Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure
3.3.
Nick Murphy planting soybeans.
farm equipment is around $750,000. Steve's son, Nick, is shown in Figure 3.3 planting
soybeans with their computer-guided tractor and zero-tillage planter.
3.1.1 Types of Food and Feed Grains
Grain crops are generally divided into two groups: those consumed by humans and
those fed to animals. Within the United States, grains for animal feed are called
“coarse grains.” In practice, many grains are consumed by both humans and animals.
Sometimes the distinction is made on the grain quality. Other times it depends solely
on culture and historical practice within a particular country.
Many food and feed grains are the seeds of plants in the grass family. Examples
include wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, and millet. A second important class of
grains includes the seeds of plants classified as legumes. Examples of these are soy-
beans, peanuts, lentils, beans, cowpeas, and chickpeas. Other grains of major economic
importance are oil crops such as sunflower, safflower, and mustard. The world pro-
duction of 12 major grain crops is shown in Figure 3.4.
Grain crops are extremely important to world trade because they are uniquely well
suited for shipment. When dried and protected from insects and animals, wheat, maize,
and rice can be stored without deterioration for several years. They contain high-quality
starch and protein that can be easily assimilated by the human body. Rice requires only
removal of the hull before being boiled. Both maize and wheat only require grinding to
form flour used in many food products. The grains are durable and small enough to flow
through automated loading and unloading equipment without damage. It is this
durability and nutritional value that led our ancestors to select these seeds over others.
1
3.1.2 Importance of Grain Crops in World Trade
Cereal grains are a major source of income for the United States. The United States net
balance of trade in cereal grains averages $10 to 15 billion each year. All of this is
