Agriculture and Agronomy

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“Agriculture is the root of culture”

CONCEPT OF AGRICULTURE & AGRONOMY

Agriculture :

The term “ Agriculture” has been derived from two latin words ‘ ager ‘ meaning land or field and

‘ cultura ’ meaning cultivation. Therefore literary meaning of Agriculture is the cultivation of land or field. But in the real sense, Agriculture is the science and art which deals with the production, improvement, protection. processing, marketing and extension of crops, livestock and fishes by the proper utilization of natural resources (i.e. land, light, air, temperature, water, humidity etc.) for the benefit of mankind.

Agronomy :

The word “agronomy” is derived from two Greek words ‘agros’ meaning field and ‘namos’ meaning management. Therefore literary meaning of Agronomy is the management of field. Agronomy is the branch of Agricultural science which deals with the production of field crops through proper management of soil, without deteriorating soil fertility.

In these days of specialization and under continuous advancement of agricultural science “ Agronomy “ may be defined as the branch of agricultural science which deals with manipulation and / or exploitation of basis ingredients of agriculture- seed, soil, water and environment to suit crop production under particular agro-climatic & agro-ecological condition and tailoring, reshaping and finally assembling the component of crop production technologies developed by Agronomists and non-agronomists into packages of practices acceptable by the farming community.

For, viva

Agronomy is the culture of land for the production of field crops by the proper utilization of natural resources. (land, light, air, water).

Difference / Comparison between Agriculture and Agronomy

Agriculture	Agronomy
1. Agriculture is the science and art of forming including the work of cultivating the soil, producing crops, raising livestock and fisheries.	1. Agronomy is the science and art of field crop production by the proper utilization of natural resources.
2. The term ‘Agriculture’ has been derived from two latin words ‘Ager’ and ‘culture’ ; ager meaning land and culture meaning cultivation.	2. The word ‘Agronomy’ has been derived from two greek words ‘agros’ meaning field and ‘nomos’ meaning management.
3. It is the branch of applied science.	3. It is the branch of Agriculture
4. Agriculture deals with the interaction of all environmental factors i.e. water, heat, light, air, and crops, livestock and fisheries.	4. Agronomy deals with the interaction between crop and environment.

Origin and History of Agriculture

“Agriculture is the root of culture”

Origin and History :

As stated by henry Feber:

“History celebrates battles in a bright way but is quite silent about the origin of agriculture which is the backbone of a nation.” So, it cannot be said with certainty when and where the first man put the land under the plough / cultivation.

However, agriculture is as old as the advance of human life. Records tell us that the agriculture was first taken up by the inhabitants of central Asia from where it traveled to Mediterranean countries like Egypt, Italy, and Greece and to India and the rest of the world.

The present status of agriculture has come through the evolutionary pathway of different distinct phases, those are given follows:-

1. Root grabbing stage / Primary / Primitive

2. Hunting stage

3. Fire and Iron weapon stage

4. Pastoral stage or Animal husbandry / Domestication

5. Crop husbandry or Agricultural stage.

1. Root Grabbing Stage :

This was the stage when man was living a primitive animal like existence. There was no knowledge of agriculture, but people fed on raw materials such as roots, berries, wild fruits and herbs etc.

2. Hunting Stage :

In this stage people started to use weapons like sticks, bones of animals, pieces of stones for hunting wild animals for food. They used to take raw meat in addition to roots etc.

3. Fire and Iron Weapon Stage :

The discovery of fire enabled the production of refined types of weapon from iron for hunting. In this stage roosted meat was taken instead of raw.

4. Pastoral Stage or Animal Husbandry:

In this stage the people did not start actual crop cultivation but started domesticating animals such as sheep and cattle (which is considered as a branch of agriculture). At first, animals to be domesticated were dogs and horses.

These were used mainly for guarding and hunting purposes. They started loading a nomadic style of life because they needed to move from one place to other in search of feeding materials i.e. pasture for their animals.

