Agriculture notes

1.Introduction to Agriculture

2.Factors Influencing Agriculture 

3.Farm Tools And Equipment 

4.Crop Production I (Land Preparation) 

5.Water Supply, Irrigation And Drainage 

6.Soil Fertility I (Organic Manures) 

7.Livestock Production I (Common Breeds)

8.Agricultural Economics I (Basic Concepts and Farm Records)

Introduction to Agriculture
Definition of Agriculture
 Agriculture is the science and art of cultivation of crops and rearing of livestock.
 As a science, it involves experimentation and application of scientific knowledge in such areas as;
 Soil analysis,Control of pests and diseases,Farm machinery and structures,Crop and livestock breeding.As an art, it     involves the use of learned skills in;Tilling the land,Construction,Measurement,Harvesting of crops,Feeding and Marketing.

Branches of Agriculture
Crop Farming (Arable Farming)
 The practice of growing crops on cultivated land.
It is subdivided into:
 Field crops Cultivation:
 maize, beans, potatoes, coffee, tea, cotton to name but a few.
 Horticulture:
 It involves the growing of perishable crops which have high value.
 It is further subdivided into:
 Floriculture – the growing of flowers.
 Olericulture – the growing of vegetables.
 Pomoculture – the growing of fruits.

Livestock Farming
 This branch deals with the rearing of livestock for various products.
It is further subdivided into:

 Pastoralism: This is the rearing of mammalian livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs and camels.

 Fish Farming (Aquaculture): This is the practice of rearing fish and other aquatic organisms , in ponds.
 Bee Keeping (Apiculture): This involves the rearing of bees in structures known as
beehives.
 Poultry Keeping: This is the keeping of domesticated birds.

Agricultural Economics
 It deals with the allocation of scarce resources (land, labour, capital and management)
for agricultural production.
Agricultural Engineering
 This branch of agriculture deals with the use and maintenance of farm tools, machinery and structures.

Farming Systems
 A farming system is the organization of the various enterprises in a farm.
It is determined by the following factors:
 Resources available (land, labour, capital and management).
 Skills of the farmer.
 Environmental factors such as climate, soil type and topography.
 Government policy.
 Farmer’s choice and preference.
 Enterprise requirement.
 Social-cultural factors.

The following are systems of farming: Extensive System:
 It is a system where a large piece of land with low investment of resources per unit area is carried out.
Advantages
 It is cheap.
 Does not require high level of management.
 Requires less labour.
Disadvantages
 Low profit per unit area.
 Cannot be practiced where land is limited.
 Low output per unit area.
 The land is under-utilized,
Intensive Farming:
 This system utilizes the factors of production to the maximum and involves high level of management.
Advantages
 Maximum utilization of the resources.
 Can be practiced even where land is a limiting factor.
 Results in high yields.
Disadvantages
 Labour intensive.
 High capital investment is required.
 Requires high level of management.
 Can lead to high loses in case of poor management.

Large Scale Farming
 Refers to the farming practice under large areas of land over 20 hectares.
 It is used mainly for commercial purposes.
 The system is highly mechanized.

Advantages
 Results in high yields.
 Due to economics of scale high profit is realized.

Disadvantages
 Lack of diversification may lead to total failure in case of unfavorable conditions.
 High level of management is required.
 Heavy capital investment.
 Requires skilled and qualified manpower.
Small Scale Farming
 Refers to farming carried out on a small area of land less than 5 hectares.
 Family or casual labour can be engaged during the peak periods.
 Most of the Kenyan farmers are small scale due to unavailability of farmland.
Advantages
 Requires low capital investment.
 Possible where land is a limiting factor.
 Does not require high management level unless under intensive system.
Disadvantages
 Uneconomical 10 mechanize due to small size.
 Low production.
 Provides limited employment.
 Labour intensive.
 Difficult to specialize.
Methods of Farming
 A method of farming is an established way of carrying out farming activities.
 The following are the common methods of farming:
Mixed Farming
 It is the practice of growing crops and keeping of livestock on the same land.
 Its common in high potential areas.
Advantages
 Mutual benefit between crops and livestock.
 Crops supply feed for animals while animals supply manure for crops.
 Acts as an insurance against total loss by the farmer.
 The farmer is assured of an income throughout the year.
 There is maximum utilization of the resources.
 Animals can be used in the farm activities particularly draught animals.
 Ensures proper utilization of labour and land throughout the year.
Disadvantages
 High initial capital.
 Lack of specialization.
 Land can be a limiting factor if both enterprises are to be raised.
 Requires high level of management for both enterprises.

