Back to: Social Studies Primary 4
Agricultural technology
This is the application of modern techniques to control the growth and harvesting of animal and food products. It is the different ways and methods which people use for crop production, poultry, fishing, and animal rearing.
Traditional agriculture
Man always have agriculture by farming and breeding animals, livestock, and fish.
- Traditional land cultivation: Every aspect of farming is done by hand and the use of simple implements which are hoes and cutlasses. The land is cleared for planting either by burning the bush or by using hoes and cutlasses. This is followed by planting of seeds like maize, millets, etc. The farm is made clean by clearing the unwanted plants from time to time, which is also done with the use of hoes and cutlasses or pulling out by hand. Finally, the crops are harvested with the use of the same implements or simply by hand.
- Traditional livestock farming: Here, animals are reared in the open. They eat natural or organic food and run around without being locked in pens or coops all day. For instance, many people raise poultry and goats which are free to graze all day and at night sleep outside or in a shed.
- Traditional fish farming: Fishing is carried out in places where there are rivers or ponds containing fish. Fishermen traditionally do not raise fishes on farm. Instead they go fishing using nets and fishing rods.
Modern ways of farming
- Land Cultivation: Crop production in modern times is done with the use of modern agricultural implements. These implements include tractors, soil tillers, harvesters, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. Technology is so advanced that we have different machines for different agricultural activities.
- Modern Livestock Farming: Traditional livestock Farming: Here, animals are reared in the open. They eat natural or organic food and run around without being locked in pens or coops all day. For instance, many people raise poultry and goats which are free to graze all day and at night sleep outside or in a shed.
- Poultry and other livestock such as cows, sheep and pigs are raised indoors and hardly ever go out. The livestock are separated into different categories depending on what they are for. Here, livestock do not depend on organic food since they are fed usually with chemicals to make them grow large and keep them from becoming sick.
- Modern fish farming
- Traditional fish farming: Fishing is carried out in places where there are rivers or ponds containing fish. Fishermen traditionally do not raise fishes on farm. Instead they go fishing using nets and fishing rods. Fishing has advanced with the use of trawlers (a type of fish boat) with trawl nets, which are really large and strong enough to hold large water animals. There are fishing businesses which use large boats to catch seafood and machines to clean and package them for sale. Modern farmers also practice fish farming in which they raise certain types of fish in large tanks or fishponds, feed them, give them drugs, to keep them well and sell them fresh.
School Owner? Looking for ready-made content and tools to save time and grow easily? Book a free demo session now
Get more class notes, videos, homework help, exam practice on Android [DOWNLOAD]
Get more class notes, videos, homework help, exam practice on iPhone [DOWNLOAD]