High Technology Farming

Hi all, welcome to the Geography blog if you are a first time visitor. Please follow the sequence of this post for today's lesson. Try to complete your agriculture worksheet page 4 on High Technology Farming by today.


Let's take a look at ...

Agriculture in Singapore
Questions and Answer (page 4):

(a) Where does some of the food found in our local markets TODAY come from?
(b) Why agriculture in Singapore has shown a decline in importance over the years?
(c) What did Singapore do to increase our own food production?

Check out the AVA(Agri Food and Veterinary authority of Singapore) history of farming in Singapore from 1960s to 2000 and beyond to find out more :

http://www.ava.gov.sg/aboutava/history/

Examples of High technology farming

Hydroponics
Read up on the (1) Definition and (2) Advantages : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics

Aeroponics
Read up on (1) Definition and (2) Advantages : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics
Watch the Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6o5LTl6GJw



Inputs of High technology farming

1. High technology tools
- Well this is pretty obvious as stated from the name of this farming. This type of farming uses machines and computers to facilitate the process. There is a constant research and development of new farm tools/technology so as to increase the production.


2. Chemical or organic fertilisers
- High tech farming is the most advanced of all, and it is being practised in urban developed countries like Singapore.

- One of the input in this farming would be the use of Chemical fertilisers, or in some case Organic fertilisers.

- Visit this wiki page to find out more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilisers


3. High yielding variety seeds
- Sounds familiar? I've mentioned this during the lesson on Wet rice cultivation (Commercial).

- The use of HYV seeds are to increase the crop yields = increase output

- The characteristics of HYV are : genetically enhanced seeds, increased growth speed , resistant to disease and it is expensive

- Take a look at this news on High Yielding variety Tomatoes :
http://www.agribusinessweek.com/all-season-tomato-is-money-maker/



4. Use of Greenhouse (a building where plants are grown)
- This is not very important for this topic. Just need you to know what it is because i will be covering more details of a Greenhouse in the topic of Global warming.


- Hence only go to this link if you have time : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse


5. Soiless culture
- The use of styrofoam and nutrient solutions replaces soil that is used in traditional farm methods.

6. Large Capital
- There is large capital investment in high tech farming which allows the purchase of equipements and machines

7. Trained and educated labour
- The labour force required are educated and well trained so that they can operate the machineries. Research and development of new technology also requires educated workers to constantly improve on the farming methods.


Study Tips for Agriculture

1. Essay/Structured questions = Write the number of points according to the number of marks awarded

2. Compare (Similarities) and contrast (Difference) between farm A & B
- Try to write one point per paragraph

eg Shifting agriculture uses burnt vegetation to fertiliser the ground, however Traditional Wet rice agriculture uses animal manure to fertiliser the ground.

3. Explain the farming method of A
- Hence you must know the process and stages of the farm type

4. Give reasons why country X should not rely on farming method A.
*Relate back to geography context / hint geog text page 59

Hope you guys are on task and able to finish this on time. Otherwise can check out the links on your own at home.


Lets think further..
a) What are some of the advantages of each type of farming?

b) Do you think farmers might change their type of farming?

c) What can they do in their farms to improve the outputs?

Questions about farming

Some questions being asked in class this week



1. What is the difference between plough and plow?


-They are the same thing. Just that "plow" is the american way of spelling it, so please write as 'Plough' in your test.
-Note that this is being pronounced as "Plau"

2. What is the name of the tool that the water buffalo drags in wet rice cultivation?

-Well, its called a 'Plough'. Refer to picture.. It helps to loosen the soil.

3. What happens to shifting agriculture farm if they cannot afford fertiliser and pesticides?

- The burnt vegetation results in ashes which helps to fertilize the soil. Shifting farmers will probably have to bear with the pests as they do not have the financial capital to afford pesticides. Note that Shifting cultivation is the most basic and simple of the 4 types of farming. Hence they use simple technology and low capital cost.


I have 3 other questions for you this weekend:

1.Why is repairing of bunds done before rainy season?
2.Why transplanting needs to be done in neat rows?
3.Why must harvesting be done in dry season?

Lets see who can come out with the correct answer on the cbox first...

