Defined by the American Society for Horticultural Science as, “the art and science of producing, improving, marking, and using fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants,” horticulture is an important component of society that positively impacts citizen’s quality of life. Such improvements can take the form of, for example, increased nutrition, more attractive living environments, or…
First introduced in Japan and Switzerland in the 1970s, community supported agriculture (CSA) is a form of partnership between farmer and consumer. They enter into a contract which provides consumers with a certain number of ‘shares’ in the farm. Each share provides the consumer a box (or bag or bucket or …) of vegetables or other products…
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants and animals. The field has grown rapidly throughout the past years because of a lack of arable land and increasing consumer demand for marine proteins and vegetables. Supply is also affected by pressure on wild populations and a growing recognition of the environmental impact of commercial fishing. For…
Industrial agriculture is a form of food production that treats a farm like a factory that produces animal products. The primary objective of factory farming is to maximize yield and profit. Economic rewards generally supersede environmental, health, and animal welfare concerns. To enjoy the benefits of economies of scale, factory farming must be large-scale…
Plant tolerance and plant resistance are ways that plants deal with stressors in their environment. Resistance and tolerance are plants’ best defense mechanisms. At the most basic level, the difference between tolerance and resistance is related to how the plant defends itself. In the case of tolerance, the plant has strategies that helps it to…
Entomopathogenic viruses are those that infect and kill insects. They are superior to regular pesticides because they are not harmful to humans or other vertebrates. Furthermore, each viral strain attacks only a limited number of insect species which helps to mitigate unpredicted damage. There are two types of entomopathogenic viruses: Baculoviridae (ds DNA) Nucleopolyhedrovirus Granulovirus…
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a long-term pest prevention program that focuses on ecosystem-based strategies for the control of pest-related issues. This is accomplished through a combination of techniques including biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices and the use of resistant cultivars. The use of chemical pesticides is then restricted to applications only after…
What is the difference between intensive and extensive agriculture? Explore how land use, resource input, and sustainability vary between these two farming systems.
There is no doubt about it – there are a lot of people in the world: more than 7 billion. The sheer number of humans is probably even too much for our brains to process. Still, we’re all here and more people are coming joining the global population and every day. Feeding so many people…
Irrigation systems offer a variety of benefits. They allow for the growth of a wider variety of crops. They can be timed so that the hands-on portion of crop production is a little less cumbersome. They protect crops from irregular and dry weather conditions. They support leaching, which can remove harmful, crop-damaging salts within in…