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Introduction to Agriculture
Understand Global Agriculture
Objective 2.01: Understand the history of global agriculture.
Agriscience Defined
 Agriscience
Agriculture-

Agribusiness-
Basic Sciences
 Biology- The study of
 Chemistry- Deals with
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- Focuses on chemistry as it is applied over living things.
Fact!!!
 A United States Department of Agricultural study forecast that job opportunities
for graduates in agricultural and life sciences will exceed the graduates available
in the coming years.
Applied Sciences
 Aquaculture
 Soil Science
 Agricultural Engineering
 Biotechnology
 Animal Science
 Horticulture
 Crop Science
 Hydroponics
 Agronomy
 Uses biology and chemistry to
 Cotton
 Soybeans
 Tobacco
 Corn
 Hay and Turf grass
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 Uses biology and chemistry to study
 Agriculture Engineering
 Uses physics to
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 Uses biology, genetics, and chemistry to
Scientific Method
 Agriculture and other sciences use the Scientific Method to solve problems
 What are the steps to the scientific method?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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What is Agriculture?
 The activities concerned with the
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Production agriculture (
) only accounts for 1/5th of
the total agriculture jobs in the US
 USDA refers to agriculture as “agriculture/agribusiness and renewable natural
resources.
Examples of Agriculture:
 Cattle
 Production – farmer, cow-calf, feeder steers
 Processing –
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– Butcher, grocery, steaks
 Transportation – Plane, rail, truck
 Related Supplies and Services –
 Wheat
 Production –
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– grain mills, flour
 Marketing – bakery, bread
 Transportation – grain trucks, rail
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– fertilizer dealer,
crop scouting, machinery dealer, GPS
 Roses
 Production – flower grower, roses
 Processing/Marketing – harvesters, wholesale and retail florist
 Transportation – plane, truck, floral delivery dealer
 Related Supplies and Services – glass vase sales, greenhouse
manufacturers, floral designers
What is Agribusiness?
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Take a moment to name three agribusinesses in your notes:
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 D.D. McColl’s
 FCX
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Chemical company, tractor manufacturer, pharmaceutical
company (veterinary medicines)
Horticulture related
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Renewable Natural Resources
 Resources provided by nature that can
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Important both economically and for posterity’s sake to maintain
life.
Examples
o
,
,
Progress in Agriculture
 Mechanization helps
of America’s work force meet the food and fiber needs of
our nation
 There has been a reduction from
of nations populace involved in farming 200
years ago to less than
in 2012.
 Farms are
Inventions & Inventors
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 Invented the
 1793
 Transformed cotton to a usable product
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George Washington Carver
 Late 1890s
 Soil improvement and crop rotation
 Use of “
”
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 Improved soil fertility in the US South.
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1834
Invented the
Cut grains
 Cut wheat, oats, and other crops
Cutting Grain
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, ie. Peanuts.
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 The cut grain was later bound by hand
The Reaper
 While this first machine required only 2 people for operation (a person to
ride the horse and a man to rake the cut grain from the platform), it cut
as much grain in one day as 12-16 men with reaping hooks.
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Invented in the early 1800’s
Rough surface that dirt stuck to
Henry Blair
 1834 –
 1836 –
Planter
Planter
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Invented 1837
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Invented in 1850
Smoother surface
Rich clay soil did not stick to it
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Helped speed up the harvesting of corn
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Joseph Glidden
 1874
 Barbed Wire
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Milking Machine
 Invented in 1878
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 Used vacuum suction
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1879
Perishable Food Preservation
Designed a device that helped preserve food by way of refrigeration.
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Benjamin Holt
 Invented in 1904
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 Replaced the mule as a source of power
 Horse power
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John Sanford
 1987
 Gene gun
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1993
Tractor based GPS systems together with sophisticated GIS used to gather data
Used for
 Soil condition, humidity, temperature and other variables, which system
then uses to control such things as
Robotic Milking Machines
 Late 1990s
 First used in
 Reduction in
 High initial cost = disadvantage to small producer
Establishment of Land Grant Institutions
 Definition
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 Key component is the agricultural experiment station (Hatch Act 1887)
Examples
 North Carolina A&T (1890) North Carolina State University (
) – Raleigh, NC
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University (1889) – Clemson, SC
 University of Georgia (
) – Athens, GA
 University of Tennessee (1794) –
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(1872) – Blacksburg, VA
Government Agencies
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Agriculture related Agencies
 Established to assist
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Examples
 USDA (1862) –
 Provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural
development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public
policy, the best available science, and efficient management.
 Branches
o
(1935) – Natural Resource Conservation
Service
o APHIS (1972) –
o NASS (1863) – National Agricultural
Service
o USFS (1905) – United States
 Sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the
nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs
of present and future generations.
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(1914) – North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
o Help individuals, families, and communities put research
based knowledge to work for economic prosperity,
environmental stewardship and an improved quality of life.
 NCDA&CS – North Carolina Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services.
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Origins of Major Food Crop
 Fruits/Vegetables
 Peaches –
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– South America
 Peanut –
, South America
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– Central America
 Grain, Oil, and Fiber Crops
 Corn – Cuba,
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– Southeast Asia
 Cotton – Mexico, Africa,
 Wheat – Southwest Asia
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US Agricultural Production
 Regions develop based on a variety of factors including soils, weather, market
development, feed availability, etc.
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High Ranking Regions
 Citrus Fruit –
 Corn Belt – Midwestern states
 Wheat
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– highest protein content,
excellent bread wheat, superior milling and baking characteristics
 MN, ND, SD, MT, ID, OR, WA, CA
 Soft Red Winter Wheat –
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 NC, TN, KY, GA, OH, IN, IL, MO
Spearmint –
Floriculture Crops – CA, FL, MI, TX, NC
Beef Cattle – TX, KS, NE, IA, CO, OK, MO, SD
Dairy – MN, WI, MI, OH, PA, NY, VT, NH, MA, ME (CA, ID, TX)
– NC, IA, IL, IN, MN
Poultry (
) – NC, GA, AL, AR, MS, TX
NC Agriculture
 Mountains
 Piedmont
 Coastal Plains
NC Ag Production by Region
 Mountain counties
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 Piedmont counties
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 Eastern counties
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Farm Cash Receipts (2011)
 $
($10B) annually
 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry - 2/3 of all FCR
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 Crops – 1/3 of all FCR