Fundamentals of
Agricultural Science
An introduction to Agriculture Knowledge
by Dr. Dani Lukman Hakim, SP.
5 Basic Human
Needs
AIR
WATER
FOOD
CLOTHING
FIBER
SHELTER - Protect the body from the
dangers in the environment
(Agriculture provides the last three)
Prehistory & Pre Agriculture
10,000 B.C.
Hunter/Gather
Nomadic
Little or no villages
End of Ice Age
Burst of new vegetation
Follow herds
First Farmers
8000 - 7000 BC.
Noticed that plants
sprouted from seeds
Identified edible plants
Time of year matured
Planted at right time
Observed which animals
would tolerate captivity
Flint
Scythe
Wooden
Plow
Civilization
Begins
Humans could grow their own food
Ceased to wander
Cities were founded (Egypt, Jericho,
Mesopotamia)
Effects of Agriculture
Dependable food
supply
Domesticated plants
Domesticated animals
Trading began
Everyone did not have to farm
More free time to pursue other
interests
Invented tools
Permanent
Settlements
Life expectancy
increased
Scientific Research
1862 – Morrill Act
Provided public land and funds for
universities to teach practical methods of
farming
1872 – Hatch Act
Authorized establishment of experiment
stations in states with land grant schools
1914 – Smith-Lever Act
Established Cooperative Extension
Service
1917 – Smith-Hughes Act
Established Vocational Agriculture in
public schools
Milestones in Agricultural
Research
Animal Immunization •
1870’s Louis Pasteur
developed animal
vaccinations (Anthrax in
Sheep)
Also led to human
vaccinations
Milestones Contribution
Canning & Refrigeration
Food spoiled faster than it could be
eaten
Only previous way to preserve food was
dry or salt cured
1795 French government held contest to
find a way to preserve food for the army
Nicholas Appert placed food in glass
bottles & heated them in hot water
Later, food stored in boxes with ice
Milestones Contribution
Agricultural Mechanization
Originally used sharp sticks to plow
John Deere developed steel plow
1831- Cyrus McCormick – Mechanical
reaper
Eli Whitney – Cotton Gin
Internal combustion engine
Modern tractors
Plow System
Traditional
Modern
Reaper Machines
Traditional
Modern
Milestones Contribution
Pesticides
Substances used to kill pests
Herbicide – Plants
Insecticide – Insects
Fungicide – Plant diseases
Avicide – Birds
Rodenticide – Rodents (Mice & Rats)
Piscicide – Fish
Applied correctly they protect crops &
livestock
Bad reputation for damaging the
environment
Milestones Contribution
Genetics
Study of how organisms pass on
characteristics from one
generation to the next
In the past selection of superior
offspring
Now use DNA extraction &
recombination
Milestones Contribution
Artificial Insemination
Allows access to genetics from
all over the world
Most dairy animals
Embryo transfer
One superior female can produce
20 offspring per year
Producers can rapidly increase
the quality of their herds at a low
cost
Plant
Domestication
Plant domestication is the
process whereby wild
plants have been evolved
into crop plants through
artificial selection.
This usually involves an
early hybridization event
followed by selective
breeding.
Agriculture
Definition
the science, art, or practice of cultivating the
soil, producing crops, raising livestock, and in
varying degrees the preparation and marketing
of the resulting products.
Branches of Agricultural Science:
Agribusiness, Soil Science, Agronomy, Plant
Breeding, Pest and Disease Science, etc.
Sources of Food
Plant Sources
Animal Sources
The cereal grains of wheat, rice,
and corn are the major food
items
Four kinds of animals are raised
in large numbers • Cattle • Pigs •
Chickens • Sheep
Plants Used as
food
Leaves - lettuce, cabbage
Seeds - beans, wheat, corn
Roots -carrots, rutabagas
Fruits - apples, strawberries, pears
Flowers - cauliflower and broccoli
Stems – onions, potatoes, celery,
asparagus
Multiple parts -turnips (leaves and
roots)
Animal Use as
Food Meat - (muscle tissue) Beef,
Pork, Lamb, Goat, Poultry
Milk - inexpensive source of
protein • cheese, ice cream,
yogurt
Eggs - pastries, mayonnaise,
custards
= 9.7 %
= 16.4 %
= 11.7 %
= 14.9 %
= 21.7 %
Source : USDA Economic Research & DBS Group
Research, 2018
How much do
people pay to
eat?
FACT OF INDONESIA
Population : 275.77 million
Paddy Fields : 7.46 million hectares
Agric. Man Power : 37 million
Q:
how does Indonesia can Survive on
Food in the next one decade?
ASSIGNMENT - 1
Write a Short Paper (Min 5 pages, Max 10 pages) referred to
the question above
Group Task
Doc Format: A4 paper size, Arial Font (Size 12), Space 1.5
File Format: pdf
Email: dani.lukman@president.ac.id
Subject Email : Assignment 1 FAS (Group 1)
Deadline: 21 September 22 (24.00 WIB)
The Paper is presented by Group on September 23, 2022
(please prepare the ppt for each group)