Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Question 1

Which biome has soil that is very rich in organic material?

Accepted Answer

temperate grassland

Question 2

Rotational grazing of a small dairy herd is an example of

Accepted Answer

low input agriculture

Question 3

Desertification from water erosion can be mitigated by

Accepted Answer

cover crops, terracing, no-till planting / reduced tillage, contour plowing

Question 4

Integrated pest management involves a careful combination of strategies such as

Accepted Answer

insecticidal bacteria, judicious and sparing use of pesticides, vacuuming insects off plants, biological control agents (insect predators)

Question 5

The "pesticide treadmill" metaphor refers to

Accepted Answer

pests evolving resistance, making old chemicals ineffective.

Question 6

All land is equally suitable for agriculture.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 7

This United Nations analysis of pest control in Indonesia demonstrates that

Accepted Answer

biological control can save money., rice production can be even higher with biological control.

Question 8

Farming practices that build up organic matter in soil

Accepted Answer

grow better crops by holding more nutrients and water., help to sequester carbon (i.e., "carbon farming").

Question 9

Is soil a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

No; soil use in industrial agriculture is not sustainable., Yes; managed with cover crops, no-till, erosion prevention.

Question 10

The cover photo for this chapter illustrates

Accepted Answer

soybeans have replaced large tracts of Brazilian rainforest.

Question 11

Salinization (salt build-up) is more common in

Accepted Answer

dry climate soils (after irrigation).

Question 12

Eutrophication of waterways (leading algal blooms and dead zones) is caused by

Accepted Answer

over-application of fertilizers, livestock waste from CAFOs

Question 13

Erosion by wind (red) and water (blue); each dot = 200,000 tons of loss per year.

Accepted Answer

Some states have problems with both wind and water erosion., Soil loss is severe in agriculturally important areas.

Question 14

Desertification from wind erosion can be mitigated by

Accepted Answer

contour plowing, planting windbreaks

Question 15

The living soil "microbiome" thrives with the application of artificial fertilizers.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 16

Headlines about colony collapse disorder in honeybees have featured

Accepted Answer

neonicotinoid insecticides

Question 17

Before Rachel Carson drew attention to the persistent organic pollutant DDT in the 1960s,

Accepted Answer

it was liberally sprayed on crops., it was sprayed on people for mosquito control., it brought bald eagles close to extinction

Questions 17