Crop production is one of the most important branches of the Russian economy, generating about 2% of GDP and providing more than half of the food on the tables and in refrigerators of Russians. In addition, crop production is a key supplier of livestock feed and raw materials for some industries. Finally, growing cultivated plants is a huge sector in the labor market with great importance in the countryside.

Labor resources in crop production in Russia

The number of persons employed in agriculture in Russia has steadily declined over the past two decades and has now reached less than 6 million people. Of these, only about half work directly at agricultural enterprises, the rest are engaged in the processing of agricultural products.

Accurate statistics on exactly how many workers are employed directly in crop production probably do not exist, since many farms combine plant growing with animal breeding. At the same time, part of the personnel is involved in both segments, that is, the professions in animal husbandry and crop production intersect. In addition, the calculations are complicated by the fact that in crop production, some types of work (for example, harvesting) are often entrusted to seasonal workers who are not on the staff of the enterprise.

However, the stubborn decline in the number of people employed in agriculture in Russia has been largely at the expense of crop production professions. This industry has been actively modernized, in the process of which manual labor increasingly replaced by mechanical Even the picking of fruits and berries is gradually being transferred from manual harvesting to harvesting with the help of special combines. Also, the decrease in the number of workers in crop production was significantly affected by the decrease in sown areas in Russia.

It is important to note that all of the above does not apply to small farms (including illegal ones), which today provide a significant part of vegetables, fruits and berries grown in Russia. According to the most rough estimates, about 700 thousand - 1 million people are employed in this segment

Structure of employment in crop production

All professions related to crop production can be divided into production and administrative support staff. As it is not difficult to guess, production personnel are those people who are directly involved in the production of products or maintenance of production processes. These are tractor drivers, combine operators, agronomists, etc. Management and support personnel include all those who are engaged in the general management of the enterprise and other non-production tasks. In addition to directors and purchasing / sales managers, this includes secretaries, accountants, drivers, canteen workers, cleaners, etc.

Also in crop production, the practice of using temporary or seasonal workers is quite common, which at certain production stages can make up a significant part of the labor resource of the enterprise. Unskilled personnel are hired for seasonal work (usually harvesting), so they do not have an agricultural profession as such. It is a completely different matter - permanent workers who are on the staff of the enterprise all year round and have certain qualifications that allow them to perform more complex and responsible types of work. This includes all the main professions of crop production - agronomists, tractor drivers, combine operators, etc.

Structure labor resources businesses are highly dependent on various factors(specialization and farm size, climatic conditions in which the activity is carried out, the technological level of the enterprise, etc.) However, with rough calculations, it can be said that the production staff in crop farms is about 85%, of which 75% are permanent workers.

As for farms, the structure of their labor resources is rather peculiar. First, their staff is rarely strictly divided into positions and professions. As a rule, workers do a little bit of everything depending on what needs to be done in this moment. Secondly, very often farming is family business, in which members of the same family are employed, which makes it meaningless to build classic labor relations in the format of "administrative staff - ordinary workers". Accordingly, the professions of people who are engaged in crop production according to this scheme also do not lend themselves to the usual classification.

Brief overview of the main professions

In crop production, there great multitude various professions and specialties, so it is not possible to list them all within the framework of this article. We will consider only the most popular professions in Russia:

• agronomist,
• seed grower,
• tractor/combine driver
• agricultural machinery repairman
• reclamation engineer,
• soil scientist,
• agrochemist.

Agronomist - main man at an agricultural enterprise in matters of plant growing technology. He is responsible for organizing the production of all crops, developing a system of crop rotation, fertilization and the use of other agricultural practices. His responsibilities include drawing up crop cultivation maps, work plans. In other words, it is the agronomist who manages everything production process Therefore, he is required to have knowledge of general biological disciplines, agriculture, crop production, agrochemistry, land reclamation, the basics of breeding and seed production, and the general economy of the industry. Agronomists are graduated from higher educational institutions of agricultural profile.

