In agriculture, a bumper crop is a
crop
A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydropon ...
that has yielded an unusually productive
harvest. The word "bumper" in this context comes from a usage that means "something unusually large",
which is where this term comes from.
[
Though very productive harvests often have positive implications for the producer, a bumper crop can also be a source of problems, such as when there is insufficient storage space (]barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...
s, grain bin
A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is use ...
s, etc.) for the overlarge crop.
The term "bumper crop" has also been used to refer to a similar large result in other activities, or as a
pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
, such as with a group of automobiles (for their front/rear
bumpers).
[Ted Schnell (editor)]
"Cooler Temps Draw More Cars, Larger Crowd to Cruise Nite"
''St. Charles Patch'', St. Charles, Illinois. 25 July 2013. Accessed 20 October 2013.
References
Crops
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