ASSIGNMENT

Write a short description of different cropping systems in your country (about 100 words). Try to use at least 10 terms introduced in this lesson. Make use of relative pronouns in constructing your compound sentences. 

Write the description in the comment box below.  

The following questions may help you get started:


Do some farmers in your country grow more than one crop at the same time? If so, where, and what crops do they plant?


If farmers grow fruit and vegetables at the same time, how do they set about this?


If farmers grow two or more crops, but not at the same time, what crops are used and what techniques are employed?


What are the advantages of growing several crops?


___________________________________________

Answer the following questions. Write your anawer in the comment box below.





What is polyculture?
Can you describe some of the important polyculture systems?
Which ones are practised in your country?
Which of these systems do you think are the most difficult for farmers to implement? Why?
Which systems are easier? Why?

English for Agriculture unit 6 POLYCULTURE GRAMMAR

 Relative Pronouns
Look at the following sentences:
Polyculture is an agricultural system.
In this system, two or more useful plants are grown on the same land.
Please note that:

• We don't want to repeat 'agricultural system' and thus we substitute the relative pronoun which to combine the two sentences into one, as shown below:

Polyculture is an agricultural system in which two or more useful plants are grown on the same land.

The relative pronouns and its use:
that (used for things)
which (used for things)
who (used for people)
whom (used for people)
whose (usually used for people - shows possession)
where (used for places)
Note:

• In speaking, 'that ' can be used for people, but not in formal, written English.

Examples:
1. where (used for places)
Look at these sentences:
Polyculture is the dominant farming systems in many areas.
In these areas, the degree of mechanization is low.
Note:

• Because we don't want to repeat 'areas', we substitute the relative pronoun where and combine the two sentences into one sentence with 2 phrases (i.e. a compound sentence).   The sentences could be wriiten as follows:

Polyculture is the dominant farming system in many countries where the degreee of mechanization remains low.
2. that (used for things)
Look at these  sentences:
These are seeds.
I bought them yesterday.
Combining the sentences using the relative pronoun that, you might come up with the following sentence:
These are seeds that I bought them yesterday.
Please note that:

• This is incorrect.  We don't need the pronoun them.
• Using a relative pronoun helps us to avoid repeating a noun phrase, or using a pronoun.   In this case, using the pronoun them.

The correct sentence is
These are the seeds that I bought yesterday.
Please note that:

• We added the before the word seed.
• With these types of sentences we need to use the. 

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COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WITHTHE APROPRIATE PRONOUN. (THAT,WHICH,WHO,WHOM)

1. The book              she wrote was a best-seller.   

2. The book              inspired many students was written many years ago

3. The teacher          I was talking about now lives in Canada.--that

4. The teacher             inspired many students was well-known.

5. Ms Tate's publications,              have inspired many, are all on my bookshelves.  

6. The book                    many readers have learnt a lot from was written by that teacher.  

7. The teacher          many students were inspired by taught English literature.

8. The teacher                     every student looked up to retired 10 years ago.

9. The teacher             now lives in Canada was respected by many of her students.

10. The book             was written by her is still talked about.

11. The teacher                everybody respected remains single all her life.

12. The book               she wrote is used as a textbook in many literature courses.

13. The book              many courses use is published in only paperback editions.

14. The book               everybody is talking about does not cost much.

15. The teacher                       every student loved is still writing to her students.

16. Ms Tate,                 was trained in literature, has taught literature all her life.

17. The teacher                to  many students owe their success has taught in many countries.

18. The teaching to                many students owe their technique is captured in this book.

19. Ms Tate's letters,                her students are still inspired by, show how much she still cares for her students.