Seed grower is also one of the most important professions of people in crop production. He works under the guidance of an agronomist and prepares seeds for sowing, treating them with special chemicals to fight diseases and insects. Also, the duties of a seed grower include caring for plants, supervising the work of threshing, cleaning and drying seeds. It is also entrusted with the functions of preparing storages and containers for storing seeds. For the profession of a seed grower, as well as for an agronomist, knowledge of general biological disciplines, agriculture, crop production, agrochemistry, land reclamation, the basics of selection and seed production is necessary. Professions of a seed grower are taught in higher educational institutions of an agrarian profile.

Tractor drivers perform a significant part of the field work in modern crop production, driving wheeled and tracked tractors with attachments. In a circle official duties tractor driver includes plowing and cultivating fields, sowing, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, and performing other work in the field. A tractor driver must not only be able to operate a tractor and attachments, but also be able to carry out locksmith and repair work to quickly eliminate minor breakdowns of equipment in field conditions. Although a harvester is very different in design and purpose from a tractor, at many enterprises harvesting with a combine is also done by ordinary tractor operators. Specialists of this profession are trained in vocational schools, colleges and other educational institutions of this level. At the same time, the practice of training directly at the enterprise is widespread.

A mechanic for the repair of agricultural machinery and machines is not directly involved in the production of crop products. However, no serious crop farm can do without one or more of these specialists. The locksmith is engaged in repair and current maintenance agricultural machinery and equipment (tractors, combines, plows, cultivators, seeders, etc.) To perform this work, you need to be well versed in modern agricultural machinery, including electronics. Such specialists are trained at vocational schools, as well as at agricultural universities.

Slightly less popular in Russia are such professions of people engaged in crop production as an reclamation engineer, a soil scientist and an agrochemist.

The reclamation engineer is responsible for preparing the fields for irrigation, under his supervision the maintenance of sprinkler installations is carried out. In order to properly organize the irrigation system, it is necessary to know geodesy, the ability to read relief topographic maps, and determine the slopes of the terrain. Land reclamation engineers are trained in engineering and agricultural universities.

A soil scientist studies the characteristics of soils in the fields of crop production, determines the natural processes that affect the state of the soil, prepares recommendations regarding the use of certain parts of the field (which crops are better to grow, how to increase fertility, how best to combat erosion, etc.) Soil scientists are trained in agricultural universities.

The agrochemist directs the implementation of measures to increase crop yields, under his supervision the agrochemical laboratory of the farm determines the optimal plant varieties for the area and the fertilizer application system. It requires knowledge of general biological disciplines, chemistry, the basics of breeding and seed production. Universities graduate agricultural chemists.

The northern regions of Russia belong to the zone of risky farming. Forage crops (beets, turnips), potatoes are grown here. Animal husbandry is represented by small farms engaged in cattle breeding.

Mixed coniferous-deciduous forests of the Non-Chernozem Region and the southern one belong to the zone of unstable agriculture. Crops that are undemanding to heat are grown here - potatoes, flax, rye, oats. Poultry and pig breeding are developed in this zone.

Plant growing is well developed in the forest-steppe regions - up to half of all areas are used for growing vegetables, potatoes, grain, industrial and fodder crops. Rich crops on the fields here provide a good fodder base for industrial poultry farming, cattle breeding and pig breeding.

The steppe zone is the main granary of the country. In the Southern Urals, in the Volga region, in the Kuban, wheat and corn are grown. Sheep are bred on pastures and large cattle.

For mountainous regions and semi-deserts pasture sheep breeding is typical. Plant growing is not developed here.

Integrated zoning of agriculture

In addition to climatic features, other factors also influence the zoning of agriculture. These include the number of people living in a particular area, national characteristics, availability of markets for products and different ways organization of production.

In the 21st century, the economy of our country has changed a lot, which could not but affect the zoning of agriculture. The role of animal husbandry has decreased, potatoes have been greatly dispersed, and flax crops have decreased.

Modern agriculture is usually divided into several types, which take into account the climatic features of the area, the traditional specialization of large agricultural enterprises and the diversity of the economy.

The suburban type of agriculture is concentrated around large Russian cities. The livestock-farming type is characteristic of the Non-Black Earth Region and the forest-steppes of Siberia. Meat and dairy production is developed here, as well as the cultivation of forage crops.

In the European part of Russia, an intensive agricultural and livestock type of agriculture prevails. Winter and spring wheat, sunflower, sugar beet. Private farms engaged in raising cattle.

