The document summarizes different methods used to maximize agricultural land use, including terracing hillsides to grow rice and soilless farming methods. Specifically: Terracing hillsides by cutting flat steps into the slopes allows rice to be grown on hillsides and maximizes land use, though it requires significant effort to construct and maintain. Irrigation can be used if the terraced area receives insufficient rainfall. Photographs show traditional soil-based vegetable farming in Vietnam versus soilless farming methods in Singapore. Soilless farming frees up land and allows higher crop yields in land-scarce Singapore.

1. Chapter 7
7.5 Name: Class: Date:
A Place to Grow Rice ge
t Skills
:
Describing
r
Ta
and analysing
effectiveness
of methods
1. Photograph A shows wet rice cultivation on a hillside. Study the to maximise
photograph and answer the questions that follow. agricultural
landuse
A
(a) Explain what has been done to maximise land for farming. Use evidence from the
photograph to support your answer.
Flat strips of land have been created by cutting steps into the hill slopes. This
method, known as terracing, has made it possible to grow rice on hill slopes. This
maximises the land for farming.
(b) List two disadvantages of using the method in (a) to maximise land for farming.
• Terraces are difficult to construct and a lot of human energy and time are needed
to cut steps into the hill slopes.
• A lot of effort is also required to maintain the terraces after they are constructed.
(c) If the area in Photograph A receives insufficient rainfall, briefly describe one method
you would use to make the land arable.
Irrigation can be used to make the land arable. Water can be channelled through
irrigation pipes from various water sources, such as a river or a lake, to places that
receive insufficient rainfall.
Worksheet 7.5 77

2. 2. Photograph B and Photograph C show how vegetables are grown in Vietnam and in
Singapore respectively. Study them carefully and answer the questions that follow.
B C
Vegetable farming in Vietnam
Vegetable farming in Singapore
(a) Describe two main differences in the way land is used for farming in Vietnam and
Singapore.
• Vegetables are grown on soil using traditional methods in Vietnam whereas
vegetables are grown using the soil-less method in Singapore.
• The method of cultivating vegetables in Vietnam takes up more land compared to
the method used in Singapore.
(b) Give two reasons why farmers in Singapore make use of the method shown in
Photograph C.
• As land is scarce in Singapore, growing vegetables using the soil-less method
frees up land for other purposes.
• Growing vegetables using the soil-less method under controlled conditions
increases the output of crops.
78 Worksheet 7.5