English For Agriculture Students
English For Agriculture Students
English For Agriculture Students
Agricultural ecosystems affect the environment more than hunting and gathering societies, but not as
much as urban societies.
Agro-ecosystems can be complex, with hundreds of crops and animals, or they can havejust one type
of plant and animal.
Two of the most important agro-ecosystems in Asia are slash-and-burn cultivation (also called
‘swidden’ or ‘upland agriculture’) and lowland rice cultivation.
They flood the fields with water and plow to get rid of weeds and to puddle the soil to prevent the
water from seeping away.
They transplant rice seedlings, weed the fields and finally, harvest the grain.
Most rice is grown in the lowlands because there is enough water, fertile soil and level land.
Soil fertility varies from place to place, but lowland soils tend to be more fertile than in the uplands.
Farmers also grow crops on the bunds and keep fish in the paddies.
They collect frogs, shellfish and snails that grow naturally in the rice fields.
Over the centuries, farmers have selected and planted rice seeds that yield well, resist pests and
diseases, and taste good.
Tense Form
Present is (singular) / are (plural)
Future Simple will be
Future with 'going to' is going to be / are going to be
Past Simple was / were
Present Perfect has been / have been
Auxilliary Constructions can be / may be /should be / etc.
Note:
Usually, there is only one present tense used for the verb 'to be'.
Present continuous tense is not used in these types of construction.
Tense When?
Lowland rice is the most important crop
Present
now.
Lowland rice will be the most important
Future Simple
crop in the future.
Future with 'going Lowland rice is going to be the most
to' important crop in the future.
Lowland rice was the most important
Past Simple
crop in the past.
Lowland rice has been the most
Present Perfect
important crop for a long time.
Auxilliary Lowland rice must be the most imortant
Constructions crop now.
Note that the sentences used the singular form of the verb 'to be'. The following set of
sentences show how plural nouns use a different form of 'to be':
Tense When?
In Europe, potatoes are one of the most
Present
important crops now.
In Europe, potatoes will be one of the
Future Simple
most important crops in the future.
Future with 'going In Europe, potatoes are going to be one
to' of the most important crops in the future.
In Europe, potatoes were one of the most
Past Simple
important crops in the past.
In Europe, potatoes have been one of the
Present Perfect
most important crops for many years
Auxilliary In Europe, potatoes must be one of the
Constructions most important crops at the moment.
1. If your children do not learn English while they are young, they will be at a disadvantage in later life.
2. This technique has both advantages and disadvantages.
frogs (n) - type of animal that lives in water and on land, has very long legs for jumping and no
tail
get rid of (v) - take out, remove something we don't want
Examples:
1. There are too many papers here. Can you get rid of some of them?
2. I have had this cold for weeks. I just can't seem to get rid of it.
1. The rooms are relatively large.( same as The rooms are quite large.)
2. This is relatively easy. (same as This is not too difficult.)
1. If bunds are not built carefully, water may seep out of the rice field.
2. Our roof was damaged last year. Now when it rains, some water seeps through.
traditional (adj.)
tradition (n) - beliefs or systems passed from parents to children
traditionally (adv.)
Examples:
1. It is vital that you understand this! (same as It is very important that you understand this.)
2. This is vitally important! (same as This is very, very important.)
weed (n) - plant which we do not want
weed (v) - to take out weeds
Examples:
1. These fields need to be weeded at least two times during the growing season.
2. Some farmers do not believe that weeds are a problem.
bunds (n) - embankments between fields, also called levees and dikes
puddle (v) - to make wet soil very soft before planting crops
transplant (v) - to take plant from onelocation and put it in soil somewhere else
transplanted (adj)
transplantation (n)
Example:
seedlings (n) - a young plant grown from seed as distinct from one grown by other methods
varieties (n) - groups of animals or plants within a species or sub-species. Sometimes also
called breed, race or strain.
varietal (adj)
Examples:
1. Scientists are always working to develop new varieties of plants and animals.
2. Varietal improvement is an important area of crop research.
Structure
Active Voice subject + verb + object
example: Farmers grow rice
object
Passive Voice changes to + verb + 3rd
subject 'to be' verb
example: Rice is grown (by farmers)
Using the above illustration, please note that:
Examples:
The 3rd verb (past participle) is often different to the 2nd verb (past tense).