The southern regions of the country are characterized by an intensive agricultural type of agriculture. In the lower reaches of the Volga Krasnodar Territory grow vegetables, cereals and gourds. In some places, rice growing has been preserved here, but in the southern regions Far East soybean cultivation was developed.

In addition to the above main types of agriculture, there are less common ones - in the steppe regions central Russia lowland animal husbandry is developed, in the Caucasus and Altai - mountain animal husbandry, and in northern regions- reindeer breeding.

The task of agriculture is the production of food for humans, feed for farm animals and raw materials for the processing industry. In agriculture, there are two main branches: agriculture and animal husbandry. Agriculture is a branch of agricultural production based on the rational use of land for the purpose of growing crops, obtaining a stable and high-quality crop. It is divided into a number of sub-sectors:
1) field farming - studies the methods of growing field crops (cereals, fodder, technical, melons);
2) vegetable growing;
3) fruit growing;
4) grassland, etc.
Agriculture as a science originated about 10 thousand years ago. At first, it existed in the form of skills and abilities for cultivating agricultural plants, which were passed down from generation to generation, first orally, then in writing (clay tablets with descriptions that are about 6 thousand years old have come down to us).
The content of agriculture as a science changed with the development of the productive forces of society. At first, it was of a complex, encyclopedic nature, combining the issues of crop rotation, soil cultivation, the use of fertilizers, land reclamation, agricultural technology, pest control, diseases and weeds of agricultural crops, i.e. included today's agronomic disciplines: agriculture, crop production, selection and seed production, agrochemistry, agricultural melioration, entomology, phytopathology, agricultural mechanization, etc. As knowledge accumulated from the 19th century. the differentiation of agriculture began, a number of disciplines spun off from it, and in the first quarter of the 20th century, when agriculture was divided into general and private (plant growing), its content became what it is in our time.
Modern agriculture can be defined as the science of the rational use of land. Its tasks include the development of agrotechnical measures to improve the effective fertility of soils using physical and biological methods.
On fig. 1.1 shows the relationship of agriculture with other agricultural sciences.


Rice. 1.1. The relationship of agriculture with other agricultural sciences
Thus, agriculture is based on soil science, plant physiology and agricultural microbiology, is in close contact with agrochemistry, plant protection and agricultural mechanization and, in turn, serves as the basis for crop production.
The main task of agriculture as a branch of agricultural production is the maximum satisfaction of the growing needs of society in food, feed and agricultural raw materials. According to statistics, in terms of production and consumption of agricultural products, our country is now significantly inferior to the most developed countries. In Russia, the nutrition of the population is not provided in accordance with medical standards (Tables 1.1 and 1.2).
Table 1.1 Agricultural production per capita




Grain production requires special attention. In civilized countries, about 1 ton of grain is produced per inhabitant. For Russia, this means an annual gross grain harvest of 140-150 million tons, while in the last 10 years it has been 70-90 million tons, i.e. about half of the recommended amount. This implies an increase in the production of own grain by increasing yields and stabilizing the domestic market.
If we turn to the data on the yield of grain crops in our country, then over 100 years, compared with the pre-revolutionary period (1913), it increased approximately three times, but remains low and unstable, with fluctuations from 0.5–0.7 t/ha in dry years to 2.0–2.2 t/ha in wet years.
As statistics show, we are significantly inferior to civilized countries both in terms of crop yields and labor productivity in agriculture (Table 1.3). Ways to overcome the existing backlog follow from the experience of world and domestic agriculture. This is an environmentally safe intensification of production, an achievement based on science and advanced production experience of a high culture of agriculture.
From an economic point of view, intensification is an increase in labor costs and funds per unit of land area with a simultaneous increase in output. From an agronomic point of view, the intensification of agriculture is an increase in human impact on the soil and plants in order to increase the yield.


In the field of agriculture, intensification is carried out mainly through mechanization, chemicalization and melioration. The intensification of agriculture is characterized by the most complete regulation of plant life factors by man, which makes it possible to increase the return on the use of arable land, i.e., on the one hand, we invest more, on the other, we take more from the land. But the intensification must be carried out within ecologically justified limits and regimes, otherwise it causes Negative consequences. Thus, the task of agriculture as a branch of agricultural production is to provide plants with all the factors of growth and development, and agriculture as a science is to develop methods for their most productive use.

