to
settle down in one
place and to develop
villages where they
could live together
as one society.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• B. Humans began to search for better
ways to produce food.
– These ways were discovered through trial and
error and were passed down from parents to
children.
• 1. All modern agricultural crops and
livestock were developed from the plants
and animals humans tamed and cultured.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• 2. As more efficient ways
of growing food developed,
less time was needed to
produce food.
• 3. As soon as people had
enough food to feed themselves and their
families, the surplus food was traded to
other people.
– Because food could be obtained through
trading, time was spent developing skills in
building, engineering, literature, and art that
led to the great civilizations.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• C. As people began to raise their own
food, the necessity arose to invent
implements to till the soil.
• 1. The first tools were very crude and
made of wood or stone.
– These tools later evolved into metal
implements.
• 2. As tools made growing crops and
animals more efficient, people had more
time to work on inventing and making
increasingly better tools.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• D. Some scientists also believe that
counting and writing developed from
agriculture.
• 1. As people began to
harvest crops and had
surplus left over, bins
and storage areas had
to be built.
• 2. To indicate ownership, contents, and
the amount in the containers, a system of
markings had to be developed.
How did the science of agriculture
help develop civilization?
• 3. As more and more containers had to
be marked, a system of written language
developed.
– This allowed for the expansion of trade and
barter so that the
excess food could
be traded to
other people.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• Today, scientific research is classified into
two broad areas: basic research and
applied research.
• Basic research investigates why or how
processes occur in plants and animals.
• Applied research uses the discoveries
made in basic research to help in practical
ways.
– Both types of research take place in all aspects
of science.
• Agriscience is the use of science in
producing food, fiber, and shelter.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• The four major areas of science are
mathematics, physical science, life science,
and social science.
– Each area has many divisions.
– Differences between them are not always
clearly defined.
– Most areas of science overlap.
• 1. Mathematics is the science of
numbers.
– It is important because it involves making and
using observations.
– Mathematics deals with how numbers can be
measured and changed.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• Two branches of mathematics used often
in agriscience are arithmetic and
geometry.
• a. Arithmetic is the study of
numbers and methods of
calculating.
• b. Geometry is a practical area
of mathematics.
– It involves showing mathematical relationships
of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.
• c. Mathematics has several other
branches, including logic, algebra,
calculus, probability, and statistics.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 2. Physical science is the study of
nonliving matter.
– Physical science has three important areas for
agriscience: earth science, geology, and
meteorology.
• a. Earth science is the
study of the environment
in which plants and
animals grow.
– This includes soil, water,
and the atmosphere.
– Earth science also has several major sections.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• b. Geology is the study of the earth’s
composition, structure, and history.
– Study of the soil is a part of geology that is
important in agriscience.
• c. Meteorology is the study of the earth’s
atmosphere.
– It includes studying the weather and making
predictions.
• d. Other important areas of physical
science are hydrology, oceanography, and
astronomy.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• e. Chemistry is the study of the makeup
of materials or matter.
– Matter is anything that occupies space and has
mass.
• f. Physics is the study
of the physical nature
of objects.
– Areas of physics include
the study of heat, light,
electricity, and mechanics.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 3. Life science is the study of living
things.
– It is sometimes called biological science, or
simply biology. Major areas of life science are
botany and zoology.
• a. Botany is the study of
plants.
• b. Zoology is the study of
animals.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 4. Social science deals with human
society.
– It is sometimes known as behavioral science.
– Anthropology, psychology, sociology, and
education are areas of social science.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• B. Agriscience is made up of several areas of
applied science.
– These relate to the organization of the agriculture
industry and the crops and livestock that are
produced.
– Some areas deal with plants; others with animals.
– In most cases, plant and animal areas overlap.
• Several important areas of agriscience
include:
• 1. Agronomy deals with the study of plants
and how they relate to the soil.
– Its purpose is to improve crop production and
conserve natural resources.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 2. Horticulture is the science of growing
plants for food, comfort, and beauty.
– The divisions of horticulture are ornamental
horticulture, olericulture, and pomology.
• a. Ornamental horticulture is growing
and using plants for their beauty.
• b. Olericulture deals with growing
vegetables.
