FARMING SYSTEMS

1
FARMING SYSTEMS

• IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

2
THE TERM

• FARMING SYSTEMS refers to an ordered combination
  of crops grown, livestock produced, husbandry
  methods and cultural practices followed.

3
CLASSIFICATION

• TREE CROPS
• fruit, nuts, beverage crop, rubber,
  pharmaceuticals, oil, lumber, paper, sweeteners,
  ornamentals, fuel, etc.

4
CLASSIFICATION (continued)

• TILLAGE CROPS
• cereal grains, oilseeds, vegetable crops, sugar
  crops, fiber crops, small fruits, coarse grains,
  etc.

5
CLASSIFICATION (continued)

• ALTERNATING TILLAGE CROPS
• hay crops, silage, green chop, fodder, etc.
  (i.e. sorghums, millet, alfalfa, small grains,
  grass, etc.)

6
CLASSIFICATION (continued)

• GRASSLAND/GRAZING LAND
• native range/grass, forbs, sage, shrubs, legumes,
  etc.

7
FARMING SYSTEMS

• The particular Farming System found in a country
  or region is the result of a unique combination
  of factors, many of which are causative or
  associative in nature (i.e. Bananas and Wheat).

8
FACTORS/CONDITIONS

• Influencing/impacting the development of specific
  Farming Systems.
• Climate, Elevation, Soil, Moisture, Soil
  stability, Pests, Technological adaptation
  feasibility, Economic infrastructure and Social
  Infrastructure.

9
FACTORS IMPACTING FARMING SYSTEMS

• Climate - temperature rainfall
• Elevation - temperature
• Soil - fertility, pH organic matter
• Land (physical) - soil type, texture, depth,
  permeability slope.
• Moisture - natural rainfall, irrigation,
  drainage, flood control, etc.

10
FACTORS IMPACTING FARMING SYSTEMS (continued)

• Soil stability - erosion salinity
• Pests - weeds, insects, diseases predators.
• Technological adaptation and feasibility -
  equipment, cultural practices, chemicals, new
  cultivars, etc.

11
FACTORS IMPACTING FARMING SYSTEMS (continued)

• Economic infrastructure - market access,
  government regulations, transportation system
  processing industry.
• Social infrastructure - work ethic, class/caste
  system, land tenure, education, diet, culture
  dissemination of information.

12
MAJOR FACTORS IMPACTING THE CLASSIFICATION OF
FARMING SYSTEMS

• Climate
• Level of Technology
• Infrastructure
• Production Incentives
• Political Constraints
• Human Resources

13
SUB - CLASSIFICATION

• Very Extensive - broad, much variation, inter
  cropping, strip cropping, involving several
  different different crops or livestock species.
• Extensive
• Intensive
• Very Intensive - double cropping, crop rotation,
  crop residue management, erosion control.

14
NATURE EXTENT OF FARMING SYSTEMS

• Subsistence farming - produces only enough food
  and fiber for individual or family needs. 1)
  Involves the gathering/collection of food, fuel
  building materials, 2) Rarely ventures into
  situations involving commercial production, 3)
  Requires little in the way of inputs, market
  access, monetary exchange, etc.

15
SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE (continued)

• Hunter/Gathers
• Nomads/Bedouins
• Slash Burn

16
NATURE EXTENT (continued)

• Commercial Farming Systems - characterized by the
  commercial production of agricultural commodities
  for specific markets and capital intensive.

17
TYPES OF COMMERCIAL FARMING SYSTEMS

• Tropical sub-tropical plantations
• Temperate zone grain production
• Vegetable fruit production
• Livestock production
• Mixed crop livestock production

18
Sustainable Agriculture

• Protects soil fertility
• Optimizes management resources
• Reduces the use of nonrenewable resources
• Promotes opportunities in family farming
• Achieves integration of natural biological cycles
  controls

19
COLLECTIVE FARMING SYSTEMS

• Agricultural operations in nations with centrally
  planned economies.
• Usually operates under a rigid system of
  collective or state farms.