Plant growing - cultivation of cultivated plants. Agriculture (crop production)
Plant growing, agricultural sector Its main specialization is the process of growing cultivated plants. The basis of crop production is agriculture, which means economic activity directly related to the land cultivation process.
The main and determining sector is grain farming. Almost half of the world's sown area is sown with grains. And grain and grain products constitute the second (after meat and meat products) item in global agricultural trade.
Development of crop production in the USSR
Lenin's Decree on Land allocated peasants an additional more than one hundred and fifty million hectares of agricultural land. However, after collectivization, almost all peasant farms were united into collective farms or state farms. Mechanization Agriculture also increased sharply. Its energy capacity has increased more than fourteen times (compared to the pre-revolutionary period), and its power supply has increased by almost twenty-two and a half times. Almost all agricultural field work (sowing, arable, harvesting) was mechanized. The sowing of grain, cotton and sugar beets, and the harvesting of silage crops were completely mechanized. During the Soviet period, agricultural labor productivity increased fivefold and hourly productivity increased sixfold.
The Soviet government did not limit itself to the mechanization of agricultural production, but this became an impetus for improving the culture of agriculture, improving agricultural technology of crops, increasing the use mineral fertilizers, expanding the use of land reclamation and increasing the area of varietal crops. The chemicalization program made it possible to increase soil fertilization by almost one hundred and thirty times. In 1970, ninety-five percent of the total area was occupied by varietal grain crops on Soviet collective and state farms, of which 99% was spring wheat, 97% winter rye, 99.9 corn, 100% sugar beets, 99.4 sunflowers, 99. 8 fiber flax. The structure of sown areas has also changed. This was due to an increase specific gravity technical and fodder plants.
In the Soviet Union, crop production moved far to the north. So wheat was already sown up to 60 degrees northern latitude, and in the central regions grain corn and silage began to be planted. In the North Caucasus and Ukraine, the cultivation of rice was mastered, and in the Altai in Belarus and the Baltic states, sugar beets were cultivated. Between 1953 and 1963, the area under cultivation for all agricultural crops increased by more than 75 percent. This was led to by the massive development of virgin lands. Most of all, the scale of planting of potatoes, vegetable and melon crops, as well as industrial and fodder crops has increased.
Crop production in Russia
Despite the fact that the climate in Russia is quite harsh, its agricultural sectors have never lagged behind other countries. In Russia, the production of potatoes, legumes, sugar beets, and vegetables is developed; grains and oilseeds grow. Almost all areas of crop production have been developed, except for the rarest ones, such as coffee or cocoa. Domestic croplands are located in the region of temperate continental latitudes. The country's breadbaskets are the Volga region, the Urals, Western Siberia, southern Caucasus. Moreover, crop production technology covers both food and technical varieties of plants and feed crops.
The bulk of cereals, as throughout the world, is wheat. Moreover, thanks to weather conditions, both winter and spring crops are grown in Russia. At the same time, winter crop yields are much higher than spring crops, which is easily explained by nature and geography. The most heat-loving varieties are planted in western regions with mild climates. The production volumes of barley, which has a number of important advantages: frost resistance and a short growing season, are only slightly inferior to the volumes of wheat production. In addition to barley and wheat, rye is grown in Russia, and the cultivation of oats, corn, buckwheat and rice has been established.
Among root vegetables, potatoes take first place. In the central Black Earth region, such a multi-purpose crop as sugar beet grows. It is also necessary to remember sunflower, the raw material for all vegetable oil produced in the country. Another area that is less developed in Russia due to the climate is vegetable growing and growing melons. However, vegetables such as beets, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, etc. are grown in Russia. Watermelons and melons grow in the lower reaches of the Volga and in the Orenburg region.
Crop production sectors in Russia
The main link in crop production in our country is grain farming. Different varieties of wheat, barley, oats, rye and a number of others occupy huge areas. In the first place in the structure of sown areas are those allocated for wheat. While the areas allocated for rye, oats and barley have a slight tendency to decrease, and for corn, on the contrary, to increase.
Rice farming has achieved impressive results over the past ten years. Thus, in 2015, rice harvest volumes almost doubled those of 2005. Buckwheat harvests in 2015 updated the figures from ten years ago by 42.45 tons.
