Exploring Farming Methods and Land Management
Intensive and Extensive Agriculture
Intensive agriculture seeks maximum performance, while extensive agriculture aims for maximum returns with minimal capital, labor, and lower yields.
Estates
Large properties exceeding 50 hectares, often underexploited due to absentee ownership, resulting in low yields and extensive grazing. Common in Andalusia.
Raw Materials
Basic products used in industrial processes to manufacture consumer goods.
Minifundio
Small farms under 10 hectares, typically run by families for their own consumption.
Monoculture
A cropping system focused on a single product. This can lead to issues like harvest variations due to weather, soil depletion, erosion, and machining challenges.
Sheep Farming
Sheep breeding has generally grown, despite declines in some breeds.
Plot Cropping
Small agricultural divisions bounded by fences, hedges, or other markers.
Biological Recovery
A process that allows the recovery of overexploited fish species.
Deep Sea Fishing
Fishing in open waters beyond territorial limits, typically using large vessels.
Inshore Fishing
Fishing within Spain’s exclusive economic zone (60 miles), using various gear like seines and longlines.
Continental Shelf
The gently sloping ocean floor extending from the coast to a depth of approximately 200 meters, where a steeper slope begins.
Polyculture
A cropping system based on the cultivation of multiple products.
Swine Farming
Native pig breeds like Iberian and Celtic are being replaced by foreign breeds.
Irrigation
Techniques and processes to supply water to crops for growth or improved yield. Methods include fixed systems (ponds, canals, pipes) and mobile systems (sprinklers, drip irrigation).
Traditional Irrigation
Mediterranean irrigation utilizes river water channeled to farm plots via ditches and canals, such as in orchards.
Rainfed/Dryland Farming
Significant in Spain, dryland farming relies solely on rainwater, contrasting with irrigated agriculture.
Land Tenure
Direct tenure occurs when the owner and farmer are the same person. Indirect tenure involves separate owner and farmer, such as sharecropping and leasing.
Afforestation
Regenerating soil by planting trees in eroded areas to combat erosion and desertification. Widely practiced in Spain.
Aquaculture
Cultivating aquatic animals and plants for controlled harvesting.
Market-Oriented Agriculture
In developed countries, production is regulated by market prices and primarily intended for sale.
Sharecropping
A system where the farmer pays the landowner a percentage of the harvest.
Leasing
The farmer pays the landowner a fixed fee (cash or product) for the right to cultivate the land.
Fishing Banks
Locations for net fishing, facing challenges due to overfishing.
Barbecho (Fallow)
Temporary land left unplanted between crops, characteristic of extensive, low-yield farming.
Cattle Ranching
Meat and dairy cattle farming has seen a slight decline in Spain.
Goat Farming
Goat farming has decreased for some breeds, while meat and dairy breeds like Granada and Murcia have grown.
Land Consolidation
Combining smaller plots into a larger main plot to improve farm efficiency, mechanization, and land access.
Agricultural Cooperatives
Members contribute land, labor, and capital, sharing profits proportionally.
Plasticulture
Using plastic sheeting to create high temperature and humidity for faster crop development and multiple harvests per year.
Sand Mulching
Applying a layer of sand over fertile soil to reduce water evaporation in sunny areas.
Feedlots
Confined livestock farming in stables, offering advantages for tasks like milking and manure collection. Some species, like sheep, adapt well to this system.
Livestock Farming
Raising domesticated animals for meat, at varying scales and intensities.
Rural Habitat
Concentrated habitats have homes and offices clustered together, with surrounding farmland. Dispersed habitats have individual dwellings scattered amidst farmland or natural landscapes.