NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Agricultural sector

Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Agriculture is also known as farming. Download high resolution version (1400x1050, 430 KB)Farming on Indonesia. ... Download high resolution version (1400x1050, 430 KB)Farming on Indonesia. ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... Food from plant sources Food is any substance normally eaten or drunk by living organisms. ... The word feed has a number of uses: Feeding is supplying food. ... For the meaning of fiber in nutrition, see dietary fiber. ... Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa ? Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

More people in the world are involved in agriculture as their primary economic activity than in any other. Alternate meanings: People (magazine); surat an-Nas (The People) in the Quran. ... The World in Plate Carrée Projection In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is Age of Man. ... Economics is the social science studying production and consumption through measurable variables. ...

Overview

Agriculture can refer to subsistence agriculture, the production of enough food to meet just the needs of the farmer/agriculturalist and his/her family. It may also refer to commercial agriculture, long prevalent in "developed" nations and increasingly so elsewhere, which consists of obtaining financial income from the cultivation of land to yield produce, the commercial raising of animals (animal husbandry), or both. Download high resolution version (1400x1050, 586 KB)Rice fields on Java, Indonesia. ... Download high resolution version (1400x1050, 586 KB)Rice fields on Java, Indonesia. ... This article is about the beverage. ... View of the Puncak area in West Java Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is the most populous of Indonesias islands, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... Subsistence farming is a mode of agriculture in which a plot of land produces only enough food to feed the family working it. ... Food from plant sources Food is any substance normally eaten or drunk by living organisms. ... Categories: Substubs | Food and drink stubs ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ...

Agriculture is also short for the study of the practice of agriculture, what is more formally known as agricultural science. Agricultural science (also called agronomy) is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic, and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. ...

Increasingly, in addition to food for humans and animal feeds, agriculture produces goods such as cut flowers, ornamental and nursery plants, timber or lumber, fertilizers, animal hides, leather, industrial chemicals (starch, sugar, ethanol, alcohols and plastics), fibers (cotton, wool, hemp, and flax), fuels (methane from biomass, biodiesel) and both legal and illegal drugs (biopharmaceuticals, tobacco, marijuana, opium, cocaine). Genetically engineered plants and animals produce specialty drugs. In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed livestock, such as cattle, sheep, chickens and pigs. ... A nursery is a place where plants are propagated, usually for sale as a business, though some gardeners and farmers keep private nurseries. ... Timber Timber is a term used to describe clusters of trees. ... Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying. ... Hides are skins obtained from animals that are used for human consumption. ... Modern leather-making tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water. ... This article deals with sugar as food and as an important, widely traded commodity; the word also has other uses; see Sugar (disambiguation) A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alter the flavor and properties (mouthfeel, perservation... Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. ... For the meaning of fiber in nutrition, see dietary fiber. ... Cotton is a soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... This article is about wool, the fiber. ... Cannabis is a plant also known as Cannabis sativa, hemp, or marijuana. ... Binomial name Linum usitatissimum L. Linnaeus, 17?? Common flax (also known as linseed) is a member of the Linaceae family, which includes about 150 plant species widely distributed around the world. ... The simplest hydrocarbon, methane, is a gas with a chemical formula of CH4. ... Biomass is organic non- fossil material, collectively. ... Bus running on soybean biodiesel. ... Many drugs are provided in tablet form. ... Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs (see pharmacology) produced by biotechnology. ... Species N. alata N. bigelovil N. debneyi N. excelsior N. exigua N. glauca N. glutinosa N. kawakamii N. knightiana N. longiflora N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of 2002-08-28 Tobacco () is a broad-leafed plant of the nightshade family, indigenous to North and South America, whose... Cannabis is a plant which is consumed by humans as a psychoactive drug. ... Opium is a narcotic drug which is obtained from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy . ... Cocaine is a crystalline alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic material has been deliberately altered. ...