• c. Pomology includes fruit and nut
production, harvesting, and marketing.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 3. Forestry is the science of growing and
using forests.
• 4. Entomology is a
branch of zoology
dealing with insects
and related small
animals.
• 5. Animal science deals with the
production of animals for food.
• 6. Poultry science is concerned with
raising chickens and related fowl.
What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
• 7. Aquaculture is the science of water
farming.
• 8. Environmental
science involves ways
of wisely using and
protecting the things
around us.
• 9. Mechanical technology is the use of
machines and equipment to do work.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• Research in agriscience is providing
exciting results for both consumers and
producers.
– It is allowing producers to raise more plants
and animals with fewer inputs.
– For consumers, this research helps to ensure
that their needs for food, clothing, and shelter
will be met.
– Through research, many important discoveries
have been made.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• A. Biotechnology involves using biology
to develop new products or processes.
– Examples include new
vaccines for the
protection of animals
and the development
of “waste-eating”
bacteria that protect
the environment.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• B. Genetic engineering is an advanced
form of biotechnology.
– It involves changing the nature of
living organisms.
• 1. Canola, corn, soybeans, flax,
and sugar beets are crops that
have been genetically
engineered to resist the effects
of herbicides.
– The result is fields can now be sprayed with
herbicides without damaging the crops.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• 2. Corn, cotton, and potatoes have been
modified to produce Bt toxins.
– Caterpillars that feed on these modified crops
ingest the toxin and die.
• 3. Squash have been engineered to resist
yellow mosaics viruses, thus increasing
yields.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• C. Biomass fuels are fuels derived from
plant and animal matter.
– They are growing in importance.
• 1. Ethanol is an alcohol fuel produced from
the fermentation and distillation of starch
crops, such as corn, barley, trees, and
grasses.
• 2. Methanol is an alcohol fuel made from
wood.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• 3. Methane is an odorless natural gas that
can be produced from animal waste and
sewage treatment.
• 4. Biodiesel is a fuel that can be
manufactured from vegetable oils, animal
fat, and restaurant greases.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• D. Fire-ant control
• 1. Fire ants infest 230 million
acres in the southern areas of
the United States.
– Their presence in the warmer
climates of the world is a
constant threat to the health of
humans and livestock.
• 2. A new synthetic control for fire ants
increases the ratio of nonproductive drone
ants to worker ants.
– This ratio change gradually weakens the colony
and causes it to die.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• E. Precision farming is using cropping
practices that improve yields based on the
needs of the land.
– It allows crop inputs to be more
closely controlled.
• F. Remote sensing allows
data to be gathered and
recorded from great distances.
– This technology enables better
detection of crop diseases and
improved weather forecasting.
What advancements have been
made through agriscience?
• G. New areas of agriscience have raised
issues that previously did not have to be
debated.
• Some of these issues include:
• 1. Food safety
• 2. Pollution
• 3. Human rights
• 4. Conservation of resources
What are the leading research
organizations and laboratories in
the United States?
• Research is conducted throughout the
United States by private corporations,
universities, and the federal government.
• A. Corporations such as John Deere,
Monsanto, and Abbott Labs constantly look
to develop new products for the consumer.
– These and many other companies fund
research and maintain labs to accomplish their
objectives.
What are the leading research
organizations and laboratories in
the United States?
• B. Universities conduct research.
– Some of the greatest scientific
minds are employed by
universities to conduct
research and to teach.
• 1. Usually, the research
done at universities is
funded by grants.
• 2. Most university research in agriculture
takes place at the land-grant universities.
What are the leading research
organizations and laboratories in
the United States?
• C. The federal government funds agricultural
research.
– A top research agency in the USDA is the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS).
• 1. ARS research is organized into 22 national
programs that bring coordination, communication,
and empowerment to more than 1,200 research
projects.
• 2. Four main areas of research are nutrition, food
safety, and quality; animal production and
protection; natural resources and sustainable
agricultural systems; and plant sciences.
Review
•How did the science of
agriculture help develop
civilization?
•What are the various areas of
science and agriscience?
Review
•What advancements have
been made through
agriscience?
•What are the leading research
organizations and laboratories
in the United States?