increasing crop yields

• how do you artificially create the ideal conditions for photosynthesis?

  • keep plants enclosed in glasshouse - easier to keep free from pests and diseases - also helps farmers to control water supplied to their crops
  • commercial farmers often supply artificial light after sun goes down give more time for plants to photosynthesis
  • glasshouse traps sun's heat to keep plants warm - winter a farmer may use a heater to help keep the temperature at the ideal level
  • farmers also increase levels of CO2 in glasshouses - use paraffin heater to heat the place - paraffin burns it makes CO2 as by-product
  • increasing temperature and CO2 concentration and light available - famers increase rate of photosynthesis for their plants - plants grow bigger and faster - increased crop yield
• how are fertilisers used to make sure crops have enough minerals?

  • plants need certain minerals - nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus - make important compounds
  • plant doesn't get enough minerals - growth and life processes affected
  • minerals sometimes are missing from soil because they have been used up by previous crop
  • farmers used fertilisers to replace missing minerals or provide more of them - helps increase the crop yield
• how do pest control stop pests from eating crops?

  • pesticides - form of chemical pest control - poisonous to humans - must be used carefully to keep pesticide in food below a safe level - some pesticides harm other wildlife
  • biological control - alternative to using pesticides - using other organisms to reduce the number of pests - either encouraging wild organisms or adding new ones - helpful organisms could be predators, parasites or disease causing
  • Biological control can be longer lasting than spraying pesticides - less harmful to wildlife - intro to new organisms may be a problem