CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF MODERN AGRICULTURE
Sunday 20 September 2015 @ 16:50

INTRODUCTION TO MODERN AGRICULTURE :
  • Etymology and terminology.
The word agriculture is an adaptation of Latin :
agricultūra, from ager, "field", and cultūra, "cultivation" or "growing".
It refers to human activities, although it is also observed in certain species of ant, termite and ambrosia beetle. To practice agriculture means to use natural resources to produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops, and their related services.
  • Modern Agriculture in Malaysia.
Modern agriculture refers techniques used now days in agriculture that can increase production and can feed the world. Malaysia is currently major player in research of tropical agricultural products. Malaysia continues to enhance excellence in research and development of new agricultural industries and products from its primary commodities and natural resources. It will assist in the :
  1. industrialization of the nation.
  2. developing new high value products from agriculture commodities and agricultural wastes and by-products.
  3. improve Malaysia's productivity and global competitiveness. 
Pursuing integrated integrated agroforestry development and good sustainable agricultural and forestry practices will ensure an ecologically balanced development and increasing the production of major food products - enable Malaysians better access to quality food at affordable prices. 

Government and Private Sector.
Government provides environment to private sector for agriculture. The public sector will facilitate and enhance the delivery of support services to private sector enterprises, fisherman and farmers to achieve their business and incomes objectives. 

It is the utilization of natural resource systems to produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops and their related services. 
It involves farming, the art of science or practice of cultivating the soil, systematic production of crops for food, feed and fibe, and raising of livestock, and at the same time protecting it from deterioration and misuse. 

Modern agriculture is not only focusing on producing something, but also the processing of product into food and non-food items such as oil palm can be used in pharmaceutical, industrial products and biofuel. 

Agriculture involves specialists such as scientist, inventors, engineers, chemists and economics. It incorporates subjects such as agronomy, horticulture, plant breeding and genetucs, entomology, pathology, soil science, dairying and animal husbandry. The packing, processing and marketing of agricultural are important aspect in modern agriculture. 


EXAMPLE OF MODERN AGRICULTURE : HYDROPONICS.
  • Definition.
Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. William Frederick Gericke of the University of California at Berkeley originally defined hydroponics as crop growth in mineral nutrient solutions. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only, or in an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel.

Hydroculture is the growing of plants in a soilless medium, or an aquatic based environment. Plant nutrients are distributed via water.
Hydro : derives its name from the Greek word ὕδωρ (hudōr) meaning water.
Hence hydroculture = water culture. Hydroculture is aquatic horticulture.
In basic hydroculture or passive hydroponics, water and nutrients are distributed through capillary action. In hydroponics-like hydroculture, water and nutrients are distributed by some form of pumping mechanism.
  • The examples of medium used :
One of the most obvious decisions hydroponic farmers have to make is which medium they should use. Different media are appropriate for different growing techniques.

1. Perlite
A form of obsidian characterized by spherlulites formed by cracking of the volcanic glass during cooling, used as insulation or in plant growth media.

2. Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral. It undergoes significant expansion when heated. Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is heated sufficiently, and the effect is routinely produced in commercial furnaces. Vermiculite is formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite.

3. Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. It is defined by size, being finer than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of soil or soil type; i.e. a soil containing more than 85% sand-sized particles (by mass).

