List Of Basic Agriculture Topics
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is provided as an overview of and topical guide to agriculture: Agriculture – cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life.


What ''type'' of thing is agriculture?

Agriculture can be described as all of the following: * A type of work * An academic discipline * A science ** An
applied science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...
* An industry


Agricultural activities

* Agricultural cycle – annual cycle of activities related to the growth and harvest of a crop. * Land use – management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements.


Agricultural production

*
Cash crop A cash crop or profit crop is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") ...
– agricultural crop which is grown for sale for profit. * Agricultural products **
Food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
– any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. **
Natural fiber Natural fibers or natural fibres (see spelling differences) are fibers that are produced by geological processes, or from the bodies of plants or animals. They can be used as a component of composite materials, where the orientation of fibers ...
s – class of hair-like materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to pieces of thread. They can be spun into filaments, thread, or rope. Natural fibers are made from plant, animal and mineral sources. ** Lumber – wood in any of its stages from felling to readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production. ** Paper – sheet material used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water. ** Medicine great quantity of herbal and animal parts are used for medicinal purposes worldwide, especially in traditional and naturopathic medicines. **
Biofuels Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...
wide range of plants and plant products are used for converting to fuels, such as firewood, biodiesel, methane gas etc.


Agricultural resources

* Agricultural land – denotes the land suitable for agricultural production, both crops and livestock. It is one of the main resources in agriculture. * Labor (economics) – measure of the work done by human beings. * Water – chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. * Agricultural machinery – machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm. * Fertilizers – any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants.


Branches of agriculture


By type of life form produced or harvested

*
Agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...
– science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. **
Organic gardening Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preserva ...
– science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preservation. *
Animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
– agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.


By industry


Aquafarming

*
Aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
– farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. *
Mariculture Mariculture or marine farming is a specialized branch of aquaculture (which includes freshwater aquaculture) involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other animal products, in enclosed sections of the open ocean ( offshore mari ...
– specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean, an enclosed section of the ocean, or in tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater.


Farming


= Types of farming

= * Alligator farming – establishment for breeding and raising of crocodilians in order to produce meat, leather, and other goods. *
Aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
– farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. * Contract farming – agricultural production carried out according to an agreement between a buyer and farmers * Dairy farming – class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale. * Integrated farming – more integrated approach to farming as compared to existing monoculture approaches. It refers to agricultural systems that integrate livestock and crop production and may sometimes be known as Integrated Biosystems. * Orchardry – managing orchards, intentional planting of trees or shrubs that are maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. * Organic farming – form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation,
green manure In agriculture, a green manure is a crop specifically produced to be incorporated into the soil while still green. Typically, the green manure's biomass is incorporated with a plow or disk, as is often done with (brown) manure. The primary goal ...
, compost and
biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...
. * Pig farming – *
Poultry farming Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chicke ...
* Sericulture – silk farming, the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk. *
Sheep husbandry Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin a ...
– specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. * Viticulture – the cultivation and harvesting of grapes.


= Farming facilities

= * Crops – non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. ** Orchard – intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. * Farm – an area of land, together with the buildings on it, that is used for growing crops or raising animals, usually in order to sell them. *
Greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
– building in which plants are grown.


= Farming equipment

=
Farm equipment Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that the ...
– any kind of machinery used on a farm to help with farming. *
Baler A baler or hay baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop (such as hay, cotton, flax straw, salt marsh hay, or silage) into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. Often, bales are configured ...
– piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop (such as hay, cotton, straw, or silage) into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport and store. *
Combine harvester The modern combine harvester, or simply combine, is a versatile machine designed to efficiently harvest a variety of grain crops. The name derives from its combining four separate harvesting operations—reaping, threshing, gathering, and winnow ...
– or simply combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. * Farm tractor – vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction. * Manure spreader used to distribute manure over a field as a fertilizer. * Mower – machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g. with reapers and combines. *
Pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
– is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area (bed). *
Plough A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...
– is a tool (or machine) used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture.


