uss module 5 chpt 6

Module 5:
Food Matters
Chapter 6 Sources of Food
© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

6.1 Why is food important?

6.2 How is food produced?
6.3 How do fertilisers affect food production?
6.4 What is the slash-and-burn method used in
agriculture?
6.5 How can crops be protected?
6.6 How can food production be improved and
increased?

Objectives
Recognise the importance of food and
food production in our lives

Why is food important?
Humans need to eat in order to survive.
The food we eat provides the nutrients we
need for us to grow and the energy to
carry out daily activities.
Food provides energy for carrying out

processes in the body such as respiration
and breathing.

Different categories of food

Different categories of foods


agriculture?
increased?

Objectives
Appreciate the conditions required in
producing food
State that sunlight, air, water and good
soil (containing nutrients and appropriate
pH) are required for plants to grow and
produce food
Measure the pH of soil using litmus
paper, universal indicator or a pH meter

Photosynthesis
Plants are the primary source of food
for many living things such as insects and
mammals.
Plantsneed food to grow. They are able

to make their own food through the
process of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis
Plants take in
energy from the sun
to make food for it to
grow. Any excess
food is stored in the
leaves, stems, roots
and fruits of the
when animals or humans eat
plant. plants, they absorb the stored
energy from the food

Photosynthesis
 Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use
chlorophyll and light energy together with
carbon dioxide from air and water from the soil
to form sugar and oxygen.
 Photosynthesisis represented using a word

equation as shown below:

Photosynthesis
 Excess sugar is
changed into
starch to be stored
in the plant cells.
The presence of
starch is often used
as an evidence to
show that
photosynthesis has
occurred.
Activity Book Link
Activity 6.1
Testing for Starch factors needed for photosynthesis

Soil conditions for plants to grow
 Apartfrom sunlight, air and water, the soil
conditions are important for plants to grow well.
 The soil must contain the necessary nutrients

for healthy growth of the plants.
 The pH value of the soil also plays an important

part in determining healthy plant growth. The pH
can be determined using indicators such as the
litmus paper, universal indicator or pH meter.
Reactions of different indicators in acidic, neutral and
alkaline soil samples

Reactions of different indicators in acidic, neutral and
alkaline soil samples
Activity Book Link

Activity 6.2
Acidity and Alkalinity of Soil


agriculture?
increased?

Objectives
Understand that fertilisers provide
nutrients for the plant to grow faster and
bigger
Understand that the use of fertilisers can
be beneficial (increase food supply) and
also cause problems

Fertilisers
Some soil may not contain sufficient
nutrients or the correct type of nutrients
to help the crops grow well.
When soils do not contain the required

nutrients, fertilisers can be added to the
soil to help plants grow faster and
bigger.

Fertilisers
Bag of fertiliser Fertilisers added to
crops

Fertilisers
Fertilisersare substances added to soil to
increase the amount of essential
nutrients required by the plants.
Adding fertilisers helps to improve plant

growth and crop yield (the amount of
crops produced).

Natural Fertilisers
 Plant and animal waste
products can be used as
natural (non-chemical)
fertilisers. These
fertilisers are non-toxic
and do not pose a threat to
the environment. One
example is compost,
which consists of compost made from
decomposed plant matter does not
decomposed plant harm the environment
matter.

Chemical fertilisers
 Chemical fertilisers are soluble in water. If too much is
added to the soil, the excess fertilisers may be washed
away into the groundwater. These chemicals are toxic
and can damage the environment in the following ways:
(a) Contamination of the main source of drinking water
fertilisers can seep into the ground and

contaminate groundwater

(b) Negative impact on aquatic life
Chemical fertilisers, when washed by the rain into rivers,

lakes or ponds, can pollute these water bodies. This affects the
health of the aquatic plants and animals as the chemicals are
toxic to them.
run-off of fertilisers into

water bodies
fishes die as a result of
water pollution

 Chemical fertilisers are rich in
nutrients such as nitrogen and
phosphorus. These nutrients
cause the rapid growth of
algae on the water surface
called “algae bloom”. fertiliser-polluted water
promotes rapid
growth of algae
 The algae form a layer on the Activity Book Link

surface of water, preventing Activity 6.3
How Fertilisers Help
sunlight and oxygen from Plants Grow
reaching the aquatic plants
and animals living in the water
bodies. © Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