4. Gravel
The same type that is used in aquariums, though any small gravel can be used, provided it is washed first. Indeed, plants growing in a typical traditional gravel filter bed, with water circulated using electric powerhead pumps, are in effect being grown using gravel hydroponics. Gravel is inexpensive, easy to keep clean, drains well and will not become waterlogged. However, it is also heavy, and, if the system does not provide continuous water, the plant roots may dry out.
  • Techniques involved Hydroponics :
The two main types of hydroponics are :
1. Solution culture
Solution culture does not use a solid medium for the roots, just the nutrient solution.The three main types of solution cultures are static solution culture, continuous-flow solution culture and aeroponics.
  • Static solution culture 
Static solution cultures are some of the simplest forms of hydroponics. In them, plant roots are placed directly into a nutrient solution, and kept there.
         1. Full Submersion
Full submersion is where a plant sits in a container filled with nutrient solution. The container can be as basic as a glass jar.
         2. Lettuce Raft
In this system, holes are cut into a raft. In these holes low-lying crops, such as lettuce, are placed. The raft floats on a pool of nutrient solution, oxygenated with bubbles, allowing the plant roots continuous access.
         3. Wick System
In a wick system, the growing tray stands over the nutrient solution, separated by space with only one or several wicks connecting them. The wicks serve as a choke point, allowing for a controlled flow of nutrients from pool to plant, with no maintenance needed.
  • Continuous-flow solution culture
In these systems, nutrient solution continuously flows past the plants roots. This allows for easy automation, where nutrient levels, pH balance and temperature of the solution can be controlled within a storage tank. In these types of systems, the disadvantage is relying on all parts of the system to work properly, particularly the pump. A functioning pump is of the utmost importance. They are relied on to deliver nutrients and water in a timed manner, and if they stop working the plant roots can dry out quickly.
         1. Ebb and Flow/Flood and Drain Systems
These types are the simplest and most common. The plants sit in a growing tray, and every few hours the tray is flooded with nutrient solution. It is then allowed to drain back into the storage tank.
         2. Drip Systems
In a drip system, solution is continuously dripped onto the roots of the plant.
         3. NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)
In these systems, nutrients are pumped to the top of a long, slightly inclined growing area. The solution flows down the incline, feeding plant roots.
In NFT systems there is sometimes an issue with the plants at the front having first dibs on nutrients, and growing larger. Having multiple injection points can solve this problem.
  • Aeroponics
Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium (known as geoponics). 
The word "aeroponic" is derived from the Greek meanings of aero- (air) and ponos (labour).
Aeroponic culture differs from both conventional hydroponics, aquaponics, and in-vitro (plant tissue culture) growing. Unlike hydroponics, which uses a liquid nutrient solution as a growing medium and essential minerals to sustain plant growth; or aquaponics which uses water and fish waste, aeroponics is conducted without a growing medium. Because water is used in aeroponics to transmit nutrients, it is sometimes considered a type of hydroponics.


2. Medium culture
The medium culture method has a solid medium for the roots and is named for the type of medium, e.g., oasis cubes, a 50/50 perlite and vermiculite mix, coconut fibre, rockwool culture.
  • Oasis Cubes
These are small cubes, good for starting seeds or cuttings. They are pH neutral, retain water, and can easily be placed in the soil or into a hydroponic system.
  • A 50/50 Perlite and Vermiculite Mix
These two mined materials complement each other nicely. Perlite is great for aeration and soil drainage. Vermiculite is great at holding onto water. A balanced mix of the two results in a great medium for plant growth.
  • Coconut Fibre
One of the top performing growth mediums. Contains hormones that stimulate roots and helps protect against disease and fungus infestation. A 50/50 mix of coconut fibre and expanded clay pellets in an extremely effective growth medium.
  • Rockwool culture
Often used in drip irrigation systems. It is excellent at retaining water, and good at holding air.

  • The importance of Hydroponics :
1. It utilize inert medium of the soil such us sand gravel and peat to provide the root environment, with water and nutrients added in solution for plants. 
2. It also reduce water, pH, and nutrient stress; yield clean roots and leaves; and facilitate rapid crop turnaound and automation. 
3. It is widely used in research on plant nutrition and on the effect of temperature and pH on roots. Hydroponics can also be used to study the effect of microbes on plant health. Hydroponic systems also have obvious value in the field of education and for the amateur horticulturist, who can grow flowers or vegetables in a confined space with an indoor hydroponic garden.

Hydroponic plants grow and mature faster, resulting in an earlier harvest of vegetable, herbal and flower crops. It can be easily implemented in less space since the plant roots do not have to spread out in search of food and water. This small space requirement makes hydroponics ideal for limited space home gardeners, small scale and commercial farmers also benefit from better and more productive use of greenhouse space.