Agriculture

Question/Answers:

Describe these different types of farming's:

Subsistence: Subsistence farms are small, and produce just enough for a family to live on and sell any produce
that is not needed. Subsistence farms grow small crops of different plants and rear small numbers (perhaps
just one) of different animals.

Commercial: Commercial farms are much larger and make a profit. Commercial farms usually have one main
crop or type of livestock.

Manual: Manual farming is still used on some smaller farms where the farmers cannot afford machinery. They
plough fields with a plough pulled by animals, harvest crops using sickles, and gather them by hand.

Mechanized: farming done by using the machines.

Organic: Farming with the use of natural fertilizers such as manure and compost, and natural methods of pest
control such as crop rotation.

Arable: Arable farming means growing crops like fruits, vegetables and pulses.

Why is wheat a very important crop worldwide?

Wheat is a staple-meaning a food we eat every day. It is a vital crop and without it we don't have our body's
important nutrients filled. Without it we won't have bread, flour, cakes, cereal etc.

Which country is the world's largest leading wheat producer?

China is the world's leading wheat producer, according to the chart of 2015 research:

1. China
2. India
3. Russia
4. US
5. Canada
6. Ukraine
7. Australia
8. Pakistan
9. Turkey
10. Iran

Which provinces of Pakistan are the best for growing wheat? What makes these provinces good for wheat?

Punjab and Sindh are the main growers of wheat as they have suitable land and climate. Their plains have rich
soil bought by the Indus and other rivers. They do not have enough rain but they have one of the world's
largest linked-up irrigation systems.
Which country is the world's main rice grower? Explain why this country is the main rice grower?

China is the world's main rice grower. As they are in the tropical regions and Rice is a tropical plant that grows
best on flat land or terraced valley sides. It needs temperatures no lower than 21°C during the growing season,
and an annual rainfall of at least 1000-1200 mm.

Which part of Pakistan are the main rice growing areas and why?

Most of Pakistan's rice is grown in the north-eastern regions because they have more rain than the rest of the
country. But even here the plants need irrigation to provide enough slow-flowing water in the growing season.
When the plants mature they need less water, and while they are ripening, the field needs to be almost dry to
make harvesting easy.

Explain why rice is an important crop for Pakistan?

Rice is a very important crop for Pakistan as it is sold in many parts of the world. We are ranked 4 th in world
population of rice and our Basmati Rice are famous all around the world for their flavor and quality.

Pakistan is a net exporter of food. What does this mean?

Pakistan is a net exporter of food. Net exporter means a country that exports more than it imports. Therefore,
we get to know that Pakistan exports more than it imports.

Explain why is it good to be a net exporter of food?

It's great to be a net exporter of food! As by exporting food our relation with our countries will also grow.
Looking apart from strong relations and friendships foreign exchange would boost the economy of Pakistan.

What is a cash crop?

A crop that is grown and sold for a profit is a cash crop. A cash crop is grown for sale for profit and not for the
farmers own use.

Use an Atlas to help you find the countries:

a. Name two countries in Africa that grow cotton.

Tanzania is the largest cotton producing country in Africa. Cotton is also grown in Uganda, Benin, Mali etc.

b. Name two South American countries that grow cotton.

Cotton is grown in Nicaragua, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Peru.

c. Use what you know about the land and climate to explain why China is among the leading cotton growing
countries?

Cotton grows mostly in Tropical or sub-tropical areas. Cotton needs plenty of sunshine and moderate rainfall
(usually around 250 to 1200 mm per year), or irrigation. This plant grows best in alluvial soil (soil deposited by
rivers). It can grow in places that have some salt in the soil and can survive short droughts, so it can be grown
in arid and semi-arid areas. The places that grow the most cotton are tropical and subtropical regions but
cotton also grows in colder places.

China's most regions lie in the Sub-Tropical zone. The climate of China is the best for Cotton. Since, China is
cold and southern part of China has a lot of monsoon rain, this suggests that why China is one of the top
cotton growing country.

Which parts of Pakistan are main cotton growing areas, and why?

Southern Punjab and central Sindh are Pakistan's main cotton-growing areas. There is not enough rainfall, but
their arid climate protects the plants from attacks by microbes that cause disease, and pests that damage
them. Irrigation provides enough water to make up for the low rainfall. The hot summer weather (32°C
average in June) is just right for the growing season.

List as many products of the cotton plant as you can think of.

Products from the cotton plant:

1. Cushion Fillings
1. Edible Oils
2. Flannel
3. Stock used as a fertilizer
4. Towel
5. Velvet
6. Chambray
7. Plastic
8. Canvas
9. Denim
10. T-Shirts
11. Margarine

Choose three parts of cotton plant and describe what they are used for.

