Agricultural Systems (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
Agricultural Systems
To obtain food, humans use and modify the ecosystems through farming
There are four groupings commonly used to categorise farming:
Arable and pastoral
Commercial and subsistence
Extensive and intensive
Nomadic and sedentary
A farm that has both livestock and crops is a mixed farm
Factors influencing the type of agriculture
Physical factors
Temperature
All crops have a minimum temperature below which they will not grow or will not produce a good yield; wheat grows best between 21 and 24 ºC
Growing season
The length of the growing season affects the type of crop grown—barley needs about 90 days from sowing to harvest, whereas rice takes about 120 days
Precipitation
Both the average annual rainfall and the distribution of rain over the year affect the types of crops grown
Relief and slope aspect
The altitude of the land affects temperature and the steepness affects the suitability for crops
In local areas, different crops may be grown on south-facing slopes, which get more sunshine and are warmer
Soil type and fertility
In areas with thin, infertile soils, grazing is likely to dominate as crops need deeper, more fertile soil
Drainage
For most crops to grow, the land needs to be well drained so that roots do not get waterlogged
Human factors
Tradition
Many farms simply grow the crops or raise the livestock that have been on the farm for generations
Subsidies
Farmers may change crops or livestock depending on the money available from the government
Transport
The cost of transporting the product may affect what is produced
Livestock transport is more expensive than grain transport
Farm size
Due to economies of scale, larger farms can afford more in terms of feed, fertiliser and machinery; this may affect what is produced
Market demand
The changing demand for produce
There has been an increase in demand for meat such as buffalo and ostrich, which may affect the choice of what is produced
Capital
The amount of money a farmer has to invest will affect the machines and artificial inputs (irrigation, pesticides, fertilisers) they can afford
Farming systems
All farms are systems; they have inputs, processes and outputs
Impacts of farming systems
All farming systems impact the ecosystem in which they are located
Some have more impact than others:
Monocultures reduce diversity by limiting animals' food access
Nutrient cycling often depends on natural (manure) or artificial fertilisers
Ecosystems are modified with inputs of seed, fertiliser, pesticides, herbicides and the use of machines
Where food webs are reduced, so too is the amount of biomass
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, farms do fit into more than one category. For example, a sheep farm in Cumbria. The UK would be categorised as arable, commercial, extensive and sedentary.
Worked Example
Insert the following words into the table below to show examples of inputs, processes and outputs of a mixed farm.
[3 marks]
Choose from the words below
milk wheat harvesting ploughing water pesticides
Inputs | Processes | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Answer
Inputs | Processes | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
water | harvesting | wheat |
pesticides | ploughing | milk |
Case Study: Sheep Farming
There are many examples of farming that can be used in the final exam
The example below is of sheep farming in Cumbria
Case Study
The relief of the land in Cumbria limits the type of farming
Lowland areas are used for cattle grazing and limited amounts of crops
Sheep farming dominates, with approximately 3 million sheep farmed in the area
An example of extensive, commercial, pastoral and sedentary farming
Characteristics
Sheep farms usually have three land use zones:
The fell: these are the hills over 300 m and is used for grazing
The intake: the lower slopes, which are divided into fields
The inbye: land close to the farm buildings used to bring the sheep in for lambing and shearing. Some crops may also be grown here for animal feed (turnips/hay)
Inputs
Inputs can be divided into physical and human
Physical inputs
Climate
A short growing season means the area is unsuitable for most crops, as well as high rainfall. In many areas over 1500mm
Soils
In the upland areas' soils are thin and acidic
Relief
Many steep slopes with large areas of upland
Human inputs
Machinery, fuel and buildings
Quad bikes and sheds for lambing
Labour
Low labour requirements. Farms are often worked by one person with additional help when needed
Subsidies
Without subsidies, many sheep farmers would make a loss
Feed
Needed for winter months when uplands are snow-covered and grass doesn't provide the nutrients needed
Processes
There are not large numbers of processes on a hill sheep farm, but they do include:
monitoring the sheep
lambing
dipping—to reduce parasites and maggots
shearing
Outputs
Lambs are bred for meat and sent for slaughter before they are 1 year old (usually 6-8 months)
Wool from shearing (this often costs more than the farmer gets for the fleece)
Mutton—this is meat from sheep over 1 year old
Challenges
Hill sheep farming is often not profitable, and farmers rely upon subsidies or diversification
Disease: foot and mouth outbreak. In 2001, nearly 500,000 sheep had to be killed to prevent the further spread of the disease
Fuel, machinery and feed costs have all increased
Lamb prices fluctuate depending on the market and this affects income
Wool prices average about 32p for a kilo; this is less than the cost of shearing the sheep so shearing costs the farmer money
Fewer people want to become sheep farmers
Since leaving the EU, the UK is intending to phase out subsidies and replace them with payments for environmental work
Impacts
Many sheep farmers are diversifying into areas such as campsites and holiday cottages
Conversion to organic, such as Low Sizergh Farm in South Cumbria, can increase profits as people pay more for organic meat and wool
Farmers taking on additional jobs and farming part-time
Changing of breeds to those that shed their fleece and don't require shearing, though this may not be suitable for the upland areas
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