Nomadic-Pastoralism
 This is the practice of livestock rearing whereby animals are moved from one place to
another in search of water and pastures.
 It is practiced in the arid and semi-arid areas where in most cases beef animals are
kept.
Nomadic pastoralism is gradually changing to ranching with the introduction of:
 Improved pasture species, improved livestock breeds and supplementary feeding.
 Efficient disease and parasite control measures.
 Improved infra-structure such as roads, water supply, cattle dipping facilities.
 Extension services.

Advantages
 Serves as the backbone of beef industry in Kenya.
 Proper way of utilizing the arid and semi arid areas.
 Source of income to the pastoral communities.
Disadvantages
 It encourages the spread of livestock pests and diseases due to communal watering points, grazing and dipping facilities.
 There is a tendency to increased soil erosion and land degradation.
 Source of conflicts and ethnic tension among the nomadic communities for the
control of good pastures and water.
 Difficult to control breeding and breeding diseases.
 High rate of inbreeding leading to poor quality livestock.
 Low production of milk, meat, hides and skins due to wastage of energy in traveling
from one place to another in search of pastures and water.
 High death rates as a result of walking for long distances.

Shifting Cultivation
 It is a traditional method of cultivating a piece of land until the soil is exhausted and
crop yields decline.
 The land is abandoned and the farmer shifts to a new field as the previous land is left
fallow to regain its fertility.
Advantages
 Land is allowed to rest and regain its fertility.
 No build up of pests and diseases.
 Soil structure is restored.
 The cost of production is low since inorganic fertilizers and pesticides are not used.
 Crop produce are chemical free.
Disadvantages
 Not practical where land is a limiting factor.
 Farm planning and acquisition of credits for land development is ‘not possible.
 It is a cumbersome method due to constant movement.
 Lack of soil conservation measures
 Not possible to grow perennial crops.
 Low output per unit area due to poor farming methods.
 Where fire is used to clear the land organic matter is destroyed.
Organic Farming
 It is a fanning method where crops are grown and livestock reared without the use of agrochemicals.
 It is a method of farming which has been adopted to reduce the long term effect of the agro-chemicals on crops which may eventually end up in man and livestock.
 Agro-chemicals are also expensive thus organic farming reduces the cost of production. Organically produced goods fetch high market prices.
Advantages
 Cheap and cost effective.
 Make use of the locally available materials
 Useful in improving the soil structures.
 No side effects from the crops and livestock products.
 No environmental pollution.

Agro-Forestry
 This is the practice of integrating trees and crops on the same piece of land.
 With land resources becoming more scarce, agroforestry is becoming more important.
Examples of common agroforestry trees and shrubs include:
 Cajanus cajan
 Grevillea robusta
 Sesbania sesban
 Calliandra calothyrsus
 Casuarina equisetifolia
 Leucaena leucocephala
Trees selected for agroforestry should have the following characteristics:
 Able to grow fast.
 Deep roots to minimize competition for nutrients.
 Should be preferably leguminous.
Advantages
Trees reduce soil erosion in a given area.
 Leguminous trees add nitrates into the soil thus improving the soil fertility.
 Some trees can be used as livestock fodder to provide a high level of proteins.
 They are important sources of wood fuel and timber.
 There is maximum utilization of land.
Importance of Agriculture to the Economy of Kenya

 Provides food to the population to meet nutritional requirements and to enable man to engage in other activities of farming.
 Provides employment. This for example can be direct as a labourer in the farm, tea
plucker or indirect for example, working in agricultural based industries.
 Source of raw materials for industries for example cotton lint for textile industry.
 Provides foreign exchange – through exporting agricultural produce.
 Provides market for industrial goods agriculture is a consumer of the finished
goods from agro-based industries.
 Source of income – farmers as well as the government get revenue from the sale of
agricultural produce and tax payment.