Lint (Fibre): The main part is the lint (fibre) used in making cotton textiles. The short fluff on the seed is used
for making cushion fillings, paper, plastics, and many other products.

Stalks and Leaves: are used, as farmers plough them Into the soil as humus.

Seeds: The cotton seeds oil is purified and used for making foods such as margarine and salad oil etc.

Boll: Boll is the fluffy part in cotton. When we pick up the boll, seeds also come with it which is removed
through the ginning mill. Cotton lint is made from the boll from which strings, pillowcase, towels etc, are
made. The short fluff on the seed is used for making cushion fillings, paper, plastics, and many other products.

Which parts of Pakistan are main sugar growing areas, and why?

It is grown all over Punjab and Sindh, a small area in KPK that has rick alluvial soil and good irrigation and a
little is grown in Balochistan. Sugarcane is a tropical plant that can survive short periods of frost. It needs
plenty of water in the growing season and soil that is rich in nutrients. It also needs good irrigation, water
retentive soil, loamy and alluvial soil. In 1980, there were no sugarcane fields in Balochistan but from the
previous 20-30 years there are also crops of Sugarcane in Balochistan planted.

Find out the meaning of 'eco-friendly'. Which product of the sugar plant is especially eco friendly and why?

Eco-friendly literally means earth-friendly or not harmful to the environment. It means environment friendly.
Sugarcane is also a eco-friendly plant which means that sugarcane is environment friendly and organic (clean
and biodegradable) The main by product from sugar cane is 'Baggasse'. Baggasse is a natural fiber left after
sugarcane is processed to produce sugar. These fibers are durable, strong and 100% plant base so thus it is
compostable (acts as a fertilizer or compost) and is biodegradable.

List as many products of sugarcane as you can.

1. Jaggery (Gur, Gura)

2. Baggasse
3. Spoons
4. Juice
5. Sugar
6. Biomass
7. Chipboard
8. Molasses
9. Filtermuds
10. Beverages like cachaca, rum etc.

Name the world's six main types of livestock in order, beginning with the largest population.

Here are main types of livestock in order, beginning with the largest population, from the animal population
chart in 2010.

1. Chickens
2. Cattle
3. Ducks
4. Sheep
5. Goats
6. Rabbits
7. Turkeys
8. Geese
9. Buffalo
10. Camels

Explain why cattle are very useful animals to farm?

Cattle are often left to graze on large expanses of grassy and that is unsuitable for growing crops. On smaller
farms, cattle have to be when they have eaten about moved to new pastures 50-70% of the grass or it has
been grazed to 5-6 cm high. Like that, Cattles can be really useful animals to the farm. In short, Cattle rearing
helps in revival of pasture lands. Apart from farms, by cattle rearing we are provided with milk and other dairy
products.

Describe some of the problems caused by overgrazing.

Some problems of overgrazed land:

 The grass becomes too short for cattle to graze.

 Cattle trample the soil, squeezing out air, water, and nutrients, So grass cannot grow and the soil is
more easily eroded by wind and water.
 Their hooves leave 10 cm deep holes that fill up with water that does not drain away easily. These
conditions kill grass. After the water evaporates, weeds grow in the bare patches.

Which climate zone is the best one for cattle farming? Explain why is this?

Mainly cattle's are farmed in temperate climate zone but they are also kept in tropical and sub tropical regions
although some temperature climates are only suitable for breeds which can survive in the temperature. The
temperature is suitable for the cattle over there.

Which province of Pakistan is the main one for livestock farming?

All provinces of Pakistan have livestock farming but Punjab has the largest number of livestock farming
followed by Sindh. There are also grazing of goats and sheep's in Balochistan and KPK.

Name four different types of poultry farming's:

1. Hens and Chickens

2. Turkeys
3. Geese
4. Ducks
5. Quails
6. Ostriches (in some countries)
7. Chakor (not so common now)

Describe the three main types of fishing industry.

The three main types of fishing industries are as follows:

1. Sea Fishing/Marine Fishing:

Sea or marine fishing is the rearing of fish in sea water or an occupation in which people catch, process and
sell fish or other aquatic animals.

2. Inland Fishing:

Inland fishing is the rearing of fish in fresh water or brackish water.

3. Aquaculture:
 Aquaculture is fish farming, fish that are raised in farms.

Refer to the map on page 95 and answer the following questions.

a) Which parts of the world have no forests? Explain this.

