3.1 Agricultural systems

An agricultural system is made up of three parts: inputs, outputs and processes.

Inputs can be physical: amount of rain, season temperatures, length of growing season, relief, soil and drainage

Inputs can be human/economic/social/political: labour, rent, transport costs, machinery/technology, fertiliser and pesticides, market demand, accessibility to market, government control, seeds – livestock, farm buildings, energy (electricity)

Processes include the patterns and methods of farming

Outputs are the products (milk, meat etc.) and in developed countries, usually a profit

Classification of farming types:

Specialisation: either arable (crops), pastoral (animals) or mixed (both)

Economic Status: either commercial (for profit) or subsistence (for yourself)

Intensity of land use: either extensive (farm size is very large in comparison with either the amount of money spent on it or the number of workers) or intensive (small farm size in comparison with either the amount of money spent on it or the number of workers).

Land tenure: either shifting (and nomadic) where farmers move from one area to another or sedentary farm location is permanent

Factors influencing farming:

   temperature determines crops grown;

   crops need to be grown where there is an adequate growing season;

   there must be sufficient rainfall for crops to grow/irrigation needed if insufficient rain;

   cereal crops/vines need sunshine to ripen;

   too much rainfall may waterlog/flood crops/require a drainage system;

   in areas with frost/long winter hardy animals may be kept;

   if it is windy wind breaks are needed etc.