English for Agriculture unit 3 UPLAND
FARMING vocabulary
KEY VOCABULARY
1. Please clear the table. (same as Please take everything off the table.)
2. After they burned the trees, the land was completely cleared.
emphasis (n) - the important part, the part made to stand out
emphasize (v) - to make something look important, to make one part stand out
Examples:
1. The local people are very friendly. (i.e. the people from that area).
2. Most farmers in the north use local varieties. (i.e. varieties from the north).
1. In most countries, the majority of people can read and write (i.e. most people).
2. We have completed the majority of the work. (i.e. most of the work).
recover (v) - to improve after some problem, e.g. disease, accidents, etc.
recovery (n)
Examples:
1. You can store your things in the small room next to the bedroom.
2. Our rice store can hold 400 sacks of rice.
1. The bridge fell down because the structure was not strong enough.
2. Scientists study the structure of plants.
TECHNICAL VOCABULARY
fallow (adj.) - land which is not used, usually for a season, during which it is often plowed to kill
weeds.
Example:
1. We will not use that land next season. We will leave it fallow.
upland farming (n) - farming in high areas. In rice cultivation, often used to mean slash-and-
burn cultivation, or growing rice in fields with no bunds.
nutrient (n) - substance providing nourishment, especially for plants or animals
Example:
Of more than 50,000 edible plant species in the world, only a few contribute significantly to food supplies.
Just 15 crop plants provide 90 percent of the world’s food energy intake. Of these, just three - rice, wheat and
maize, provide 60 percent of the world’s food energy intake.
Although there are over 10,000 species in the Granineae (cereal) family, few have been widely introduced into
cultivation over the past 2,000 years.
Per capita rice consumption has generally remained stable or risen slightly since the 1960s.
It has declined in recent years in many of the wealthier, rice-consuming countries such as Japan, the Republic
of Korea and Thailand, because increased incomes have enabled people to eat a more varied diet.
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly, constitutes a major part of the diet and supplies a major portion of
energy and nutrient needs.
A staple food does not meet a population’s total nutritional needs: a variety of foods is required.
Typically, staple crops are well adapted to the conditions in their source areas. For example, they may be
tolerant of drought, pests or soils low in nutrients.
Examples:
1. There are thousands of cereal types, but only a few are cultivated.
2. There are thousands of cereal types, although only a few are cultivated.
3. Although there are thousands of cereal types, only a few are cultivated.
Please note:
1. Many people eat animal products such as meat, milk, eggs and fish.
2. Rice consumption has declined in wealthier countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and
Thailand.
such as has the same meaning as for example, including and like.
such as and including have the same usage
like is more common in spoken English
for example is usually placed between a comma and a colon (:) .
To illustrate,
Many people eat animal, for example: meat, milk, eggs and fish.
Rice comsumption has declined in wealthier countries, for example: Japan, the Republic of Korea and
Thailand.
such as and for example introduce a partial account - not a complete one. In the above examples, there
are more animal products than the 4 mentioned, and there are more wealthier rice-consuming
countries than the 3 mentioned.
To illustrate,
ASEAN is comprised of many countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. (partial account)
ASEAN is comprised of 10 countries. These are Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. (complete list)
we cannot use such as, including or for example when we provide the complete list.
regularly (adv.) - happening at times which are the same distance apart
regular (adj.) - always the same
slightly (adv.)
slight (adj.) - a little
Examples:
1. Incomes have not increased or decreased this year – they have remained stable.
2. The doctors said his condition has now stabilized.
1. When he was young, he was very poor, but he became wealthy in later life.
2. The wealth of many poor countries is in their natural resources.
TECHNICAL VOCABULARY
1. These plants are tolerant of cold weather. (same asThese plants are not damaged by cold
weather.)
yam (Dioscorea alata) - often referred to as 'sweet potato'. Grows in tropical climates and is a
valuable food source.
Monoculture
Monoculture is a cropping system in which fields of single crops are cultivated.
It is the predominant agricultural system in the temperate zone and is also practiced in large areas of the
tropics.
In general, it is easier to mechanize planting, pest management and harvesting by planting one crop at a
time.
The wheat belt of North America and the irrigated ricelands of Southeast Asia are good examples of
monoculture.
In monocultural farming systems, one or more crops per year may be grown.
In North America, there is only one annual maize crop, while in the Philippines, there are often two rice
crops.
Monoculture is a suitable system for mechanization since only one plant type is used.
Mechanization requires uniformity: the farmer with a hoe does not require straight and uniform rows, but
the farmer using a tractor needs an unobstructed field with uniform soil condition.
In monocultural systems, it is important for soil tilth that crops be rotated.
Rotation is the practice of not growing the same crop in the same field every year.
With the exception of wetland rice,rotation should be used whenever possible.
Soil is a complex mixture of clay,silt, sand, and organic matter in various stages of decomposition.
By rotating crops, the farmer is able to improve soil structure, break insect and disease cycles, and improve
fertility.
Sentences must start with a modifier (usually a time phrase or a place phrase) or a noun
phrase.
ASSIGNMENT
Write a short description of monocultural practices in your country (about 100 words). Try to
use at least 10 terms introduced in this lesson. Make use of modifiers, noun phrases and verb
phrases in constructing your sentences. Write your answers in the comment box for comments
and feedback.