Another branch of crop production in Russia is the cultivation of legumes, which include beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, etc. the seeds of which can be eaten both after appropriate processing and raw. A considerable part of them is used as feed. The largest soybean processing plant is located in the Kaliningrad region; they are grown mainly on Far East and the Southern Federal District.
The sugar industry in the Russian Federation is represented by the cultivation of sugar beets, the gross harvest of which increased by almost 28 percent compared to 2005.
Increased investments are being directed by the government to the cultivation of oilseeds, as well as essential oil crops. The reason for this is the increased demand for processed products (vegetable oils, cake, meal, protein concentrates) on the world market. Gross sunflower harvests increased by forty-three percent compared to 2005. The volume of sunflower oil exports in 2015 amounted to 1,237.4 thousand tons.
Potato production in Russian Federation Compared to 2005, gross harvests exceeded the previous figures by two and a half times and amounted to seven and a half tons.
Starch production in Russia is closely connected with other branches of crop production, since grain and cereal crops, as well as root crops, can serve as sources for starch production. The main raw material for its production are potato tubers. Starch is used in the food textile industry, but its main consumer is pulp and paper production.
Textile crops in Russia are represented by cotton and fiber flax, which serve as raw materials for the domestic textile industry.
Vegetable production in the industrial sector, formed from agricultural organizations and farms, amounted to 5,312.2 thousand tons, which is eighty-three percent higher than ten years ago.
Crop production in countries of the world
(Cargill, USA)
About seven hundred and fifty million hectares of all cultivated land in the world are occupied by grain crops. At the same time, over two-thirds of the total world grain production occurs in a dozen countries, primarily China (480 million tons). It is followed by the United States (360 million tons) and also India (360 million tons). But the most accurate assessment of the state’s grain supply should be based on grain production per capita. The undisputed leader in this indicator is Canada (1,700 kilograms).
The entire world grain economy is based on three crops: wheat, rice and corn. It is necessary to distinguish two large wheat belts, called southern and northern. The Northern Belt includes Western countries (United States, Canada, Foreign Europe), as well as countries of the post-Soviet space, India, China, Pakistan and a number of other states. The much smaller Southern Belt includes Argentina, South Africa and Australia.
Corn is cultivated in a similar geography, but almost forty percent of the world's total harvest comes from one country, the United States. The world's rice crops are located completely differently. One tenth of its global harvest comes from Southeast and South Asia, with China, India and Indonesia particularly prominent.
Some of the largest grain exporters are the United States, Canada, Australia, France, and Argentina.
Among the oilseeds, great importance plays soybean, which mainly grows in the USA, China, Brazil, sunflower (in the Balkans), peanuts (grown in India and West Africa), olive (mainly in Mediterranean countries).
Among tuber crops, potatoes are in first place (mostly grown in China, the USA, and Poland). The record holders for the collection of sugar cane are Cuba, Brazil, India, sugar beets - Germany, the USA, France.
The main tonic crops are grown in India, Sri Lanka and China (tea), Brazil, Colombia, countries West Africa(Coffee), Ghana, Ivory Coast (cocoa).
Among fiber crops, cotton is significant.
The main suppliers of cotton are China, India, Pakistan, Latin America and Africa. Natural rubber comes from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand.
Crop growing is one of the main branches of agriculture. Its main object is a green plant, capable of creating organic substances from inorganic elements of nature. By cultivating green plants, a person converts the kinetic energy of the sun's rays into potential energy of the organic matter of plants. It is in crop production that the green plant becomes the main means of agricultural production.
The main direction in scientific plant growing is the study of the biological characteristics of cultivated plants and the development of their most advanced agricultural technology based on the equivalence and physiological indispensability of all vital factors for plants: light, heat, moisture, air and nutrients. Plant growing, like other agronomic disciplines, is based on data from physics, chemistry, botany, plant physiology, agricultural meteorology, soil science, agriculture, agrochemistry, breeding and seed production, entomology and phytopathology, mechanization, economics, organization and planning of agricultural production.
