The Nature of:

o Explain how the science of agriculture helped develop civilization;

o Identify and define the various areas of science and agriscience; and

o Discuss advancements made through agriscience.

What was the first science?› Agriculture!› Science is knowledge obtained through a

systematic study of naturally occurring phenomena The first systematic study by humans was

obtaining food, shelter, and clothing

How has the science of agriculture helped develop society?› Time was a large factor in developing

society How was food obtained in the

beginning of human history?› Hunter/Gatherer› People moved with the food

Did they have time to build a home?

Agriculture began about 10,000 years ago› Where?› Fertile crescent

People began growing their own food What did that do to their ‘time’?

› No wandering› Build a more permanent shelter› Build villages and communities

Science grew as humans worked to develop better ways to produce food› Trial and error

If they can produce food more efficiently how does that affect their time?› Surplus food was traded› Building, engineering, literature, and art

skills could be developed

Science further grew as farming implements needed to be invented and improved

Tools made growing and raising food more efficient› Time?› More of it was spent inventing tools and

making life easier

It is believed that writing and counting developed from agriculture› Surplus, storage bins, trade, sale, and

eventually taxation› Containers had to be marked to indicate:

Ownership, contents, and the amount

This made the way for written language to be developed

Two broad areas› Basic Research

Why or how processes occur in plants and animals

› Applied Research uses discoveries made in basic research to

help in practical ways

Mathematics Physical Science Life Science Social Science

Most areas overlap

Arithmetic› Study of numbers and methods of

calculating Geometry

› Practical area of math› Mathematical relationships (lines,

angles, etc.

Several other areas› logic, algebra, calculus,

probability, statistics

Earth Science› Study of the environment in which plants

and animals grow Geology

› Study of earth’s composition, structure, history (soil science is a big part of this)

Meteorology› study of earth’s atmosphere

Other areas include: hydrology, oceanography, astronomy

Botany› study of plants

Zoology› study of animals

Deals with human society, sometimes called behavioral science

Includes anthropology, psychology, sociology, education

Study of the makeup of material (matter)› Matter is anything that takes up spaces

or has mass

Study of the physical nature of objects› heat, light, electricity, mechanics

made up of several areas of science

similarities with areas of occupations

many of these areas overlap

Animal Science

Poultry Science

Aquaculture Environmenta

l Science

Agronomy Horticulture Forestry Entomology Mechanical

Technology

Study of plants and how they relate to soil

Purpose:› Improve crop production and

conserve natural resources

Growing crops for food, comfort, beauty› Ornamental Horticulture› Olericulture› Pomology

Growing and using forests

Part of Zoology Study of insects

and related small animals

Production of animals for food

Raising chickens and other related fowl

Water Farming

Wisely using and protecting the things around us

Use of machines and equipment to do work

Discoveries have been made throughout our history to improve our lives› Lets list a few of the recent ones

Genetically engineered plants We have been doing this for as long as

agriculture has been around through selective breeding

Tomato Calgene developed a tomato that resists rot

Corn BT corn

Round-Up Ready Many including: corn, sugar beets, cotton, alfalfa,

canola, soybeans and others

Alternative Fuels› Ethanol

Henry Ford’s Model T ran off of ethanol What is used to produce ethanol?

Corn

Will that affect our food supply?

› Bio-Diesel

› Is making your own fuel safe? What could happen?

Pest control› Synthetic controls for fire ants in the south

Higher ratio of nonproductive drone ants to worker ants

› Synthetic controls for fruit tree insects Pheromones released will attract the male

insects so they never find a female