=Farming products

= * Livestock – domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning of "livestock" is common. ** Cattle – most common type of large domesticated ungulates. ** Pigs – any of the animals in the genus Sus. ** Poultry – category of domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or killing for their meat and/or feathers. ** Sheep – are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. * Produce – farm-produced goods, not limited to fruits and vegetables (i.e. meats, grains, oats, etc.). **
Grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
s – grasses (members of the monocot family Poaceae, also known as Gramineae) cultivated for the edible components of their grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. ** Fruits – part of a flowering plant that derives from specific tissues of the flower, mainly one or more ovaries. **
Legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
s – plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these specific plants. A legume fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. **
Nut (fruit) A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, a wide variety of dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context "nut" implies that the shell ...
s – hard-shelled indehiscent fruit of some plants. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts. ** Vegetables – edible plant or part of a plant, but usually excludes seeds and most sweet fruit. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant.


= Farming methods and practices

= * Aeroponics – the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. * Aquaponics – combines aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment. *
Artificial selection Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...
– describes intentional breeding for certain traits, or combination of traits. *
Field day (agriculture) __NOTOC__ A field day is a large trade show for agricultural industry and equipment, especially for broadacre farming. It contrasts with an agricultural show in that a show focuses on livestock and judging, a field day focuses on equipment, demo ...
– related to a show is the "field day", with elements of a trade show for machinery, equipment and skills required for broadacre farming. * Grazing – a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses. * Hydroponics – a method of growing plants without soil. * Intercropping – practice of growing two or more crops in proximity. * Irrigation – artificial application of water to the land or soil. * Permaculture – theory of ecological design which attempts to develop sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems. * Pollination management – horticultural practices that accomplish or enhance pollination of a crop, to improve yield or quality, by understanding of the particular crop's pollination needs, and by knowledgeable management of pollenizers, pollinators, and pollination conditions. * Sustainable agriculture – practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment.


Apiculture (Beekeeping)

* Apiary – place where beehives of honey bees are kept. * Apiology – scientific study of honey bees *
Bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...
– flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. * Beehive – enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus Apis live and raise their young. * Beekeeper – person who keeps honey bees. *
Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
– sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers.


Fishery

Fishing – activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. *
Fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...
– facility engaged in raising or harvesting fish


Forestry

Forestry – interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. *
Agroforestry Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...
– integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. * Analog forestry – system of planned, managed forests, primarily employed in tropical or subtropical areas. *
Forest gardening Forest gardening is a low-maintenance, Sustainable gardening, sustainable, plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and Nut (fruit), nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegeta ...
– low-maintenance organic plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. * Forest farming – agroforestry practice characterized by the four "I's"- Intentional, Integrated, Intensive and Interactive management of an existing forested ecosystem wherein forest health is of paramount concern. Moreover agriculture means cultivation of crops and rearing of animals, processing of farm produce and selling.


Ranching

Ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...
– practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool.


Climate-based agriculture

*
Arid-zone agriculture Dryland farming and dry farming encompass specific agricultural techniques for the non-irrigated cultivation of crops. Dryland farming is associated with drylands, areas characterized by a cool wet season (which charges the soil with virtuall ...
– agriculture practiced in desert areas of any sort. *
Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture Agriculture contributes towards climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and by the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land. In 2019 the IPCC reported that 13%-21% of anthropogenic greenhouse gasses ca ...
*
Tropical agriculture Worldwide more human beings gain their livelihood from agriculture than any other endeavor; the majority are self-employed subsistence farmers living in the tropics. While growing food for local consumption is the core of tropical agriculture, ...
– agriculture practiced in the tropics.


Agricultural Disciplines


Agricultural chemistry

Agricultural chemistry – study of both chemistry and biochemistry which are important in agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and in environmental monitoring and remediation.


Agricultural communication

Agricultural communication Agricultural communication (or agricultural communications) is a field that focuses on communication about agriculture-related information among agricultural stakeholders and between agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders. Agriculture is bro ...
– field of study and work that focuses on communication about agricultural related information among agricultural stakeholders and between agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders.


