Tutor profile: Donovan C.

What is the biggest problem that happens to uncovered soil?

The short answer is erosion! Erosion slowly takes soil from where it is supposed to be and moves it somewhere else by wind or water, destroying the natural soil. Erosion is also the reason why we have natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and lakes.

What is the potential amount of soil that has been eroded using the universal soil loss equation (USLE)? The soil is a sandy loam soil and contains 4% organic matter that has been in an alfalfa-small grain rotation (moderate residue is turned under the soil in August) and is farmed up and down the slope. The farmed changes to a no-till, continuous small-grain. The slope is 400 ft long with a 4% average grade, the R-value is 150. A = RKLSCP

R = 150 K = 0.08 (from table) LS = 0.67 (from table) CP = 0.22 (from table) A = 150 * 0.08 * 0.67 * 0.22 = 1.77 tons/acre/year

My teacher wants me to create a general paper about agriculture and the different ways that food reaches our tables. How can I start writing about this subject that I am unfamiliar with?

First, narrow down what the term agriculture refers to and look up the history of that word starting from the Latin roots, ager (field) and cultura (growing, cultivation). Next, see how agriculture first started with hunter-gatherers that began planting seeds in the ground and keeping animals that produced milk and eggs around their camps. Even though this isn't history class it helps build a foundation on the origins of farming. Thirdly, search for the big shocks to the area, for example, the second agricultural revolution brought about machines that largely replaced animal labor, or the third agricultural revolution (AKA "green revolution") brought about an increase in productivity by selectively breeding crops for yield. Finally, search for modern growing techniques and technology like greenhouses, hydroponics, conventional farming, organic farming, genetic engineering, food supply chain, and farm-to-table.