Wet rice cultivation (traditional and commercial)

1. Transplanting (transferring seedlings from nursery to flooded fields

2. Crops

3. Ploughing (loosen soil) using tractors

4. Ploughing (loosen soil) using water buffaloes

5. Terraces = steps cut into slopes to create flat land. Notice that the soil is muddy? Wet rice cultivation requires clayey soil which is fertile or full of alluvial(minerals)

6. Irrigation (artificial watering) using sprinklers

7. Irrigation using canals, dykes or drains (ususally in drier areas)

8. Bunds to separate and retain water

9. Close up of a bund

Introduction to Agriculture Shifting Cultivation

Here's the intro video to Shifting cultivation

We will be covering 4 types of farming, you MUST know their INPUTS, PROCESSES and OUTPUTS

Shifting cultivation / Slash and burn

Here's some additional information on the INPUTS

Relief - Flat land
Soil - Becomes infertile after a few years
Fertiliser - Burn the vegetation and leave the ashes as fertiliser
Tools - Simple and traditional tools eg Dibble/dribbling stick (Refer to pic above)
Capital - Low or very little
Seeds - Used from previous harvest
Pesticides / Herbicides - None because cannot afford
Labour - Family members (Alot of children)

Some definitions:
-Nomadic life = Moving from place to place to look for food
-Arable farming = Growing crops on fertile soil (suitable land with nutrients)
-Pastoral = Rearing animals

Sneak preview to our lessons for next 2 weeks...

Answers to Settlement pattern worksheet

Hey guys, (specially for 208)

Due to the volleyball match today, which i will missed out another lesson with u, here's the answers to the settlement pattern worksheet:

(a)What is the six-figure grid reference of the church located along the main road in Santoy? (1m)
Ans: 133898

(b)What kind of settlement pattern is found in March Town in grid square 1588? (1m)
Ans: Linear Pattern

(c) Suggest one reason for Logwood town having this kind of settlement pattern (1m)
Ans: The houses are located along the main road since it is the transport link to other settlements or plantations.

(d) What is probably the dominant activity of the settlements in grid square 1489? Give reasons for your answer (3m)
Ans: Growing sugar cane. Settlements are located beside the sugar cane plantation.

And guys, can you ensure that your geog file has the following:

Order of worksheets
1.Settlement class worksheet - the one with 2 tables on first page
2.Settlement worksheet- dominant functions, way of life, amenities (2 pages) - only for 208
3.Crossword puzzle
4.CA 1 test
5.CA 1 answer scheme
6.Agriculture class worksheet - given out today 19th feb.

For both 206 and 208, you will receive a Agriculture worksheet (10 pages) today. Please ensure you complete page 1 by next week and bring it to class.

I guess i dont need to emphasize how important it is to complete this work because it will be an introduction to the new topic. Both classes are way behind the rest of the sec 2 classes as you have missed out the entire week's lesson due to cny n volleyball match.

You might be thinking 'Oh Yes! No geog this week!".. but let me tell u, there will be a makeup lesson to compensate this as we cannot finish teaching Agriculture before the CA which is on week 10. So if you guys do not want to do your homework, or be disruptive during lesson, im sorry but your makeup lesson will be even longer...

So yup, sorry to burst your bubble in this festive period..
Enjoy your weekends, but do ur hw!

Questions from the floor

2 questions that were being asked :


1) Is the way of life different for people living in different settlement patterns?


Miss ST's ans:
Yes .. because...

First, whats the definition of way of life? Its defined as the standard of living and the quality of the lifestyle. Way of life varies in different country, cities, towns, or even the neighbourhood.. So it depends on what scale you are looking at.. In a country with great disparities (differences) eg USA, you will find that the living standards are very different. Agree?


Now lets look at settlement patterns, they form due to different functions (primary activities) eg Residential Vs Industrial Vs Commercial etc... The living standards will differ due to different nature of activities.



Eg compare between a high class residential estate in Newyork *Gossip girl upper east side - Manhatten* and a less developed village in India "Slum dog millionaire"


Function : Residential (Slumdog) vs Residential/Commercial (Gossip girl)


You will realised the big differences in standards of living in terms of housing, transport, food etc...

Get the idea?

And the answer can also be NO... Because...