Agricultural economics

Agricultural economics Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...
– originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil ecosystem. Throughout the 20th century the discipline expanded and the current scope of the discipline is much broader. Agricultural economics today includes a variety of applied areas, having considerable overlap with conventional economics. * Agrarian system – the economic and technological factors that affect agricultural practices. *
Agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
– the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales. * Agricultural extension – once known as the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of extension now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organised for rural people by professionals from different disciplines, including agriculture, agricultural marketing, health, and business studies. *
Agricultural Marketing Agricultural marketing covers the services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. These services involve the planning, organizing, directing and handling of agricultural produce in such a way as to satisfy farm ...
– covers the services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. This may include transferring of agricultural products either directly or indirectly through middleman to consumers. *
Custom harvesting In agriculture, custom harvesting or custom combining is the business of harvesting of crops for others. Custom harvesters usually own their own combines and work for the same farms every harvest season. Custom harvesting relieves farmers from hav ...
– business of harvesting of crops for others. Custom harvesters usually own their own combines and work for the same farms every harvest season. Custom harvesting relieves farmers from having to invest capital in expensive equipment while at the same time maximizing the machinery's use. * Economic development – sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. *
Rural Community Development Rural community development encompasses a range of approaches and activities that aim to improve the welfare and livelihoods of people living in rural areas. As a branch of community development, these approaches pay attention to social issues pa ...
– range of approaches and activities which aim to improve the welfare and livelihoods of people which live in rural area and through improving activities in rural areas it helps to maintain a population balance by reducing rural to urban migration.


Agricultural education

Agricultural education – instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Farmers acquire adequate knowledge required on the correct amount use of agrochemicals and other agriculture related technologies. Agricultural universities and collegestertiary agricultural educational institutions around the world * Agricultural universities in India * Agricultural universities in Indonesia


Agricultural engineering

Agricultural engineering – engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing. * Agricultural Machinery – machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm. *
Bioprocess Engineering Bioprocess engineering, also biochemical engineering, is a specialization of chemical engineering or biological engineering. It deals with the design and development of equipment and processes for the manufacturing of products such as agriculture, ...
– specialization of Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering or of Agricultural Engineering. It deals with the design and development of equipment and processes for the manufacturing of products such as food, feed, pharmaceuticals,
nutraceutical A nutraceutical or bioceutical is a pharmaceutical alternative which claims physiological benefits. In the US, "nutraceuticals" are largely unregulated, as they exist in the same category as dietary supplements and food additives by the FDA, unde ...
s, chemicals, and polymers and paper from biological materials. * Electrical energy efficiency on United States farms – covers the use of electricity on farms and the methods and incentives for improving the efficiency of that use. * Electronics – branch of physics, engineering and technology dealing with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies. * Energy – ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems. *
Farm equipment Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that the ...
– any kind of machinery used on a farm to help with farming. * Food Engineering – multidisciplinary field of applied physical sciences which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries. * Irrigation and drainage engineering – * Natural resource – occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems. * System Engineering – interdisciplinary field of engineering focusing on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed over their life cycles. * Workshop – room or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of goods. * Structures – buildings


Agricultural philosophy

Agricultural philosophy – discipline devoted to the systematic critique of the philosophical frameworks (or ethical world views) that are the foundation for decisions regarding agriculture.


Agricultural policy

Agricultural policy – set of laws relating to domestic agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products. *
Agricultural science Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...
– broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. *
Agricultural economics Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...
– originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil ecosystem. Throughout the 20th century the discipline expanded and the current scope of the discipline is much broader. Agricultural economics today includes a variety of applied areas, having considerable overlap with conventional economics. * Agricultural engineering – engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing. * Agricultural philosophy – discipline devoted to the systematic critique of the philosophical frameworks (or ethical world views) that are the foundation for decisions regarding agriculture. *
Agrophysics Agrophysics is a branch of science bordering on agronomy and physics, whose objects of study are the agroecosystem - the biological objects, biotope and biocoenosis affected by human activity, studied and described using the methods of physical ...
– branch of science bordering on agronomy and physics, whose objects of study are the agroecosystem - the biological objects, biotope and biocoenosis affected by human activity, studied and described using the methods of physical sciences. *
Animal science Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...
– studying the biology of animals that are under the control of mankind. ** Animal breeding – branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation (using best linear unbiased prediction and other methods) of the genetic value (estimated breeding value, EBV) of domestic livestock. **
Animal nutrition Animal nutrition focuses on the dietary nutrients needs of animals, primarily those in agriculture and food production, but also in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife management. Constituents of diet Macronutrients (excluding fiber and water) provide ...
– focuses on the dietary needs of domesticated animals, primarily those in agriculture and food production. ** Fisheries science – academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. ** Poultry science – animal science applied to poultry – chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quail, etc. *
Aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
– is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. *
Biological engineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...
– **
Genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
– deliberate modification of the genetic structure of an organism. **
Microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...
– branch of biology that deals with microorganisms, especially their effects on man and other living organisms. *
Environmental science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...
– integrated study of factors that influence the environment and environmental systems, especially the interaction of the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment ** Conservation – preservation and wise use of resources ** Wildlife management – attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. *** Wildlife range management – ** Resources management – efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. * Food science – study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork". It is considered one of the life sciences and is usually considered distinct from the field of nutrition. ** Human nutrition – provision to obtain the materials necessary to support life. **
Food technology Food technology is a branch of food science that deals with the production, preservation, quality control and research and development of the food products. Early scientific research into food technology concentrated on food preservation. Nic ...
– branch of food science which deals with the actual production processes to make foods.


