Questions tagged [agriculture]
The cultivation of food and materials, specifically from or derived from plants and animals using traditional or modern industrial practices.
49
questions
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1answer
53 views
Can small-scale backyard gardening produce more food per acre than broadscale [grain] farming?
Mark Shepard in his book "Restoration Agriculture" proclaims
[...] small-scale backyard gardening which has shown in study after study to produce more food per acre than broadscale grain ...
2
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0answers
15 views
How to efficiently estimate merchentable volume for timber inventory using species, DBH, and merchentable heights?
I am trying to estimate wood volume for forest stands I have field-inventoried using a variable plot sample method, measuring species, DBH, and height of each tree counted 'in' using a BAF-10 prism. ...
1
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1answer
55 views
Can we store maize along with husk and kernal? [closed]
I'm a maize farmer and I'm almost ready for harvest.
I'm planning to store my harvest for some time.
Below are my questions:
How long can I store my harvest?
Can I sun dry my harvest with husk and ...
0
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0answers
21 views
Where can I find canopy reflectance data for crops (soybean in particular) for different dates across the growing season
I have been trying to find literature values for reflectance of soybean for different dates along the growing season (I am specifically interested in 30, 60 and ~120 days after planting - so the V3/V4 ...
0
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1answer
29 views
Fix pH Value ongoing with right plant
I am a very beginning in planting three.
I sent a ground sample for analysis and one of the results is the pH value of
pH 6.2 in water solution and
pH 4.75 in ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
How does the act of producing animal feed from the leftovers of a process result in a negative carbon footprint? [closed]
According to this source, it is claimed that (emphasis is mine)
At Arbikie Distillery in Angus, scientists claim to have developed the world's first "climate positive" gin. By using garden ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
What is real impact of Precision Agriculture? [closed]
I am just wondering what is the real impact of Precision agriculture. I came across Airbus Intelligence and their Earth Observation services (Agriculture, forestry, environment) - It seems nice and ...
1
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0answers
41 views
Are laying hens used as multiplication units? [closed]
In Diagram 1 of the following "https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/5235024/The-life-of-laying-hens.pdf", it explains how laying hens are produced. Realistically I imagine it's more complex than this simple ...
0
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1answer
46 views
In the USA, are pesticides regulated differently for animal vs human consumption? [closed]
I'm looking into growing edible oyster mushrooms. I'm considering using whole-oat horse feed in the growing process. I realize that additional steps are taken to ensure food is fit for human ...
1
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1answer
135 views
Does a greenhouse need to be built on agricultural land? [closed]
Is it possible to build a climate-controlled greenhouse just about anywhere assuming that it contains soil-beds, a light-controlled , temperature-controlled and moisture-controlled environment and ...
1
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0answers
25 views
Why do wettable sulphur manufacturers say never to use it within 30 days of an oil-based spray? [closed]
And further:
1) what qualifies as an "oil-based spray" and at what amount?
2) does this warning still apply during the rainy season-- when the need for quick cycles of medicines is necessary?
(and ...
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2answers
61 views
What data of agricultural yield to use for India?
I am trying to understand the role of various meteorological factors on agricultural yield over India. Is there a dataset available directly or an indirect proxy of agricultural data, maybe satellite, ...
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6answers
6k views
How are hillsides farmed?
I would assume hilly land is more labor-intensive to farm than flat land, and more exhausting to humans and animals if traditional farming techniques are used.
How do farmers plant and plow on ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
How to keep sheep from eating cows grain? [closed]
I have 2 cows that go up to a shed and eat grain that I put out every morning, and I also have 5 sheep in the same pasture, that want to eat the grain, so they usually push the cows out of the way, ...
4
votes
2answers
52 views
Effect of organic matter on salinity
Organic manure is used in agriculture around the globe.
I am interested in how does organic matter affect the salinity of soil? Does it increases, increases or remains unaffected? and is there a study ...
5
votes
2answers
157 views
How does agriculture release so much greenhouse gas?
