Modern Farming Techniques How has farming changed in

Modern Farming Techniques

How has farming changed in the last 50 years? Green Revolution changed how we farm. Improved grains Improved techniques Improved machinery Improved productivity

Historically farming was very labor intensive All jobs done by hand with the aid of farm animals: Prepping soil Planting Tending crops Harvesting To grow more, a farmer needed more land more labor Farmers grew many different crops in a rotation (different things in different seasons) Farmers even allowed land to lie fallow to preserve fertility of the soil

Green Revolution in 1960’s changed farming 1950 – about ½ barrel of petroleum used to produce a ton of grain 1985 – 1 barrel of petroleum used to produce the same amount of grain This modern method of farming is called industrialized agriculture

Industrialized Agriculture Highly efficient and productive Modern U. S. farmer can feed 80 people An 1850 farmer could only feed five people Modern farming requires much more energy, pesticides, and fertilizers Modern farms are rarely owned by individuals any more but by huge corporations

Pesticide and Herbicide Usage Widespread use has altered ecosystems Resistant insects have developed European Corn Borer and California White Fly are almost unaffected by most pesticides Weeds have developed tolerances to herbicides Farmers often need to use more chemicals to have an affect

Polyculture vs. Monoculture Growing many different types of crops = polyculture Most U. S. farms are monocultures now They only grow one or two crops that can generate the most income for the farmer This can lead to problems Only growing one crop can lead to crop failure if a disease breaks out Depletes the soil very quickly