When studying the subject of plant growing, it is customary to group agricultural plants according to the nature and use of the products obtained from them. All field crops studied in plant growing are divided according to this criterion into the following groups: 1) cereal grains; 2) grain legumes; 3) root vegetables and cabbage; 4) tubers; 5) melons and new forage plants; 6) oilseeds and essential oil crops; 7) spinning crops; 8) tobacco, shag; 9) forage grasses.
Currently on globe The area sown with agricultural plants exceeds 1 billion hectares. There are more than 1,500 plant species in world agriculture. The group of field crop plants includes about 90 species. The largest areas - 759.4 million hectares, or 70% of all crops - are occupied by cereal grains (wheat, rice, corn, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye). The grain yield is on average 19.5 centners per 1 hectare, the gross harvest is 1477.3 million tons. Among non-grain crops, potatoes occupy a significant area. The most common sugar-bearing plants are sugar cane and sugar beets, and the most common oilseeds are soybeans, peanuts, rapeseed, oilseed flax, and sunflower. Spinning crops are represented mainly by cotton, with others sown. spinning - flax, jute, kenaf and hemp - are insignificant.
From crop production, people receive most of their basic food products, animal feed, as well as raw materials for food, light and other industries.
The most important feature of crop production is its seasonality. This is due to the fact that field crop plants are able to vegetate and produce crops only during the frost-free period,
Plant life in the field occurs in a constantly changing environment. Therefore, in order to provide a plant with the necessary living conditions, it is necessary to influence its environment in a certain direction.
In the process of creating favorable conditions for plant life, timeliness and high quality play an exceptional role. field work: tillage, fertilization, sowing and caring for crops, harvesting. Late completion of one of these tasks can dramatically reduce the quantity and quality of crop production.
In the development of plant growing as a science, the works of K. A. Timiryazev (1843-1920), I. A. Stebut (1833-1923), D. N. Pryanishnikov (1865-1948), N. I. Vavilov (1887- 1943) and other scientists of our country.
K. A. Timiryazev is a classic of scientific biology and plant growing. He is the author of numerous works on these branches of agronomic science. “The Life of Plants”, “Agriculture and Plant Physiology”, “The Sun, Life and Chlorophyll” and other works brought him world fame.
I. A. Stebut in his work “Fundamentals of field culture and measures for its improvement in Russia” was the first to combine scattered material on the culture of numerous field plants. In many ways, this book has not lost its significance in our time.
D. N. Pryanishnikov’s research was devoted to the issues of plant nutrition and the use of fertilizers. On a physiological and biological basis, he created a strictly scientific course “Private Agriculture” and a widely known textbook “Agrochemistry”.
N.I. Vavilov made an invaluable contribution to plant growing, especially to the biology, systematics and geography of cultivated plants. He developed the doctrine of the world centers of origin of cultivated plants and formulated the law of homological series, which plays a large role in breeding work. His works are widely known in all countries of the world.
Research methods in plant growing: field, vegetation, laboratory and production testing.
History of crop production
Crop farming appeared in the Mesolithic era, when agriculture first appeared, making it possible to grow fruits and vegetables. Initially, crop production was aimed at increasing the yield of vegetables and fruits that grew in wildlife. Of course, it was still too early to talk about the production of crop products as such a phenomenon.
However, with the development of agriculture, regions that successfully mastered the production of certain crops were able to transport crop products to other regions of the world. By importing various crops, different regions the world increased the range of their crops of grains, fruits and vegetables, which contributed to the development of new varieties.
The goal of modern crop production has become to meet the demand for food from a growing population around the world.
Geography of crop production
Agriculture occurs throughout the world, but some foods are produced in different geographical areas due to different climate conditions and soil types.
Thus, grain crops, which are the most important source food for approximately 75% of the world's population, grown mainly in temperate regions with low rainfall. Rice is one of Asia's agricultural staples, and the United States produces large quantities of corn. Fruit crops are scattered throughout the world, but the most successful in production fruit crops The regions have tropical and subtropical climates. Vegetable production is also widespread throughout the world, but vegetable farms tend to be concentrated in the United States, Europe, Russia and North Africa.
