Unit 2 American Agriculture.pptVIP

Unit 5 American Economy V. Agriculture Importance Sustenance that meets people’s most basic needs Foundation A bond of continuity 2. Successes A richness and great Variety 2. Successes Cultivated land: 21% Farming population: 2.7% Productivity: Soybeans and corn: 50% world’s output Cotton, wheat, tobacco, vegetable oils: 10-25% US long grain rice Lemont was the first high-yielding semidwarf rice variety that matured early and had high milling yields. Soybeans ready for harvest Wheat harvest on the Palouse. Ginned cotton (right) for conversion into yarn Cranberry（酸果蔓） harvest in New Jersey. Scientists at the ARS/University of California Plant Gene Expression Center are the first in the world to report success in genetically engineering barley. Some of the bioengineered barley carries a gene that may help the plants resist attack by barley yellow dwarf virus. Tasseled sugarcane Seedless grapevines Why is it so successful? Vastness and generosity of nature Readiness to adopt new technology Mechanization Scientific farming Mechanization Over 100 center-pivot sprinklers controlled by a central computer irrigate wheat, alfalfa, potatoes, and melons along the Columbia River near Hermiston, Oregon. Mechanization A ride-on water reel cranberry harvester Mechanization A cotton harvester Planting foxtail millet Mechanization A combine grain harvester Spread a cotton field with vegetable oil and dishwashing detergent Biologically based methods for weed and disease control Scientific farming: Planting foxtail millet, a summer annual forage with low water needs, helps conserve water for subsequent crops. Benefits: Low-cost output High living standard 3. Regional distribution the plains states for wheat; the Midwest for corn and soybeans; the southern states for cotton, tobacco, and rice; the area of the pacific coast for fruits, vegetables and wheat. The leading sources of livestock and other products are the Midwest, Oklahoma, and Texas for cattle;