What is shifting cultivation?
A farming method where people clear a plot of land (often by cutting and burning), grow crops for a few years until the soil loses fertility, then move to a new plot and let the old one recover.
Easy way to remember: farm → soil gets tired → move → repeat.
Define bush fallow rotation
A traditional farming system (common in parts of Africa, Latin America, and Asia) where land is cultivated for several years until soil fertility declines, then left to rest (fallow). During the fallow, bushes and trees regrow, restoring soil nutrients and structure. After enough recovery, the farmer returns to cultivate the same plot again. This system balances food production with natural soil regeneration, but it requires plenty of land and time to be sustainable.
What is pastoralism?
Herding animals as a way of life.
What are monocultures?
Planting one crop over large areas.
What is intercropping?
Growing two or more crops together.
Fill in the blank: Milpa polycrop involves planting _______.
maize, beans, squash together.
What is agroforestry?
Mixing trees with crops or livestock.
What are planted forests as agriculture?
Planting forests for timber, biomass, or production.
Define extensive agriculture
Lots of land, low inputs, low yield/acre.
What is intensive agriculture?
Small land, high inputs, high yield/acre.
What is subsistence agriculture?
Farming mainly for the household’s needs.
What characterizes commercial agriculture?
Farming primarily for market sale.
What is large-scale animal production?
Industrial livestock systems (feedlots, etc.).
What are automated milking systems?
Machines that milk cows with minimal labor.
What is precision agriculture?
GPS/sensors/data to manage inputs precisely.
Define urban agriculture
Growing food inside/near cities (rooftops, gardens).
What is an agroecosystem?
The farm considered as an ecological system.
What does resilience in agriculture refer to?
Ability of farms/systems to recover from shocks.
What are subsistence livelihoods?
Living mainly off what your household produces.
What is agroecology?
Farming by ecological principles for sustainability.
Fill in the blank: Agrochemical intensification involves increasing use of _______.
fertilizers/pesticides.
What is hybridization in agriculture?
Breeding two varieties to combine traits.
What are GMOs / GM seeds?
Crops with DNA changed in a lab.
What is CRISPR/Cas genome editing?
Precise lab gene-editing tool.