Lets look like Singapore's settlement pattern.. In Singapore we can find all 3 types of settlement pattern around the island.. But do we have a different way of living by our settlement pattern? Probably not... Our way of living are not as different as we are a small country and the income disparities are not as large.. we do have different income range - high, middle, low.. but majority of Singaporeans are in the middle range...


Hence, if you encounter such a question, look at the context of the settlement pattern first. Determine the function of the place to guess the nature of the area eg Affluent (Rich) or Poor.. Then decide from this what kind of way of life do they lead?

Let me know if you are still unclear..

2) How to improve on geography?

Miss ST's ans: Very good question.. this is what i aspire to help you guys on this entire sem!
Some methods off my head..


1 - Read your text and notes.. duh... Well obviously it has clear explanation, pictures and diagrams for you to understand about the topics.. See why i always nag about not bringing text to class?


2 - Focus on the mindmap/summary maps .. This gives you a clear idea of the whole picture.. you will realise that everything links especially topics and topics.. eg Agriculture and Settlement pattern, Pollution and Global warming... These issues are out there, but as we study on Geography, we categorise these issues as topics to make teaching and understanding easier.. hence try to look at the broad picture


3 - Geography is the study of Earth .. Meaning what mankind has done to earth, or how the interaction with Earth's resources has causes some changes and impacted us back.. So thats why you will always see "Factors affecting ..." , "Causes" , "Consequences" , "Effects/Impacts"...
Note that this is always how questions on geography are based on...


4 - Too much for you? .. Sometimes i also find that there is too much information for you guys to remember .. esp when you are studying like 8 subjects.. Miss ST has bad memory too, so how do i remember what i need to for geog? Well i based it on COMMON SENSE.. when a question is thrown to you , and your head goes empty.. try to recall anything .. yes i mean anything.. that you know about the question...

Then phrase your answer in the most LOGICAL and GEOGRAPHICAL way such that you can be awarded marks.. If nonsense comes to your head that is totally irrelevant, then i rather you not write that.. My dear "Gj", actually wrote "I dunno, ask the government" for the CA question on government policies.... How will the marker judge you after reading this? Even if your next question is well answered, the marker will think twice on whether you are even serious in the test..


5 - Keywords.. cant emphasize more on this... some of you may not be that proficient (good) in your writing skills.. So i look out for keywords highlighted in class... Points will be awarded for this.. so throw it in.. of course must be right keywords to the question! Sometimes in class, i go on and on, and forgot to highlight keywords.. your duty is to remind me, if i've left it out during the lesson?


Whew.. that was long winded.. ok im off to cny visiting.. Have a good holiday kids... Happy new year...

How you can score better in the next test.

Hey guys, know you cant wait to get back your test papers, sorry for the delay but we have to wait for all classes to complete the test. So... the wait is over, i'll be returning next week.. Here's some of my feedback after marking through your test papers

For class 208

1. Define = explain in your own words. The 3 questions on definitions are NOT linked to figure 1! Hence do not use the data from there. I look out for KEYWORDS that were highlighted during the lesson.

2. Calculations = some are very careless in the calculations, in future please bring a calculator. (Remember i said if you see a formula/calculation in the geog text, most likely it is important)




3. The question on 1960s - this has nothing to do with the pyramid diagram. Answer is given in your text (Have you even read through the text?).

Basically, just need you to name the problems that the government has to handle. This means that you have to think from a country perspective, what are the important basic needs that will be affected?



In future, if you see a question like this, and you cannot remember a single thing, just try to answer in a logical common sense way. Recall everything you have learnt/heard about 1960 (Be it from history class, what you see on TV/movies), and then link it back to geography and answer using KEYWORDS.

4. Policies - Answers are all from the text and class notes. If this is a 3 marks question, i expect to see at least 3 different points. If you can, try to elaborate on the points.






For class 206
1. Write in proper sentences - try to inculcate the habit of writing in full sentences, and without grammatical mistakes. Take note of your spelling as well.

2. Point by point - Sometimes when you see a question, you can think of alot of answers and have the tendency to write everything down. Jot all the keywords down first, then slowly arrange it accordingly. Many of you write 2 or 3 points in the same sentence, giving keywords, but without explanation.

I need you to ELABORATE on the points to reflect your understanding. Limit yourself to ONE POINT per SENTENCE. If you are the kind that writes very long and lengthy explanation, then split your answers into PARAGRAPHS. Otherwise, markers might overlook a point, and you fail to get your deserving marks.

