What are the two branches of agriculture

TWO BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture

Agriculture, also called farming or husbandry, is the cultivation of animals,

plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fiber, biofuel, medicinals and other

products used to sustain and enhance human life. Agriculture was the key

development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of

domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development

of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. The

history of agriculture dates back thousands of years, and its development has

been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies.

However, all farming generally relies on techniques to expand and maintain the

lands that are suitable for raising domesticated species. For plants, this usually

requires some form of irrigation, although there are methods of dryland farming.

Livestock are raised in a combination of grassland-based and landless systems,

in an industry that covers almost one-third of the world’s ice- and water-free area.

In the developed world, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monoculture

has become the dominant system of modern farming, although there is growing

support for sustainable agriculture, including permaculture and organic

Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the human population

labored in agriculture. Pre-industrial agriculture was typically subsistence

agriculture/self-sufficiency in which farmers raised most of their crops for

their own consumption instead of cash crops for trade. A remarkable shift in

agricultural practices has occurred over the past century in response to new

technologies, and the development of world markets. This also has led to

technological improvements in agricultural techniques, such as the Haber-Bosch

method for synthesizing ammonium nitrate which made the traditional practice

of recycling nutrients with crop rotation and animal manure less important.

TWO BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

There are two main branches of agricultural production – crop production

and animal husbandry.

Crop production is the practice of growing and harvesting crops. The most

important crops grown by man are grain crops, vegetables and grasses. In order to

obtain high yields crops are grown under favorable soil and climatic conditions.

Animal husbandry is a branch of agriculture including the breeding of farm

animals and their use. Dairy and beef cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry are widely

bred throughout the world. Farm animals are highly important sources of food

for man. They are kept for the production of such nutritious products as meat,

Many crops grown by man are used in feeding livestock. At the same time

manure produced by farm animals is an important source for the maintenance

soil fertility. Most of the nutrients taken by plants from the soil are thus returned.

Applying manure, farmers improve the physical condition of the soil.

Thus, crop production and animal husbandry are closely connected with

3) Animal husbandry is the management and care of farm animals by

humans for profit, in which genetic qualities and behavior, considered to be

advantageous to humans, are further developed. The term can refer to the

practice of selectively breeding and raising livestock to promote desirable

traits in animals for utility, sport, pleasure, or research, but also refers to the

efficient exploitation of a species in agriculture advantageous to humans.

History of breeding

Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the

first domestication of animals. Selective breeding for desired traits was first

established as a scientific practice by Robert Bakewell during the British

Agricultural Revolution in the 18th century. One of his most important breeding

programs was with sheep. Using native stock, he was able to quickly select for

large, yet fine-boned sheep, with long, lustrous wool. The Lincoln Longwool

was improved by Bakewell and in turn the Lincoln was used to develop the

subsequent breed, named the New (or Dishley) Leicester. It was hornless and

had a square, meaty body with straight top lines. These sheep were exported

widely and have contributed to numerous modern breeds.

Techniques such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are

frequently used today, not only as methods to guarantee that females breed

regularly but also to help improve herd genetics. This may be done by

transplanting embryos from high-quality females into lower-quality surrogate

vastly increases the number of offspring which may be produced by a small

selection of the best quality parent animals. On the one hand, this improves the

ability of the animals to convert feed to meat, milk, or fiber more efficiently,

and improve the quality of the final product. On the other, it decreases genetic

diversity, increasing the severity of disease outbreaks among other risks.

Farming practices

Farming practices vary dramatically worldwide and between types of

animals. Livestock are generally kept in an enclosure, are fed by human-

provided food[citation needed] and are intentionally bred, but some livestock

are not enclosed, or are fed by access to natural foods, or are allowed to breed

freely, or any combination thereof. Livestock raising historically was part of a

nomadic or pastoral form of material culture. The herding of camels and reindeer

in some parts of the world remains unassociated with sedentary agriculture. The

transhumance form of herding in the Sierra Nevada of California still continues,

as cattle, sheep or goats are moved from winter pasture in lower elevation valleys

to spring and summer pasture in the foothills and alpine regions, as the seasons

progress. Cattle were raised on the open range in the Western United States and

Canada, on the Pampas of Argentina, and other prairie and steppe regions of the

The enclosure of livestock in pastures and barns is a relatively new

development in the history of agriculture. When cattle are enclosed, the type of

‘enclosure’ may vary from a small crate, a large fenced pasture or a paddock. The

type of feed may vary from natural growing grass, to animal feed. Animals are

usually intentionally bred through artificial insemination or through supervised

mating. Indoor production systems are typically used for pigs, dairy cattle and

poultry, as well as for veal cattle, dairy goats and other animals, depending on

the region and season. Animals kept indoors are generally farmed intensively,

as large space requirements would make indoor farming unprofitable and

impossible. However, indoor farming systems are controversial due to the waste

they produce, odour problems, the potential for groundwater contamination and

animal welfare concerns. (For further discussion on intensively farmed livestock,

see factory farming, and intensive pig farming).

