Agricultural Territories at Risk

Unit 1

Farming is important!

People rely on “agriculture” (farms) for food.

Unfortunately, our farm lands are in danger!

Our planet doesn’t have a lot of good land for farming for these 4 reasons:

a) Population is quickly increasing worldwide (urban sprawl – cities are encroaching on farmland)

b) Landscape (ex: rocky, mountainous)

c) Soil (frozen or sandy - little/no nutrients)

d) Climate (ex: too cold, icy weather)

Farming areas are also being threatened by natural phenomena* - plural (ex: floods, droughts)

***a natural phenomenon

What is an agricultural territory at risk?

An agricultural territory (farms) is an area that is used for growing crops or for raising livestock.

An at-risk environment is an area where farming is done even though its crops, livestock or farm equipment runs the risk of being destroyed or damaged by natural or man-made threats.

Natural HazardsNatural hazards are severe and extreme weather and climate events that occur naturally in all parts of the world.

Examples of natural hazards (threaten farms):

a) Flooding

b) Drought

c) Insect infestation

Q1

a) Flooding

Bangladesh is regularly hit with cyclones and monsoons.

Heavy rains cause flooding and washes away the soil.

This erodes (wears away) the soil.

Solution: dikes are built to protect the farms from flooding.

b) DroughtThe land dries out due to lack of precipitation.

Crops need water to grow!

Soil that is exposed to many droughts can no longer absorb water.

Solution: Irrigation!

C) Insect infestationIts when swarms of insects damage/eat all the crops.

Locusts ruined crops and harvests in Senegal, Africa.

Senegal relies heavily on farming.

Solution: Spray insecticides!

Q2

What is a Natural Disaster?

It is when a farming area is hit by a natural phenomenon.

Negative consequences of a natural disaster include:

a) Land and crops are destroyed

b) Livestock is destroyed

c) People die/starve

Q3

Man-made HazardsThis type of danger is caused by humans.

Farmers contaminate/ruin the soil!

The growing world demand of crops and livestock is causing farmers to use practices that is damaging farmland.

Examples of harmful practices include:

a) Clearing the forests (deforestation)

Some farmers cut down trees in order to increase the size of their farms.

Without trees, the soil dries up and is worn away by the wind. This is called soil erosion.

The tree is no longer there to hold the soil in place & to provide soil with nutrients.

b) Intensifying crops

Fallow land is land that is plowed but left alone so that it can regain its fertility for crops.

Farmers give less time for fallow to “rest”(recuperate) in order to grow more crops.

They also just grow one type of crop (monoculture).

Furthermore, they do not rotate crops from field to field.

Consequently, the soil does not have time to rest and regain its nutrients.

c) Intensifying livestock breeding

Farmers raise larger herds to increase rate of production.

These herds trample the ground and damage the soil (erodes it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJpxaWR2J-c

d) Irrigating land and using pesticides and insecticides

Farmers uses pesticides and insecticides to prevent pests from damaging crops.

Such chemicals pollute the soil and bodies of water in the area (ex: rivers, groundwater).

Q4

Canadian Prairies

It is a huge territory that covers most of southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

These three provinces make up more than 80% of all agricultural land in Canada.

This region supplies Canada most of its grain and meat.

In 2015, 60% of jobs in the Prairies are related to agriculture and food processing.

Farming in the PrairiesMany grains such as wheat, barley, corn, canola and oats are grown in the prairies.

It is a good place to raise livestock because its large plains make good pastures.

A pasture is land covered with grass.

AlbertaMain crops: barley, canola and alfalfa.

It also raises a lot of cattle.

In 2006, Alberta was the largest meat producer in Canada.

It had 6.4 million head of cattle and close to

98 000 bison.

http://canolagrowers.com/on-the-farm/what-is-canola/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVe_08TntEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnqU1tB_8Rk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R777UPXjG3c

SaskatchewanMain crops: wheat, canola & alfalfa.

It also raises cattle, veal and bison.

This province has the most farmland in Canada.

ManitobaMain crops: wheat, canola, soybeans and sunflowers.

It raises cattle, veal, sheep, lamb and pork.

Q5

Commercial Farming in the Prairies

The crops grown and livestock raised in Canada is called Canadian agricultural production.