The following questions may help you get started:
Do farmers in your country concentrate on one crop, or do they grow many types of crops?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of growing only one crop?
What is monoculture?
Where is it practised?
KEY VOCABULARY
1. We are born, we get old and we die – this is our life cycle.
2. Water moves from the land to the air and back to the land – this is the water cycle.
exception (n) - the different one, the only one that is different
Examples:
1. All the women in our village are beautiful. My wife is the only exception. (i.e. My wife is
not beautiful)
2. With the exception of mathematics, all my son's grades were good. (i.e. His mathematics
grade was not good)
hoe (n) - farm tool used for cutting soil and removing weeds
instances (n) - examples, cases, times
Examples:
1. I can think of many instances when my old computer did not work.
2. There are many instances of people recovering from cancer.
1. These varieties do not produce similar yields – they are not uniform.
2. We conducted 5 experiments, but the results were not the same – they were not uniform.
soil tilth - the physical condition of the topsoil. A fine tilth consists of small, loose soil particles.
A coarse tilth consists mostly of large clods.
rotation (n) - a cropping system in which two or more crops are grown in the same field but at
different times.
rotate (v)
rotated (adj.)
decompose (v) - to become bad or rotten after dying (also: decay, rot)
decomposed (adj.)
decomposing (adj.)
decomposition (process)
temperate zone - area of the world which does not get very hot or very cold
tropics - regions with hot climates between latitudes 23o north and 23o south
1. Soils in that area are extremely fertile.( i.e. The soils are very good. They can produce
large amounts of crops.)
alfalfa (Medicago sativa) - also called 'lucerne'. A deep-rooted plant of the pea family. Used
extensively in the United States for fodder, pasture and as cover crop.
Polyculture
Polyculture is a system in which two or more useful plants are grown on the same land. Variations within the
system are multiple cropping, mixed cropping, intercropping, relay planting, interplanting, and interculture.
Multiple cropping is the growing of more than one crop in the same land in one year. For example,
buckwheat may be grown after harvesting peas . Both crops are grown as monoculture crops, but they are
planted and harvested within one year.
Mixed cropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously and intermingled , with no row
arrangement.
Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops in alternate rows , for example, maize alternating with
soybean.
Relay planting is the practice of interplanting of the maturing crop with seeds or seedlings of the following
crop.
Interplanting is the practice of planting a short-term annual crop with a long-term annual or biennial crop.
Oats and alfalfa, for example, are commonly interplanted in the temperate zone.
Interculture is the cultivation of one crop underneath a perennial crop, such as rice under coconut palm.
Polyculture is the dominant farming system in many areas of the tropics, where the degree of mechanization
and the use of agricultural chemicals remain low.
English for Agriculture unit 6 POLYCULTURE
GRAMMAR
Relative Pronouns
Look at the following sentences:
Polyculture is an agricultural system.
In this system, two or more useful plants are grown on the same land.
Please note that:
We don't want to repeat 'agricultural system' and thus we substitute the relative pronoun which to
combine the two sentences into one, as shown below:
Polyculture is an agricultural system in which two or more useful plants are grown on the same land.
In speaking, 'that ' can be used for people, but not in formal, written English.
Examples:
1. where (used for places)
Look at these sentences:
Polyculture is the dominant farming systems in many areas.
In these areas, the degree of mechanization is low.
Note:
Because we don't want to repeat 'areas', we substitute the relative pronoun where and combine the two
sentences into one sentence with 2 phrases (i.e. a compound sentence). The sentences could be wriiten
as follows:
Polyculture is the dominant farming system in many countries where the degreee of mechanization remains
low.
2. that (used for things)
Look at these sentences:
These are seeds.
I bought them yesterday.
Combining the sentences using the relative pronoun that, you might come up with the following sentence:
These are seeds that I bought them yesterday.
Please note that:
________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY:
1. At the party, people from different countries intermingled with each other.
2. He sang French songs intermingled with English ones.
relay (n) - moving forward after being in the same position for some time
relay(v) - to move something forward
Examples:
1. All the experiments were conducted within the same farmer's fields.
2. Please try to finish this within 3 days.
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculenium) - plant grown for its triangular seeds. It is a native of
central Asia but is now grown in both Europe and the United States as food for horses, cattle
and poultry. Also used as human food.
peas (Pisum) - leguminous plant with pinkish flowers and green seed pod. Its small, round
seeds are used as a vegetable.
perennial - lasting a long time (in plants: living for more than two years)
soybean (Glycine max) - annual leguminous crop native to China and Japan. It is widely grown
for its seeds which contain substantial protein and oil. It is also grown as forage and cover crop.
oats (Avena sativa) - common cereal plant with edible seeds grown throughout the temperate
zone.