6.3 How do fertilisers affect food
production?
6.4 What is the slash-and-burn method
used in agriculture?
6.6 How can food production be improved
and increased?
Objectives
State the effect of ‘slash-and-burn’
methods of agriculture on soil fertility and
the environment

Slash-and-Burn
Slash-and-burn is an agricultural
method where trees are cut down and
burned to clear plots of forest land. This
method is used to make land available
for growing crops, especially in places
where open land for farming is not
available due to thick vegetation.

Slash-and-Burn

Advantages of slash-and-burn
Farmers benefit from the slash-and-burn method of
agriculture because:
(a) It is a cheap and fast method of clearing

land for planting new crops.
(b) Ashes from the burnt trees provide nutrients to

the soil.
(c) It reduces the occurrence of pests and plant

diseases.
Disadvantages of slash-and-burn
 Theslash-and-burn method of agriculture can lead to many

problems:
Activity Book Link
Activity 6.4
(a) Haze, which causes: Clearing Land to Plant
Crops
(i) Poor visibility
(ii) Breathing difficulties and eye irritation
(iii) Higher air temperature
(b) Soil erosion

(c) Possible spread of forest fires
(d) Loss of natural habitats and extinction of
species
Haze
 The haze observed in Singapore
is a result of burning of large
areas of forests in our
neighbouring countries.
 The haze brings with it a

lot of inconvenience
and harm, such as
fertiliser-polluted water
promotes rapid
(i) Poor visibility growth of algae
The particles in the haze reduce the amount

of sunlight that reaches us. This reduces the
visibility of the surroundings.

Haze
(ii) Breathing difficulties and eye
irritation
The particles in the haze can asthmatic boy using inhaler

cause people
with respiratory problems, e.g.
asthma, to have breathing
difficulties. In serious cases,
this may lead to death.
People with sensitive eyes may the elderly are more prone to developing
also experience irritation of the breathing difficulties
eyes in a hazy environment.

Haze
(iii) Higher air temperature
The haze also traps heat in

our surroundings
and prevents heat from
being reflected back into the
atmosphere.
the haze traps heat and
increases surrounding
This raises the temperature temperatures
around us and contributes to

warming of the
surroundings.

Haze
landslide caused by soil erosion

(b) Soil erosion
When it rains, the tree roots in forested areas keep the top soil
together. This prevents the soil from being washed away by the
rain.
However, when forests are cleared, the top soil is exposed to wind
and rain and can easily be washed away.
Soil erosion can cause landslides and destroy lives and properties.
Haze
uncontrolled burning can

cause forest fires
(c) Possible spread of forest fires
Once a forested area is burned, the fire may become

uncontrollable due to strong winds and spread to
surrounding forests. Instead of a small area of land, the
entire forest may be burnt.

Haze
young orang utan in tree asian elephant in its natural habitat
(d) Loss of natural habitats and extinction of Species
Not only are the forests destroyed as a result of forest

fires, many animals can be injured or killed because
their habitats are lost to the fire.


production?
6.4 What is the slash-and-burn method used
in agriculture?
and increased?
Objectives
Understand that pesticides and herbicides
can be used to protect crops against pests
and weeds, and their use has effects on the
environment (soil and water contamination)
leading to effects
on the food chain
Describe and explain the use of biological
control to reduce the use of pesticides
(limited to the control of prey organisms by
their predators)
Why do we need to protect crops?
We need to protect crops because they
can be damaged by:
(a) Pests
(b) Weeds
rodents feed on crops

Pests
 Crops attract pests such as
insects, rodents and other
animals, e.g. locusts, rats, mice,
squirrels, wild rabbits and
hamsters.
 Thesepests feed on crops and

destroy them.
 For dragon fruits are wrapped

example, dragon fruit and protected from pests
plantations in Malaysia are often
destroyed by pests such as
monkeys and squirrels.
Weeds
weeds such as daisies growing

in a wheat plantation
 Weeds compete with crops for nutrients.