Lecture, abstract. Agriculture as a science and a branch of agricultural production - the concept and types. Classification, essence and features.

Can Russian agriculture fully provide the country with food and raw materials?

What are the characteristics of agriculture?

Agriculture is the oldest branch of the economy, giving people food, and industry - raw materials.

The most important feature of agriculture is its dependence on natural conditions. So, for example, each type of cultivated plants has its own distribution area, determined by the length of the growing season, the requirements for heat and light, soil fertility and moisture. Natural factors affect the placement of animals indirectly - through the food supply. The agriculture of our country is characterized by seasonal production. Unlike most European countries located in the temperate climate zone, in Russia, due to the greater continentality of the climate, longer winter period. In addition, a significant part of the agricultural workers are employed in crop production, in which all work is completely subordinated to seasonal rhythms nature.

Agriculture consists of two interrelated branches - agriculture and animal husbandry.

Rice. 10. Harvest

The share of agriculture (plant growing) is about 53% of the value of all agricultural products in Russia. The basis of crop production is grain farming, and its most important crop is wheat (winter and spring). Winter wheat grown in the European part of the country (Central Black Earth region, North Caucasus, right-bank Volga region). The main areas for growing spring wheat are the Trans-Volga region, the south of the Urals and Siberia.

Rice. 11. Major crops

In the south of the forest zone, rye, undemanding to soils, is traditionally grown.

Barley and oats are predominantly forage, that is, fodder crops.

Cereal crops are rice (a tropical moisture-loving crop), buckwheat and millet. Rice grown in Russia occupies the northernmost distribution areas in the world in the floodplain of the Kuban and in the Volga delta, as well as in the south of the Far East. Drought tolerant millet crop small areas distributed throughout the steppe zone. Buckwheat does not tolerate drought, its main areas are the moistened lands of the Central Black Earth Region, the Volga Region, and the Urals.

Rice. 12. Cereals

Winter wheat is more productive than spring wheat, but it is also more demanding on soils, more thermophilic. On the other hand, spring wheat is more drought-resistant, it is cultivated in a continental climate, and it has better baking qualities.

Rye (gray) bread - delicious and useful product. The best grades of alcohol are also prepared from rye, starch is obtained, and in early spring, on winter rye, sometimes cattle graze.

Barley is the most early and frost-resistant grain crop, it "goes" farthest to the north and above all to the mountains. For a long time, pearl barley was valued among Russian peasants - cereals obtained from barley and similar in color to river pearls. And pearls in the old days were called pearls in the French manner. Beer is brewed from barley, and it is also used as a coffee substitute.

Rice. 13. Industrial crops

1. Using the text of the textbook, name and show on the map the areas of cultivation of the main grain and industrial crops.
2. In what regions (natural and economic zones) of Russia is crop production most developed? Why? Match the map data with the maps on p. 20 and 21.
3. Think about the branches of crop production that are almost ubiquitous. Why?

Oats are very unpretentious. That's what they say about him: "Throw him into the mud - he will be a prince." Oat grain is very nutritious, it contains a lot of protein, fats, vitamins. Tasty and extremely useful cereals - buckwheat and millet. It's easy to guess that buckwheat porridge prepared from buckwheat. What about wheat? From millet, one of the most ancient cultivated plants of Eurasia. Millet is quickly boiled soft, and in terms of protein content it ranks first among other cereals.

What cultures are technical?

Technical crops include crops that are mainly used as raw materials for individual industries industry. Flax is the most important fibrous crop in Russia. The humid mild climate of the south of the forest zone in the European part of Russia is most suitable for its cultivation. Flax crops due to the reduction rural population and the high labor intensity of its production have been declining in recent decades.

Rice. 14. Flax field

Linen fiber is twice as strong as cotton. In Russian villages, they knew how to make a thin elegant canvas - cambric ("northern silk"), with softness and brilliance reminiscent of expensive overseas silk.