20. Ms Tate,                  many past students are still writing to, replies to all the letter.

21. Ms Tate's letters,                her students all treasure, contain words of wisdom.

22. Ms Tate,                      to  many of her students are writing, is living happily and peacefully in Canada.

English for Agriculture unit 6 READING: POLYCULTURE

Polyculture

Polyculture is a system in which two or more useful plants are grown on the same land. Variations within the system are multiple cropping, mixed cropping, intercropping, relay planting, interplanting, and interculture.
Multiple cropping is the growing of more than one crop in the same land in one year. For example, buckwheat  may be grown after harvesting peas . Both crops are grown as monoculture crops, but they are planted and harvested within  one year.
Mixed cropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously and intermingled , with no row arrangement.
Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops in alternate  rows , for example, maize alternating with soybean.
Relay planting is the practice of interplanting of the maturing  crop with seeds or seedlings of the following crop.
Interplanting is the practice of planting a short-term  annual crop with a long-term annual or biennial  crop. Oats  and alfalfa, for example, are commonly interplanted in the temperate zone.
Interculture is the cultivation of one crop underneath a perennial  crop, such as rice under coconut palm.
Polyculture is the dominant  farming system in many areas of the tropics, where the degree of mechanization and the use of agricultural chemicals remain low.

English for Agriculture unit 5 MONOCULTURE GRAMMAR AND ASSIGNMENT

GRAMMAR

This section explains the grammar that was introduced in the reading. Study the grammar carefully and complete the practice exercises to test your understanding. You may find it helpful to read the Reading again once you have practiced the grammar.

Modifiers, Noun Phrases and Verb Phrases

Remember the following sentences from the reading in this lesson:

1.      In monocultural farming systems, one or more crops per year may be grown.

2.      In both instances, crops are grown under monocultural practices.

3.      In monocultural systems, rotation is important for soil tilth.

These sentences all have the pattern:

(Modifiers) + Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase + (Noun Phrase) + (Modifier)

Modifiers	Noun Phrases	Verb Phrases
In monocultural farming systems,	one or more crops	may be grown
In both instances,	crops	are grown
for soil tilth	rotation	is important

Please note that:

• Sentences must start with a modifier (usually a time phrase or a place phrase) or a noun phrase.

Examples of place and noun phrase:

Place Phrase	Noun Phrase
In Thailand	Thailand
At the meeting	The meeting
All over the country	The country

• Sentences cannot start with a verb phrase.
• Modifiers are usually put at the start or end of sentences.
• Sentences must have a noun phrase and a verb phrase.
• The verb phrase must be after the noun phrase.
• When sentences start with a place phrase or time phrase (modifiers) these are followed by a comma (,). 

ASSIGNMENT

Write a short description of monocultural practices in your country (about 100 words). Try to use at least 10 terms introduced in this lesson. Make use of modifiers, noun phrases and verb phrases in constructing your sentences.  Write your answers in the comment box for comments and feedback.
The following questions may help you get started:




Do farmers in your country concentrate on one crop, or do they grow many types of crops?


Discuss any regional differences.


What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of growing only one crop?


How does the present situation compare with the past?



What is monoculture?


Where is it practised?


How important is this agricultural system in your country?


What are some of the main advantages of monocultural practises?

English for Agriculture unit 4 STAPLE CROPS reading

Staple Crops

source: Dimensions of Need- FAO, 1995 

Most people live on a diet of one or more of the following staples: rice, wheat, maize (corn), millet, sorghum, roots and tubers (potatoes, cassava, yams and taro), and animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese and fish.


Of more than 50,000 edible plant species in the world, only a few contribute significantly to food supplies.
Just 15 crop plants provide 90 percent of the world’s food energy intake. Of these, just three - rice, wheat and maize, provide 60 percent of the world’s food energy intake.


Although there are over 10,000 species in the Granineae (cereal) family, few have been widely introduced into cultivation over the past 2,000 years.


Rice feeds almost half of humanity.


Per capita rice consumption has generally remained stable or risen slightly since the 1960s.


It has declined in recent years in many of the wealthier, rice-consuming countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, because increased incomes have enabled people to eat a more varied diet.


A staple food is one that is eaten regularly, constitutes a major part of the diet and supplies a major portion of energy and nutrient needs.


A staple food does not meet a population’s total nutritional needs: a variety of foods is required.


Typically, staple crops are well adapted to the conditions in their source areas. For example, they may be tolerant of drought, pests or soils low in nutrients.

