Roles of Science and Technology in Agriculture

 

Subject : 

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Term :

THIRD TERM

Week:

WEEK 1

Class :

JSS 3 / BASIC 9

Topic :

Roles of Science and Technology in Agriculture

 

Previous lesson: 

The pupils have previous knowledge of

CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION IN AGRICULTURE

that was taught as a topic in the previous lesson

 

Behavioural objectives :

At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to

• say the meaning of science and Technology
• Mention ways in which Science and technology have impacted Agricultural positively

 

 

Instructional Materials:

• Wall charts
• Pictures
• Related Online Video
• Flash Cards

 

 

Methods of Teaching:

• Class Discussion
• Group Discussion
• Asking Questions
• Explanation
• Role Modelling
• Role Delegation

 

Reference Materials:

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks
• 9 Year Basic Education Curriculum
• Workbooks

 

Content : 

 

TOPIC: ROLES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

CONTENTS:

1. Meaning of (i) Science and (ii) Technology

2. Application of Science and Technology to Agriculture

3. Factors Affecting the Application of Science and Technology in Agriculture

Sub-Topic:

MEANING OF (I) SCIENCE AND (II) TECHNOLOGY

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The urgent need of man as a result of increase in the population world over is how to improve the quantity, quality and variety of his production. Any country that desires to develop its agricultural system must apply science and technology in the production, processing, preservation and marketing of food and fibre.

 

 

 

MEANING OF SCIENCE:

Science can be defined as a branch of study which deals with the acquisition of knowledge through observations and testing out facts which are arranged systematically.

 

Meaning of Technology:

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for the production of useful things. It is also means any innovation which will lead to improvement on the old ways of doing things.

 

Meaning of Science and Technology: 

Science and Technology refer to the acquisition and application of knowledge for the production of useful things with increased productivity from minimum effort. Technology started with the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century, with the introduction of power-driven machinery which took over the work originally done manually. This affected agriculture because machines were introduced to carry out agricultural activities (this is called Mechanized Agriculture/Farming). Through science and technology large hectares of land can be cultivated with better methods and increased yields. The advanced countries of the world like USA, Britain, Germany, France, China etc have succeeded in using machines to improve agricultural production thus increase their efficiency from little effort.

 

 

 

Sub-Topic 2:

APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

Science and Technology play major roles in the development of agriculture in developed and developing countries by providing means of solving varied problems facing their farmers. The population of some countries, particularly Nigeria is growing to an alarming proportion with the result that it has become difficult to feed the people. To meet up with the food requirement of the growing population, such countries must apply science and technology. The contributions of science and technology to agricultural development are the following:

1. Farm Power and Machinery:

Science and Technology have helped in inventing various machines such as tractors, tractor-coupled implements, crop protection machines, milking machines, incubators, processing machines etc to improve agric production.

 

2. Understanding of Climate (climatology) and weather (meteorology) conditions of different places and consequently the type of farming system suitable for such places.

 

3. Improved Planting Materials: seeds and seedlings through Biotechnology (modification of living things to make useful products that can be beneficial to man) like Tissue culture, Plant genetic modification, Molecular breeding, Marcotting or Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (in animals).

4. Pest and Disease Control (management): A large percentage of farm products are lost annually to diseases, pests and weeds. With the knowledge of science and technology, many chemicals such as insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, fumigants, herbicides (weedicides) etc have been developed to wage war against these enemies thereby prevent crop failure.

 

5. Plant and Animal Nutrition: With the knowledge gained from science, man has been able to study the mineral content of the soil and the type of soil needed for crop growth. In addition, the study of feeds and feeding has also revealed that the quantity and quality of livestock products depend on the quality and quantity of feeds given to them.

 

6. Harvesting, Processing and Packaging: In large farms, crops are harvested with the use of machines like combine harvester for cereal grain crops, root crop harvester for cassava, forage harvester etc. Machines like shellers, threshers are used to process crops such as cereals and legumes. Food packaging of agricultural produce helps to preserve produce from losses. Through the application of science and technology, food items can be packed in cans, plastic bags for easy storage or sale.

 

    Rice harvester Wheat harvester (combine harvester)

 

   Wheat harvester Wheat harvester

 

    Cotton harvester Grain harvester

 

7. Storage of Agricultural Produce: One of the challenges facing farmers is how to store their farm produce as soon as they are harvested. Lack of good storage facilities and methods have caused serious losses of agric products via pests, diseases and even the weather. However, with the help of science and technology, many storage facilities have been invented to reduce the loss caused by the spoilage pests and micro-organisms. Storage of farm produce has been encouraged in Nigeria by the establishment of a special research institute, known as the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), with the headquarters based at Ilorin in Kwara state.