5. Crop Husbandry or Agricultural Stage :

At this stage people were discontented with nomadic life. They started settling at those places near rivers where irrigation facilities were available and started raising crops and domestic livestock. From this time, the crop husbandry or agricultural stage started as we know it.

Prior to the application of science, agriculture was purely carried out in the light of experience received from previous generations or from neighbor and this side of the picture is known as the art side of agriculture. Agriculture is thus an applied science which is hardly one century old.

Agrisilvipastoral system

Silvipastoral system

Agrisilviculture

Horticulture

Floriculture

Olericulture

Phonology

Landscape

Arboriculture

Sericulture

Fernery

Agriculture

Spices & condiments

Plantation crops

Agroforestry

Agronomy

Lac culture

Sericulture

Apiculture

Apiculture

Pisciculture

Poultry (hen, duck and turkey)

Sheep, goats and pigs

Cows, buffaloes and horses

Environment

Soil management

Crop husbandry

Animal- farming

Arable farming

Hydroponic (Cultivation in water)

Geoponic (Cultivation in earth)

Aeroponic (Cultivation in air)

Fig: Schematic presentation of branches of Agriculture.

IDENTIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS

IDENTIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS

Identification of crop:

A plant that is grown with proper care and management for its economic value, is termed as crop.

It is very difficult to give a precise definition of crop but it has some characteristics-

i. Crop must be cultivated species.

ii. It must have economic value.

Crop is an aggregation of individual plants, grown on a particular location usually of the same species or variety and has same economic value.

Agronomic crops or field crop:

The crop, which are grown together with less care, usually in large areas and harvested in bulk, is termed as agronomic crops.

Horticultural crops:

Crops that is grown with intensive care.

Definition of identification:

Identification is the art or technique by which one can differentiate various objects or organism (plants, animals) from each other considering their typical characteristics (morphology) and functions.

Identification of Crop:

Identification of crop is an art through which unwanted plants can be separated out from the cropped area. Crops of different species are also separated out on basis of their morphological features.

Importance of identification of crops:

Unwanted plants in crop field often results in severe competition for space, light, nutrients etc. and the quality of the produce is impaired. So, crops and non-crop species should be identified for successful crop production and better yield.

Classification of crops:

Classification is an acceptable product of scientific studies and is obviously based on well-defined characteristics or concepts that separate one group from another.

On the basis of use of crop plants and their products, crop can be classified as follows-

Cereal crops:

Cereals are the cultivated grasses grown for their edible starchy grains under graminae family.

Examples:

Common Name	English Name	Scientific	Name	Family
1. Dhan	Rice	Oryze	sative	Graminae /Poaceae
2. Gam	Wheat	Triticum	aestivum	,,
3. Bhuta	Maize/corn	Zea	mays	,,
4. Jab	Barley	Hordeum	vulgare	,,
5. Jowar	Sorghum	Sorghum	vulgare	,,
6. Cheena	Common Millet	Panicum	miliaceum	,,
7. Bajra	Pearl Millet	Pennisetum	typhoides	,,
8. Kaon	Italian	Setaria	italica	,,

Millets: Millets are the small-grained cereals and have a single cover (due to fusion of testa to the pericorp) Such as – Bajra, Cheena, Kaon.

B. Fibre Crops:

Crops that is grown for the production of fibre.

1. Deshipat	Jute (deshi)	Corchorus	capsularis	Tillaceae
2. Toshapat	Jute (Tosha)	Corchorus	olitorius	,,
3. Mesta pat	Mesta/Rozelle	Hibiscus	sabdariffa	Malvaceae
4. Shan pat	Sunhemp	Crotalaria	juncea	Leguminosea
5. Kenaf	Kenaf	Hibiscus	cannabinus	Malvacea
6. Tola	Cotton	Gossypium Gossypium Gossypium Gossypium Gossypium	Spp herbaceum arboreum hirsutum barbadense	Malvacee

C. Oil seed crop:

Crop that produce seeds of high fatty acids contents, used to extract vegetable oil is termed as oil seed crop.