In the Western world, the use of gene manipulation, better management of soil nutrients, and improved weed control have greatly increased yields per unit area. At the same time, the use of mechanization has decreased labo(u)r requirements. The developing world generally produce lower yields, having less of the latest science, capital, and technology base. For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ... Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM), and gene splicing (once in widespread use but now deprecated) are terms for the process of manipulating genes in an organism, usually outside of the organisms normal reproductive process. ... Weed control, a botanical component of pest control, stops weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to domesticated plants, sometimes livestocks, by using manual techniques including soil cultivation, mulching and herbicides. ... Capital has a number of related meanings in economics, finance and accounting. ...

Modern agriculture depends heavily on engineering and technology and on the biological and physical sciences. Irrigation, drainage, conservation and sanitary engineering, each of which is important in successful farming, are some of the fields requiring the specialized knowledge of agricultural engineers. Irrigating cotton fields Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies. ... Conservation may refer to the following: Conservation ethic in relation to preserving ecosystems Conservationist Conservation movement Conservation law of physics Conservation of energy Conservation of mass Conservation in genetics This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Agricultural chemistry deals with other vital farming concerns, such as the application of fertilizer, insecticides (see Pest control), and fungicides, soil makeup, analysis of agricultural products, and nutritional needs of farm animals. Pest control refers to the regulation or management of another species defined as a pest, usually because it is detrimental to a persons health, the ecology or the economy. ...

Plant breeding and genetics contribute immeasurably to farm productivity. Genetics has also made a science of livestock breeding. Hydroponics, a method of soilless gardening in which plants are grown in chemical nutrient solutions, may help meet the need for greater food production as the world's population increases. Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years. ... Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil. ...

The packing, processing, and marketing of agricultural products are closely related activities also influenced by science. Methods of quick-freezing and dehydration have increased the markets for farm products (see Food preservation; Meat packing industry). Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, texture and flavor. ... The meat packing industry is an industry that handles the slaughtering, processing and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. ...

Mechanization, the outstanding characteristic of late 19th- and 20th-century agriculture, has eased much of the backbreaking toil of the farmer. More significantly, mechanization has enormously increased farm efficiency and productivity (see Agricultural machinery). Animals, including horses, mules, oxen, camels, llamas, alpacas, and dogs; however, are still used to cultivate fields, harvest crops and transport farm products to markets in many parts of the world. Agricultural machinery is one of the most revolutionary and impactful applications of modern technology. ...

Airplanes, helicopters, trucks and tractors are used in agriculture for seeding, spraying operations for insect and disease control, transporting perishable products, and fighting forest fires. Radio and television disseminate vital weather reports and other information such as market reports that concern farmers. Computers have become an essential tool for farm management.

According to the National Academy of Engineering in the US, agricultural mechanization is one of the 20 greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century. In the early 1900s, it took one American farmer to produce food for 2.5 people, where today, due to engineering technology (also, plant breeding and agrichemicals), a single farmer can feed over 130 people [1] (http://www.greatachievements.org/greatachievements/ga_7_2.html). This comes at a cost, however, of large amounts of energy input from unsustainable (mostly fossil fuel) sources. Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in the United States provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. ... Events and Trends Technology Lawrence Hargrave makes the first stable wing design for a heavier-than-air aircraft Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first documented flight in a powered heavier-than-air aircraft Mass production of automobile Wide popularity of home phonograph Panama Canal is built by the United... Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years. ...

Animal husbandry means breeding and raising animals for meat or to harvest animal products (like milk, eggs, or wool) on a continual basis.

In recent years some aspects of industrial intensive agriculture have been the subject of increasing discussion. The widening sphere of influence held by large seed and chemical companies, meat packers and food processors has been a source of concern both within the farming community and for the general public. There has been increased activity of some people against some farming practices, raising chickens for food being one example. Another issue is the type of feed-stock given to some animals that can cause Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in cattle. Intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the significant use of inputs, and seeking to maximize the production. ... A sphere of influence is a metaphorical region of political influences surrounding a country or a region of economic influence around an urban area. ... Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or commonly mad cow disease) is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of cattle, which infects by a mechanism that shocked biologists on its discovery in late 20th century and appears transmissible to humans. ...