Functions of crop production
Crop farming - that is, growing various plants (usually grains, fruits and vegetables) plays decisive role in the production of food for humans, production of animal feed and medicines. Growing ornamental plants is also a popular area in agriculture.
The importance of crop production
Crop production provides the bulk of energy for resources consumed by humans and animals. The development of agriculture and the division into industries involved in the production of certain types of crops increases the yield and quality of the products produced. Modern crop production provides the lion's share of food available in stores and markets, thus having a significant impact on the nutrition and health of the world's population.
In addition, advances in crop production are providing advances in technologies for soil management, ecology, disaster management (such as flooding), carbon reduction, and the conservation of beneficial animal and insect populations.
Crop production potential
The development of agriculture largely depends on scientific and technological progress. Technological farming involves the use of high-tech systems, geographic information and satellite communications to control planting, fertilization, and yield.
Another important branch of science - biotechnology - allows farmers to increase the productivity of their farms by using new, hardier hybrids that are resistant to disease and require less frequent feeding. With the development of technological progress, agricultural productivity must also increase in order to meet the ever-increasing food needs of the population.
The most important branch of agriculture in our country is crop production, which produces about 60% of products of this type.
Its main component is grain farming. Crops such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and some others are cultivated in Russia over vast areas. They are grown for grain, an agricultural product used to make bread, pasta and confectionery. In addition, it serves as excellent food for animals, as in pure form, and in various mixtures (compound feeds).
Another branch of crop production is leguminous plants, which are grown in all countries of the world. Their seeds are rich in proteins (10–30%). Products obtained from leguminous crops are not only highly nutritious, but also have good taste qualities. They are eaten both after careful processing and raw. The seeds are used to make canned food. In addition, they serve as valuable concentrated animal feed. The group of leguminous crops includes peas, lentils, beans, soybeans, peanuts, etc.
Industrial crops are cultivated to obtain technical raw materials in various industries industry. They can be divided into several groups depending on the product that is formed during use.
Fiber flax is one of the most common plants of this species. It dates back to the times of ancient agriculture in the subtropical and temperate zones. Flax growing makes it possible to obtain highly valuable raw materials for the textile industry. Another representative of industrial crops is potatoes. In our country, it has very important food and feed importance, plus it serves as a raw material for the production of starch and alcohol.
The sugar crop industry is engaged in the cultivation of sugar beets and cane. The latter cannot be cultivated in Russia due to special climatic conditions. That is why the only source of dietary sugar is sugar beets, which contain more than 20 - 25% of the beneficial substance.
Starch production is closely related to other branches of crop production, since this substance is found in grains, cereals, and root crops. Starch is produced from potato tubers, corn, and rice. It is used in Food Industry for the production of glucose, molasses, and also in the textile industry - for processing fabrics. But, undoubtedly, starch is of greatest importance in the pulp and paper industry, where it is used as a filler.
Medicines made from plants account for 40% of all medicines on the world market. These pharmaceutical drugs have a persistent therapeutic effect and extremely rarely cause side effects. For example, calendula has the following beneficial properties: anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, wound healing, antispasmodic and choleretic. Best results are noted when it is used in combination with chamomile and yarrow. Calamus preparations are used for health problems associated with the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, flatulence, lack of appetite). They are also used for bronchitis, menopause, kidney diseases, and so on.
Since ancient times, textile crops have been cultivated to produce fiber. In the world economy largest areas occupied by cotton, jute, hemp; in Russia it is cotton, flax.
Cotton is a raw material for the textile industry. High-grade fabrics are produced from long fibers. The short ones are used to make cotton wool and paper. Hemp is cultivated to produce a fiber that is highly durable, so it is used to produce fabrics such as canvas, canvas, and tarpaulin.
Rubber plants are plants from which natural rubber can be obtained. Its main area of application is the production of rubber products. The main source of natural rubber is Hevea. Her homeland is Brazil, but today this tree grows in many tropical countries. Another rubber plant is known in Russia - kog-sagyz. Currently, specialists from leading automobile companies are studying the possibilities of using natural sources rubber for the production of their goods.
Root vegetables are plants that are grown for their succulent underground organs. They are eaten raw and cooked, are good for health, contain many vitamins for growth and development. human body. For example, carrots are eaten (the root vegetable itself), and its seeds are also used to prepare infusions and medicines. In medicine, it is used for vitamin deficiencies and is a mild laxative.
