Food Production: Crop Plants

Food Production: Crop Plants

Crop Plant Selection

• Traditional plant breeding is a method of developing new plant varieties.
• Selective breeding involves choosing specific plants with desired traits to reproduce.
• This process can enhance disease resistance, improve nutritional content and increase yield.

Genetic Modification

• Genetic Modification (GM) is the use of biotechnology to alter the genes of a plant.
• GM plants can be engineered to be resistant to pests, diseases, and harsh environmental conditions.
• There is ongoing debate about the use of GM crops due to potential impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem balance.

Fertilisers and Pesticides

• Fertilisers are substances added to soil to supply essential nutrients and enhance plant growth.
• They can increase crop yield but overuse can lead to eutrophication, a process that affects water bodies and harms aquatic life.
• Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests. They can increase crop production but may have harmful effects on non-target organisms and human health.

Intensive Farming

• Intensive farming is an agricultural method that aims to maximise output from a given area of land.
• It often involves the use of chemical inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides.
• While it significantly improves yield, it risks degrading the soil and can negatively impact biodiversity.

Hydroponics

• Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, usually in a nutrient-rich water solution.
• The technique offers controlled conditions and can be highly productive.
• Drawbacks include the possible spread of diseases in the water and a higher initial setup cost.

Crop rotation

• Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops in a sequence on the same land.
• It improves soil fertility and can disrupt the life cycle of pests - reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
• It demands careful planning and may lead to periods where land is not in high-yield production.