The patent protection given to companies that develop new types of seed using genetic engineering has allowed seed to be licensed to farmers in much the same way that computer software is licensed to users. This has changed the balance of power in favor of the seed companies, allowing them to dictate terms and conditions previously unheard of. Some argue these companies are guilty of biopiracy. This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ... Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM), and gene splicing (once in widespread use but now deprecated) are terms for the process of manipulating genes in an organism, usually outside of the organisms normal reproductive process. ... Biopiracy can refer to unauthorised use of biological resources , plants, animals, organs, microorganisms, genes; unauthorised use of traditional communities knowledge on biological resources; unequal share of benefits between a patent holder and the indigenous community whose resource and/or knowledge has been used; patenting of biological resources with no respect...

Soil conservation and nutrient management have been important concerns since the 1950s, with the best farmers taking a stewardship role with the land they operate. However, increasing contamination of waterways and wetlands by nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are of concern in many countries. For the heavy metal band see Soil (band) Soil is the layer of minerals and organic matter, in thickness from centimetres to a metre or more, on the land surface. ... Conservation may refer to the following: Conservation ethic in relation to preserving ecosystems Conservationist Conservation movement Conservation law of physics Conservation of energy Conservation of mass Conservation in genetics This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... In general stewardship is responsibility for taking good care of resources entrusted to one. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15 (VA), 2 , p Density 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15 (VA), 3 , p Density, Hardness 1823 kg/m3, __ Appearance colorless/red/silvery white Atomic properties Atomic weight 30. ...

Increasing consumer awareness of agricultural issues has led to the rise of community-supported agriculture, local food movement, slow food, and commercial organic farming, though these yet remain fledgling industries. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is the practice of farming with a greater-than-usual degree of involvement of consumers and other stakeholders. ... Local food (also regional food) is a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products that are locally grown. ... The Slow Food movement preserves an ecoregions cuisine and the associated food plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming methods of that region. ... Organic farming is a way of farming that avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and usually subscribes to the principles of sustainable agriculture. ...