3. How many points should you write? To answer this, simply look at the marks awarded to the question. If it is a 3 marks question, i expect you to write at least 3 points , or more if you can think of (just in case one of your points are invalid).

4. Supporting your answer - For questions that you need to choose a choice eg Agree/Disagree, True/False, (Choose A,B,C,D or E)- It is best to write the reasons of WHY YOU AGREE instead of writing WHY YOU DONT DISAGREE.. confusing? Let me explain using the test question.

- If your choice of the favorable settlement is A, then you will write why you think A is the best. Support your answer with all the favourable conditions you can think of.

- If you write about why B,C,D or E is not so favourable, your points appears weaker and not substantial.

Get it? If not come to me separately and i'll explain in person.

Have you got some humour?

As requested, here's the answers to the funny jokes about geography... (or at least i think its funny)

1. What do Robin Hood and a map key have in common?

Ans : They are both legends!

2. Why was the longtitude boiling mad?

Ans: Because it was 360 degrees!

3. Why are maps like fish?

Ans: They both have scales!

One more day to the weekends!

Mindmap - Land

Hey 206, ive looked though your mindmaps and this 2 are the best of the lot!

How to read map scales

During the last settlement lesson, there is a section of your worksheet exercise that you are supposed to be reading the map given. I think the explanation in class wasnt clear enough, so here goes:

1. If question asks for 8 figure grid reference, it implies that the answer is eight digits : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

2. Read the horizontal scale, followed by vertical scale (Hint: Remember that you have to walk on the 'ground' first, then you 'climb up')

3. At the point X, draw 2 dotted lines towards the horizontal and vertical scale.

4. Read the horizontal scale, in this case it will be 7853.

5. Read the vertical scale, in this case it will be 0032.

6. Henceforth, the answer would be 78530032.

Any questions pertaining to this can come to me after lessons.

Cheerz

Questions about Population

Here's some questions you guys have raised regarding population

1. What do other countries with ageing population do to solve their problems? Do they do the same as Singapore?

ST's answer: The solutions by the different countries revolves around the similar ideas of : Having more babies, postponing retirement age, increasing number of foreign workers. However in some countries, there are instances whereby they reduce the pensions of the elderly to reduce the drain of resources (pensions : an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment - from wiki). Note that Singapore do not have pension schemes. Hence majority of the ageing policies are similar, but there are still some slightly different ones. If you are really keen on this topic, how about researching on ageing countries such as Japan and parts of Europe (UK, France, Italy etc)


2. Does countries like Canada have low birth rate? Why?

ST's answer: Yes. Similar reasons to Singapore and other ageing countries
1. Increasing women working before starting a family
2. Preferencce for 1 child : Hard to juggle between work and family
3. Prefer not to have children : Lost of freedom, do not need children to take care of them when old

Check this out :http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/040419/dq040419b-eng.htm














3. How come LDCs have HIGH BR and DR? Why isnt it HIGH BR and LOW DR?

ST's answer: Less developed countries are economically less developed, hence medical care and services are more backward. Problems such as lack of medical aid, malnutrition, overcrowding etc will lead to high BR and high DR. Death Rate remains HIGH because these medical and food issues affects them as well. Low DR = Improved healthcare and longer life expectancy, hence numbers of people dying would be lesser. (If this confuse you, can u check with me in class, and i'll explain again)


4. Ageing population is a problem but wont the population with lotsa kids have problems too? What if the working people have not enough to work for them? Who to teach them?

ST's answer: Basically there are problems in both the LDC and DC. In LDC, the problems of high birth rate strains the countries resources on the basic necessities eg food/shelter(refer to notes). However in a DC, ageing population will of course has its issues such as lack of workers for jobs, manpower shortage, straining resources on elderly health care etc( refer to notes).

So basically what we are studying is how the different countries have the different issues, and the solutions to it. There is no perfect scenario as the government will always be making changes according to the problems they have. Try not to confuse yourself and stray to think that there should only be 1 'best' population type.


5. Which country has the lowest population and what is the country?

Vatican City (Italy)
Population size - 920
Size: 1 sq km,
Population density - 920 sq km
Land area - 0.44 sq miles

Can anyone find any other smaller population that this??