Farm animals

Animal husbandry, a branch of agricultural production, includes the breeding

of farm animals and their use. Farm animals are highly important sources of food

for man. They are known to produce highly nutritious products such as milk,

meat and eggs. In addition, the skin of animals, down and feather of poultry and

wool of sheep are used as raw materials to produce clothing and for many other

The most important group of farm animals is cattle. There are four types of

cattle. They are dairy cattle, beef cattle, draft cattle and dual- purpose cattle. Dairy

cattle, that is, dairy cows provide milk that may be used in making various dairy

products. Beef cattle are the producer of beef. One can raise dual-purpose cattle

producing both milk and meat. Draft cattle and horses are almost everywhere

replaced by agricultural machinery.

Important sources in producing human food are sheep and hogs. Sheep are

raised for two purposes: wool and mutton production. The production cycle of

hogs is much shorter than that of cattle or sheep. In other words, unlike the other

farm animals hogs are rapid growing ones. They may be fattened in less than six

months. That is why hog breeding is one of the most important and economic

ways of solving the problem of supplying the population with meat.

What Are the Different Branches of Agriculture?

Branches of agriculture include aqua farming, farming, apiculture or beekeeping, fishing, forestry, ranching and whaling. Forestry is further divided into the four categories of agroforestry, analog forestry, forest gardening and forest farming. Agronomy is the science of producing plants for uses such as food, fuels, fiber and feed. Animal husbandry refers to raising and breeding livestock.

Agriculture is classified by the type of life produced or harvested, and it is thought of as sustainable or conventional. Conventional agriculture involves the use of modern technology to produce plants. These include inorganic fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. It also requires altering the natural environment of land with techniques such as mono-cropping and eliminating diversity among crops.

Sustainable agriculture promotes maintaining the natural environment of the land using techniques that promote ecological principles. Polycropping, or planting a variety of crops, is commonly used. Different plants have different harvesting periods, the land is not left bare and the risk of soil erosion is reduced. The use of pesticides is either reduced or eliminated.

In the United States, conventional agriculture is the type of agriculture most used. Some crops are grown with a specific type of agriculture. Soybeans and wheat are more likely to be grown through conventional agriculture. Beets and squash are more likely to be grown using sustainable agriculture.

Introduction to Agriculture: Meaning, Branches and Importance of Agriculture

Welcome to class!

In today’s class, we will be talking about the introduction to agriculture. Enjoy the class!

Introduction to Agriculture: Meaning, Branches and Importance of Agriculture

Meaning of agriculture

Agriculture is the art and science (or management) that deals with the cultivation of crops and the rearing of animals for man’s use. This means it refers to all the activities involving the cultivation of the soil for the production of crops and livestock management to the distribution and marketing of the plant and animal products.

The term, agriculture, is derived from two Latin words which are:

By this, agriculture means field cultivation. However, this is not a complete definition of agriculture since agriculture also has to do with animal production.

Self-evaluation:

Branches of agriculture

The branches of Agriculture include the following:

Self-evaluation:

(a) Agronomy (b) Crop Pathology (c) Entomology

Importance of agriculture

Self-evaluation:

General evaluation

(a) Agronomy (b) Crop Pathology (c) Entomology

Reading assignment

Essential Agricultural Science by O. A. Iwena, Chapter 1; pages 2-6.

Fundamental Agricultural Science P. E. Okafor. Chapter 1; pages 1- 4

THEORY

(b) State ten importance of agriculture

In our next class, we will be talking about the Types of Agriculture: Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture. We hope you enjoyed the class.

Should you have any further question, feel free to ask in the comment section below and trust us to respond as soon as possible.

branches of agriculture

b)poultry farming; the rearing of poultry such us chicken,goose, turkey,duck, pigeon etc

c)pig farming;rearing of pigs

What is crop production?

Crop production (Arable farming) includes growing of the following.

Field crop include:

Annual crops like cereals and pulses e.g garden peas

Perennial crops like coffee, tea, sugarcane

Growing of tea and sugarcane among others

Horticultural crops entails (i) Pomology, (ii) Olericulture, (ii) Floriculture

Pomology is growing of fruits

Olericulture is the growing of vegetables such as French beans, Cabbages and Tomatoes.

Floriculture is the growing of flowers such as Tuberose,Roses and Carnations. Among other crops

c) Farm tools and machinery

Agriculture engineering is a branch of agriculture that deals with use and maintenance of farm tools, machinery and structures.

d) Marketing agricultural produce

Agriculture economics is a branch of agriculture which deals with the utilization of scarce resources. It aims at maximizing output while minimizing costs

Draw lines to show which words go together.

TEXT: WHAT IS AGRICULTURE?

Acid soils

Branches of agriculture

Utilization of fertilizers

1. Guess the meaning of the following international words and word combinations:

activity, materials, Latin, cultivation, intensification, climate, hybrid, mechanization, herbicides, biological, equilibrium, sector, economy, industry, factor, system, agronomy, technical, tractor, combine, machinery, electricity, chemical, material, chemization, mineral, organic, biological.