History

Documenting and explaining the origins of agriculture is a problem addressed by archaeologists. Archaeobotanists have identified that the cultivation and selection of specific characteristics such as a semi-tough rachis and larger seeds (such that there were genetic changes in the plants) took place soon after the Younger Dryas in the early Holocene in the Levant region of the Fertile Crescent. There is earlier evidence: for example grains of rye with domestic traits have been recovered from Epi-Palaeolithic contexts at Abu Hureyra in Syria, but this appears to be a localised phenomenon resulting from cultivation of stands of wild rye, rather than a definitive step towards domestication. It is not until ca. 8,500 BC, in archaeological cultures referred to as Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB), where there is the first definite evidence for the emergence of a subsistence economy that was dependent on domesticated of plants (and animals). In these contexts lie the origins of the eight so-called founder crops of agriculture: firstly emmer, einkorn, then hulled barley, pea, lentil, bitter vetch, chick pea and flax. These eight crops occur more or less simultaneously on PPNB sites in this region. There are many sites that date to between ca. 8,500 BC and 7,500 BC where the systematic farming of these crops contributed the major part of the inhabitants' diet. From the Fertile Crescent agriculture spread eastwards to Central Asia and westwards into Cyprus, Anatolia and, by 7,000 BC, Greece. Farming (principally of emmer and einkorn) reached northwestern Europe by ca. 5,000 BC. The term origins of agriculture is used principally by archaeologists to describe the processes involved in the transition from subsistence strategies based on the collection of wild plant and animal resources to strategies based on the cultivation of domestic plants and the keeping of domestic animals. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Paleoethnobotany, also known as archaeobotany in European (particularly British) academic circles, is the archaeological sub-field that studies plant remains from archaeological sites. ... The rachis is the main axis of the inflorescence, or spike, of wheat and other cereals, to which the spikelets are attached. ... This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ... The Younger Dryas stadial, named after the alpine / tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala, and also referred to as the Big Freeze [1], was a brief cold climate period following the Bölling/Allerød interstadial at the end of the Pleistocene, and preceding the Preboreal of the early Holocene. ... The Holocene Epoch is a geologic period that extends from the present back about 10,000 radiocarbon years. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East incorporating present-day Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. ... Binomial name Secale cereale References: ITIS 42089 2002-09-22 Rye (Secale cereale) is a grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop. ... The Epipalaeolithic (or Epi-Palaeolithic, Epipaleolithic, or Epi-Paleolithic) was a period in the development of human technology that immediately precedes the neolithic period, as an alternative to mesolithic. ... Tell Abu Hureyra (tell is arabic for mound) was a site of an ancient settlement in the northern Levant or western Mesopotamia. ... The Syrian Arab Republic is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her archaeological excavations at Jericho in Israel. ... Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her archaeological excavations at Jericho in Israel. ... Binomial name triticum dicoccoides Emmer wheat is a wild species of wheat officially known as Triticum dicoccoides. ... Binomial name triticum boeoticum Einkorn wheat is a wild species of wheat, Triticum boeoticum. ... Species Hordeum arizonicum Hordeum brachyantherum Hordeum bulbosum Hordeum californica Hordeum depressum Hordeum intercedens Hordeum jubatum Hordeum marinum Hordeum murinum Hordeum pusillum Hordeum secalinum Hordeum spontaneum Hordeum vulgare References ITIS 40865 2002-09-22 Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, and a member of the grass... Binomial name Pisum sativum A pea (Pisum sativum) is the small, edible round green seed which grows in a pod on a leguminous vine, hence why it is called a legume. ... Binomial name Lens culinaris Medikus Red lentils Lentils (Lens culinaris, Fabaceae) are lens-shaped pulses that grow on an annual, bushlike plant. ... Binomial name Cicer arietinum L. The chickpea, garbanzo bean or bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) is an edible pulse of the Leguminosae or Fabaceae family, subfamily India. ... Binomial name Linum usitatissimum L. Linnaeus, 17?? Common flax (also known as linseed) is a member of the Linaceae family, which includes about 150 plant species widely distributed around the world. ... Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her archaeological excavations at Jericho in Israel. ... The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East incorporating present-day Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. ... Map of Central Asia outlined in orange showing one set of possible borders Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Cyprus (in Greek Kypros Κύπρος and in Turkish Kıbrıs) is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, 113 kilometres (70 miles) south of Turkey and around 120 km west of the Syrian coast. ... Anatolia ( Greek: ανατολή anatolē or anatolí, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of... Binomial name triticum dicoccoides Emmer wheat is a wild species of wheat officially known as Triticum dicoccoides. ... Binomial name triticum boeoticum Einkorn wheat is a wild species of wheat, Triticum boeoticum. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