I recently came over some numbers of GHGs released per energy in food produced, and the result is pretty flooring. I can see how animal-based food production is quite inefficient so let's ignore that ...
0
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0answers
31 views
What's a Good Soil Quality Index for Plowed Farm Lands?
I'm currently conducting research using Satellite/Weather/Soil (Mostly Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery) Data to Model Smallholder Farms and their dynamics before Planting.
Key to my progress is to find ...
4
votes
1answer
86 views
Is there major potential for vertical farming?
You can take up way less square footage for the same amount of production
You can eliminate the need for pesticides
You can power the farms from renewable energy
You can significantly increase growing ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
How strong wind is needed for crop lodging?
I'm making a science project to protect the crops from wind lodging by placing some shields beside the field only when needed (wind have beneficial effects on crops). I want to use some sensors like ...
4
votes
1answer
221 views
How can agricultural ammonia lead to PM2.5 production in the atmosphere?
The NPR News article Growing Corn Is A Major Contributor To Air Pollution, Study Finds talks about all sources of pollution associated with growing corn, and it singles out the application of ammonia ...
2
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0answers
49 views
Any appreciable differences in microclimate on the shores of small mountain streams?
I have land in India (the tropics), in the hills, on a slope from 6800 feet - 5200 ft altitude (roughly). At that lowest point there's a stream of about 10-15m across. On one side is our land, on the ...
3
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0answers
51 views
What are the main obstacles facing large-scale underwater farming? [closed]
Recently I read about OceanReef's Nemo's garden, which is growing terrestrial plants underwater inside a dome on the seefloor. I did not found any other company doing it.
If it is that good as it is ...
2
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1answer
92 views
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0answers
29 views
Agricultural self sufficiency after yellowstone eruption?
Given a 440 acre farm running roughly 200 acres of Crops and 40-50 head of cattle,in the secondary ash zone within the lake of the ozarks reigon of Missouri, how viable would survival be relying on ...
3
votes
2answers
186 views
What kind of climate could you expect in a mountainous area in a subtropical region?
More specifically, I'm trying to work out climate analogues for my farm. It's at 5200-6200ft in South India. My area is a bit too small for the Köppen Map to correctly reveal patterns.
I'll be ...
0
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1answer
76 views
How much excess water prevents planting of a crop
It's a generic question but was wondering if there is a threshold level of soil water beyond which planting a crop (for e.g. soybean) can be hindered because the soil is too wet or flooded.
As a ...
1
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1answer
407 views
Agricultural non point source of pollution (AGNPS) model input data
How to input climate data for AGNPS model? AGNPS model is developed USDA https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/null/?cid=stelprdb1042468
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2answers
53 views
Is it possible to set up a farm starting with processed foods? [closed]
Given a bare but not sterile environment and the sorts of supplies one would have access to in a well-stocked cafeteria or a bad grocery store, is it possible to start growing food? Assume frozen, ...
2
votes
1answer
225 views
How much does the productivity of modern agriculture depend on Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the most important herbicide in agriculture by quantity. A committee of the European Union just recently voted against a ban of the substance, after much debate around possible negative ...
1
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0answers
30 views
Books about industrial medical and culinary herb growing [closed]
I planning to start my own medical/culinary growing farm somewhere in the not too far future. I'm on a training at the moment on this subject (I'll get a mid-level exam paper about it that I can use ...
0
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1answer
34 views
Is there an Existing Model of Computing Rice Sufficiency?
I've been researching agricultural systems out of my curiosity.
And so I've been thinking how do the Officials know that the Rice Produce or YIELD, will be satisfiable to a certain country, or small ...
9
votes
2answers
928 views
Will global warming lead to agriculture in the Arctic?
From what I understand, global warming will make growing food a lot harder in areas like the American Midwest because temperatures will become too high for most crops. At the same time, Arctic (and ...
6
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2answers
762 views
Did the Haber-Bosch process enable the population explosion?