Reasons for Maintenance
 To increase durability.
 To increase efficiency.
 Reduce costs of replacement.
 For safety of the user/avoid accidents.
 Avoid damage to the tool.
Methods
 Use tools for the right work.
 Proper handling when using tools or equipment.
 Clean and oil tools after work.
 Keep tools in there right place.
 Replace and repair worn-out parts
 Sharpen cutting or digging edges
 Grease moving parts to reduce friction
 Use safety devices in the workshop to reduce accidents and breakages

Care and Maintenance of Tools and Equipment

Tools Uses
Pipe wrench Holding, tightening and loosing metallic pipes.
Pipe cutter Cutting PVC pipes.
Levelling rod Levelling the floor during construction.
Mason’s trowel Placing mortar between construction stones and bricks.
Wood float Create a level surface on walls and floors.
Mason’s square Ascertain verticalness.
Plumb bob Spreading screed over floors and walls.
Shovel Mixing and scooping concrete or mortar, measuring cement.

Plumbing and Masonry Tools

Soldering gun Melting soldering rods when repairing or fabricating metal
sheets.
Wire brush Brushing rough surfaces.
Divider Marking and laying out.
Centre punch Marking the point of drilling.
Paint brush Applying paint on surfaces.
Sledge hammer Ramming hardware, breaking stones.
Wire strainer Tightening wires during fencing.
Riveting machine Fix rivets when joining pieces of metal.
Claw bar Removing long nails from wood, straining fencing wires and
digging fencing holes.

Spirit level Measuring horizontal or vertical levels.

Tools Uses

Vice and clamps Firmly holding pieces of work together.

Spanner Tightening and loosening nuts and bolts.
Pliers Cutting small wires and thin metal and gripping firmly.
Files Sharpening tools, smoothening or shaping edges of metals, Rasps Smoothening and shaping of wooden structures.
Chisels (wood) Making grooves in wood. Cold chisel Cutting and shaping metal.
Screw drivers Driving screws in or out of wood or metal. Saws
Cross cut saw Cutting across the grain of wood.
Rip saw Cutting along the grain of wood. Hack saw Bow saw Cutting metals.
Tenonlback saw Cutting branches of trees.
Coping saw Cutting Joints on wood and fine sawing. Compass/keyhole saw Cutting curves on thin wood.
Cutting either along or across the grain of wood especially when cutting key holes.
Tin snip Cutting metal sheets.
Braces and bits. Boring holes in wood. ,
Drill and bits Boring holes in metal work and woodwork. = Hammer
Claw hammer Driving in, removing and straightening nails.
Ball pein Driving in nails, rivets and straightening metal. Also used on cold chisel
Mallet Hammering or hitting wood chisel.
Jack plane Fine finishing of wood.
Scrappers/spokeshave Smoothening curved surfaces of wood such as handles of jembes, axes.
Measuring equipment ~ Metre ruler Measuring short length -.
Try square
Measuring length angles and to ascertain squareness. Marking gauge Marking parallel lines to the edge of wood.
Fencing pliers Cutting wires, hammering staples when fencing.