= Agronomy

=
Agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...
– science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. * Plant science – science of plant life. **
Crop science Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...
– broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. ** Plant pathology – scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens (infectious diseases) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). ** Forestry – interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. ** Outline of wood science – *
Theoretical production ecology Theoretical production ecology tries to quantitatively study the growth of crops. The plant is treated as a kind of biological factory, which processes light, carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients into harvestable parts. Main parameters kept into ...
– quantitatively studies the growth of crops. * Horticulture – art, science, technology and business of intensive plant cultivation for human use. *
Plant breeding Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. It has been used to improve the quality of nutrition in products for humans and animals. The goals of plant breeding are to produce cro ...
– art and science of changing the genetics of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. * fertilizer – any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants.


Horticulture

Horticulture – art, science, technology and business of intensive plant cultivation for human use.


= Agricultural soil science

=
Agricultural soil science Agricultural soil science is a branch of soil science that deals with the study of edaphic conditions as they relate to the production of food and fiber. In this context, it is also a constituent of the field of agronomy and is thus also descr ...
– branch of soil science that deals with the study of edaphic conditions as they relate to the production of food and fiber. *
Agrogeology Agrogeology is the study of the origins of minerals known as agrominerals and their applications. These minerals are of importance to farming and horticulture, especially with regard to soil fertility and fertilizer components. These minerals are ...
– study of minerals of importance to farming and horticulture, especially with regard to soil fertility and fertilizer components. These minerals are usually essential plant nutrients and are referred to as agrominerals. * Agrology – branch of soil science dealing with the production of crops. *
Agrominerals Agrominerals (also known as stone bread or petrol fertilizer) are minerals of importance to agriculture and horticulture industries for they can provide essential plant nutrients. Some agrominerals occur naturally or can be processed to be used as ...
– minerals of importance to agriculture and horticulture, and are usually essential plant nutrients. * Land degradation – process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. *
Land improvement Land development is the alteration of landscape in any number of ways such as: * Changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or House, housing * subdivision (land), Subdividing real estate into Lot (re ...
– investments making land more usable by humans. * Soil chemistry – study of the chemical characteristics of soil. **
Soil amendment A soil conditioner is a product which is added to soil to improve the soil’s physical qualities, usually its fertility (ability to provide nutrition for plants) and sometimes its mechanics. In general usage, the term "soil conditioner" is often ...
– material added to soil to improve plant growth and health. **
Soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...
– process by which soil is removed from the Earth's surface by natural processes such as wind or water flow, and then transported and deposited in other locations. ** Soil life – collective term for all the organisms living within the soil. **
Soil type A soil type is a taxonomic unit in soil science. All soils that share a certain set of well-defined properties form a distinctive soil type. Soil type is a technical term of soil classification, the science that deals with the systematic categoriz ...
– refers to the different sizes of mineral particles in a particular sample. ** Soils retrogression and degradation – two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable soil.