Tubers are plants that produce tubers on lateral roots or underground stems. They serve as food for humans, feed livestock, or are used as raw materials for processing. Among them, the most widespread are potatoes, their industrial and table varieties. The latter have excellent taste, but they contain less starch than technical ones.
Oilseeds are primarily fruits and seeds rich in fat. They are used to obtain oil (sunflower, mustard, rapeseed, sesame).
Sunflower is the main oilseed crop; it has high taste qualities. It accounts for about 50 - 55% of the total amount of vegetable oil produced in our country.
Mustard is cultivated to produce mustard oil, which is used in confectionery and bakery production. Mustard seed cake is used to make mustard powder. Castor beans are grown to produce seeds containing, compared to the fruits and seeds of other oilseed crops greatest number fat (up to 70%). Cold pressed oil with special purification is called castor oil
Essential oil crops (coriander, anise, cumin, fennel) are widely used in bakery, confectionery, pharmaceutical, distillery and some other industries.
Spinning crops are grown to obtain natural fibers for the production of yarn used for the manufacture of fabrics, ropes, ropes, fishing gear. More than 95% of spinnable plant fiber comes from cotton, flax and hemp.
Forage grasses are of great importance for livestock production. They are sown to produce hay, silage, grass meal, and some are cultivated to produce high-protein seeds. They are a source of protein, minerals and vitamins. Forage grasses from the grass family include vetch, clover and timothy.
Clover is a forage grass made from perennial legumes. It is used for green fodder, hay, haylage, silage and processed into grass meal. Vetch is a valuable forage crop. It is sown to obtain seeds, which are concentrated protein feed. Timothy grass is the most common forage grass in the cereal family, which began to be sown in Russia in the first half of the 18th century.
Silage crops are plants grown as animal feed. Silage has high nutritional properties. It is comparable to fresh grass in terms of calorie content, vitamin content and other properties, therefore it is a valuable food product. Silage helps improve digestion and assimilation of other rougher feeds. Great for all herbivores and birds. The most common silage crops are corn and sunflower.
Fodder root crops are well stored and allow you to diversify the diet of farm animals, especially in winter period. They are characterized by yield stability. Their most common representatives are sugar beets and carrots, which are valuable feed crops rich in carotene for the rapid and proper development of young animals.
Pumpkin is considered an excellent succulent food for all types of animals, because it consists of 92% physiologically bound water. In terms of nutritional value, pumpkin is slightly inferior to watermelon. It is added to the food of cattle (up to 10 kg per day in autumn period), as well as sheep and pigs (3–4 kg per day).
Most (70%) of consumed modern world food is provided by crop production. The leading branch of agriculture, the basis of all agricultural world production and international trade is the cultivation of grain crops - wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats and rye. Their crops occupy 1/2 of the world's arable land, and in some countries - even more (for example, in Japan 96%).
Basic crop production industries:
- grain farming;
- potato growing;
- cultivation of industrial crops;
- vegetable growing and melon growing;
- gardening and viticulture;
- feed production.
Grain farming
The most important branch of crop production is grain farming - growing grain crops. They provide the basis for human nutrition, as well as a significant part of the feed ration of farm animals. In Russia, the following grain crops are distinguished:
- wheat;
- rye;
- barley;
- oats;
- corn;
- millet;
- buckwheat;
Grain - staple food the most important part feed, is also a raw material for a number of industries. Modern production grain in the world reaches 1.9 billion tons per year, with 4/5 coming from wheat, rice, and corn.
Wheat - leader of world grain growing. This culture, known six thousand years ago, comes from the Arab steppes. Now the area of its cultivation is very large - it covers all countries of the world with the most different conditions, thanks to the creation of new varieties. The main wheat belt stretches in the northern hemisphere, the smaller one in the southern hemisphere. The main areas of wheat cultivation in the world are the central plains of the United States, connecting in the north with the steppe provinces of Canada, the steppe plains of Argentina, the plains of southwestern and southeastern Australia, the steppes of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and China. The largest fees come from the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. The largest exporting countries are Australia, Canada, Argentina, and the USA.
