Agriculture

thumb|Modern agriculture: a center pivot irrigation system on a field

A crop is a plant or plant product harvested for human use. Crops are cultivated at scale to produce food, fiber, fuel, and other products. Crops have been central to human civilization since the first agricultural revolution, a key stage in the broader history of agriculture, when early societies domesticated plants for food and trade. Today, a small number of staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, and sugarcane account for the majority of global production. Because of their economic importance, crops are studied within several scientific disciplines, including agronomy, agricultural scienc

type of industry; collective of diverse businesses that supplies much of the world's food

sub-discipline of applied chemistry

thumb|A farmer in India threshes grain by hand. thumb|An animal-powered thresher Threshing, or thrashing, is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (or other crop) from the straw to which it is attached. It is the step in grain preparation after reaping. Threshing does not remove the bran from the grain.

Agroecology 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 term can refer to a science, a movement, or an agricultural practice. Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems. The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of farming, whether it be organic, regenerative, integrated, or industrial, intensive or extensive, although some use the name specifically for alternative agriculture.

An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.) is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and the European Union. Other names used to designate the profession include agricultural scientist, agricultural manager, agricultural planner, agriculture researcher, or agriculture policy maker.

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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 while satisfying the needs of consumers for products related to natural resources. Agribusinesses comprise farms, food and fiber processing, forestry, fisheries, biotechnology and biofuel enterprises and their input suppliers.

thumb|Shea tree|Shea butter trees planted near residential areas to serve as windbreaks A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a home can reduce the cost of heating and cooling and save energy. Windbreaks are also planted to help keep snow from drifting onto roadways or yards. Farmers sometimes use windbreaks to keep snow drifts on

right|thumb|View of a haystack right|thumb|Haystack in Romania The haystack is a type of construction which is a feature typical of the calid European countries. It consists of a central wooden pole with stacked hay layers around it, forming a heap for later transfer to the barn.

thumb|Solar panel#Vertical bifacial solar array|Vertical solar panels, east to west orientation, with bifacial modules near Donaueschingen, Germany.

thumb|Variety of mushrooms cultivated for culinary use Fungiculture is the cultivation of fungi such as mushrooms. Cultivating fungi can yield foods (which include mostly mushrooms), medicine, construction materials and other products. A mushroom farm is involved in the business of growing fungi.

thumb|right|A seedbed of rice plants A seedbed or seedling bed is the local soil environment in which seeds are planted. Often, it comprises not only the soil but also a specially prepared cold frame, hotbed or raised bed used to grow the seedlings in a controlled environment into larger young plants before transplanting them into a garden or field. A seedling bed increases the number of seeds that germinate.

district in Northern Region, Uganda

large-scale acquisition of farmland (over 1,000 ha) whether by purchase, leases or other means.

agricultural practice

thumb|A snail farm near Eyragues, [[Provence, France]] Heliciculture, commonly known as snail farming, is the process of raising edible land snails, primarily for human consumption or cosmetic use. The meat and snail eggs can be consumed as escargot and as a type of caviar, respectively.

structure, usually underground or partially underground, used for storage of vegetables, fruits, nuts, or other foods

plastic film used in the role of mulch

thumb|upright=1.3|Plastic mulch used for growing strawberries

farm efficiency through education

agricultural term, bending over of the stems near ground level of crops

service road that serves predominantly agricultural or forestry purposes and has only local significance

method within hydroponics

therapeutic use of farming practices

regulation of atmospheric gases in agricultural storage

list of definitions of terms related to agriculture

type of farming that uses rain for water

study of water balance components intervening in agricultural water management, especially in irrigation and drainage

usually characterized by a combination of the following traits in contrast to the conventional varieties

research facility dedicated to agricultural experiments

disease- and pest-free plant technique

negative impact of non-living factors on the living organisms in a specific environment

can be regarded as the re-allocation of some of a farm's productive resources

safe, beneficial use of animal or human excreta

pattern of land (area group) distribution among landholders (agricultural households)

Branch of human geography

farming technique

application of methods to protect soil and enhance its performance

cover crop grown with a main crop as mulch

growth of agricultural land in the 21st century

measurable increase of women's participation in agriculture

invasive plant with positive effects