Tools Uses

Workshop Tools and Equipment

Tools Uses
Drenching gun Administering liquid drugs to animals orally.
Bolus gun/dosing gun Administering solid drugs or tablets to animals orally.
Wool Shears Cutting off wool from sheep.
Hypodermic syringe Administering drugs by injection for example in vaccination.
Stirrup (bucket) pump Application of acaricide by hand spraying.
Thermometer Taking body temperatures of farm animals.
Burdizzo Used in bloodless method of castration.
Halter Rope designed to restrain the animal.
Trimming knife Cutting short the overgrown hooves.
Elastrator Stretching rubber ring during castration, dehorning and docking
of lambs.
Iron dehorner Applies heat on the horn bud to prevent growth of horns.
Nose ring Fixed into the nose of a bull to restrain it.
Strip cup Detecting mastitis in milk products.
Trocar and cannula Relieving a bloated animal of gases particularly ruminants.
Hard broom For scrubbing the floor.
Ear notcher Making ear notches in livestock.
Bucket For holding milk during milking.
Milk chum For holding milk after milking.
Milk strainer/sieve Removing foreign particles from milk for example hairs and sediments.
Rope Tying or tethering animals.
Milking stool Used by the milker to sit on while milking.
Weighing balance Weighing milk after milking.
Teeth clipper Removal of canine teeth of piglets soon after birth.
Chaff cutter Cutting fodder into small bits.
Dehorning wire Cutting grown horns.
,

Livestock Production Tools and Equipment

23. Meter ruler Measuring distances.
24. Garden fork Shallow digging.

Tools Uses
Panga Cutting and shallow cultivation, making holes.
Jembe/hand hoe Cultivation, digging, shallow planting holes and trenches.
Fork iembe Cultivation, digging out roots, harvesting of root crops.
Rake Collecting trash, breaking large clods, levelling, removing stones
from a seedbed and spreading organic manure.
Spade Scooping and carrying of soil, sand, concrete mixture and manure.
Spring balance Measuring weight.
Trowel Scooping seedlings during transplanting and .digging planting holes for seedlings.
Pruning hook Bending tall branches when pruning.
Secateur Cutting young stems and pruning branches.
10. Tape measure Measuring distances.
11. Axe Cutting big trees and roots and splitting logs of wood.
12. Soil auger Making holes for fencing posts.
13. mattock Digging hard soils
14. sprinklers Overhead irrigation.
15. Watering can Watering plants in nursery bed.
16. Wheel barrow Transportation of soil, fertilizers, farm produce, tools and equipment.
17. Levelling board For levelling a nursery bed.
18. Pruning saw Cutting old wood stems and pruning big branches.
19. Hose pipe For conveying water from a tap to where it is need.
20. Knap sack sprayer Applying agro-chemical by spraying.
21. Garden shear Trimming hedges.
22. Pruning knife Removal of small shoots.

Garden Tools and Equipment

Introduction
 Farm tools and equipment perform specific jobs in the farm.
 They make work easier and more efficient.
 They can be classified according to their uses as follows:

Influence of Soil pH Crop Growth
 It determines the type of crop to be grown in a particular area.
 Most crops are affected by either very acidic or very basic soil pH.
 Soil pH affects the choice of fertilizers and the availability of nutrients to crops.
 At low pH the concentration of available iron and aluminium in the soil solution may increase to toxic levels, which is harmful to plants.
 Very acidic or low pH inhibit the activity of soil micro-organisms.
Farm Tools and Equipment

Soil pH
 This refers to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil solution/the concentration of hydrogen ions in the soil solution.
 Soil pH is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) or the hydroxyl ions
(OH) in the soil solution.
 A pH of less than 7 means that the soil is acidic.
 A pH of more than 7 means that the soil is alkaline.
 As the hydroxyl ions (OH) in the soil increase the soil becomes more alkaline.

Soil Colour
 This depends on the, mineral composition of the parent rock and the organic matter content.
 Soils containing a lot of iron are brownish, yellowing and reddish in colour.
 Soils with a lot of silica are white.
 Soils with a lot of humus are dark or grey.

Loam Soils
 About equal amounts of sand and clay.
 Moderately good in both moisture and air retention.
 Fertile soils.

Soil Textural Classes
Sandy Soils
 Made up largely of sand particles.
 Have large pore spaces hence poor in water retention.
 Easy to till (light soils).
 Freely draining.
 Low fertility due to leaching of minerals.
 Easily erodible.
Clayey Soils
 Made up largely of clayey particles.
 Have small pore spaces hence good in moisture retention.
 Difficult to till (heavy soils).
 Poorly ‘drained.
 Expand when wet, crack when dry.
 High capillary.
 Rich in plant nutrients.

