Soil and Agriculture Answers

Tropical plantations provide a unique source of income for locals in many countries because they produce crops, such as cocoa, rubber and tea, desired around the world that can only be grown in tropical climates. However, the produce of these tropical plantations also tend to be simple raw materials that are merely the first step in a production process that yields more profitable products. While the communities do benefit from the production of the raw materials, there is greater profit in the production of finished goods.

Tropical plantation crops provide local communities with income and jobs when sold as raw products. However, raw crops usually earn less than finished goods because processing, packaging, marketing, and branding add value. When those steps take place elsewhere, much of the additional profit goes to businesses outside the communities that grew the crops.

Pedogenesis, the formation of new soil, is a slow process that can take hundreds or thousands of years to complete. Human agriculture, meanwhile, relies upon using the same parcel of land for agriculture year after year, either for crops or livestock. Therefore it is easier to prevent the degradation of the old soil than it is to go through the process of generating new soil.

Dutch agriculture is characterized by the growth of plants and crops in greenhouses. In greenhouses all aspects of growth can be artificially controlled, including the artificial imposition of climatic conditions and artificial growth patterns (i.e. hydroponics) and even the mechanical automation of farming.

Rice has a submerged growth state while most weeds do not. Therefore, flooding rice fields reduces the growth of these less robust pests without negatively affecting the rice crop. Flooding the fields also deters many kinds of vermin that would otherwise live in the soil and harm the rice plants because they cannot breathe underwater.

Both genetic engineering and selective breeding aim to develop crops with desirable traits, but with selective breeding only traits that are natively found in the genome of the species can be isolated and expressed. With genetic engineering the desired genes can be directly manipulated or inserted into the DNA of the organism, so the potential list of insertions is not limited to those natively found in the organism.

Selective breeding involves choosing plants with desirable traits and breeding them so those traits become more common over generations. Genetic engineering directly changes a plant’s DNA, such as by inserting or altering genes, to produce a desired trait. Selective breeding works through reproduction and existing variation, while genetic engineering makes direct, targeted genetic changes.

Conservation is essential because it prevents soil erosion and degradation and preserves soil fertility, structure, and water-holding ability. Healthy soil supports reliable crop production, while lost or damaged soil can take a very long time to replace. Protecting it helps agriculture remain productive and sustainable for the future.

Rice plants can grow in flooded fields, but many weeds are suppressed when submerged for long periods. Flooded conditions can also make the fields less suitable for some pests. This reduces weed and pest pressure, so farmers may need fewer herbicides and pesticides, although flooding does not eliminate the need for them entirely.

Dutch agriculture uses high-tech greenhouses, sensors, and automated systems to regulate conditions such as temperature, humidity, lighting, water, and nutrients. Some growers also use systems such as hydroponics. By monitoring and adjusting these conditions, farmers can closely control the growing environment and produce crops efficiently throughout the year.