Agriculture is simply the science and art of cultivating plants and livestocks. It is focused on production of food for human consumption, conserving the natural resources and also act as a source of revenue for farmers. Agriculture can be divided into two(2) groups which include:-
Subsistence farming:- Subsistence farming simply refers to the process where farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families while the remaining produce if any could be exchanged for goods or money. In subsistence agriculture, farm is cultivated to target survival. Subsistence farming is divided into three(3) parts which include
i. Farming(what I'm practising)
ii. Livestock and grain
iii.PastoralCommercial Farming:- this is done on a large scale. It involves the act of producing crops or livestock for sale on a widespread distribution either wholesale or retailing. Commercial farming is divided into four (3) which include:-
i. Commercial grain farming:- the farming practiced in temperate grasslands where area is spread over large land. For example, wheat and maize, rice.
ii. Mixed farming: the land which is used for both growing crops and for rearing livestock.
iii. Plantation agriculture: planting of single crop which grows on large areas of land like palm kernel, coffee, rubber.
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE PLANTING OF CROPS
Before crops are planted so many factors has to be considered to ensure maximum yield of crops which include:-
- Prevailing farm conditions: Before tilling or even considering planting one has to check the condition of the piece of land to be used in planting such as the topography, how fertilize it is.
- Resistance to pest and diseases.
- Farming system: crop selection is affected by the system of farming employed which could be be either mono-cropping( planting if a single crop on a piece if land), mixed cropping (planting of more than on crop on a piece of land) e.t.c.
- Availability of planting materials which include the crop to be planted, equipments to be use.
- Soil type
- Closeness to water source
EQUIPMENTS/MATERIALS NEEDED FOR SUBSISTENCE FARMING
The following equipments are needed for farming, they include:
Hoe:- This can be used for weeding, making heaps and drainage or irritation path.
Cutlass: used for removing weeds, cutting trees and its also used during planting especially planting of maize.
Rake:- this is used to pack all the dirts/weeds off the farm land after weeding.
Handsprayer:- this is used to either wet the crop or used when removing insects
Fertilizer:- this is used to fasten the growth of crops.
Seeds:- this are the crops to be planted e.g maize, melon, vegetable, okro, pumpkin e.t.c
pesticides: this are chemicals used in chasing off rodents from the farm land
Herbicides:- chemicals used in removing weeds. This can be used instead of using manual weeding to reduce stress e.g weed crusher, clear weed e.t.c
Insecticide:- this is used to remove insects like caterpillars, worms, spider e.t.c that could cause damage/inhibit the growth if crops e.g D D Force, D Force, Cypermethrin.
Well this is all for today, catch you guys some other time where I will be sharing more tips to starting up your personal own farm.