Show:
Farming Systems
Conservation Practices
Environmental Impacts
Water Quality
Michigan Agriculture
100
Monoculture is the practice of growing _______________ in an agricultural operation.
A single crop.
100
Decayed organic material that is used as a soil amendment / plant fertilizer is ____________.
Compost.
100

 ______________ is a negative impact of unsustainable agricultural practices.

Accepted Answers: soil loss and degradation, loss of soil fertility/health, declining air quality, declining water quality, aquatic ecosystem degradation? habitat loss/fragmentation, nutrient loading in aquatic systems, pollution. 

100

List three metrics of water quality.

Acceptable answers: temperature, turbidity, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nutrients, bacteria, toxic substances (ammonia, metals, mercury, organics), total dissolved solids, suspended sediments, etc.

100

True or false:

Michigan's top agricultural exports are processed food products, soybeans & soybean meal, dairy products, feed & feed grains, and fresh & processed vegetables.

True.
200
What is an example of an "alternative farming" system? Describe its meaning.
Accepted answers: biodynamic, ecodynamic, permaculture, regenerative, etc.
200
A buffer zone can be planted around crop land to reduce ________.
Erosion.
200

Reduced ability of soil to hold water and nutrients, higher rates of water and nutrient runoff, and sedimentation and deposition of silts in low lying areas are all consequences of _______________________ (hint: it’s a negative impact of agricultural land use practices). 

Soil erosion, soil loss.

200

_________________ is the hydrologic process in which water moves downward from surface water into groundwater and is the primary way through which water enters an aquifer.


Accepted answers: groundwater recharge, deep drainage, deep percolation, infiltration. Groundwater recharge is the best answer. 

200
Choose the best answer. 


There are around ________ acres of tart cherry trees planted in Michigan.

a) 10,000

b) 32,000

c) 120,000

d) 500

e) 75,000

b) 32,000 
300
Large investments in management technology (i.e. tractors, harvesters, spray vehicles), high labor efficiency, and reliance on agribusinesses are generally classified as characteristics of what type of agriculture?
Conventional agriculture.
300
What are two benefits of rotational grazing?
Accepted answers: increases soil fertility, helps to control undesired plants (such as invasive species); more control of forage/pasture, saves money for the owner, allows the land to rest between grazing rotations, etc.
300

Surface waters and groundwater can be negatively impacted by unsustainable agricultural practices. Provide an example of an agriculture-related pollutant of surface waters and/or groundwater.

Accepted answers: Excess fertilizers/nutrients, nitrates, phosphorus, pesticides, manure (nutrients), heavy metals, sediments. 

300

Nutrient loading from animal waste and excess fertilizers can cause ________________ in surface waters which can negatively impact water quality and aquatic ecosystems. 

Acceptable answers: eutrophication, harmful algal blooms.

300
A lot of Michigan's agricultural land is at risk of ________.
Development.
400
What is a CAFO?
A Confined Animal Feeding Operation.
400
Name a way that agriculture contributes to climate change.

Accepted answer: N2O emissions associated with agricultural soils, CH4 emissions associated with livestock and manure.

400

As runoff from rainwater and snowmelt move over and through the ground, they pick up natural and human-made pollutants that are eventually deposited into watersheds through lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even groundwater. What kind of pollution is this? 

Nonpoint source pollution.

400

Give two examples of on-farm conservation practices that can help protect groundwater and surface waters from pollution and water quality degradation.

Acceptable answers: crop nutrient management, conservation tillage, irrigation water management, riparian buffer zones, vegetative filter strips, crop residue management, setbacks of contaminants from surface waters and wells, proper waste management, integrated pest management, storing chemicals, fuels, fertilizers, and manure on impervious surfaces, controlling livestock access to surface water, etc.

400

Michigan produces over ___ (number) commodities on a commercial basis including tart cherries, blueberries, dry beans, floriculture products, and cucumbers for pickles.

300.
500
What is a benefit to using a polyculture system in a farming operation?
Accepted answers: greater yield and diversity of crops, full use is made of the soil throughout the growing season, the different root systems mean fuller use of the soil, etc.
500
______ are used to build productive soil, suppress weeds, keep roots growing in the ground.
Cover crops.
500

_________________ is an agricultural practice that, if implemented in an unsustainable way and/or at high intensity, can cause the following consequences: soil exposure, increased erosion, encouragement of undesirable plant species, destruction of streambank and floodplain vegetation necessary for habitat and water quality filtration. 

livestock grazing, overgrazing

500

In 1948, the first major U.S. law was enacted to address water pollution and was later amended in 1972. This law established the basic structure of regulating pollutant discharges into waters of the United States and provided the foundation for Michigan’s Water Quality Standards. This law is known as________________. 

Acceptable Answers: The Clean Water Act, The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948.

500

In 2015, Michigan exported $2.8 billion in food and agricultural products. Name one of Michigan’s top export markets. (hint: name one of the top five countries to which we export)

Accepted answers: Canada, Japan, China, Thailand, and Mexico.