Science and Agriculture

Science has brought about tremendous change, both in the life of farm families and in
agricultural methods. Because one man is able to cultivate many acres with the use of modern
machinery small diversified farms are rapidly being replaced by large, mechanized one-crop
farms.
In 1787, nineteen farmers were required to raise enough food to supply one city dweller. With
modern agricultural methods, nineteen farmers now supply food for fifty-six city dweller plus
ten people living in another country (1965 data).
Since the development in the last 300 years of the modern natural sciences-Physics, Chemistry
and biology-agriculture has made great advances. ISSAC NEWTONs physics lead to better farm
machinery and chemistry gave us new fertilizers, sprays for farm pests, and new uses for farm
products: and biology helped us select and raise strong and new plant crops and live-stock.
Early in the history of agriculture, it was discovered that crop yield decreased when year after
year, the same crop was planted in one field. During the middle Ages, European farmers would
leave one portion of their land unplanted each season, allowing the soil to rest. Later it was
learned that certain crops remove from the soil minerals and helpful nitrogen-fixing bacteria,
while others restore them to the soil. LEGUMES such as CLOVER and ALFALFA work with the
helpful bacteria in soil. Crop such as cotton, corn and wheat deplete the soil of nitrogen fixing
bacteria. Therefore, a system evolved for changing crops from year to year in certain fields.
This is known as crop rotation.
Agriculture has continued to progress with many other branches of scientific knowledge.
Better plants have been developed through knowledge of plant BREEDING. Hybrid corn is the
result of controlled plant POLLINATION. It is superior quality, resists diseases, and withstand
drought. Scientific animal breeding has led to the development of cattle, hogs and poultry
having smaller bones and more flesh. Development of insects and fungus-destroying chemicals
has also aided agriculture.
Young Peoples SCIENCE Encyclopedia,
National College of Education Children Press,
Chicago 1965.

1. Check your understanding: study the text carefully. Which of the following statements are true?
Which are false? Check () your answer in the column on the right.
True

False

a. Science has greatly improved agriculture farming

b. Modern agricultural machinery has changed many small multiple crop farms into
large mono-crop mechanized farms
c. With modern agriculture, more farmers can now supply less food to people who need
it.
d. Data of 1965 show that more people can be fed by fewer farmers than in 1787
e. Nearly 200 years ago nineteen farmers depended on one city dweller for their food
f. Farmers discovered long ago that if the same crop was planted in the same field year
after year, crop yield would grow larger and larger.
g. Crop rotation was practiced because people need different kinds of farm pproducts
each season.
h. Legumes work with bacteria to improve the soil.
i. The passage explains that plant breeding is another term for controlled pollination.
j. Animal breeding techniques have developed cattle, hogs, and chickens with more
meat and smaller bones.

2. Use the information provided in the text and complete the following sentences. Use the words listed
below. Use each word only once.
Planted
Decreases
Sprays
field

Pests
Supply
Families
dwellers

Farming
Better
Brought about

a. Natural sciences have. a great change in the life of

farming.. and agriculture.
b. Modern . methods have made possible for farmers to .
food to more city .than before.
c. Newtons physics led to farmer machinery and chemistry provided
for farm

d. When the same crop is in the same ..year after year, crop yield
.
3. The following points are made by the writer of the passage. Put them back in the correct order as
they appear in the text.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

Physics opened the path for better farm machinery.

Development of modern machinery has changed agricultural methods and farm life.
Chemistry gave agriculture sprays for pest control and fertilizers.
By working with the helpful bacteria in the soil, legumes improve the soil.
Great changes in agricultural methods by Science.
Crop rotation is a system for rotating crops from year to year.
Biology helped us choose and raise strong and new plant crops and farm animals.
With improved farm machinery, farmers can feed more people in 1965 than in 1787.
Cotton, wheat and corn make the soil nitrogen poor.
In the Middle Age farmers would leave a section of their land unplanted each season.

4. Vocabulary: Match these terms, as they are used in the passage, with their definition. Write the
appropriate letter in the box provide.
Word
a. To cultivate

b. Diversified
c. Breeding

d. Pest

e. Live-stock
f. To yield

g. To deplete

h. Hybrid

definition
Keeping animals (cattle) for the purpose of producing
young, especially by selecting parents.
Troublesome or destructive animals or insects
To empty until none remains, use up
To prepare land for crops by ploughing or help crops to
grow
To give a natural product, result or profit.
Producing a variety of crops or animal produce.
Animal or plant from parents of different species or
varieties.
Farm animal like cattle, pigs, sheep, etc.

i. Pollination

Very small plant without leaves, flowers or green

colouring, growing on other plants or dead matter

j. fungus

The process of making a flower or plant fertile by

adding the yellow dust from the male part of the flower