Soil Texture
 It refers to the relative proportion of the various sizes of the mineral particles of soil.
Importance of Soil Texture on Crop Production;
 Influences soil fertility
 Affects the organic matter content
 Influences the drainage of the soil.
 Influences soil aeration.
 Influences water holding capacity.
 Influences the capillarity or movement of water in the soil.

Farming practices which improve the soil structure are:
 Application of inorganic manure into the soil.
 Tilling the land at the right moisture content.
 Crop rotation.
 Minimum tillage.
 Cover cropping.
 Mulching.

Importance of Soil Structure on Crop Production
Soil Structure Influences
 Soil aeration
 Soil drainage and water holding capacity.
 Plants root penetrability and anchorage.
 Microbial activities in the soil.
 Circulation of gases in the soil.

Soil Structure
 This is the arrangement of soil particles in a soil horizon.
 Types of Soil Structure –
 Single-grained
 Crumby
 Granular
 Prismatic
 Columnar
 Platy
 Blocky

 Capillary Water
 Occupy micro-pores in the soil particles.
 Held by cohesive forces between water molecules.
 Moves through capillary action
 Available to plants for use.

 Hygroscopic Water
 Water found in thin films on the soil particles.
 Held by strong adhesive forces between water and soil particles.
 Does not move and hence not available for plant use.

Water in the soil exists in three forms namely:
 Superfluous/Gravitational Water
 Found in the large spaces (macro-pores) in the soil particles.
 Held by gravitation forces.
 When the pores are saturated, the soil is said to be waterlogged.
 It moves and may cause leaching.

 Water
 Dissolves mineral salts
 Maintain turgidity in plants.
 Used for germination of seeds
 Used by soil organisms.
 Regulate soil temperature
 Dictates the amount of air in the soil.

Soil Constituents
 Organic Matter – Dead and decaying plants and animal remains
 Living Organisms – Soil organisms and plant roots.
 Micro-organisms (bacteria, protozoa and fungi)
 Invertebrates -termites,
 Earthworms and molluscs.
 Higher animals – rodents and others.
 Inorganic or Mineral Matter
 Formed from the parent materials.
 Supply plant nutrients
 Form the skeleton and framework of the soil.
 Air
 Found in the pore spaces of the soil.
 Used for root and organism respiration
 Used for germination of seeds.
 Helps in decomposition of organic matter.
 Regulates soil temperature.
 Regulates the movement of water through capillary action.

Soil Depth
 This is the distance between top soil layer and the bottom soil layer in a profile.
 It dictates root penetration and growth
 Deep soils are more suitable for crop growth since they contain more nutrients.
 Have a larger surface are for root expansion.
 Deep soils facilitate good drainage and aeration.

underlying parent rock.

as that of the underlying parent rock. 6. Differ in chemical composition from the

Soil Formed in Situ Soil Deposited
l.Has the colour of the parent rock 1. Has the characteristics of when: it came from.
2. Shallower 2. Deeper
3. Less rich in plant nutrients 3. Richer in plant nutrients
4. Easily eroded 4. Not easily eroded
5. Less silty 5. More silty
6. Have the same chemical composition

Soils Formed in Situ and Soils Deposited
 Soil formed in the same place and remains there is said to be in situ.
 However, soil can be formed due to deposition of soil particles carried from its
original site of formation to another area which is usually in the lower areas of slopes.
 Such soils are said to have been formed through deposition.

Parent Rock
 It exists as a solid mass which is un-weathered.
 It is the source of the inorganic composition of the soil.
 The water table is on the surface of this rock.

Organic Matter Region
 First layer of the soil found on the surface.
 Made up of leaves and other plant remains at various stages of decomposition.
 Some soil organisms may also be found here.
Top Soil
 Has a dark colour due to the presence of humus.
 Is rich in plant nutrients and well aerated.
 It is a zone of maximum leaching (zone of eluviations)
Sub-Soil
 It is compact and less aerated.
 It is a zone of accumulation of leached material (zone of aluviation) from the top layers.
 Deep rooted crops have their roots growing up to this region.
 Hard pans normally form in this layer
Weathered Rocks
 It is also called substratum.
 Rocks at various stages of disintegration are found in this zone.
 Most of the materials found in this zone originate from the parent rock.