English for Agriculture unit 3 UPLAND FARMING grammar

Active Voice / Passive Voice

Look at the following sentences:

1. Most rice is grown in the lowlands.
2. Swidden farming is also called ‘shifting cultivation’.
3. It is found mainly in the uplands.
4. Most of the nutrients are stored in the living vegetation.
5. Soon, the nutrients are used up.
6. The land can be cleared for crops.

Please note that:

• These sentences are all examples of passive voice constructions.
• In passive voice, the emphasis is on what is done, not on who or what did it. Whereas, in the active voice, there is more emphasis on who is 'doing' the action.
• Passive voice is very common in agricultural English, especially in writing.

Active and Passive Voice Constructions

	Structure
Active Voice	subject   +   verb   +    object
example:	Farmers grow rice
Passive Voice	object changes to   +   verb   +   3rd subject            'to be'       verb
example:	Rice is grown (by farmers)

Using the above illustration, please note that:

• The '3rd verb' is often called the 'past participle'.
• In passive voice we often leave out who/what does the action (in this case, farmers) because we are more interested in what was done than who did it.

Examples:

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Many people eat rice every day.	Rice is eaten by many people every day.
Many people are eating rice now.	Rice is being eaten by many people now.
Many people will eat rice now.	Rice will be eaten by many people tomorrow.
Many people are going to eat rice tomorrow.	Rice is going to be eaten by many people tomorrow.
Many people ate rice yesterday.	Rice was eaten by many people yesterday.
Many people have eaten rice.	Rice has been eaten by many people.
Many people can eat rice.	Rice can be eaten by many people.

Active and Passive Voice with Verb Tenses

Active voice and passive voice can be made in all tenses.  But passive voice is difficult to construct because:

• The verb 'to be' is different for every tense

Tense	'to be'	Example
Present Simple	is / are	Rice is grown. Potatoes are grown.
Present Continuous	is being / are being	Rice is being grown. Potatoes are being grown.
Future Simple	will be	Rice will be grown. Potatoes will be grown.
Future with 'going to'	is going to be / are going to be	Rice is going to be grown. Potatoes are going to be grown.
Past Simple	was / were	Rice was grown. Potatoes were grown.
Present Perfect	has been / have been	Rice has been grown. Potatoes have been grown.
Auxilliary Construction	may be / can be / should be / etc.	Rice can be grown. Potatoes can be grown.

 

• The 3rd verb (past participle) is often different to the 2nd verb (past tense).

English for Agriculture unit 2 comprehension

COMPREHENSION

Write the answer to the following questions in the comment box.


a) Which is the most important crop in Asia?

b) What do farmers do to form bunds.?

c) What is a bund?

d)  After they build the bunds what do farmers do with them?

e) Briefly explain the activities in growing rice.

f) What is vital for high yields?

g) What else grows naturally in the rice fields?

Watch the following video and write a short summary of the video in the comment box. You may have to post more than one comment. write your name after each comment.

English for Agriculture: lesson 2 grammar verb tenses

Complete the reading excercise "farmers and the environment" in the prior entry. (for spanish speaking students, watch the following video)

Verb Tenses

This reading introduces the Present Simple Tense. This is one of the six most common verb tenses in English. Others include the Present Continuous tense, the Future Simple tense, the Future with ‘going to’, the Past Simple tense, and the Present Perfect tense. These tenses describe when something happens. All of the sentences in the reading are in the ‘Present Simple Tense’. They describe things that happen every year, always, every day, usually or sometimes.
The table below describes when to use each tense.

Tense	Example	When?
1. Present Simple	People eat rice	every day
2. Present Continuous	People are eating rice	now
3. Future Simple	People will eat rice	in the future
4. Future with ‘going to’	People are going to eat rice	in the future
5. Past Simple	People ate rice	in the past
6. Present Perfect	People have eaten rice	up to now

Examples:
Present Simple
Used to describe things which happen every year, always, every day, usually or sometimes.
Examples:

1. Most people in the Philippines eat rice.
2. She cooks rice everyday.

Present Continuous
Used to express an action in the present; something that is currently happening.
Examples:

1. They are eating rice.
2. He is cooking rice for dinner

Future Simple
Used to express the future.
Examples:

1. They will eat rice for breakfast.
2. I will cook more rice tonight.

 Future ‘with going to’
Also used to express the future except you use the verb to be + going to. The meaning is the same as the future simple.
Examples:

1. They are going to eat rice for dinner.
2. She is going to cook more rice tomorrow.

Past Simple
Used to express a completed action in the past.
Examples:

1. I ate rice for lunch.
2. They cooked rice.

Present Perfect
Used to show that an action was completed sometime before the present time. Used to indicate that an action started in the past and continues to the present time.
Examples:

1. She has eaten rice every day of her life.
2. They have cooked rice over a fire for years.

Writing Tips:

What are the commonly used tenses in scientific writing? 


When writing a typical paper, you will normally use both the past and present tenses.


When you refer to previously published work you should generally use the present tense. When you refer to your present results you should use the past tense.


When you are writing an abstract, most of it should be in the past tense because you are referring to your own present results. The Materials and Methods and Results sections should also be in the past tense because you are describing what you did and what you found. 


Most of the Introduction and Discussion should be in the present tense because you are usually talking about previously established knowledge.

English for Agriculture:1 Farmers and the environment

Watch the videoclips and post your opinion in the comment box.on how farmers affect the environment.

Farmers and the Environment


Agriculture is one of the world’s most important industries.
It produces food and provides employment for millions of people.
Farmers work on the land and try to control and adapt the natural ecosystem.
They use fire to clear the land and they irrigate crops.
They plant crops at certain times of the year.
They try to control pests and diseases.
In hunting and gathering societies, people have very little impact on the natural environment.
In urban societies, people have a very large impact.

Agricultural ecosystems affect the environment more than hunting and gathering societies, but not as much as urban societies.
Agro-ecosystems can be complex, with hundreds of crops and animals, or they can havejust one type of plant and animal.
Two of the most important agro-ecosystems in Asia are slash-and-burn cultivation (also called ‘swidden’ or ‘upland agriculture’) and lowland rice cultivation.

Look up and write the definition in the comment box that best applies to the reading.

English for Agriculture introduction Ingles para Agricultura

English for Agriculture

This course focuses on written communication skills. To get the most from this course you should already have an intermediate understanding of English.

English for Agriculture has the following objectives:

• To extend the agricultural English vocabulary of researchers. 
• To develop reading, listening and writing skills.  
• To increase understanding and proper use of grammar for scientific writing.  
• To create a community of geographically dispersed learners and to facilitate communication and interaction in a structured learning environment.

We hope this course will make a meaningful contribution to the English and technical studies of agricultural scientists and that it will help to bridge the communication gap between native and non-native users of agricultural English in their attempts to work together to develop sustainable agricultural production systems.

INGLES PARA AGRICULTURA

Bienvenidos a Inglés para Agricultura, un curso de capacitación dedicado a  mejorar la capacidad de comprender y utilizar el Inglés, términos y las estructuras gramaticales más comunes en los textos agrícolas y trabajos de investigación. Este curso se centra en la capacidad de comunicación escrita. Para aprovechar al máximo  este curso los alumnos deben ya tener una comprensión intermedia de inglés. Inglés para Horticultura tiene los siguientes objetivos:

•  Ampliar el vocabulario agrícola Inglés de los investigadores.
• Desarrollar la lectura, audición y habilidades de escritura.
• Aumentar la comprensión y el uso adecuado de  la escritura científica.

 Esperamos que con este curso se realice una contribución significativa al inglés y estudios técnicos de los científicos agrícolas, y que ayudara a disminuir  la brecha de comunicación en ingles entre  los usuarios agrícolas nativos y no nativos  en sus intentos de colaborar en el desarrollo sustentable de los sistemas de producción agrícola. 

Each lesson consists of an Introduction, Vocabulary
section, Reading (including audio and video clips), Grammar section, 
Discussion, and an Assignment. The Reading and Grammar sections also include practice exercises. The lessons get more complex as you progress through the course. It is suggested that you proceed through the course starting with lesson 1.


**My acknowledgement to PHIL GIBSON who put together the written part of the course of which I adapted for this blog.