Im a bit confused on how crucial Nitrogen fixation with the Haber-Bosch process really was. On the Wikipedia page of the Haber-Bosch process it says:
In combination with pesticides, these fertilizers ...
3
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0answers
34 views
Winter Wheat & Wildfires
TL;DR: How susceptible is winter wheat to wildfire, in the environment that winter wheat is used?
The scenario:
Shallow water table, a steppe environment, deep-root winter wheat and a HIGH ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Does the diameter of the earth decrease because of soil subsiding due to irrigation and rainfall over the years?
I am taking a course on coursera where the instructor talks of a soil subsidence concrete post that was put there in Everglades southern Florida in 1920s. He goes on to describe the level of earth ...
3
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2answers
269 views
Is it true that aquaponics yield crops with a lower nutritional value than soil-agriculture?
I read this article, in which a person claims that Aquaponics bring crop quality down by having more water than actual nutritional value.
I have read many other sources that say the opposite. Can ...
3
votes
3answers
644 views
Lack of annual slash-and-burn in North America?
In many areas of South America, Africa, India and Southeast Asia, "slash-and-burn" agriculture is employed whereby every year the stubble from the previous year is burned along with other live ...
2
votes
4answers
180 views
Which greenhouse gas does the most damage to crops?
While there have been lots of studies looking at the effect of greenhouse gasses on increasing temperatures around the planet, my question is what are the effects of emissions on food production.
2
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0answers
34 views
Is there a way to calculate difference initial water content, from curve number method?
I want to calculate difference between initial water content of a soil given that its saturation water content can be found from its type. Is there a way to find initial water content of that soil ...
1
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0answers
43 views
What field data do I need for the Green-Ampt infiltration Model?
I want to estimate infiltration in a soil. What kind of parameters should I be measuring in the field?
2
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2answers
423 views
How to find molarity of a fertilizer?
I want to add nitrogen to my soil samples in a lab as fertilizer (ammonium nitrate). I need to add it equivalent of 50 kgN/ha. I have a clump of soil, that weighs 20g. What is the best way to convert ...
5
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2answers
197 views
Which crops are especially sensitive to atmospheric ozone?
In this National Park Service article, the effects of ozone on trees is discussed:
Ozone enters plants through leaf openings called stomata and oxidizes plant tissue, causing changes in biochemical ...
7
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3answers
5k views
The Dust Bowl: how's the recovery of all that topsoil going?
I must admit this is very confusing: one gets different types of information from different sources that often contradict one another.
It is said that the main event occurred due to some misguided ...
2
votes
1answer
845 views
How does soil fertility differ between Scandinavia and Russia
How is climate and soil fertility different in Scandinavia comparing to Russian territory of 1500s? Did Scandinavia have more favorable climate and more of arable and higher yielding soil than Russia ...
9
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1answer
270 views
Was Russia's original territory unfavorable for agriculture?
How favourable were the soil and climate in Russia's landmass of the 1500s for growing crops in comparison with Northern European countries?
8
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3answers
609 views
Seeking details for the “historical rate” of arable land loss
In doing research on the issue of desertification (aka land degradation) I keep running across the same basic sentence but no source or detail to support or clarify it:
"Arable land loss is ...
6
votes
1answer
587 views
Removing agricultural plastic film waste after 10+ years degradation [closed]
I am at a farm where previous tenants left a non-biodegradable plastic film roughly 10-15 years ago. It is inconsistently spread over a few acres and was not discovered until we attempted plowing the ...
11
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1answer
1k views
Did the Neolithic Revolution have an effect on the earth's climate?
I imagine that human agriculture had a major effect on the composition of flora across the planet's surface.
Did the transition from gathering to growing have a measurable effect on climate? If so, ...
3
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1answer
154 views
How significant is organic cotton agriculture to the USA's total global ecological footprint?
The ecological footprint of a human activity can be measured in global hectares (gha). Cotton's ecological footprint to produce one ton of product ranges from 2.17 gha for organic cotton to 3.57 gha ...
