Introduction to Agriculture and the Agricultural Environment
What agriculture is
Agriculture is the deliberate cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for food, fibre, fuel and income. Candidates must distinguish subsistence farming (produce mainly for the household) from commercial farming (produce mainly for sale), and must classify farming by scale (smallholder versus large-scale), by inputs (intensive versus extensive) and by combination (mixed farming, where crops and livestock are kept together).
Branches and their products
Know the four branches: agronomy (field crops such as sorghum, maize, sunflower), horticulture (vegetables, fruit, ornamentals), animal production (cattle, goats, poultry) and forestry/agroforestry. A common trap is to place a crop in the wrong branch, or to treat horticulture as a separate industry from agriculture.
The agricultural environment
Botswana's environment is semi-arid: low, erratic rainfall, high evaporation, sandy soils of low fertility and frequent drought. Farming therefore depends on rain-fed cropping in the north and east, molapo (flood-recession) and dryland systems, borehole irrigation, and extensive livestock keeping on communal rangeland. Know the difference between climate (long-term pattern) and weather (day-to-day state), and between biotic factors (pests, diseases, weeds, pollinators) and abiotic factors (rainfall, temperature, soil, light).
Worked example
A farmer keeps 40 goats, grows sorghum for family use and sells only surplus goats. Classify the system: it is mixed (crops plus livestock), subsistence-oriented (main output consumed), smallholder in scale and extensive in its use of rangeland. Show each label with a reason - examiners award the reason, not just the label.
Traps to watch
Do not confuse 'arable' (land that can be ploughed) with 'arid' (dry). Do not claim agriculture is only crop growing. Always link environmental constraints to a practical response, such as drought-resistant crops, water harvesting or fodder conservation.