The reasons for the earliest introduction of farming may have included climate change, but possibly also social reasons (e.g. accumulation of food surplus for competitive gift-giving). Most certainly there was a gradual transition from a hunter-gatherer economy to an agricultural one via a lengthy period when some crops were deliberately planted and other foods were gathered from the wild. Although localised climate change is the favoured explanation for the origins of agriculture in the Levant, the fact that farming was 'invented' at least three times, possibly more, suggests that social reasons may be instrumental. In addition to emergence of farming in the Fertile Crescent, the agriculture appeared by at least 7,000 BC (and possibly earlier) in southeast Asia (rice) and, somewhat later, in Central America (maize, squash). Agriculture also likely arose independently in early Neolithic contexts in India (rice) and Southeast Asia (taro). Map of the climate of the Earth The climate (ancient Greek: κλίμα) is the weather averaged over a long period of time. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East incorporating present-day Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. ... Species Oryza barthii Oryza glaberrima Oryza latifolia Oryza longistaminata Oryza punctata Oryza rufipogon Oryza sativa References ITIS 41975 2002-09-22 This article is about the food grain, not the university or Condoleezza Rice; see also rice (disambiguation). ... Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the European discovery of the New World by Columbus. ... Species Zea diploperennis Zea luxurians Zea nicaraguensis Zea perennis References ITIS 42268 2002-09-22 Sorting Zea names This article is about the staple food. ... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash - butternut squash - most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 22365 2002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Full dependency on domestic crops and animals (i.e. when wild resources contributed a nutritionally insignificant component to the diet) was not until the Bronze Age. If the operative definition of agriculture includes large scale intensive cultivation of land, mono-cropping, organised irrigation and use of a specialized labour force, the title "inventors of agriculture" would fall to the Sumerians. Intensive farming allows a much greater density of population than can be supported by hunting and gathering. It also allows the accumulation of excess product to keep for winter use or to sell for profit. The ability of farmers to feed large numbers of people whose activities have nothing to do with food production was the crucial factor in the rise of standing armies. The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Irrigating cotton fields Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Labour (or labor) can mean any one of the following things: Physical or mental work; exertion. ... Sumer (or Shumer, Sumeria, Shinar, native ki-en-gir) formed the southern part of Mesopotamia from the time of settlement by the Sumerians until the time of Babylonia. ...

The invention of a three field system of crop rotation during in the Middle Ages vastly improved early agriculture efficiency. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

After 1492 the world's agricultural patterns were shuffled in the widespread exchange of plants and animals known as the Columbian Exchange. Crops and animals that were previously only known in the Old World were now transplanted to the New and vice versa. Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ... The Columbian Exchange has been one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. ...

Policy

Agricultural policy focuses on the goals and methods of agricultural production. At the policy level, common goals of agriculture include: Subsidies status Currently, economic studies place the average farmer subsidy at US$17,000/year for European farmers, and US$16,000/year for U.S. farmers. ...

Foodborne illness or food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites. ... Food security is a term used in development and humanitarian aid. ... Food quality is an important food manufacturing requirement, because consumers are vulnerable to any form of contamination. ...

Methods

Aeroponics is a technique of growing of plants without soil. ... Agricultural machinery is one of the most revolutionary and impactful applications of modern technology. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... Aquaculture (sometimes misspelled aquiculture) is the cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish, shellfish, algae and other aquatic plants. ... Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of one or more hives of honeybees. ... Growing the same crop repeatedly in the same place eventually depletes the soil of various nutrients. ... In agriculture, a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a farm that raises livestock and seeks to maximize production by making highly efficient use of space and other resources. ... In agriculture, a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a farm that raises livestock and seeks to maximize production by making highly efficient use of space and other resources. ... Hardy Meyers chicken operation near Petal, Mississippi. ... Compost is the decomposed remnants of organic materials (those with plant and animal origins). ... Dairy farming is a class of agricultural enterprise, raising female cattle for long-term production of milk, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy for processing and eventual retail sale. ... Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ... Fence with barbed wire on top In agriculture, fences are used to keep animals in or out of an area. ... Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying. ... A greenhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ... This article is about gathering crops. ... In agriculture and gardening, hybrid seed is seed produced by artificially cross-pollinated plants. ... Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil. ... IPM bollworm trap Cotton field Manning, South Carolina In agriculture, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest control strategy that uses an array of complementary methods: natural predators and parasites, pest-resistant varieties (see GMO), cultural practices, biological controls, various physical techniques, and pesticides as a last resort. ... IPM bollworm trap Cotton field Manning, South Carolina In agriculture, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest control strategy that uses an array of complementary methods: natural predators and parasites, pest-resistant varieties (see GMO), cultural practices, biological controls, various physical techniques, and pesticides as a last resort. ... Irrigating cotton fields Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... In agriculture, market gardening is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. ... Monoculture means literally a single shared integrated pattern. ... No-till farming is a way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. ... Organic farming is a way of farming that avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and usually subscribes to the principles of sustainable agriculture. ... Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years. ... Pollination Management is the label for horticultural practices that accomplish or enhance pollination of a crop, to improve yield or quality, by understanding of the particular crops pollination needs, and by knowledgeable management of pollenizers, pollinators, and pollination conditions. ... Precision farming or precision agriculture is an agricultural concept relying on the existence of in-field variability. ... Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... In agriculture, season extension refers to anything that allows a crop to be cultivated beyond its normal outdoor growing season. ... In agriculture and gardening, seed saving is the practice of saving seeds from open-pollinated vegetables and flowers for use from year to year. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... Subsistence farming is a mode of agriculture in which a plot of land produces only enough food to feed the family working it. ... In agriculture, succession planting refers to several planting methods that increase crop availability during a growing season by making efficient use of space and timing. ... Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities. ... Vegetable farming has traditionally been done in long rows. ... Tillage (American English), or cultivation (UK) is the agricultural preparation of the soil to receive seeds. ... Weed control, a botanical component of pest control, stops weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to domesticated plants, sometimes livestocks, by using manual techniques including soil cultivation, mulching and herbicides. ...

