Basic Ag Science Fall 2010 Mr. Parks Introduction to Agricultural Science

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 BC. Noticed that plants sprouted from seeds Identified edible plants Time of year matured Planted at right time Observed which animals would tolerate captivity

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

Flint Scythe Bronowski, J The ascent of man.

Wooden Plow

Civilization Begins Humans could grow their own food Ceased to wander Cities were founded Egypt, Jericho, Mesopotamia

American Agriculture European settlers found a system of agriculture in place Native Americans grew corn, squash, okra Incas & Mayans had irrigation Envy of the world 1 farmers over 129 people 101 in the US & 28 abroad Americans spend less on food US-9% Italy-26% India-53%

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

Quiz 1.List the five basic human needs 2.List the three needs that agriculture provides 3.About when (years BC) did agriculture begin? 4.List two benefits of agriculture for society

Answers 1.List the five basic human needs a. Water, Air, Food, Clothing, Shelter 2.List the three needs that agriculture provides a. Food, clothing shelter 3.About when (years BC) did agriculture begin? a (or 7000) BC 4.List two benefits of agriculture for society a. Dependable food supply, more free time, invented tools, permanent settlements (i.e. cities), life expectancy increased (i.e. lived longer)

Identify the Problem Formulate the Hypothesis Design & Conduct Experiments Collect Data Analyze the Data Draw Conclusions Make Recommendations The Scientific Method

Two types of Research Basic Research Why or how processes occur No immediate application Increases knowledge of topic Applied Research Uses knowledge gained in basic research to help in practical ways e.g. Basic – Researching animal hormones Applied – Using hormones to increase growth of cattle

Milestones in Agricultural Research Animal Immunization 1870’s Louis Pasteur developed animal vaccinations (Anthrax in Sheep) Also led to human vaccinations

Milestones Cont. 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 Cont. Agricultural Mechanization Originally used sharp sticks to plow John Deere developed steel plow Cyrus McCormick – Mechanical reaper Eli Whitney – Cotton Gin Internal combustion engine Modern tractors

Plows

Cyrus McCormick Reaper

Milestones Cont. 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 Cont. 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 Cont. Artificial Insemination Allows access to genetics from all over the US 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

Domestication After animals become domesticated, they become dependent on man Most can’t survive in wild Most poultry can’t fly Sheep don’t shed wool Cows produce 20,000 lbs milk / year Birds produce 250 eggs / yr. (20 in wild)

Sources of Food Plant Sources The cereal grains of wheat, rice, and corn are the major food items Animal Sources Four kinds of animals are raised in large numbers 1. Cattle 2. Pigs 3. Chickens 4. 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

How much do people pay to eat?

United States’ Jobs What percentage are agriculture and related? 21% or 1 in 5

Agricultural Careers