Agriculture Studies Summary
Fertilization
In the United States, before the First World War, pasture and hayfields
were rarely fertilized or weren’t fertilized at all. The United States wanted to maintain
fertility of the cropland at their original levels
After the Second World War, it was discovered that hybrid corn responded
very well with nutrient levels, which was when fertilization started to decreased. In 1935
hybrid corn occupied 2.5 percent of corn acreage, which then grew rapidly to 30.7 percent
in1940, 63.5 percent in1945 and 95.5 percent in 1960.Increased fertilizer was also
concentrated on hybrid wheat varieties. Fodder and vegetables grow better in high
nutrient soil which allows the crop to produce more than before the use of fertilizer.
During 1936 to 1960 nitrogen fertilizer decreased by 30 percent, making it easier for
farmer’s to replace fodder with corn silage.
After the Depression, fertilizer grew through the United States, especially
after 1940. Farms consumed more nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous throughout the
twentieth century. Lime rates went up prior to the Second World War.
After the Second World War, the United States Fertilization rates
continued to climb, even though the European and Japanese rates kept increased as well.
Land prices kept increasing, but did not increase as much as European and Japanese rates.
The Soviet Union did not use fertilizers because their large land mass’s were still
underutilized and their industrial capacity was targeted in different areas. Due to the fact
that during the 1930’s their industrial capacity was mainly focused on producing weapons
for the war. Agricultural production increased when Khrushchev came into power. He did
this by: attempting to plow virgin lands, rotations became more practiced (grass and
clover), and corn planting grew. During the 1950’s fertilizer production jumped to twice
of what it was.
The postwar period allowed for growth of fertilization in all developed
countries, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Lime fertilizer decreased in the 1960’s because of
the increased usage of nitrogen. Nitrogen led to different varieties in cereal breeding
programs. Legume rotations were replaced by nitrogen to cover crops.
Energetic’s
Due to many farming technologies such as tractors, chemical fertilizers,
petro-chemical pesticides, power pumping for irrigation and drainage, artificial crop
drying allowed energy put towards increased food production.
In the United States, energy on corn production increased. This is shown
by the amount of energy put in each hectare. Energy put into constructing, maintaining
fuel machinery increased by 68 percent. By 1970, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous
fertilizers became the largest single energy input, 36.5 percent was for corn production.
Of this 36.5 percent of corn production, nitrogen alone accounts for 32.5 percent of the
fertilization. Corn became the leading crop in the States.
After 1970, energy use grew, but not as fast as it did in the 1960’s. From
1945 to 1970 the rate of energy input was at 4.5 percent, which then decreased to 1.4
percent during 1974 to 1978.
More energy was put into food distribution, processing and preparation
than food production. It is estimated that 6 percent of the States energy was spent by
producing the food, and another 11 percent of energy was used getting the food on the
table.
Live Stock Feeding
Factory-style livestock feeding operations became the most distinctive
agricultural operation. Broilers, laying hens, turkeys, pigs, beef and dairy cattle were now
kept in confined quarters. This allowed the beef to fatten in the feedlots after being raised
on pasture. These new operations grew quite rapidly after the Second World War.
The United States first developed these operations and therefore it
remained dominant. A large amount of these operations are concentrated in poultry and
eggs, and has rapidly grown. Beef, pig and sheep have not taken such a rapid increase.
The factory-style feeding has had many advantages. For one, it cut back on
labor and improved the conversion efficiency of feed into a useful product. An example
of that would be a hen lays an egg, the egg rolls down the conveyor belt instead of having
a working hand go around and pick them up twice a day. Due to the cut back on labor, the
savings were able to be spent on capital investment. New technologies also increased
production, for example lighting schemes to produce more eggs.
These operations used a lot more energy than a farmland production.
Energy was saved on more efficient feeding, but the feed had to be shipped to the
operation which is located a far distance. Manure and the equivalent of chemical
fertilizers was returned to the fields, which consumed more energy.
Eggs and broilers are produced the same way in Europe, and small herds
of pigs are often confined. Dairy and beef feeding remain grazing, though the idea of
confined feeding is growing. After the 1950 the United Kingdom broiler production
increased and lead to larger operations. During the 1950’s egg production followed the
same route.
Social Transformation
Developed countries followed the same social changes, even though they
had different governments and rural societies. Labor replacement with mechanization and
land concentration became major trends, even though both were universal.