BPSC Questions Midterm 1 Actual
Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers| Updated
How to minimize agricultural water use
drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling, and dry farming
how to reduce the negative impacts of conventional ag
organic farming (use insects as natural pesticides, hand weed fields, cover beds to
prevent weed growth)
how to improve soil fertility
cover crops, compost and mulch
How to achieve sustainable farm labor
mechanization and proper provisions for farm laborers (water/rest breaks, shade,
covid protection)
,Why is BPSC 21 called California's cornucopia?
It is called California's cornucopia because California is regarded as a cornucopia, a
symbol of abundant food source since it produces so much.
How does CA's agricultural production rank in the world?
CA has the 5th largest economy in the world, mostly due to its agriculture. It
provides 2/3 of fruits and nuts, 1/3 of vegetables, and 81% of wine in the US.
How is food security defined?
"Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic
access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and
food preferences for an active and healthy life" 1996 World Food Summit
What are the four dimensions of food security?
1. Physical availability of food, 2. Economic and physical access to food, 3. Food
utilization (food, safety, preparation, diversity), 4. The stability of the dimension 1,
2, and 3 over time (be stable tmrw, the next, etc.)
What is hunger? Is it wide spread?
1. Hunger is the uncomfortable to painful sensation caused by insufficient food
energy consumption. It is wide spread, worldwide 821 million people were hungry
in 2018
What is malnutrition?
,Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in consumption of macronutrients (protein,
fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
How are food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty linked?:
Food insecurity (due to low crop yields, bad quality [climate change, pests,
pathogens, soils], diversity) is hunger and malnutrition --> Leads to poor physical
and cognitive development --> Leads to low productivity --> Leads to poverty
How do plant biologists try to break the food insecurity cycle?
Plant biologists can break the cycle by growing crops with high yields, better
quality (resistant to climate change, pests, pathogens, soils), and grow with
diversity (better for nutritional balance)
What two non-food issues contribute to food insecurity?
Conflict and Climate Shocks are major drivers of food insecurity. With conflict (war,
civil unrest) there are high rates of food insecurity, and climate change leads to
unpredictable and more frequent droughts, floods, etc. and this has led to spikes
in food insecurity
What are the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity?:
Covid has led to unemployment rates going up and this can increase poverty rates
and overall increase the number of food insecure Americans
What resource on UCR's campus will help UCR students with food insecurity?
R'Pantry
, What are the constraints to Ag production? (use info from lecture and readings):
Rising population, soil erosion, depletion of aquifers, rising temp, grain consumers
going up
What are the goals of sustainable agriculture?
Must: Produce abundant and safe food, reduce of harmful enjoinments inputs,
minimize the use of land and water, safe working conditions, protect genetic
makeup of native species, enhance crop diversity, fosters soil fertility, improves
lives of poor and malnourished, maintains the economic viability of farming and
rural communities
What farm gate value?
Market value of a cultivated product (agriculture or aquaculture) MINUS the
selling costs (transport, marketing) California makes 13% of US's farm gate value
What is the difference between crops and specialty crops?:
Crops are plants that are cultivated for sale of subsistent. Specialty crops are fruits
and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops included
floriculture (flour)
What six crops are solely or primarily produced in CA?:
(specialty crops) Clingstone peaches, walnuts, almonds, artichokes, pomegranates,
and cherimoyas
Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers| Updated
How to minimize agricultural water use
drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling, and dry farming
how to reduce the negative impacts of conventional ag
organic farming (use insects as natural pesticides, hand weed fields, cover beds to
prevent weed growth)
how to improve soil fertility
cover crops, compost and mulch
How to achieve sustainable farm labor
mechanization and proper provisions for farm laborers (water/rest breaks, shade,
covid protection)
,Why is BPSC 21 called California's cornucopia?
It is called California's cornucopia because California is regarded as a cornucopia, a
symbol of abundant food source since it produces so much.
How does CA's agricultural production rank in the world?
CA has the 5th largest economy in the world, mostly due to its agriculture. It
provides 2/3 of fruits and nuts, 1/3 of vegetables, and 81% of wine in the US.
How is food security defined?
"Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic
access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and
food preferences for an active and healthy life" 1996 World Food Summit
What are the four dimensions of food security?
1. Physical availability of food, 2. Economic and physical access to food, 3. Food
utilization (food, safety, preparation, diversity), 4. The stability of the dimension 1,
2, and 3 over time (be stable tmrw, the next, etc.)
What is hunger? Is it wide spread?
1. Hunger is the uncomfortable to painful sensation caused by insufficient food
energy consumption. It is wide spread, worldwide 821 million people were hungry
in 2018
What is malnutrition?
,Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in consumption of macronutrients (protein,
fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
How are food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty linked?:
Food insecurity (due to low crop yields, bad quality [climate change, pests,
pathogens, soils], diversity) is hunger and malnutrition --> Leads to poor physical
and cognitive development --> Leads to low productivity --> Leads to poverty
How do plant biologists try to break the food insecurity cycle?
Plant biologists can break the cycle by growing crops with high yields, better
quality (resistant to climate change, pests, pathogens, soils), and grow with
diversity (better for nutritional balance)
What two non-food issues contribute to food insecurity?
Conflict and Climate Shocks are major drivers of food insecurity. With conflict (war,
civil unrest) there are high rates of food insecurity, and climate change leads to
unpredictable and more frequent droughts, floods, etc. and this has led to spikes
in food insecurity
What are the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity?:
Covid has led to unemployment rates going up and this can increase poverty rates
and overall increase the number of food insecure Americans
What resource on UCR's campus will help UCR students with food insecurity?
R'Pantry
, What are the constraints to Ag production? (use info from lecture and readings):
Rising population, soil erosion, depletion of aquifers, rising temp, grain consumers
going up
What are the goals of sustainable agriculture?
Must: Produce abundant and safe food, reduce of harmful enjoinments inputs,
minimize the use of land and water, safe working conditions, protect genetic
makeup of native species, enhance crop diversity, fosters soil fertility, improves
lives of poor and malnourished, maintains the economic viability of farming and
rural communities
What farm gate value?
Market value of a cultivated product (agriculture or aquaculture) MINUS the
selling costs (transport, marketing) California makes 13% of US's farm gate value
What is the difference between crops and specialty crops?:
Crops are plants that are cultivated for sale of subsistent. Specialty crops are fruits
and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops included
floriculture (flour)
What six crops are solely or primarily produced in CA?:
(specialty crops) Clingstone peaches, walnuts, almonds, artichokes, pomegranates,
and cherimoyas
