From Dirt to DNA Agriscience Applications What is Agriculture? Activities concerned with the...

From Dirt to DNAAgriscience Applications

What is Agriculture?

Activities concerned with the production of plants and animals, and related supplies, services, mechanics, products, processing, and marketing.

USDA refers to agriculture as….

“Agriculture/ Agribusiness and renewable natural resources”.Another definition is food, fiber, and environmental systems.

What is Agriscience?

The application of scientific principles and new technologies to agriculture.

Agriscience is……

An applied science because it uses principles learned in biology, chemistry, and physics (the basic sciences) in a practical way.

Examples of Applied Sciences

AgronomyUses biology and chemistry to discover new ways to control weeds in crops.

EntomologyUses biology and chemistry to study insect life.

Agricultural EngineeringUses physics to develop new machinery.Saw Stop

Agriscience employs…..The scientific method to solve problems.The steps to the scientific method are….

Identify the problem.Review literature.Form a hypothesis.Prepare a project proposal.Design the experiment.Collect the data.Draw conclusions.Prepare a written report.

Why is Agriculture/Agriscience Important?

Largest “employer” and the largest source of income in the United States and North Carolina.

Opportunities in AgricultureAgricultural production is supported by many more careers than actually exist in production.Many careers in agriscience products & distribution are needed to grade, transport, process, package, & market agriculture commodities.

Products, Processing & Distribution

Projections show that the average size of farms in the U.S. will increase while the number of farms will decrease.

Opportunities in Agriculture

Twenty percent of all jobs in the U.S. are agriscience related.In addition to farming, agriscience jobs help support farmers to meet the world’s food & fiber needs.Areas include:

ProductionProcessing, products, and distributionSupplies and services.

World Outlook

The world population will grow as more people beget more people.

More children are surviving to adulthood.More adults are living longer.

Population growth will….Add stress to environmental systems of air, water, soil, and natural resources.Create challenges to meet the demands for food and fiber (clothing and shelter).

Trends for Agriculture/Agriscience

Agriculture will always be an essential industry.Increased commercialization of agriculture will continue.New types of farming such as aquaculture (fish farming and farming the sea) will be used as well as traditional farming methods.

Trends for Agriculture/Agriscience

An expanded view of agriculture is necessary.

7 Divisions of Agriculture

AgribusinessAgriscience MechanicsAgronomyAnimal ScienceBiotechnologyHorticultureNatural Resources

What is Agribusiness?

Commercial firms that have developed with or stem out of agriculture.

Agribusiness includes….

FarmingChemical companyFertilizer dealerSeed storeTractor dealer

HorticultureLandscape nurseryGreenhouse dealerHorticulture supply company

What is Agriscience Mechanics?

The application of engineering principles in agricultural settings.

Agriscience Mechanics includes….

The design, operation, maintenance, service, selling, and use of power units, machinery, equipment, structures, and utilities in agriscience.

What is Agronomy?

The application of soil and plant sciences to land management and crop production.

Agronomy includes….

Crop ScienceSoil ScienceTurfgrass ManagementWeed ScienceRange Management

What is Animal Science?

The care, management, and production of domestic animals.

Animal Science includes….

LivestockCompanion AnimalsSpecialty Animals

What is Biotechnology?The application of living processes to technology.The use of microorganisms, animal cells, plant cells, or components of cells to produce products or carry out processes.

Biotechnology includes….

GeneticsBiochemistryMicrobiologyToxicologyPlant Pathology

What is Horticulture?

Involves the producing, marketing fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.(Green Industry)Continues to expand as the standard of living is raised.

Horticulture includes….

Greenhouse ManagementNursery ManagementLandscape ArchitecturePlant PhysiologyIntegrated Pest Management

What are Renewable Natural Resources?

Resources provided by nature that can replace or renew themselves.Important both economically and for posterity’s sake to maintain life.Agriculture & resources management will include pollution control.

Natural Resources - Forestry

Timber management for lumber, poles, post, plywood, and etc. is another part of the agricultural industry.

Other Examples include:

WildlifeWaterFishSoilsAir

What are Commodities?

Agricultural products which are sold.Examples:

MilkCornWheatBeefCotton

U.S. Agricultural Commodities (Market Value of Products Sold)

Total CropsCalifornia

Total LivestockTexas

Total Ag IncomeCalifornia

Top 10 U.S. Ag Commodity Exports

#1 Soybeans#2 Corn*#3 Wheat#4 Cotton#5 Misc. Hort Products

#6 Poultry Meat**#7 Feed#8 Edible Tree Nuts #9 Pork#10 Feed Grain

*Consistently ranks in top 5 in U.S. grain exports year after year.

**Number 1 meat export as far as tonnage shipped from the U.S.

Agricultural Commodities

_______ ranks in the top five in US agricultural commodities every year.__________ are the world’s most important source of vegetable oil and provide basic materials for hundreds of products.During the 1990s ________ was the number one meat export from the US.

U.S. Dept of Agriculture

SecretaryMike JohannsNebraska

U.S. Dept of Agriculture

Oversees the following:

Food Safety InspectionCommodity Grading

• Meat• Fruit• Vegetables• Eggs

U.S. Dept of Agriculture

Oversees the following:School Lunch ProgramFood StampsAgricultural CooperativesU.S. Forest ServiceCooperative ExtensionAgricultural Marketing

North Carolina Agriculture

General NC Ag. InformationThere are 2,200,000 farms in N.C.

