Agricultural terminology

[[File:Tillage.jpg|thumb|Tillage after corn harvest (Click for video)]]

thumb|Monocultural potato field In agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time. Monocultures increase ease and efficiency in planting, managing, and harvesting crops short-term, often with the help of machinery. However, monocultures are more susceptible to diseases or pest outbreaks long-term due to localized reductions in biodiversity and nutrient depletion. Crop diversity can be added both in time, as with a crop rotation or sequence, or in space, with a polyculture or intercropping. Monoculture practices have been linked via several pathways to

agricultural formation consisting of a slope cut into a series of receding flat surfaces or platforms

bundle of grain

geographic climate area relevant to plant growth and survival

thumb|Many species of henbane require vernalization before flowering.

part of the year during which local weather conditions permit normal plant growth

thumb|upright=1.35|Asimina triloba|Pawpaw trees growing under mulberry trees, a [[forest gardening style of polyculture]]

measure of heating or cooling used in agriculture

ability of plants to survive adverse growing conditions

thumb|upright|Fertigation using white poly bag thumb|upright|Fertilizer mixed with water connected to a drip irrigation system Fertigation is the injection of fertilizers, used for soil amendments, water amendments and other water-soluble products into an irrigation system.

hidden flow of water if food or other commodities are traded from one place to another; e.g. it takes 1340 m³ of water on average to produce 1000 kg of wheat

thumb|right|300px|Hydroseeding being carried out at the Isle of Grain, Kent, UK thumb|right|300px|A commercial hydroseeder

saturation of soil with water

thumb|Windrows of straw, along with stubble. thumb|right|Grass for silage in a windrow awaiting collection. A windrow is a row of cut (mown) hay or small grain crop. It is allowed to dry before being baled, combined, or rolled. For hay, the windrow is often formed by a hay rake, which rakes hay that has been cut by a mowing machine or by scythe into a row, or it may naturally form as the hay is mown. For small grain crops which are to be harvested, the windrow is formed by a swather which both cuts the crop and forms the windrow.

right|thumb|250px|Hilling (:ja:畝|Japanese Une 畝) [[ploughed by a hoe for scallions to increase crop yields.]] Hilling, earthing up or ridging is the technique in agriculture and horticulture of heaping soil up around the base of a plant. It can be done by hand (usually using a hoe), or with powered machinery, typically a tractor attachment.

complex bargaining or exchange

term in pomology

The breadbasket of a country or of a region is an area which, because of the richness of the soil and/or advantageous climate, produces large quantities of wheat or other grain. Rice bowl is a similar term used to refer to Southeast Asia; California's Salinas Valley is sometimes referred to as America's salad bowl. Such regions may be the subject of fierce political disputes, which may even escalate into full military conflicts. For example: Ukraine in 1941–1944 during World War II:

type of storage of agricultural products

area at each end of a planted field

process by which a mower or similar implement is used to "top", or remove, the aerial part of a crop, in order to prevent seed formation and distribution onto the soil

artificial barrier constructed from foliage

In agriculture, monocropping is the practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land. Maize, soybeans, and wheat are three common crops often monocropped. Monocropping is also referred to as continuous cropping, as in "continuous corn." Monocropping allows for farmers to have consistent crops throughout their entire farm. They can plant only the most profitable crop, use the same seed, pest control, machinery, and growing method on their entire farm, which may increase overall farm profitability.

thumb|A mower with a scythe cuts a swathe through the crop. thumb|A mechanical swather. A swathe ( British English, rhymes with "bathe"; or swath American English, rhymes with "cloth") is the strip of cut crop made by a scythe or a mowing-machine. A mower with a scythe cuts a swathe along the mowing-edge leaving the uncut grass to the right and the cut grass laid in a windrow to the left on the previously mown land. The swathe width depends on the blade length, the nature of the crop, and the mower, but for grass is usually about wide. When mowing in a team the mowers start at the edge of a me

thumb|250px|right|Andenes in the Sacred Valley at [[Pisac, Peru]] thumb|Diagram of Inca engineering of andenes