Agriculture 2010 PT 2

Tues. Nov.
16
Two possible extra credit events (probably the last):
 NH Astronomical Society: Objects in the Night Sky.
Tues. Nov. 16, 6:30-8 pm, MH102
 River of Words Opening: Thursday, November 18, at
6:30 pm in Pierce Hall
Other due dates:
 Final projects – Paper is due Dec. 1 or 3
 Presentation last week of lab Dec. 8 or 10
 Questions due this Thursday – p. 173 #8-15

B. Soil Resources
Soil type determined by:
1. Parent material – materials in
which soils formed. Bedrock or
material moved by glaciers,
wind, water.
2. Climate – rain leaches out
material
3. Topography – ex.: steep slopes,
thin soil
4. Biology – microbes, plants
5. Time Glacial drift

Soil Profile
Soils have layers=horizons
 O horizon: organic matter
(OM), some decomposition.
 A horizon: Dark color= OM
from above= humus
 B horizon: zone of
accumulation – materials
wash down from above
 C horizon: unconsolidated
parent material
http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/features/gallery/gallery.html
Humus holds the soil together, contains
nutrients
http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/soilorders/
Biology helps determine soil
type because…
1. Mammals assist in 43%
disintegration of
bedrock 36%
2. Decomposition by
bacteria creates
organic matter
3. Plant roots help 11%
create parent 9%
material
4. All of the above
1 2 3 4
C. Impact of agriculture on…
1. Soil:
TILLING THE SOIL
a. Erosion
 Cultivation destroys
soil structure 
increases erosion
 No plants, no
protection from rain,
wind
 More exposed
soil=more erosion
http://www.aldermans.com/Case/Jpeg's/CaseIH_PTXfieldcult.jpg
Which type of crop will cause
more soil erosion?
1. Corn 74%
CORN
2. Alfalfa hay
3. Soybeans
4. Wheat WHEAT
ALFALFA
10% 7% 10%
SOYBEANS
1 2 3 4
Impact of agriculture on soil
a. Erosion:
 Wind and water carry soil away faster than
it is formed
 1% of all farmland lost each yr (=25 billion
tons of soil per year)
http://www.soils.umn.edu/academics/classes/soil2125/img/erosb1.jpg
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/irrigation-soil-erosion.jpg
Impact of agriculture on soil
b. Loss of nutrients
 Harvesting plants removes nutrients
c. Loss of microbes
 Fertilizers, pesticides, cultivation, kill bacteria, fungi,
worms, etc. = decomposers, mutualists, nitrogen
fixers, etc
Soil fauna
under a
microscope
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/910000/images/_911089_crops.jpg http://www.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/Research/Departments/SEES/Teams/images/rootsbugs.jpg
Modern agriculture causes loss
of soil fertility by…
1. Destroying the
nutrients 61%
2. Poisoning the
good bacteria
3. Adding humus 32%
4. Leaving plants in
place after harvest
5% 2%
1 2 3 4
2. Water:
a. Uses water wastefully – grow crops in
dry areas; pump groundwaterspray
irrigation – water evaporates
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/ED10/04_occur.html
2. Water:
b. Chemical fertilizers:
 mined out of ground
 Wash out of soil quickly
 Bring excess nutrients
into rivers, lakes 
causes algae growth
 Algae decomposes, uses
up oxygen
The Mississippi River dead
 Creates “dead zones” zone is overloaded with
 Process called nutrients from upstream
sources. This photo shows the
eutrophication color change between the
hypoxic (brown) and oxygen-
rich (blue) waters. Photo
http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/ courtesy of NOAA.
2. Water:
c. Pesticides:
 Wash into water supply,
harm non-target
species
 Build up in food chain
(=biomagnify) and
poison other species
73% of foods in grocery
store have pesticide
residues! (23% of
http://www.friendsofstclair.ca/images/biomagnification2-copy.jpg
organic foods!)
Impact of agriculture on…
3. Food safety and Animal health
and welfare:
 Confined Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs)
 Large-scale
cattle/hog/poultry operations:
 Given antibiotics, hormones
 Crowded!: mad cow disease,

salmonella
 Manure water pollution
4. Biodiversity:
a. Habitat destruction, degradation, exotic
species
b. Genetically modified organisms: potential
advantages, potential problems
Genetically modified foods (GM foods): food
products derived from a genetically altered
Organism; gene from another species inserted
Advantages of GMO foods
1. Improve flavor and nutrition of food.
The genes themselves are natural and produce
proteins that have already existed in nature.
Examples: “Golden rice” has been genetically
engineered to have more Vitamin A.
This could prevent blindness
and immune deficiencies in
many poor countries.
9
Advantages of GMO foods
2. Make the crops more pest-resistant; use less
pesticide; tolerate drought, cold, etc.
Example: Add bacteria gene to soybeans, corn,
that kills some insect pests
http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri_biotechnology/breeding_aims/147.pest_resistant_crops.html
Potential problems with GMOs
HEALTH EFFECTS:
 Allergies: soybeans which were given a gene
from the Brazil nut could create an allergic
reaction.
 GMO potatoes caused immune system
problems in rats
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:
Harm other species: GMOs in crops

produce pesticides that kill pests, AND
can kill good (non-target) insects
Example: monarch butterfly caterpillars

that eat pollen from GMO corn grow
more slowly and have a higher
mortality rate.
5
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:
GMOs could cross-breed with wild organisms and

introduce new diseases or harmful
characteristics
Example: A GMO plant that has been given a gene
to resist being eaten by insect pests could
crossbreed with a wild species, so the wild
species might then grow out of control or remove
a needed food source from the bottom of the
food chain
ECONOMIC EFFECTS of GMO foods
 GMOs in crops cost more and are patented
 farmer has to pay more for the seeds
 can’t collect seeds from the crops to use later

Agriculture 2010 PT 2

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Tues. Nov.

 Presentation last week of lab Dec. 8 or 10

 Questions due this Thursday – p. 173 #8-15

5. Time Glacial drift

 Crowded!: mad cow disease,

Harm other species: GMOs in crops

Example: monarch butterfly caterpillars

GMOs could cross-breed with wild organisms and

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