 This decreases the crop yield as there are less nutrients available for
the crops.
 The plantation with weeds growing among the crops will have less
yield.

Chemical Controls to Protect Crops
 The use of pesticides and herbicides are the two main
methods of chemical controls used to protect crops.
 Pesticides are chemical substances used by farmers to

destroy pests. They can also be sprayed onto plants or
crops to prevent attacks by pests.
spraying of liquid pesticides over padi field

Herbicides
farmer spraying weed killer or herbicide

in a soybean field
 Herbicidesare chemicals used by farmers to prevent or

destroy weeds which compete with the crops for
nutrients.
 Theseherbicides are also called weed killers. They

destroy weeds but do not harm the crops.
Effects of Chemical Controls
The use of pesticides and herbicides as
chemical controls can help protect the
crops from pests and weeds. However,
overuse of these chemicals can have
negative impacts on the environment.
(a) Soil contamination

(b) Water contamination

Transfer of toxic chemicals in a food chain

Water contamination
(b) Water contamination
Pesticides and herbicides can be carried by rainwater into

rivers, lakes and ponds. These chemicals can also seep
underground and contaminate the groundwater, which is
the main source of drinking water in many countries.
chemicals can seep into the ground and

contaminate groundwater

Effects of chemical runoff on the
environment and our health
 Aquatic plants and animals living in the rivers, lakes
and ponds will be affected by the contaminated water.
Humans and animals that drink from the affected
water bodies will also be harmed by the chemicals.

Effects of chemical runoff on the
environment and our health
 Some of these chemicals cannot be broken down and will
remain inside plants, animals and our bodies. This results
in the transfer of chemicals along the food chain. Human
beings at the last stage of the food chain will suffer from
the accumulation of toxic chemicals in the body.

Biological Controls to Protect Crops
 Naturalenemies of pests can be used to control them.
This method is called biological control.
 Thesenatural enemies can be bought or specially

reared by farmers.
 The advantages of biological pest controls are
(a) No chemicals are used, hence there is no

contamination of the soil and water.
(b) Crops are also not contaminated by chemicals.

Common crop pests and their natural enemies

Common crop pests and their natural enemies

Disadvantage of Biological control
Biological control may be a good way to

remove pests; however, introducing too
many of their natural enemies may
disrupt the food chain when population
numbers become too high to control.

Disadvantage of Biological control
 One such example is the introduction of ferrets in New
Zealand as natural enemies to prevent rabbits from
destroying the crops. At that time, there were no natural
enemies of ferrets, so the population of ferrets grew at
an alarming rate. This played a role in the decline of
native birds such as the kiwi, weka and blue duck.
the increasing population of ferrets

meant that more kiwis are eaten up


production?
6.4 What is the slash-and-burn method used
in agriculture?
and increased?
Objectives
Understand that there is a need to improve the
methods of food production: (i) as the world
population increases
(ii) with limitations in space to grow food
Describe how food production can be improved by
(i) improving plant and animal varieties (ii)

intensive production methods for crops, fish and
farm animals
Understand that plant hormones are used as weed
killers and in regulating growth and ripening fruits

Why do we need to increase our ability to
produce food?
 The increase in world population and limitations in space to grow food
are the two most important reasons to increase our ability to produce
food.
 In addition, harsh weather conditions and climate changes have led to

farmers and scientists looking for methods to improve food production.
sowing rice seedlings

Different food sources
banana plantation
tomato plants
mechanised irrigation
harvesting grapes
Improving plant and animal varieties
 One way of increasing food production is to improve the plant and
animal varieties.
 Farmers can increase their crop yield by planting good seedlings

which will grow into bigger and better crops with higher nutritional
values and are able to survive harsh weather conditions.
high-yielding rice grains versus low-yielding rice grains

