Hunter-Gatherer Societies Mentawai of Indonesia

Early Farmers Iroquois Village in Ontario Early crops included corn, squash, and beans

Start of Agriculture Estimated at 10, 000 years ago Fertile Crescent of Middle East – Earliest planned harvesting and sowing of gathered plants – Thought to have developed to make up for lack of game

Mayan Agriculture

First Seed Drill ~200 B.C

Grain Binder

Early Harvesters

Early Combines/ Threshing Machines

Newer Models

GPS / Autosteer

+

Cultivated Fields

Erosion

Zero-till/No-till

Synthetic Fertilizers

Trends in Agriculture

Benefits of Agricultural Trends Machinery – Reduced manual labour – Allows for increased farm size/number of animals Increased number of plants/animals – More food to feed the world – Food is produced more efficiently (less manual labour for a greater return) Soil Conservation – No-till conserves soil moisture and topsoil – Impact of soil erosion is lessened Pesticides – Regulated according to higher standards – Allow for more selective killing of pests – Less food lost to fungi/insect/weed pests – Public education has improved Fertilizers – Increased crop yields

Negative Impacts of Agriculture Trends Machinery -Increased pollution from machinery emissions -Increased cost of equipment Number of plants/animals – Less care is taken of animals; look for quick ways to kill; animals are farmed like any other commodity – Increasing land use results in a decrease of natural habitat (native plants and animals) and decreased biodiversity Soil Conservation – Less cultivation means more reliance on pesticides to control weeds Pesticides – Used more regularly – Some uncertainty regarding long-term impacts Fertilizers – Run-off and eutrophication of water sources

Eutrophication of Water Sources