Biotic Factors Affecting Agricultural Production

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Hi, Welcome to this blog on the topic: Biotic factors affecting agricultural production.

Table Of Contents

  1. Soil organisms
  2. Pests
  3. Parasites
  4. Diseases
  5. Weeds
  6. Predators
  7. Human activities

Biotic Factors Affecting Agricultural Production include:

1. Soil Organisms

  1. These includes bacteria, fungi, earthworm, rodents and termites.
  2. Some, like bacteria and fungi, can cause diseases.
  3. Some aid aeration of soil, percolation and fertility.
  4. Some, like the roots nodule bacteria can fix nutrients directly to plants and the soil.
  5. Some open up wounds on plants or animals for other pathogens to enter.
  6. Some reduce the quality and quantity of crops, e.g, potato and yam.
  7. Some help in the decomposition of plant materials to form humus.

2. Pests

  • These include insects, rodents birds and some mammals.
  • They reduce the yield of crops and animals.
  • They also reduce the quality of crops and animals.
  • Some are vectors or carriers of diseases.
  • They reduce the income of the Farmers.
  • The cost of their control increases the cost of production.

3. Parasites

  • They include ticks, liverflukes, tapeworms, dodder, mistletoe and lice.
  • Some transmit diseases.
  • They reduce the quantity or yield of produce.
  • They also reduce the quality of produce.
  • They may cause the death of plants and animals.
  • They reduce production capacity of livestock or crops.
  • Cost of control increases cost of production.
  • They may be external or internal (i.e ecto or endo parasit)

4. Diseases

  • They may be diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa etc.
  • They cause reduction in yield of crops and animals.
  • They can cause the loss or death of plants and animals.
  • The cost of control increases the cost of production.
  • They cause reduction in farmers income.

5. Weeds

  • They compete with crops for space, water, nutrients and sunlight.
  • Some weeds can harbor diseases and pests.
  • They reduce the yield of crops.
  • Weed control increases the cost of production.
  • Weeds cause poor growth of crops.

6. Predators

  • These are birds, rodent and praying mantis.
  • Some are beneficial in agricultural production.
  • Some are used to control some harmful pests of crops and animals.
  • Some feed on farm animals, e.g, Hawks feed on chicks.

7. Human activities: Human activities include the influence of man on the production of plants and animals.

  • His activities may improve the fertility of the soil if he uses fertilizers and manure.
  • There could be increase in yield if he practices crop rotation.
  • There could be increase in yield if he controls pests and diseases.
  • Increase in yield or production can also be enhanced if he gets rid of weeds from his farm.
  • Continuous cultivation, Bush burning and inability to control erosion can lead to lower agricultural output.

Revision Questions

  1. List the seven biotic factors affecting agricultural production.
  2. State the effects of soil organisms affecting agricultural production.
  3. State two effect of pests affecting agricultural production.
  4. What are the effect of weeds in agricultural production?
  5. Three ways whereby human activities can improve agricultural production.
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