Improving plant and animal varieties
 Farmers can increase their crop yield by planting
good seedlings which are disease-resistant.
disease-resistant tomatoes versus tomatoes of poor quality

Increasing food production
 Farmers can also increase food production by improving the
animal varieties such as
(a) good meat and milk producing cattle

(b) chickens that lay bigger and more eggs
(c) animals that grow to larger sizes and at faster rates
(e.g. sheep for wool)
Belgian Blue cattle are bred

improving animal specifically for their 'double muscling'
varieties can yield better characteristics, which results in leaner
produce such as bigger eggs meat lower in fat

Increasing food production
Food production can also be improved by
intensive production methods for crops,
fish and farm animals. This can be made
possible by advancements in technology.

Animals reared with intensive production
methods for food and their meat products

Animals reared with intensive production
methods for food and their meat products

Aeroponics and hydroponics
 Invegetable and fruit farms, farmers use high
technology farming methods such as hydroponics
and aeroponics to increase food production.
(a) Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a

special nutrient solution
rows of vegetables grown by hydroponics

Aeroponics
(b) Aeroponics is a method of growing plants in a mist of
nutrient solution regularly sprayed onto the roots of the
plants.
These farms use automation to control the temperature,

water and nutrient supplies to ensure optimal plant
growth.
rice plants sprayed with nutrient solution

Intensive farming methods
In traditional farming, farmers have to
manually milk the cows, collect the eggs
from chickens while fishermen go out to
sea to fish.
With the use of intensive farming

methods, the food production of these
farms has been increased.

automated chicken pen to collect the eggs on production line to be

eggs the hens lay packaged and sold


Comparing traditional methods of farming with advanced
technology

Comparing traditional methods of farming with advanced
technology

Use of plant hormones
Plant hormones can
affect root, seed,
stem, flower, fruit,
and leaf
development.
Farmers can use
plant hormones as
weed killers, to spraying of hormones
regulate growth
and ripen fruits.
Plant hormones
 Some plant hormones can kill weeds without harming
the crops. For example, the addition of plant hormones to
rice and wheat, results in weeds being destroyed without
affecting the crops.
 Planthormones can be used to regulate growth of fruits.

For example, hormones are added to the tomato plants to
promote root formation on the stems to increase the
number of tomato fruits on the plant.
 Plant hormones can also be used to regulate the ripening

of fruits. For example, the addition of hormones to fruits
prevents them from dropping off trees before ripening.

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Module 5:

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

6.1 Why is food important?

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

Food provides energy for carrying out

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

6.1 Why is food important?

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

Plantsneed food to grow. They are able

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

 Photosynthesisis represented using a word

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

 The soil must contain the necessary nutrients

 The pH value of the soil also plays an important

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

Activity Book Link

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

6.1 Why is food important?

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

When soils do not contain the required

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

Adding fertilisers helps to improve plant

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

(a) Contamination of the main source of drinking water

fertilisers can seep into the ground and

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

Chemical fertilisers, when washed by the rain into rivers,

run-off of fertilisers into

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

 The algae form a layer on the Activity Book Link

6.1 Why is food important?

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

(a) It is a cheap and fast method of clearing

(b) Ashes from the burnt trees provide nutrients to

(c) It reduces the occurrence of pests and plant

 Theslash-and-burn method of agriculture can lead to many

(b) Soil erosion

 The haze brings with it a

The particles in the haze reduce the amount

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

The particles in the haze can asthmatic boy using inhaler

eyes in a hazy environment.

The haze also traps heat in

around us and contributes to

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

landslide caused by soil erosion

uncontrolled burning can

(c) Possible spread of forest fires

Once a forested area is burned, the fire may become

© Copyright Star Publishing Pte Ltd

young orang utan in tree asian elephant in its natural habitat

(d) Loss of natural habitats and extinction of Species

Not only are the forests destroyed as a result of forest