2. Find the correct word on the right opposite in meaning to the one on the left.

Match the words on the right (A) with their definition on the left (B).

A B

1) to breed a) produce by cultivation

2) field b) supply (land) with water

3) agriculture c) soil management and crop

4)economy d) subdivisions of agriculture

5) branches of agriculture e) a piece of ground especially for

pasture or tillage or playing games

6)soil f) cultivation ofthe soil and rearing of

7) yield g) upper layer of earth, in which

8) agronomy h) produce or return as fruit, profit or

9) to irrigate i) management of concerns and

resources of state or business or

10) to grow g) raise (cattle etc.)

4. What are these words derived from? Notice the different suffixes, indicating different parts of speech.

Activity, cultivation, growing, meaning, breeding, achievement, developed, agronomical, rotation, various, considerably, chemical, improvement, deliveries, intensification, comprehensive, mechanization, utilization, liming, protection, development, valuable, raising, equipment, enlargement, combination.

5. Give Russian equivalents for:

crop growing, livestock breeding, sufficient good soil, to produce high yields, crop rotation, chemical fertilizers, comprehensive mechanization, plant breeding, poultry-breeding, pig-growing, nutrient substances.

Draw lines to show which words go together.

e.g. animals food produce breed

1) protection country’s plant achievements

2) application of rotation fertilizers crop

3) utilization of production natural resources agricultural

4) liming of yields high acid soils

5)agronomical zones measures climatic

6) mechanization use of full herbicides

7. Open the brackets using the verbs in Passive Voice:

1. Enough food for all the people (can grow) if there is sufficient good soil for crops to produce high yields

2. An increase in the yield of grain and other crops (to ensure) by a number of factors.

3. Field work already (to mechanize) to a very high degree.

4. Depending upon the field of application crops (to subdivide) into food crops, feed crops, industrial crops and vegetables.

5. Vegetables (to grow) everywhere where the climate is most favourable for these crops.

6. Industrial crops also widely (to cultivate) by the farmers.

8. Read the text and say why agriculture is a vital sector of economy.

WHAT IS AGRICULTURE?

Agriculture is a human activity in which people use areas of land to produce food, clothing and other necessary materials.

The word ageris a Latin word. It means a field. The word agriculturemeans the cultivation of fields and growing crops. But this is the old meaning of this word. Now it also means the use of land to breed animals.

Agriculture is the vita1 sector of the economy. Its condition and development largely determine the country’s achievements, the supply of the population with foodstuffs and many industries with raw materials.

At present there are two main branches of agriculture. They are crop growing and livestock breeding.

We do not know when people began to grow crops. It was many thousand years ago. Now crop growing is a highly developed branch of agriculture.

The soil is the basis of agriculture. Enough food for all the people can be grown if there is sufficient good soil for crops to produce high yields. So an increase in the yield of grain and other crops is ensured by a number of factors. First comes the system of agronomical measures. All farms have to introduce better crop rotation systems. Rotation systems naturally differ in various areas and under various conditions. Second goes the technical equipment of farms. Tractors, combines, lorries and other machinery will considerably reduce the time required for agricultural work. Field work has already been mechanized to a very high degree. Power stations provide farms with electricity. Third, an increase in the deliveries of chemical fertilizers and the improvement of their quality.

The enlargement of the material and technical basis of agriculture and its intensification through chemization, the comprehensive mechanization of crop and animal farming and improvement are the key conditions for increasing agricultural production.

Depending upon the soil and climatic zones effective methods should be introduced for the utilization of mineral fertilizers in combination with organic fertilizers along with the liming of acid soils. The production and use of chemical and biological means of plant protection should be increased. But all intensification factors, such as full mechanization, high application of fertilizers and extensive use of herbicides must be used in such a way as not to disturb the biological equilibrium of the soil.

Depending upon the field of application crops can be subdivided into food crops, feed crops, industrial crops and vegetables. Potatoes and other vegetables are major food crops. Vegetables are grown everywhere where the climate is most favourable for these crops.

Industrial crops are also widely cultivated by the farmers. Perhaps the most important industrial crop for textile industry is cotton. Cotton is generally grown on the irrigated lands. Flax is another important crop. Cotton and flax oils are both edible and valuable.

Livestock breeding comprises cattle-breeding, pig-growing, poultry-breeding, etc. One of the principle problems cattle-breeding faces is that of fodder or feeds. To choose the necessary feeds, rich enough in protein and other nutrient substances is not an easy thing. Increasing the production of meat, milk and wool can be achieved by raising productivity and also by increasing the heads of livestock and the amount of poultry.

9. Find information in the text to answer the following questions.

1. What is agriculture?

2. What are the key conditions for increasing agricultural production?

3. What branches of agriculture do you know?

4. How many groups are crops subdivided into?

5. What does livestock breeding comprise?

6. What problem does cattle-breeding face?

7. How can the production of meat and milk be increased?

10.Divide the text into several parts. Find the key sentences in each part. Sum up the content of the text.