Canadian Prairies also exports some of its “crops and livestock” to other countries for profit.

This is known as commercial farming.

Commercial farming focuses on producing the most crops and livestock as possible so that it can make more profit!

Commercial farming also means more land is needed to produce lots of crops and raise lots of cattle.

As a result, larger farms are replacing small farms.

Which countries import Canadian crops and livestock?

Unites States of America (U.S.A.) 51.2%

Japan 9.4 %

European Union 5.9%

Mexico 4.0%

China 3.7%

Rest of the world 25.8%

Q6

Marketing - CWBThe role of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) is to find Canadian farmers buyers.

Its job is to sell the wheat and barley products at the highest possible price.

It represents 85 000 producers in Western Canada.

It sells these crops across Canada and around the world.

Q7

Canadian Grain Commission (CGC)

This agency is responsible for checking the quality of all grain produced by the western provinces.

Climate in the Prairie Region

It has long, cold winters.

It has short, hot summers.

There is little precipitation. Why?

The Rocky Mountains block the winds carrying humidity from the Pacific Ocean.

Between 1999 and 2004, the region suffered a long period of drought, then flooding, following more drought in 2009 and 2010.

These natural hazards hurt crops and made work difficult for farmers.

Extreme Weather in the Prairie

Region

In 2010, Saskatchewan was hit by tornadoes, hail storms, floods, and destructive winds and rains.

Meteorologists indicate that these extreme conditions are becoming more common.

Irrigation in the Canadian Prairies

Irrigation systems have been installed to make sure the region’s crops receive enough water to grow.

Why? Rainfall is irregular and scarce in this region.

Irrigated land in Canada

Canadian Province Percentage of Land Irrigated

Alberta 60%

British Columbia 13%

Ontario and Quebec 12%

Saskatchewan 11%

Manitoba 3%

Atlantic 1%

Q8

Irrigated vs. Non-irrigated land in Saskatchewan

Keeping the ground damp protects it from being eroded by the wind.

Why is irrigation good?

a) Makes plants grow better

b) It produces better quality grain (can be sold at a higher price)

Irrigated land in Canada

Canadian Province Percentage of Land Irrigated

Alberta 60%

British Columbia 13%

Ontario and Quebec 12%

Saskatchewan 11%

Manitoba 3%

Atlantic 1%

Yields of irrigated vs. non-irrigated land in Sask.

Crop Yield of irrigated

land

Yield of non-irrigated

land

Alfalfa 407 101

Canola 470 193

Green peas 327 168

Seed potatoes

3683 2797

Results (yield vs. non-yield)

Irrigating farm land allows farmers can plant a greater selection of crops (diversify).

They can also plant crops that normally wouldn’t grow unless more water is present in the soil (ex: potatoes and sugar beets).

Poorly managed irrigationIrrigation can lead to:

a) Soil erosion:

How? Some of the water can carry away fertile soil particles as it makes its way to rivers, etc.

b) Salinization:

Most soils already contains salts that plants absorb in the form of nutrients.

So does the water used to irrigate land!

As a result, the plants that grow in these fields contain too much salt.

These plants also can no longer absorb water and their growth is affected.

If the soil is not irrigated enough, the Sun’s heat evaporates the water too quickly and leaves behind salt deposits in the form of white crystals.

Monoculture and soil depletion

In the past, farmers used to plant crops that absorbed the same minerals in the same fields year after year.

As a result, those minerals were quickly depleted (used up) from the soil!

Crop rotation

Rotating crops prevent soil depletion.

Use of fertilizers and pesticides

Positive

Reduces soil depletion

Improves yields

Fights plants and insects that can harm their crops

Negative

Pollute waterways

Creates imbalances in in the aquatic ecosystems

Q9

Solutions to soil depletionThere are many things farmers can do to prevent soil erosion:

a) No-till farming (reduces the loss of organic matter in soil).

b) Rotate crops with specific plants that enrich soil with nitrogen.

c) Cover soil with mulch (keeps ground moist/prevents weeds)

d) Growing crops in strips

e) Alternate crops grown in the same field and allow for fallow fields

f) Plant trees to protect their crops/soil from wind

g) Practise organic farming