How does agricultural machinery affect the scale of farming and food production?
It allows a larger area of land to be farmed and food to be produced on a larger scale.
Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Biology 0970 (Extended) (2026–2028) · 20.1
Revise Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Biology 0970 (Extended) (2026–2028) specification point 20.1, Food supply, with free active-recall flashcards. Flip through the set or review every question and answer below.
1 / 19
How does agricultural machinery affect the scale of farming and food production?
It allows a larger area of land to be farmed and food to be produced on a larger scale.
How does machinery affect the speed of farm operations such as planting and harvesting?
It allows them to be carried out more quickly.
How does machinery affect the human labour needed for farm operations?
It allows the work to be done with less human labour.
What do chemical fertilisers supply to support plant growth?
Mineral nutrients needed for growth.
How does adding chemical fertilisers to farmland affect crop yield?
It increases yield: the amount of crop produced per area of land.
How do insecticides help protect crop quality and yield?
They control insects that damage crop plants.
How do herbicides help protect crop growth?
They control weeds that would otherwise compete with crops for resources needed for growth.
How does selective breeding increase food production?
Crop plants or livestock with desirable inherited characteristics are chosen as parents over successive generations. Productive characteristics become more common in their offspring, increasing food yield.
What is a large-scale crop monoculture?
The cultivation of one crop species over a large area.
What production advantages does a uniform crop offer in large-scale monoculture?
It simplifies planting, management and harvesting, enabling efficient machinery use and helping produce large quantities of food.
Why can pests and diseases spread readily in a crop monoculture?
The uniform crop contains susceptible plants throughout the area.
How can repeated cultivation in a monoculture affect soil nutrients?
It can deplete soil nutrients.
How does growing one crop species across a large area affect biodiversity?
It reduces biodiversity.
What is intensive livestock production?
Keeping many farm animals in a managed space, with their conditions and feeding controlled to increase animal-derived food production.
What production advantage can intensive livestock farming offer?
It can produce large quantities of animal-derived food efficiently.
How does intensive livestock production affect the land needed per animal?
It uses less land per animal.
How can high stocking densities affect disease in livestock?
Disease can spread more easily.
Why can high stocking densities raise animal welfare concerns?
They can restrict animals’ normal behaviour.
How can waste from intensive livestock production affect the environment?
Concentrated waste can pollute the environment.