Sugar beet is the only raw material for sugar production in the temperate zone. This crop, demanding for warmth, fertility and soil moisture, is grown in the Central Black Earth Region and the North Caucasus. Sunflower is more drought-resistant, so its distribution area is dry steppe and steppe zone. Like sunflower, mustard (Volga region) and soybean (south of the Far East) are valuable oil crops. Potato is one of our most consumed food products, as well as the most important fodder and industrial crop, from which starch and alcohol are obtained. Potatoes are grown everywhere, but most of all - in the central regions of the European part.

Large suburban and industrial areas stand out for the production of vegetables, where specialized and greenhouse farms, as well as the southern regions of European Russia, where horticulture is also developed. gourds(watermelons and melons) are common in arid regions of the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. The distribution area of ​​viticulture practically does not go beyond the borders of the North Caucasus. In the Krasnodar Territory Black Sea coast In the North Caucasus, tea growing is developing and citrus fruits are grown.

conclusions

Agriculture consists of two interrelated branches - agriculture (plant growing) and animal husbandry. Agricultural production depends on natural conditions, so in our country it has a clearly defined seasonal character. Agricultural lands occupy only 13% of the area of ​​Russia.

The basis of crop production in Russia is grain farming, and its most important crop is wheat. The country's crop production is characterized by zonal specialization, that is, the cultivation of a certain set of agricultural crops in each natural and economic zone.

Questions and tasks

1. List the main branches of crop production in Russia. Which of them do you think are the most important?
2. Prove on concrete examples that crop production depends on agro-climatic conditions.
3. Remember from the 8th grade geography course how extensive and intensive agriculture differ.
4. What is the specialization of agriculture in your region? What are the reasons for it?

It consists of two large interconnected industries: agriculture (plant growing) and animal husbandry. A general idea of ​​the sectoral structure of agriculture can be obtained using indicators of the value of gross and marketable products agriculture by type. In this case, the sectoral structure of agriculture is determined by the share of the cost of certain types of agricultural products in its total value, calculated in uniform comparable prices. In the structure of world agriculture, the shares of agriculture and animal husbandry are approximately equal, but animal husbandry is the predominant industry in industrialized countries, and crop production in developing countries.

The allocation of sub-sectors in crop production mainly depends on the grouping of cultivated plants. Depending on the chosen basis for division, there are various approaches to such a grouping. For example, depending on the purpose of production, cash crops and consumer crops (used not for sale, but in agriculture itself) are distinguished. There is a distinction between food crops, industrial crops and fodder crops. However, many plants can be used simultaneously as food, fodder, and technical ones. All this greatly complicates the classification of crop industries. The following sectors are most often distinguished in agriculture:

Branches of crop production are characterized by the composition of crops; farming system (a set of production methods); material and technical equipment; productivity and other indicators.

Features of the placement of crop production (agriculture)

In the placement of agricultural sectors, it must be taken into account that 90% of the land has various natural restrictions for the development of agriculture (swamps, deserts, mountains, droughts, etc.). Therefore, crop production, as well as agricultural production in general, is concentrated mainly in the temperate and hot zones. At the same time, agricultural land, i.e. cultivated land and pastures cover 4.8 billion hectares, which is about 37% of the land surface. Of these lands, 70% is occupied by pastures, i.e. lands more associated with . Of the cultivated land (30%) directly related to arable land (28%), the majority is arable land (28%), and perennial plantations (gardens, plantations) account for only 2% of agricultural land.

sugar crops

The most important saccharoses are sugar cane and sugar beet. Their distribution areas are completely different. About 125 million tons of sugar are produced annually in the world: 2/3 from sugar cane, and 1/3 from sugar beet.
Sugar cane is a perennial heat-loving and moisture-loving plant, cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. the globe. His homeland is South Asia. The main producers of sugar cane are the countries of Latin America, East and South Asia, as well as Australia. The following countries are leading in the production of sugar cane (fig. 34 of the textbook, page 145): Brazil (340 million tons per year), India (170), Cuba (70), China (50), Mexico (40), USA (27), Pakistan (27), (25), Australia (25), Indonesia (25).

The main suppliers of raw cane sugar to the world market are Brazil, Cuba, Australia. Cane sugar is also supplied by India, Thailand,. Main cargo flows:

• Brazil - USA, Overseas Europe;
• Cuba - CIS, Foreign Europe;
• Australia - Japan, SW Asia, Foreign Europe.

