Use machinery to increase food production
Agricultural machinery can make it possible to use larger areas of land and improve efficiency.
Section 20.1 · Food supply
Core and Extended; Biology 0610, 2026–2028. Use the stated specimen features and evidence. Diagrams are schematic. Written practice is self-checked
Before you begin
- Know that crop and livestock production depend on both management and environmental conditions.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which syllabus-linked effect can agricultural machinery have?
What you will learn
- Describe how agricultural machinery can increase the area used for production
- Explain efficiency as output relative to time or input, using the supplied context
Connect machinery with area and efficiency
Agricultural machinery can help farmers prepare, plant, manage and harvest larger areas of land. Machines can complete some operations more quickly or with less labour per unit of land, improving efficiency. The syllabus links machinery with using larger areas and improving efficiency.
A machine does not by itself guarantee a larger harvest. Output still depends on factors such as the crop, soil, water, timing and pests. Keep the stated benefit precise: machinery can increase the area that can be managed and make some production operations more efficient.
Measure efficiency with a stated denominator
Efficiency is meaningful only when the output and input are clear. A question may compare harvested mass per hectare, land cultivated per worker, or time needed to harvest a field. Use the denominator in the data rather than calling the largest total automatically the most efficient.
More land can increase total output even if yield per hectare stays the same. Separate total harvest from yield per unit area and from labour or time efficiency. These measures answer different questions.
Pause and explain
A machine raises total harvest while area also increases. What should you calculate before claiming yield rose?
Worked example
A farm harvests 18 tonnes from 6 hectares by hand and 42 tonnes from 14 hectares using a machine. What changed, and did yield per hectare rise?
Show the worked solution
- Compare total harvest and cultivated area.
- Calculate each yield per hectare.
Answer Total harvest and area both increased. Each yield is 3 tonnes per hectare, so the data show more total output from more land, not a higher yield per hectare.
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Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A small farm harvests 12 tonnes from 4 hectares. After acquiring machinery it harvests 27 tonnes from 9 hectares. Calculate both yields and state what the figures show.
Give me a hint
Divide harvested mass by the corresponding area.
Compare my reasoning
- 12 ÷ 4 = 3 tonnes per hectare.
- 27 ÷ 9 = 3 tonnes per hectare.
Both yields are 3 tonnes per hectare. The larger total harvest came with a larger area; these figures do not show a higher yield per hectare.
Look for these in your work
- Both yields calculated
- Total and per-area output separated
Give two ways agricultural machinery can increase food production according to this syllabus section.
Give me a hint
Use the two linked effects.
Compare my reasoning
- It can help farmers use larger areas of land.
- It can improve efficiency of production operations.
Machinery can make it possible to use larger areas and can improve efficiency, for example by completing field operations faster or with less labour per unit of land.
Look for these in your work
- Larger area included
- Efficiency explained
A report says a new machine increased harvest from 30 to 45 tonnes. What additional information would help determine whether production became more efficient?
Give me a hint
Identify a relevant input or denominator.
Compare my reasoning
- Area cultivated would allow yield-per-area comparison.
- Time or labour used would allow another efficiency comparison.
Compare area cultivated to calculate yield per hectare, and compare time or labour if the claim concerns those inputs. Total harvest alone cannot establish efficiency.
Look for these in your work
- Denominator requested
- Measure matched to claim
Common mistakes
- Confusing total harvest with yield per hectare
- Claiming machinery guarantees a higher yield
- Calling output efficient without stating an input
What can you explain now?
Which syllabus-linked effect can agricultural machinery have?
Compare with the explanation
It can help use larger areas and improve efficiency
These are the stated benefits.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
How can machinery affect the area used and efficiency, and why must total harvest be separated from yield per hectare?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.