Agroecology

Agroecology Agroecology (US: a-grō-ē-ˈkä-lə-jē) is an academic discipline that studies ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Bringing ecological principles to bear can suggest new management approaches in agroecosystems. The ...
– application of ecological principles to the production of food, fuel, fiber, and pharmaceuticals and the management of agroecosystems. *
Agroecosystem analysis Agroecosystem analysis is a thorough analysis of an agricultural environment which considers aspects from ecology, sociology, economics, and politics with equal weight. There are many aspects to consider; however, it is literally impossible to acco ...
– thorough analysis of an agricultural environment which considers aspects from ecology, sociology, economics, and politics with equal weight. *
Agrophysics Agrophysics is a branch of science bordering on agronomy and physics, whose objects of study are the agroecosystem - the biological objects, biotope and biocoenosis affected by human activity, studied and described using the methods of physical ...
– branch of science bordering on agronomy and physics, whose objects of study are the agroecosystem - the biological objects, biotope and biocoenosis affected by human activity, studied and described using the methods of physical sciences. * Biodiversity – degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. * Effects of climate change on agriculture – interrelated processes, both of which take place on a global scale. * Composting – Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. * Ecology – scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. * Ecosystem – biological system consisting of all the living organisms or biotic components in a particular area and the nonliving or abiotic component with which the organisms interact, such as air, mineral soil, water and sunlight. * Environmental Economics – subfield of economics concerned with environmental issues. *
Green manure In agriculture, a green manure is a crop specifically produced to be incorporated into the soil while still green. Typically, the green manure's biomass is incorporated with a plow or disk, as is often done with (brown) manure. The primary goal ...
– type of cover crop grown primarily to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. * Natural resources – occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. * Recycling – is processing used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. * Rural Sociology – field of sociology associated with the study of social life in non-metropolitan areas. * Soil Science – study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils. * Sustainable agriculture – practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. *
Wildculture The Society for the Preservation of Wild Culture (SPWC) was a Toronto arts organization in existence from 1986 to 1991 that explored environmental and ecological issues from an artistic perspective in a "quirky and innovative" way.''Ryerson Revi ...
– umbrella term used to include all aspects and styles of "hunting and gathering" food harvesting.


History of agriculture

History of agriculture – developed at least 10,000 years ago, although some forms of agriculture such as forest gardening and fire-stick farming date back even earlier to prehistoric times. *
Agriculture in ancient Greece Agriculture was the foundation of the Ancient Greek economy. Nearly 80% of the population was involved in this activity. Background Most Greek language agricultural texts are lost, except two botany texts by Theophrastus and a poem by Hesiod. ...
*
Agriculture in Mesoamerica Agriculture in Mesoamerica dates to the Archaic period of Mesoamerican chronology (8000–2000 BC). At the beginning of the Archaic period, the Early Hunters of the late Pleistocene era (50,000–10,000 BC) led nomadic lifestyles, relying on hu ...
* Ancient Egyptian agriculture * Arab Agricultural Revolution – * British Agricultural Revolution – *
Columbian Exchange The Columbian exchange, also known as the Columbian interchange, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, precious metals, commodities, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the New World (the Americas) in ...
* Domestication * Eastern Agricultural Complex *
Genomics of domestication Domesticated species and the human populations that domesticate them are typified by a mutualistic relationship of interdependence, in which humans have over thousands of years modified the genomics of domesticated species. Genomics is the study o ...
– study of the structure, content, and evolution of genomes, or the entire genetic information of organisms. * Green Revolution – *
History of agricultural science The history of agricultural science is a sub-field of the history of agriculture which looks at the scientific advancement of techniques and understanding of agriculture. Early study of organic production in botanical gardens was continued in with ...
– began with Gregor Mendel's genetic work *
History of organic farming Traditional farming (of many particular kinds in different eras and places) was the original type of agriculture, and has been practiced for thousands of years. All traditional farming is now considered to be "organic farming" although at the tim ...
– *
Neolithic Revolution The Neolithic Revolution, or the (First) Agricultural Revolution, was the wide-scale transition of many human cultures during the Neolithic period from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement, making an incre ...
– wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. * Incan agriculture * Roman agriculture * Selective breeding


Agriculturally based manufacturing industries


Food industry

Food industry The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditiona ...
– complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. * Bakery – establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. *
Brewing Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and #Fermenting, fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with Yeast#Beer, yeast. It may be done in a brewery ...
– production of beer through steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains) in water and then fermenting with yeast. * Brewing industry – brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. *
Dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
– business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk – mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels – for human consumption. * Distribution center – warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. *
Food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industr ...
– set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. **
Food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), salt (salt ...
– substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance. **
Food preservation Food preservation includes processes that make food more resistant to microorganism growth and slow the oxidation of fats. This slows down the decomposition and rancidification process. Food preservation may also include processes that inhibit ...
– process of treating and handling food to stop or slow down spoilage (loss of quality, edibility or nutritional value) and thus allow for longer storage. *
Food safety Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from t ...
– scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. * Food science – study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork". * Foodborne illness – any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms. *
Mandatory labelling Mandatory labelling or labeling (see spelling differences) is the requirement of consumer products to state their ingredients or components. This is done to protect people with allergies, and so that people can practice moral purchasing. Mandator ...
– requirement of consumer products to state their ingredients or components. *
Packaging Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...
– science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. *
Pasteurization Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. The ...
– process of heating a food, usually a liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time and then cooling it immediately. *
Quality assurance Quality assurance (QA) is the term used in both manufacturing and service industries to describe the systematic efforts taken to ensure that the product(s) delivered to customer(s) meet with the contractual and other agreed upon performance, design ...
– planned and systematic activities implemented in a quality system so that quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled *
Sterilization (microbiology) Sterilization refers to any process that removes, kills, or deactivates all forms of life (particularly microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, spores, and unicellular eukaryotic organisms) and other biological agents such as prions present in or ...
– term referring to any process that eliminates (removes) or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents (such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, spore forms, etc.) present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media. * Warehouse – commercial building for storage of goods. * Yeast – eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom fungi, with 1,500 species currently described


