HOW DOES THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT PHYSICAL FACTORS ON AGRICULTURAL V :: essays research papers

The location of agriculture at all scales is the result of the interaction between physical, cultural and economic and behavioural factors. nurtureing in grand Britain has been characterized by technological changes in recent decades which has led to massive increases in yields and improved stock rearing. Much of this change is due to the application of scientific research in plant and stock breeding and improved mechanization. and even today agriculture relies heavily on the physical environment. al one(a) crops require a specific range of temperature, moisture, soil ands drainage conditions and these factors hatful be modified by the farmer but only to a limited degree. If we accept that a farmers choice of land usage is controlled by the physical environment, we must identify the optimum conditions and limits to production of any one crop . This will help to identify the spatial pattern of environmental controls. This was central to the ideas explored by McCarty and Lindber g in the Mid West of the USA and gave uprising to the Optima Limits Model in 1966. Away from the optimum physical conditions become unlike and production/ yields decline. The optimum is the bowl where yields are highest and variability best, where soils are fertile, temperature and rainfall ideal and ground surface level for cultivation.Farmers will take calculate of physical conditions at a local scale when considering which crops to grow. For example, the Moray soaring in NE Scotland between Elgin and Lossiemouth is a rich agricultural area where winters are relatively mild and summers averaging 17oC, rainfall gos throughout the year and is typically 600mm. There are a variety of soils but mainly north-polar sandy loams on the higher ground and alluvial soils where thither were one time areas of open marshy conditions.A variety of crops are grown, both cereal grass and root crops. However, there are limitations to agriculture in this area. The main hassle is that of win d erosion, the sandy loams are light soils which dry out quickly with high infiltration rates. During early spring or late declension strong winds can pick up the soil and cause localize wind erosion. Despite this being a well-known problem there are few conservation measures the only evidence being up the structure of the soil using manure. There have been no attempts to re-establish hedgerows.Wetness limitations occur such as at Plewlands Farm to the north of Gordonstoun and at Begrow Farm to the west towards Hopeman.