Places where there are no forests:

 Some parts of Pakistan

 Afghan
 Jordan
 Saudi Arabia
 Yemen
 Oman
 Mangolia
 Iraq
 Libya
 Egypt
 Some parts (mainly the north) of Africa

These places may not have forests, because of deforestation, and unsuitable land trees may be cut down
for fire wood or to make furniture. Some places may have poor soil due to poor land management because
of which the land becomes unsuitable for trees and vegetarian.

b) Name three countries where approximately 70-100% of the land is forested.

Countries where 70-100% of land is forested:

 Gabon 98.26%
 Seychelles 90.04%
 Palau 88.41%
 Guyana 87.61%
 French
 Gabon
 Finland
 Sweden

How much of the land in Pakistan is forested?

i. 4-5%
ii. 10-20%
iii. 30-40%
iv. 50-60%
List 4 products from forests:

1. Paper
2. Latex
3. Medicine
4. Rubber making
5. Food
6. Tourism
7. Timber
8. Wood

Describe three other ways in which forests are important in any country.

People/Countries plant forests for 4 main reasons:

1. To obtain wood or other materials from trees.

2. To protect habitats of plants and animals
3. To protect land from erosion and desertification.
4. To help to reduce climate change, and thus making an effect in global warming's decrease.
5. To protect soil from erosion as the roots hold the soil together.

Other reasons are:

 They give shelter for animals and provide pleasant recreational spaces for people.
 They provide shade from sunlight.
 They reduce pollution.
 They give out oxygen and take in C02 making the environment cleaner and fresh.
 They shelter buildings from wind. (Urban forests)
 They take up excess water that could cause flooding.
 Forests can help to reduce climate change by reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

What is an alpine forest? What is unusual about the alpine forests in the north of Pakistan?

These forest are called alpine because they grow in conditions similar to those in the Alps, a mountain range in
Europe.

Alpine forests are found on the mountains of Gilgit-

Baltistan. In the region of high mountains there is snow,
so little or no vegetation is found here. Due to the very
cold climate above a height of 4000 meters, trees do not
grow properly. Some dwarfed trees of silver fir, juniper,
and birch grow here.
 They have narrow and spiky leaves, and are usually found in cold climates. Its seeds are in cones or berries.
And the trees do not have layers but of uniform heights.
Examples are: Fir, Pine and Spruce.
They can withstand snow because of their conical shape which allows the snow to slide off.
Some farmers think it is good to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers; others do not. Use a table to list the
reasons for each of these views.
For using chemical pesticides and fertilizers
 Pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality
foods at affordable prices.
 They also help farmers provide an abundance of
nutritious, all-year-round foods, which are necessary
for human health. Fruits and vegetables, which
provide essential nutrients, are more abundant and
affordable.
 Lower cost. They are cheaper than organic fertilizers
and easy to use.
 Eradication of pests.
 Local and worldwide food supply is plentiful.
 reliance on pesticides permits farmers to increase
overall crop production.
 They allow the growth of the same vegetable plants
in the same area, eliminating the need for crop
rotation.
 They add a sufficient amount of nutrients needed by
the plants.
 Chemical Fertilizers are predictable and reliable.
 The fertilizer can be used in poor soil to make it
fertile immediately.
Against using chemical pesticides and fertilizers
 Chemical fertilizers affect micro-organisms living in
the soil. The acidity of chemical fertilizers also
adversely affects the soil pH and makes it acidic,
thereby changing the kinds of microorganisms that
can live in the soil. Prolonged use of chemical
fertilizers causes an increase in pests and kills the
beneficial microbes present in the soil.
 Chemical fertilizers are highly soluble in water hence
they leach away into groundwater without fully
benefiting the plant. Thus fewer nutrients are
available for the plant. The leaching away of chemical
fertilizers pollutes the water. These chemicals also
seep into the subsoil, where they interact with clay,
forming impermeable layers called hardpan. Thus
cause compaction of the soil.
 Chemical fertilizers encourage plant disease. Fast-
release chemical fertilizers have a high nitrogen
content compared to slow-release organic fertilizers.
When there is an overabundance of nitrogen (N) in
relation to phosphate (P), plants are more susceptible
to mosaic infections. Too much use of these fertilizers
tends to destroy the beneficial microbes present in
the soil.
 While the fertilizers help a plant to grow, they do not
do much for the soil. When chemical fertilizers are
used for a prolonged duration, the soil gets damaged
as the trace nutrients are not replenished in the soil.
 Excess nitrogen used in crop fertilization can
contribute to the release of greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the
atmosphere. This effect is caused by using a greater
amount of chemical fertilizer than the plants can
readily absorb.
 There is an increasing concern that continuous use of
chemical fertilizers on soil depletes the soil of
essential nutrients. As a result, the food produced in
these soils has less vitamin and mineral content.