Agriculture And Agriculture: The Importance Of Agriculture

In Global Ag, I learned about the importance of agriculture, the different farming practices of the past and present, and also the many issues that agriculture is facing. As the average age of farmers increase it is more important than ever that the youth of today be educated on what farming entails. It is equally important that the consumers are assured of the quality and safety of the products they purchase.
Although farming has changed drastically over the years, one constant remains throughout time; people throughout the world depend on agriculture on a daily basis. While the amount of full time farmers and employees employed on farms have decreased, production is greater than ever due to advancements in technology and farming practices. …show more content…
Water is an essential element in the production of animals and crops, which is why it is critical that farmers continue to find better ways to conserve as much as possible. While many farms use irrigation to eliminate the risk of unpredictable weather conditions which in the long term can increase the quality and to some extent the yield of their crops. However, some forms of irrigation are more friendly to water conservation practices than others. For instance, drip irrigation uses eighty percent less water than conventional methods and is partly responsible for higher yields. This reduction in water use is due to the evaporation that occurs with traditional overhead irrigation. This evaporation only allows a fraction of the water to actually reach the roots which is actually where the water is used. Another irrigation option called subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is a series of polyethylene drip lines that are buried underground that deliver water directly to the root system of the plants. The advantages of SDI, are: less water used due to no evaporation, improved crop yields, less labor than conventional overhead systems, and fertilizer is used more effectively because it is directly reaching the roots. However, this system does have sizeable weaknesses such as high startup costs, the risk of clogs or leaks, and also they will not last as long as a conventional overhead system. Water can be conserved by the reduction of waste that usually occurs in the traditional irrigation methods. New developments may not be as affordable as one would like yet, but they can help save cash by increasing yield, reducing labor requirements, and by allowing more nutrients to reach the plant