 The layers include: organic matter region, top soil, sub-soil, weathered rocks and parent material.

 It is the vertical arrangement of different layers of soil from the ground surface to the bedrock.
 These layers are also referred to as horizons.
 The layers show differences in their contents and physical properties such as colour, texture and structure.

Factors influencing soil formation
 Climate- (rainfall, temperature and wind)
 Biotic factors – living organisms.
 Parent material- Nature and properties of the original rock from which the soil is
formed.
 Time – length of time during which the soil forming processes have taken place.
 Topography – influences the movement of disintegrated materials.

 Burrowing animals, for example, termites and moles bring soil particles to the surface exposing them to other agents of weathering.
 Big animals like, elephants, buffaloes, camels and cattle exert a lot of pressure on the rocks as they step on them due to their heavy weights causing the rocks to disintegrate.
 Earthworms take part in the decomposition of plant matter with the soil particles.
 Man’s activities like, mining and quarrying expose rocks to the surface during
excavation. These activities breakdown large rocks into smaller rock particles.
 Plant roots force their way through the cracks in the rocks thus widening and splitting them.
 Humic acids formed when plant tissues decompose react with the rocks weakening them further.
 Plant remains-decompose adding humus into the soil.

Agents of Weathering
Physical Agents of Weathering
 Include wind, water, moving ice and temperature.
 Wind – carry materials which hit against each other to break into fragments.
 Water – intensity of rainfall causes breakdown of rock.
 Moving ice – has grinding effects which tear off rock particles.
 Extreme temperature cause rocks to expand and contract suddenly peeling off their
surface.
Chemical Weathering
 Affects the chemical composition and structure of the rock.
 Involves processes such as ;
 Hydrolysis,
 Hydration,
 Carbonation
 Oxidation.
 Hydration;
 The process by which soluble minerals in the rocks absorb water and expand
weakening the rock thus leading to disintegration.
 Hydrolysis;
 The process whereby water dissolves soluble minerals in the rock weakening it.
 Oxidation;
 The reaction of rock minerals with oxygen to form oxides which break easily.
 Carbonation;
 The process whereby carbonic acids formed when rain water dissolves carbon
dioxide,
 It reacts with calcium carbonates in limestone causing it to disintegrate.
Biological Weathering
This involves the action of living organisms, plants and animals on the rocks.

Important aspects of light:
 Light intensity ;
 The strength with which light is harnessed by chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
 Light duration;
 The period during which light is available to plants per day.
 Plant response to light duration is known as photoperiodism.
 Short-day plants – require less than 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
 Long-day plants – require more than 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
 Day-neutral plants require 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
 Light wavelength;
 This is the distance between two – successive crests of a wavelength.
 It dictates the difference between natural and artificial light.
 Chlorophyll absorbs certain wavelengths of light.
Edaphic Factors Influencing Agriculture
 These are soil factors.
 Soil is the natural material that covers the surface of the earth,
 Made of weathered rock particles and decomposed animal and plant tissues, and on which plants grow.
Importance of Soil
 Provides anchorage to the plants by holding their roots firmly.
 Provides plants with mineral salts/ nutrients which are necessary for their growth.
 Provide the plants with water.
 Contains oxygen necessary for respiration of the plants and soil micro-organisms.
Soil Formation:
 Soil is formed through weathering process.
 Weathering is the breakdown and alteration of the parent rock near the surface of the
earth to a stable substance.
 Weathering process is a combination of disintegration (breakdown) and synthesis
(build up) process.
 Weathering process is continuous.
Types of Weathering
 Physical weathering
 Chemical weathering
 Biological weathering

Light
 Provide radiant energy harnessed by green plant for photosynthesis.

 Forms dew which supplies soil with moisture under dry conditions.
 High humidity induce rooting in cuttings.
 Increases disease multiplication and spread.

 Affects the rate of evapo-transpiration.

