Physical factors affecting farming

Climate: 

• Temperature: a minimum temperature of 6°C is needed for crops to grow. The growing season is the number of months the temperature is over 6°C. Different crops need a different growing season, e.g. wheat needs 90 days.

•  Rainfall: all crops and animals need water.

Relief:

• Temperatures decrease 1ºC every 160 metres vertical height.
• Uplands are more exposed to wind and rain. Steep slopes also cause thin soils and limit the use of machinery.

• Exposure to the wind: strong winds can damage crops.
• Lowland areas are more easily farmed.

Soil:

• Crops grow best on deep, fertile, free-draining soils, e.g. the brown earths found in lowland Britain. Less fertile soils prone to water logging are best used for pastoral farming.

Vegetation:

• Vegetation provides the soil with humus, so the more vegetation an area has, the more fertile soil will be.