Chapter 19 Agricultural and Related Technology
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Technology in
Agriculture
Crops, as all living things, have a life
cycle. They are born when seeds germi-
nate. Crops grow and reach maturity. They
can be harvested or allowed to die. Farming
takes advantage of this cycle through
four processes. These include planting,
growing, harvesting, and in some cases,
storing. See Figure 19-6. The edible parts
of many crops are processed into food.
For example, wheat can be processed into
flour. Flour can be further processed, with
other ingredients, into bread.
At one time, growing crops was labor-
intensive. It took many people to grow
the food and fiber people needed. Today,
technological advancements allow a few
people to grow food for many people in
a relatively short period of time. Farming
has become equipment intensive. New
tools and machinery have been designed
to make work easier and more productive.
Fewer people are involved with producing
food now. More people are needed,
however, for processing, packaging, and
distributing it.
Growing crops involves a number of
technological devices and systems. These
specialized pieces of equipment are used
to improve the production of food, fiber,
fuel, and other useful products. These
devices can be divided into the following
classifications:
• Power (pulling) equipment.
• Tillage equipment.
• Planting equipment.
• Pest-control equipment.
• Irrigation equipment.
• Harvesting equipment.
• Storage equipment.
Power, or Pulling,
Equipment
People tamed and trained animals
to pull loads in the Stone Age. By 3500
BC, oxen were used to plow fields. Until
the twentieth century, animals provided
the majority of the pulling power needed
in farming. See Figure 19-7. During the
1900s, the tractor replaced animal power
on most farms. In the early 1900s, the
modern all-purpose tractor was developed.
By the 1950s, there were more than 3.5
million of these tractors in use. Today, the
farm tractor can be found in all parts of the
world. These devices provide the power to
pull all types of farm equipment. There are
two basic types of tractors: wheel tractors
and track machines. See Figure 19-8.
Both of these types of machines have the
following features:
Growing
Storing
Harvesting Planting
Figure 19-6. The processes in growing crops.