Chapter 1Mr. PullomFall 2011

Agriscience

ObjectivesExplain agriscience and technologyRelate the meaning and importance of

AFNRIdentify career pathways in AFNRExplain the importance of human needs in

AFNRAssess the role of consumers and their

preferences

TermsAFNRAgriscienceAquatic animalsCareer pathwayConsumerCustomsDemandfiber

FoodHuman needNutrientShelterStandard of livingTechnologyTerrestrial animals

AgriscienceAgriscience is the use of science principles

in producing food, fiber, and shelter materials.Applied agriscience – the use of knowledge in

the production of plants and animalsBasic agriscience provides information to

understand how a process works.

TechnologyTechnology is the practical application of

science.Is used to increase the yield and quality of plant

and animal products.Also reduces human labor requirements to produce

crops.Appropriate technology is using good judgment

to make decisions about what technology to use.In developed countries, advanced technology may

be used. In lesser developed countries, simple technology may work best.

The people may not know how to use, maintain, and set up the technology.

AFNRAFNR- the abbreviation for Agriculture,

Food, and Natural Resources.Addresses the production, marketing, and

processing of agricultural commodities.Includes food and fiber products as well as wood,

natural resources, horticulture, and other products of plant and/or animal origin.

AFNR cluster is the most important. It deals with meeting the fundamental needs of human life and well-being.

Career pathway is a group of careers based on similarities of duties, subjects, and skills.

AFNR and Human NeedsA human need is an essential element or

component that supports human life.Food, fiber, and shelter

Food provides the nutrition that helps the body to grow, to repair itself, and to reproduce.

Fiber and shelter provide protection from the weather, dangerous animals, and other hazards of life.

FoodFood is the solid and liquid material humans and other

living things consume.A nutrient is a substance necessary for an organism to

live and grow.Humans need food for four purposes:

Energy, growth and repair, good health, and body processesFood comes from two sources:

Plants and animalsModern processing is used to change food materials into

more desirable forms, such as wheat into flour for making bread.

Only about 600 species of the 250,000 species of plants are used for human food. Wheat, rice, and corn are the major human food items

around the world.

Table 1-2Parts Plants

Leaves Lettuce, cabbage, tea, and spinach; other parts are discarded.

Seeds Beans, wheat, corn, rye, coffee, and nuts; other parts are discarded.

Roots Potatoes, carrots, onions, and ginger; some of these are structures that grow on roots, such as the potato, which is a tuber

Fruits Apples, strawberries, pears, and oranges

Flowers Cauliflower and broccoli;

Stems Celery, rhubarb, and asparagus

Juice Sugarcane (syrup and sugar);

Multiple parts Turnips; leaves and roots may be eaten

Food cont.Terrestrial animals- grow on land

Chickens, hogs, sheep, and cattleAquatic animals – live in water

Fish, shrimp, and clamsSome 2 million species of animals live on Earth.

Only about 50 species are used to any extent for human food.Of that 50, only 4 are raised in large numbers: Cattle,

hogs, chicken, and sheep.Fish farming has increased due to a decrease in the

number of wild fish in streams and oceans.Aquaculture is the industry associated with aquatic

animal production

Table 1-3Foods Animals

Meat Muscles, organs, etc. of hogs, cattle, chickens, fish, horses, game animals, and others

Eggs Chickens, fish, and a few others

Milk, cheese, ice cream Cattle, goats, and sometimes others

Fiber (clothing)Fiber is primarily the material used to make

clothing and shelter.Fiber is produced in three ways:

By animalsBy plantsBy manufacturing

Animal FibersInclude wool, mohair, fur, and silk. Are used to

make warm and attractive clothing and other fabric items such as rugs and blankets.

Sheep produce wool.Cashmere and alpaca are variations of wool.

Furs are obtained from several animals such as rabbits and minks. The hides from cattle may be used for making leather.

Silkworms produce silk when making cocoons.Silk is the strongest animal fiber.

Plant FibersSeveral fibers are produced from plants:

cotton, flax, hemp, jute and sisal.Cotton is the most important. Make

clothing, towels, furniture, and others.Flax comes from the stems of flax plants. It

is made into linen.Hemp, jute, and sisal are coarse fibers.

They are used to make twine, cords, and ropes.

Research on kenaf has emerged as potential fiber.

Manufactured and mineral fibersKnown as synthetic or human-made.Synthetic fibers come from raw materials

such as petroleum.Some manufactured fibers are made from

wood.

ShelterA shelter is a building used by humans for

housing.Forestry is a large and specialized area of

plant production.Trees are important in the environment.

Planted in cities because of beauty and cooling effects(urban forestry)

Producing for the consumerA goal of agriscience is to make food and

fiber more appealing and readily available.A consumer is a person who buys goods

and services.Consumers eat food, wear clothing, and

live in housing. They also have opinions about what they will eat and wear, and how they will be housed. These opinions dictate what is produced.

A demand is a desire for a good or service and the ability to buy. Price is important.

Consumer PreferencesStandard of living, customs, and climate are the

major factors in consumer choice.Standard of living is the level of choice about both

essential and nonessential goods and services that people can make based on what they can afford.

Income and education promote a higher standard of living.People who make more money tend to eat more beef,

seafood, and other higher priced foods.Also choose higher priced clothing, housing, and

other goods or services.People in nations with better education have higher

incomes and more choices.Life expectancy, educational attainment, and

adjusted real income are three important factors in establishing livability.

CustomsCustoms are established ways of doing

things.People grow up eating certain foods or

observing certain social behaviors and continue to follow those habits as adults.

North – may eat more potatoes and wheat bread

South – may eat more chicken, okra, and corn bread

ClimateThe climate is the nature of the weather.Temperature, precipitation, and direction

and speed of wind are major factors in a climate.

Soil fertility and drainage determine land use.

People in cool climates eat more cereal grains, potatoes, and meat.

Those in warmer climates eat more fruits and vegetables.

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