Sugar beet is a less heat-loving crop than sugar cane, common in temperate regions (Europe, USA, China). In terms of sugar beet harvesting, France and the United States are ahead (30 million tons per year). Followed by: Germany (26), Turkey (17), Russia (15), Ukraine (13), (12), Poland (12), (8), UK (8), China (8). Beet sugar is less involved in international trade. France is the world's leading supplier of beet sugar.

fiber crops

The main spinning crop, which has the widest distribution among the fibrous ones, is cotton. Cotton requires a lot of heat, sunlight and well-moisturized, rich nutrients soils. Best suited for cotton natural conditions tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The main regions - producers of cotton - foreign Asia (60% of cotton) and North America. Africa is in third place. The leading countries are: China (4.5 million tons per year, 1/4 of world production), USA (3.7), India (2.1), Pakistan (1.5), (1.2), Turkey ( 0.8), Australia (0.7), Brazil (0.5), Egypt (0.3). In addition, Vietnam, Mexico, Peru, and others stand out for large cotton harvests. The best varieties Long-staple cotton is famous for Egypt.

The main exporters of cotton are the USA, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Uzbekistan.

The distribution areas of other fibrous crops are more limited.

Long-leaf flax is a culture of the temperate zone of the broad-leaved forest zone, the main producers are Belarus and Russia (3/4 of world production).

Jute - herbaceous plant(subequatorial and equatorial climate), the fibers of which are used for the manufacture of coarse fabrics, ropes, ropes; production is concentrated in Asian countries. Bangladesh is the leading producer. Jute is also produced in China and India.

Sisal is a fiber made from the leaves of the agave herbaceous tropical plant. It is grown in Brazil and African countries (, Kenya, etc.).

rubber plants

Rainforest tree - hevea is used on the farm for the production of natural rubber. The world's largest plantations of rubber plants (hevea) are located in the countries of Southeast Asia (85% of natural rubber production), especially the countries: Thailand, Indonesia,.

Stimulating (tonic) - tea, coffee, cocoa, tobacco - heat-loving and moisture-loving plants, mainly cultivated in those tropical and subtropical regions of the globe where there is a lot of precipitation.

Tea gained immense popularity in the 17th century. Its homeland is China. And today, 4/5 of the world's tea harvest comes from Asian countries. The world's largest tea producers and exporters are India, China, Indonesia, Turkey;

The largest coffee producers are Brazil, Colombia, Mexico (the birthplace of coffee); cocoa beans - the countries of West Africa (Cote d'Ivoire, etc.) and Brazil; tobacco - China, India, USA, Brazil.
Oilseeds occupy the second place in the diet of the world's population after cereals (especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America). 2/3 of the fats consumed by mankind are of plant origin.

Soy is the most important oilseed crop, most widespread received in the USA (about half of the world production and export of soybeans), China, Brazil, Argentina.

Other oil crops are also of great importance - sunflower (Russia, Ukraine), olive tree (Mediterranean countries, especially Italy), oil palm (countries of Western and Equatorial Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia), peanuts (tropical countries of Asia, especially India, America, and Africa), rapeseed (Canada, India, Argentina), sesame (Asia).

Tuber production

The most common among tuber crops is potatoes. His homeland is South America. But at present it is most widely distributed in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Leading countries: China, Russia, India, USA, Poland.

Vegetable growing is widespread throughout the world. Moreover, in terms of production, it significantly exceeds fruit growing (600 million tons and 430 million tons, respectively). Specialized areas of vegetable growing are confined mainly to suburban areas. Nearly 70% of vegetables are grown by peasants in Asia.

Fruit growing is widespread only in a few places with the most favorable natural and transport conditions. There are many areas of tropical and subtropical zones among the specialized areas of fruit growing.

40% of all fruits are harvested annually in Asia.

Viticulture has become widespread in the subtropics, especially in the Mediterranean. Italy, France, Spain and the USA stand out in terms of grape harvest.

The largest areas of world citrus production are also located in the subtropics. Territories are highlighted North America(USA), South America(Brazil), Southern Europe (Spain, Italy), East Asia (China, Japan).

Bananas are widely distributed in tropical regions of Asia, Central and South America and Africa. The main producers are India, Brazil, Philippines, Mexico.