8. Transport and Communication: Transportation makes the distribution of farm produce to different markets for sale. It makes both internal and external trade easy. Different types of communication equipment have been invented such as Radio, TV, Newspaper, Journals, Magazines, Cellular telephones, The Internet (Google, Wikipedia, African Agriculture) etc for easy dissemination of important information about various modern agric practices developed in research centers for the benefit of farmers in the rural areas.

 

9. Plant and Animal Improvement: The science of plant and animal breeding has made it possible to cross plants or animals of different desirable qualities to produce hybrids which are high yielding and resistant to some common pests and diseases.

 

10. Water Supply: Agricultural production depends on natural water which may not always be sufficient. With the help of science and technology bore holes, deep wells water reservoirs, dams and irrigation systems have been constructed to supply water to the farms and villages. With this farming can be done throughout the year in many of the drier areas.

11. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Agriculture: This involves acquiring agricultural information by using computers, fixed and mobile telephones, listening to agric programmes on radio, watching programmes on TV or videos showing the best ways of growing crops, taking care of livestock or even selling agricultural produce.

 

12. Agricultural Research Centres: The purpose of conducting agric research is to study and understand the major problems facing farmers and other people involved in crop farming, livestock, fisheries and forestry production in different areas and how to develop ways of reducing the problems identified. An agricultural research institute plays major roles in the application of science and technology to agriculture and is intended to develop new ways of practicing agriculture and thereby improve its production.

 

 

NIGERIAN (LOCAL) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES

AREAS RESEARCH INSTITUTES LOCATIONS

1 Arable Crops National Agricultural Extension Research & Liaison Services (AERLS) Zaria, Kaduna state

2 Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna state

3 Institute of Agricultural Research & Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, Oyo state

4 National Cereals Research Institute (NCRS) Badeggi, Niger state

5 Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) Maiduguri, Borno state

6 National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Anambra state

7 Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) Ilorin, Kwara state

8 Forestry,

Horticulture

& Tree Crops Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria Ibadan, Oyo state

9 National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) Ibadan, Oyo state

10 Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Onigambari, Oyo state

11 Nigeria Institute for Oil-palm Research (NIFOR) Benin, Edo state

12 Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN) Iyanomo, Edo state

13 Animal Production,

Fisheries &

Oceanography National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Zaria, Kaduna state

14 National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) Kanji, Niger state

15 Nigeria Institute for Oceanography & Marine Research (NIOMAR) Lagos, Lagos state

16 Leather Research Institute of Nigeria (LRIN) Zaria, Kaduna state

17 Animal

Health National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom, Plateau state

18 Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR) Kaduna, Kaduna state

 

 

 

FOREIGN (INTERNATIONAL) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN NIGERIA

 

RESEARCH INSTITUTES LOCATION

1 International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Oyo state

2 The West-Africa Rice Development Association-Africa Rice Centre (WARDA) Ibadan, Oyo state

3 International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Kano, Kano state

4 International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA)

5 International Centre for Research in Agro-Forestry

 

 

ROLES OF RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN AGRICULTURE

1. Development of improved planting materials

2. Improvement in animal production

3. Use of natural enemies and disease agents to control pests

4. Use of chemical fertilizers to improve soil fertility

5. Improved water supply through irrigation

6. Efficient use of pesticides to control pests and diseases

7. Improved harvesting, storage, processing and packaging methods

8. Better methods of marketing agricultural produce

 

Sub-Topic 3:

FACTORS AFFECTING APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE:

 

Several factors affect the proper and successful application of science and technology in agriculture. These factors include:

1. Economic/Financial factors

2. Unavailability of farmland

3. Conservatism/Unwillingness to adopt scientific methods by the local farmers

4. Illiteracy/Ignorance of farmers

5.Availability of market information and facilities.

 

 

 Presentation

 

The topic is presented step by step

 

Step 1:

The class teacher revises the previous topics

 

Step 2.

He introduces the new topic

 

Step 3:

The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise

 

 

EVALUATION

1. What do you understand by science?

2. Define Technology

3. Differentiate between science and technology.

4. Where did Industrial Revolution started and when?

 

5. State seven roles of science and technology in agriculture

 

6. What do you understand by climatology and meteorology?

 

7. Mention eight powered tools that replaced crude implements

 

8. What do you understand by Biotechnology?

 

9. Mention three methods of Biotechnology.

 

10.. Mention 10 local Research Centers and 5 foreign Research Centers

 

11. State five factors that can affect application of science and technology in agriculture

 

12. Why is it necessary to apply the knowledge gained from science and technology to food production?

 

13.. As a student, how has science and technology been of benefit  to you?

 

 

Conclusion

The class teacher wraps up or concludes the lesson by giving out short notes to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.

The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written by the pupils.

He or she does the necessary corrections when and where the needs arise.