Common Name	English name	S. N		Family
1. Sarisha	Mustard	Brassica Brassica Brassica Brassica	SPP nigra (Black) campestris(Born) juncea (Indian)	Crucifer
2. Cheenabadam	Groundnut	Arachis	hypogea	Leguminosea
3. Till	Sesame	Sesamum	indicum	Pedaliaceae
4. Tishi	Linseed	Linum	usitatissimum	Linaceae
5. Soybean	Soybean	Glycine	max	Leguminosea
6. Surgamukhi	Sunflower	Helianthus	annuus	Compositae
7. Garjan til	Niger	Guizortia	abyssinica	,,
8. Castor veneda	Castor	Ricinus	communis	Euphorbiacea
9. Kusumphul	Safflower	Carthomus	tinctorius	Compositae
* Oil Palm		Elaeis	guineesis	Palmae

D. Pulses:

Seeds of leguminous crop plants used as food especially for the supplementation of protein.

Common Name	English Name	Scientific Name		Family
1. Musor	lentil	lens	culinaris	Compositae
2. Motor	pea	Pisum	sativum	Leguminosae
3. Mug	Munghean	Vigna	radiata	,,
4. Maskolai	Backgram	Vigna	mungo	,,
5. Chola	Gram	Cicer	arietinum	,,
6. Arhar	Pigeon pea	Cajanas	cajan	,,
7. Cowpea	Cowpea	Vigna	unguiculata
8. Khessari	Grass pea	Lathyrus	sativus	,,

E. Sugar yielding crops:

The crops, which are grown for the production of sugar, are sugar-yielding crops.

1. Akh	Sugarcane	Saccharum	officinarum	Graminae
2. Sugar beet	Sugarbeet	Beta	vulgaris	Chenopodiaceae

F. Narcotic Crop:

Crop plants or other products that are used for stimulating, numbing, drowsing or relishing effects are known as Narcotic crops.

1. Tamak	Totacco	Nicotiana	tabacum	Solanaceae
2. Gaja	Indian hepm	Cannabis	sativa	Urticaceae
3.Opium	Opium	Papaver	somniferum	Pepaveraceae

G. Beverage crops:

The crops whose products are used as mild, agreeable and stimulating liquors meant for drinking.

Cha	Tea	Camellia	sinensis	Theaceae
Coffee	Coffee	Coffea	arabica	Rubiaceae
Cacao	Cacao	Theobroma	cacao	Sterculiaceae

H.Fodder Crops:

The crops whose products (vegetative matter either fresh or preserved) used as feed for animal is called fodder crop.

1. Maize	Maize	Zea	mays	Graminae
2. Sorghum	Sorghum	Sorghum	vulgare
3. Bazre	Bazra	Pennisetum	typhoides	,,
4. Job	Barley	Hordeum	vulgare	,,
5. Napier grass	Napier grass	Pennisetum	purpureum	,,
6. Guinea grass	Guinea grass	Purureum	maximum	,,
7. Para grass		Brachiaria	mutica	,,
8. Alfalfa		Medicago	sativa	Leguminosea
9. Cowpea	Cowpea	Vigua	unguiculata	Leguminosea
10. Grasspea		Lathyrus	sativus	,,
11. Maskolai	Blackgram	Vigna	mungo	,,

I. Green manuring crop:

The crop plants that are used for incorporation into the soil, as green state to add organic matter for improving the physical properties and fertility status of soil.

1. Dhaincha	Dhaincha	Sesbania	aculeata	Leguminosea
2. Sonpat	Sunhemp	Crotalaria	juncea	,,
3. Cowpea	Cowpea	Vigna	unguiculata	,,
4. Motor	Pea	Pisum	sativum	,,
5. Maskolai	Black gram	Vigna	mungo	,,