Pulp and paper industry

Pulp and paper industry The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web an ...
– comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, board and other cellulose-based products.


Agricultural markets


Food distribution

*
Agricultural marketing Agricultural marketing covers the services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. These services involve the planning, organizing, directing and handling of agricultural produce in such a way as to satisfy farm ...
– services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. * Wholesale marketing – transactions made through wholesale markets


Food outlets

*
Supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
– self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments. * Farmers' market – consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages. * Grocery store – store that retails food. * Street market – outdoor market such as traditionally held in a market square or in a market town, and often held only on particular days of the week.


Prominent agricultural scientists

* Robert Bakewell (farmer) – first to implement systematic selective breeding of livestock. * Norman Borlaug – American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution". * Luther Burbank – American botanist, horticulturist and am pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. *
George Washington Carver George Washington Carver ( 1864 – January 5, 1943) was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent black scientists of the ea ...
– American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. Carver's reputation is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes, which also aided nutrition for farm families. *
René Dumont René Dumont (March 13, 1904 – June 18, 2001) was a French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician. Biography Dumont was born in Cambrai, Nord, in the north of France. His father was a professor in agriculture ...
– French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician. *
Charles Roy Henderson Charles Roy Henderson ( – ) was an American statistician and a pioneer in animal breeding — the application of quantitative methods for the genetic evaluation of domestic livestock. This is critically important because it allows farmers and ...
– statistician and a pioneer in animal breeding — the application of quantitative methods for the genetic evaluation of domestic livestock. * Ronald Fisher – English statistician, evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and geneticist. * Jay Lush – pioneering animal geneticist who made important contributions to livestock breeding. He is sometimes known as the father of modern scientific animal breeding. * Gregor Mendel – Austrian scientist and Augustinian friar who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the new science of genetics. Mendel demonstrated that the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants follows particular patterns, now referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance. *
Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
– French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He was best known to the general public for inventing a method to stop milk and wine from causing sickness, a process that came to be called pasteurization. * M. S. Swaminathan – Indian agricultural scientist. Swaminathan is known as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India", for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India.


See also

*
Agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
– * Extensive farming – *
Factory farming Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production, also known by its opponents as factory farming and macro-farms, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, while ...
– *
Free range Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...
– * Industrial agriculture – *
Mechanised agriculture Mechanised agriculture or agricultural mechanization is the use of machinery and equipment, ranging from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated, motorized equipment and machinery, to perform agricultural operations. In modern times, po ...
– * Intensive farming – *
Stock-free agriculture Animal-free agriculture, also known as veganic agriculture, stockfree farming or veganic farming, consists of farming methods that do not use animals or animal products. Animal-free growers do not keep domesticated animals and do not use animal pr ...
– *
Subsistence agriculture Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...
– * Urban agriculture – ; Lists * Largest producing countries of agricultural commodities *
List of agricultural organizations This is a list of agricultural organizations. International * 4-H * FAO * International Institute of Agriculture (defunct) European * COPA-COGECA * Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs Belgium * Boerenbond * Fédération wallonne de l'ag ...
*
List of agricultural universities and colleges This article lists agricultural universities and colleges around the world, by continent and country. Africa Algeria * Higher National Agronomic School (French name: Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique) Benin * Agricultural University of ...
*
List of sustainable agriculture topics The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sustainable agriculture: Sustainable agriculture – applied science that integrates three main goals, environmental health, economic profitability, and social and econ ...


References


External links


Free Federal Resources for Educational Excellence – Agriculture

UKAgriculture.com
- Advance the education of the public in all aspects of agriculture, the countryside and the rural economy
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Agriculture Page

Research on the role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction
from the Overseas Development Institute {{Agriculture footer * Agriculture Agriculture