Rice - It is the second largest crop in the world after wheat in terms of the size of crops and harvests; it is the main food product for most of the world's population (especially the densely populated countries of Asia). Flour and starch are obtained from rice, it is processed into alcohol, and waste from the rice processing industry is used to feed livestock.
It is assumed that rice began to be sown in central and southern China at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Rice culture has a clear ecological and geographical dependence. To grow it, it requires a hot and humid climate. However, despite the spread of rice across all continents, zones of intensive rice cultivation do not cover all areas suitable for cultivation, but are concentrated mainly in the countries of South and Southeast Asia, which produce up to 90% of the world's rice harvest. China stands out especially sharply, with more than 2 times the collection volume of the next largest country, India. The largest rice producers are also Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and Brazil.
Rice occupies a special place in world trade: developed countries import rice in small quantities, rice trade occurs mainly between developing countries (among developed countries, rice is mainly traded by the USA, Japan, Italy and Australia).
Corn - main feed crop for, especially in the USA and Western Europe. In Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southern Europe, corn is mainly a food crop. It is also important as a technical culture. Corn originates from Mexico, from where it was introduced to other parts of the world. The main crops are currently concentrated in areas with a warm, temperate or subtropical climate. The world's premier corn-growing region is the US Corn Belt, which extends south of the Great Lakes. The main exporters of corn are the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina.
Oilseeds
Vegetable oils are extracted from the fruits and seeds of oilseeds, as well as from the seeds of some grains (corn) or fibers (hemp). Oilseed crops include soybeans, peanuts, sunflowers, rapeseed, sesame, mustard, etc. Nowadays, approximately 2/3 of consumed fats are of plant origin. The rapid growth in the production and consumption of oilseeds over the past decades has been associated in developed countries with the replacement of animal fats with vegetable fats, and in developing countries with the cheapness of these products.
The largest producers are the USA (1/2 of soybeans), India (1st place in the collection of peanuts), China (1st place in the collection of cotton and rapeseed).
Developing countries, which produce the majority of the industry's products, have noticeably reduced their exports of oilseeds due to the creation of their own fat and oil industry. Many of them are themselves importers of vegetable oils.
Tubers
The most common crop is potato, which originated from South America, but is now primarily a temperate crop northern hemisphere. The world's potato producers are Russia, Poland, China, the USA, India, and Germany.
Sugar-bearing crops—sugar beets and sugar cane—play a huge role in people’s diets, currently providing 60% and 40% of world sugar production, respectively (12 million tons). Sugar cane is cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries, i.e. in developing countries, Cuba and China. For some countries this is the basis of their specialization in MGRT ( Dominican Republic). Developed countries produce only about 10% of the world's sugarcane harvest.
In the geography of sugar beet cultivation, the picture is the opposite. The region of its distribution is areas of temperate climate, especially middle lane Europe (EU countries, Ukraine, as well as the USA and Canada). In Asia these are mainly Türkiye, Iran, China and Japan.
The most commonly consumed tonic crops are tea, coffee and cocoa. They are cultivated in the tropics (tea also in the subtropics) and occupy fairly limited regions.
Fruit and vegetable crops occupy a prominent place in the economy of many countries; their lands constitute, along with arable land, one of the main lands. As the role of vegetables and fruits in nutrition grows (especially in developed countries), their production and imports increase.
In general, it can be noted that a significant part of oilseeds, sugar, fruit and especially tonic crops enters the world market. Their main exporters are developing countries, and their importers are economically developed countries.
Of the non-food crops, fiber crops and rubber are the most important in the world.
The main fiber crop is cotton, in the production of which the countries of Asia lead, followed by the countries of America and then Africa.
Other fiber crops - flax and jute - grow in a smaller area. Almost 3/4 of the world's flax production occurs in Russia and Belarus, and jute production in Bangladesh. The production of natural rubber is especially highly concentrated, 85% of which comes from the countries of Southeast Asia (the main producers are Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia).
A characteristic feature of agriculture in many countries has become the cultivation narcotic substances eg tobacco, opium poppy and Indian hemp. These crops are grown primarily in developing countries in Asia.