Crops

World production of major crops in 2002

In millions of metric tons, based on USDA estimates: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA, is a Cabinet department of the United States Federal Government. ...

However, grazing grass and animal feed-crop production must exceed the total of those four crops. Species Zea diploperennis Zea luxurians Zea nicaraguensis Zea perennis References ITIS 42268 2002-09-22 Sorting Zea names This article is about the staple food. ... Species T. monococcum T. spelta References: ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp) is a grass that is cultivated around the world. ... Species Oryza barthii Oryza glaberrima Oryza latifolia Oryza longistaminata Oryza punctata Oryza rufipogon Oryza sativa References ITIS 41975 2002-09-22 This article is about the food grain, not the university or Condoleezza Rice; see also rice (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Glycine max Soybeans (US) or soya beans (UK) (Glycine max) are a high-protein legume (Family Fabaceae) grown as food for both humans and livestock. ... Cotton is a soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ...

Crop improvement

Domestication of plants is done in order to increase yield, improve disease resistance and drought tolerance, ease harvest and to improve the taste and nutritional value and many other characteristics. Centuries of careful selection and breeding have had enormous effects on the characteristics of crop plants. Plant breeders use greenhouses and other techniques to get as many as three generations of plants per year so that they can make improvements all the more quickly. Soil scientist measures corn growth [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Soil scientist measures corn growth [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 300 KB)Bird netting on wine grapes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 300 KB)Bird netting on wine grapes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years. ... Nutrition is interpreted as the study of the organic process by which an organism assimilates and uses food and liquids for normal functioning, growth and maintenance and to maintain the balance between health and disease. ...

Plant selection and breeding in the 1920s and '30s improved pasture (grasses and clover) in New Zealand. Extensive radiation mutagenesis efforts (i.e. primitive genetic engineering) during the 1950s produced the modern commercial varieties of grains such as wheat, corn and barley. Pastureland Pasture is land with lush herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulates as part of a farm or ranch. ... Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ...