 The amount of water vapour in the air

Relative humidity

Negative effects of wind:
 Increases the rate of evaporation of water.
 Causes lodging of cereals and distorts perennial crops.
 Increases evapo-transpiration.
 Spreads diseases and pests.
 Destroys farm structures.

Effects of Temperatures on Crop Production: Low temperatures:
 Slow the growth rate of crops due to slowed photosynthesis and respiration.
 High incidences of disease infection.
 Improves quality of crops such as tea and pyrethrum.
High Temperatures
 Increase evaporation rate leading to
 Wilting.
 Hastens the maturity of crops.
 Increase disease and pest infection.
 Improves quality of crops such as pineapples, oranges and pawpaws.
Wind
Wind is moving air.
Good effects of wind include:
 Seed dispersal
 Cooling of land
 Pollination in crops
 Brings rain bearing clouds

Temperature
 This is the degree of hotness or coldness of a place measured in degrees Celsius.
 Cardinal range of temperature is the temperature required by plant to grow and thrive well.
 Optimum range of temperatures – the best temperature for the best performance of
plants.

Important Aspects of Rainfall:
 Rainfall reliability;
 This is the dependency on the timing of the onset of the rains.
 Amount of rainfall;
 Quantity of rain that falls in a given area within a given year.
 Rainfall distribution ;
 The number of wet months in a year.
 Rainfall intensity;
 Amount of rainfall that falls in an area within a period of 1 hour.

Rainfall
Supplies Water:
 Which is necessary for the life process in plants and animals.
 Which makes the plant turgid hence provides support.
 Acts as a solvent for plant nutrients.
 Cools the plant during transpiration.
 Which is used as a raw material in photosynthesis.
When plants lack enough water they respond in different ways as follows:
 By closing the stomata to restrict water loss.
 Hastens maturity.
 Some will roll their leaves.
Other plants have developed permanent adaptation to water stress such as:
 Growing needle like leaves.
 Develop fleshy leaves for water storage.
 Develop long roots.
 Wilting and death in extreme conditions.

Climatic Factors(weather elements).
 Rainfall,
 Temperature,
 Wind,
 Relative humidity
 Light.
Weather – Atmospheric conditions of a place at a given time period.
Climate – weather conditions of a place observed and recorded for a period of 30-40 years.

Human Factors
These are human characteristics which affect the way decisions are made and operations carried out.
 Level of education and technology:
 Skills
 Technological ad van cements .
 Human health/HIV-AIDS:
 These affect the strength, the vigour, vision and the determination
to work.
 HIV/AIDS is the biggest threat to human health today and has long
lasting effects on agriculture, such as;
 Shortage of farm labour.
 Loss of family support.
 Low living standards leading to despondency and hopelessness.
 Increased criminal activities.
 More time spent by the Government and NGO’s in Carring for the sick.
 Economy;
 Stability in the countries’ economy affect agricultural production.
 Government Policy:
 These are governmental laws which have been enacted to protect farmers, land
and livestock.
They include:
 Food policy
 Policies on control of livestock parasites and diseases.
 Policies on marketing of both local and export products and others.
 Transport and communication:
 For agricultural goods to move from the farm to the consumers.
 Cultural practices and religious beliefs:
 These activities hinder important changes in a society that may bring agricultural
development.
 Market forces:
 Demand and supply forces which affect prices of commodities in a free market.
Biotic Factors
These are living organisms which affect agricultural production.
 Pests – Destructive organisms which destroy crops.
 Parasites – These are invertebrates which live in or on other living organisms.
 Decomposers – Organisms which act on plants and animal tissues to form manure.
 Pathogens – Micro-organisms which cause diseases.
 Predators – Animals that kill and feed on other animals.
 Pollinators – They transfer pollen grains from the stamens to the pistil of a flower.
 Nitrogen fixing bacteria -They are micro-organisms which convert atmospheric
nitrogen to nitrates ready for use by the plants.

Agricultural production is influenced by external factors:
 Human factors
 Biotic factors
 Climatic factors
 Edaphic factors.

Introduction

Factors Influencing Agriculture

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The Team at Educator Pages