Includes small farms

90.8% of farms in N.C. are family farms.The average N.C. farmer is 57 years old.The county with the most amount of agricultural sales is Duplin County.

Top Commodities In NCDuring the 1990s the top three

agricultural commodities in terms of cash receipts for North Carolina were:

1. Hogs2. Broilers3. Tobacco

North Carolina Agriculture

North Carolina is #1 in the following commodities.

TobaccoSweet potatoes

North Carolina Agriculture

North Carolina is #2 in the following commodities.

HogsChristmas TreesTurkeys

North Carolina Agriculture

North Carolina is #3 in the following commodities.

Cucumber ProcessingTroutTotal Poultry & Eggs

Agricultural Statistics - Cash Receipts : 2008

Rank ItemMillion

Dollars

1 Broilers ¹ 2,692

2 Hogs 2,171

3Greenhouse/Nursery/

Floriculture/Christmas Trees

777

4 Tobacco 687

5 Turkeys ¹ 652

6 Soybeans 440

7 Chicken eggs ¹ 374

8 Corn 333

9 Wheat 291

10 Cattle and calves 198

11 Cotton & Cottonseed 193

12 Dairy Products 190

13 Sweet Potatoes 142

14 Peanuts 68

15 Blueberries 48

16 Tomatoes, Fresh 34

17 Irish Potatoes 26

18 Cucumbers 25

19 Apples 22

20 Strawberries 21

North Carolina Agriculture

NC Dept of Agriculture

Steve TroxlerCurrent CommissionerGuilford County

NC Dept of Agriculture

Oversees the following:

All agricultural issuesWeights & StandardsFood & Drugs in North CarolinaNC State Fair

NC Dept of Agriculture

Oversees the following:

Marketing• Farmer’s Markets• Goodness Grows

Program

Research StationsStructural PestsVeterinarian Program

Cooperative Extension ServiceLocated in all 100 counties and the Cherokee Indian Reservation.Provides information for those working in agriculture.Best free source of information for small agricultural businesses.Administers the 4H program.

Progress in Agriculture

Mechanization helps 2% of America’s work force to meet the food & fiber needs of our nation.

(2% of US population works “on the farm”.)

There has been a reduction from 90% of the nation’s populace involved in farming 200 years ago.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

George WashingtonIn 1785, he became the first American to own mules.Also introduced agricultural concepts such as terracing, crop rotation, and the use of cover crops.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Eli WhitneyInvented the cotton gin in 1793.Turned cotton into an usable product by removing cottonseed from the cotton fiber.

Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Thomas JeffersonIn 1814, Jefferson had his moldboard plow cast in iron, thus inventing the iron plow.Was a marked improvement over the inefficient European plow.

Thomas Jefferson’s Plow

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Cyrus McCormickInvented the grain reaper in 1834 to save labor in cutting wheat, oats, and similar crops.

• It only CUT the grain.

Later a threshing machine was added and it became known as a combine.

Cyrus McCormick’s Reaper

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

John DeereIn 1837, improved the iron plow by inventing the steel moldboard plow.Need caused by tough prairie soils.

John Deere’s Plow

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Edmund W. QuincyInvented the mechanical corn picker in 1850.

Anna BaldwinChanged the dairy industry in 1878 by inventing a milking machine to replace hand milking.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Joseph GliddenInvented barbed wire in 1874.Used for livestock fencing.Tamed the west by allowing ranches with fixed boundaries to be established.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Booker T. WashingtonFounded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.Advocate of vocational education/skills development.The school was later given land-grant status.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

George Washington Carver

Director of agricultural research at Tuskegee Institute in early 1900’s.Found new uses for soybeans, peanuts, and sweetpotatoes.Diversified southern agriculture.

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Benjamin HoltInvented the tractorCompany went one to become Caterpillar Inc.Also invented the traction method used on many tanks

Benjamin Holt’s Tractor

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

Harry FergusonInvented the 3 point hitching system on tractors.Met with Henry Ford in 1938 and had the famous “Handshake Agreement”.

“The Handshake Agreement”

Ferguson Insignia on a Ford Tractor

Progress in Agriculture: Historical Events

In 1954, the tractor finally surpasses the mule as the main source of agricultural power.

AssignmentWith a partner you must design a new agricultural invention.Requirements:

Must be something that has not already been invented.Must have a name and price.Must have a color picture.Must include a four sentence description of the invention and how it works.

Improving Life through Agriscience

SoybeansKnown as the “Yellow Jewell” to the Chinese.World’s most important source for vegetable oil.Provide basic materials for hundreds of products.Used as major food source in China in the form of tofu.

Improving Life through Agriscience

The Green Revolution

Process whereby many countries became self sufficient in food production in the 1960s by using improved crop varieties and practices.

Improving Life through Agriscience

The Green IndustryThe modern horticulture industry with emphasis on turf and landscape plants.

Agriscience and the Future

The average American farmer produces enough food and fiber for 128 people.As the world’s population increases, it will require a more sophisticated agriscience industry to keep pace with demand.

Agriscience and the Future

The science of food production, processing, and distribution will require:

College graduates to fill roles as scientists, engineers, and other professionals.USDA reported an increased demand for graduates from agricultural colleges in the 90s.

Agribusiness

Activity