For example, average yields of corn (maize) in the USA have increased from around 2.5 tons per hectare (40 bushels per acre) in 1900 to about 9.4 t/ha (150 bushels per acre) in 2001, primarily due to improvements in genetics. Similarly, worldwide average wheat yields have increased from less than 1 t/ha in 1900 to more than 2.5 t/ha in 1990. South American average wheat yields are around 2 t/ha, African under 1 t/ha, Egypt and Arabia up to 3.5 to 4 t/ha with irrigation. In contrast, the average wheat yield in countries such as France is over 8 t/ha. Higher yields are due to improvements in genetics, as well as use of intensive farming techniques (use of fertilizers, chemical pest control, growth control to avoid lodging). Species Zea diploperennis Zea luxurians Zea nicaraguensis Zea perennis References ITIS 42268 2002-09-22 Sorting Zea names This article is about the staple food. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Mişr or Maşr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in northeastern Africa. ... Pest control refers to the regulation or management of another species defined as a pest, usually because it is detrimental to a persons health, the ecology or the economy. ...

[Conversion note: 1 bushel of wheat = 60 pounds (lb) ≈ 27.215 kg. 1 bushel of corn = 56 pounds ≈ 25.401 kg]

Very recently, genetic engineering has begun to be employed in some parts of the world to speed up the selection and breeding process. The most widely used modification is a herbicide resistance gene that allows plants to tolerate exposure to glyphosate, which is used to control weeds in the crop. A less frequently used but more controversial modification causes the plant to produce a toxin to reduce damage from insects (c.f. Starlink). Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM), and gene splicing (once in widespread use but now deprecated) are terms for the process of manipulating genes in an organism, usually outside of the organisms normal reproductive process. ... Genetically modified maize (corn) has been engineered and is grown commercailly in the United States. ...

There are specialty producers who raise less common types of livestock or plants.

Aquaculture, the farming of fish, shrimp, and algae, is closely associated with agriculture. Aquaculture (sometimes misspelled aquiculture) is the cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish, shellfish, algae and other aquatic plants. ... Fish might refer to: Fish - vertebrates with gills which live in water Fish (sometimes FISH) - the British code-word for World War II German stream cipher teleprinter secure communications devices The FISH (FIbonacci SHrinking) stream cipher published in 1993 Fish - the former lead singer of progressive rock band Marillion fluorescent... Suborders Not necessary complete list: Aristeidae Penaeidae Sergestidae Sicyoniidae Solenoceridae Nematocarcinidae Atyidae Pasiphaeoidae Rhynocinetidae Campylonotidae Palaemonidae Alpheidae Ogyrididae Hippolytidae Proussidae Pandalidae Crangonidae True shrimp are small, swimming, decapod crustaceans usually classified in the suborder Natantia, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... The algae (singular is alga) comprise several different groups of living things that produce energy through photosynthesis. ...

Apiculture, the culture of bees, traditionally for honey—increasingly for crop pollination. Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of one or more hives of honeybees. ... for the 2003 movie starring Jessica Alba, see Honey (movie). ... Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). ...

See also : botany, List of domesticated plants, List of vegetables, List of herbs, List of fruit Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... This is a list of plants that have been domesticated by humans. ... Here is a list of edible vegetables in cuisine. ... By far the most commonly used seasoning for food is table salt; however, it is a mineral, not a spice. ... Here are lists of all the fruits considered edible in some cuisine. ...

Environmental problems

General Name, Symbol, Number Nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15 (VA), 2 , p Density 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15 (VA), 3 , p Density, Hardness 1823 kg/m3, __ Appearance colorless/red/silvery white Atomic properties Atomic weight 30. ... For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ... Lake Clearwater, Ontario, Canada A lake is a large body of water, usually fresh water, surrounded by land. ... A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ... Fungicides are pesticides for destruction or development prevention of fungi. ... Insecticide application by crop spraying An insecticide is a pesticide whose purpose is to kill or to prevent the multiplication of insects. ... A biocide is a chemical substance, such as pesticides, which can be herbicides, insecticides, miticides, or rodenticides, etc. ... In ecology, an ecosystem is a community of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms - also referred as biocenose) together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a unit. ... In geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to plough ) is a form of agricultural land use, meaning land that can be (and is) used for growing crops. ... Biomass is organic non- fossil material, collectively. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, or movement in response to gravity. ... This article is about unwanted plants. ... A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ...

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