Glossary
Cover Cropping
Planting non-cash crops, such as clover or rye, between main harvest seasons to improve soil health, prevent erosion, and suppress weeds.
Example:
After harvesting corn, a farmer might plant a cover crop of winter wheat to protect the soil from erosion and add organic matter.
Crop Rotation
The practice of growing different crops sequentially on the same land to improve soil health, optimize nutrient use, and combat pest and weed pressure.
Example:
A farmer might use crop rotation by planting corn one year, followed by soybeans the next, to naturally replenish nitrogen in the soil.
Eutrophication
The excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
Example:
Excessive fertilizer runoff into a lake can cause eutrophication, leading to massive algal blooms that deplete oxygen and create dead zones.
Fertilizer Runoff
Excess synthetic fertilizers applied to agricultural fields that are washed away by rain or irrigation into nearby waterways, leading to water pollution.
Example:
After a heavy rain, fertilizer runoff from cornfields can create algal blooms in local rivers, harming aquatic life.
Genetic Engineering
The direct manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology, typically by adding, deleting, or altering DNA sequences.
Example:
Genetic engineering allows scientists to insert a gene from a bacterium into a plant, giving the plant resistance to certain pests.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques, often to introduce new traits like pest resistance or enhanced nutritional value.
Example:
Many corn and soybean crops grown today are GMOs, engineered to resist specific herbicides or produce their own insecticides.
Green Revolution
A period beginning in the late 1960s characterized by significant increases in agricultural production worldwide, primarily through the development of high-yielding crop varieties and improved farming techniques.
Example:
The Green Revolution helped countries like India dramatically increase their wheat production, averting widespread famine.
High-yielding crop varieties
Genetically improved strains of crops designed to produce significantly more food per unit of land compared to traditional varieties.
Example:
The development of high-yielding crop varieties allowed farmers to grow more food on the same amount of land, boosting global food supplies.
Industrial Agriculture
A large-scale farming system focused on maximizing efficiency and yields through mechanization, synthetic inputs, and monoculture.
Example:
Industrial agriculture often involves vast fields of a single crop, managed with large machinery and chemical applications.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
An ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests through a combination of techniques, minimizing reliance on synthetic pesticides.
Example:
An Integrated Pest Management approach might involve introducing natural predators, using pest-resistant crop varieties, and only applying pesticides as a last resort.
Monoculture
The agricultural practice of growing a single crop species on a large area of land, year after year.
Example:
Planting a vast field of only corn is an example of monoculture, which can make crops more vulnerable to widespread disease outbreaks.
Norman Borlaug
An American agronomist and humanitarian known as the 'Father of the Green Revolution' for his work in developing high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat varieties.
Example:
Norman Borlaug's innovative plant breeding techniques are credited with saving over a billion people from starvation.
Pesticide Use
The application of chemical substances to agricultural crops to control pests like insects, weeds, and fungi, aiming to protect yields.
Example:
Excessive pesticide use can lead to the development of resistant pest populations and harm non-target organisms like pollinators.
Soil Degradation
The decline in soil quality due to human activities, leading to reduced fertility, erosion, and loss of organic matter.
Example:
Intensive tilling practices without proper soil conservation can lead to severe soil degradation, making land less productive over time.
Sustainable Agriculture
Farming practices that aim to produce food in a way that protects the environment, conserves natural resources, and supports rural communities long-term.
Example:
Practices like crop rotation and reduced tillage are key components of sustainable agriculture, promoting soil health and biodiversity.