This document provides an overview of soil and agricultural concepts. It defines agriculture as the science and art of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. It notes that agriculture has three main branches - geoponic, hydroponic, and aeroponic systems. It also lists the seven main branches of agriculture as agronomy, horticulture, forestry, animal science, fishery science, agricultural engineering, and home science. Finally, it provides land utilization statistics for India and Tamil Nadu.
Hierarchy of management that covers different levels of management
Agriculture and Agronomy
1. Soil:
Pedological and Edaphological concepts
AGE18201 Introduction to Major Field Crops (1+1)
Dr. S. Marimuthu., Ph.D.
Asst. Professor (AGR)
Dear Students
2. Unit I Principles of crop production
AGE18201 Introduction to Major Field Crops (1+1)
Dr. S. Marimuthu., Ph.D.
Asst. Professor (AGR)
Agriculture – Agronomy - definition - Agriculture as
an art, science and business of crop production
3. Introduction
• Agriculture - Latin word
• Ager or Agri - Soil / Field
• Cultura - Cultivation
• Agriculture is a branch of applied science
• “The science and art of farming including
the work of cultivating the soil, producing
crops and raising livestock”
• “It is an art, science and business of
producing crops and livestock for
economic purposes”
4. Agriculture
• Activities on the Ground for Raising Intended Crops for
Uplifting Livelihood Through the Use of Rechargeable
Energies
• Three main spheres of agriculture
• Geoponic system
• Hydroponic system
• Aeroponic system
5. Agriculture
• It is productive unit - gifts of natures (land,
light, water and temperature) - make a
single primary unit (i.e crop plant) -
indispensable for human beings
• Secondary productive units of agriculture -
Animals (livestock, birds and insects) which
feed on the primary units and provide
concentrated products (meat, milk, hide,
wool, eggs, honey, silk and lac)
6. Branches of Agriculture
Seven branches viz.,
• Agronomy
• Horticulture
• Forestry
• Animal Science
• Fishery Science
• Agricultural Engineering and
• Home Science
7. Agronomy- Definition
• Agronomy - Greek word
• ‘Agros’ - Field
• ‘Nomos’ - To manage
• Literally - The art of managing field
• Technically - Science and economics of crop
production by management of farm land
• “Art and Science” - production and improvement of field
crops - use of soil fertility, water, labour and other factors
• Branch of agricultural science deals with “principles and
practices of field management for production of field crops”
8. Agronomy
Agronomy means
• Activities on the
• Ground to
• Raise
• Outspread and
• Noble crops to
• Obtain
• Massive Yields
• It deals with the production of various crops which includes
food crops, fodder crops, fibre crops, sugar, oil seeds, etc.
Pietro de’Crescenzi – Italian (1235-1320)
17. Agriculture - Importance
• India is known as “Land of Villages” (67% population) –
Agriculture - Dominant sector of our economy
• National Economy: 1990 - 91 for 31.6% (17.2% for 2018-19) in
Agriculture but manufacturing only 17.6% ( currently 30 %)
• Total Employment: 65% population Agri and allied sectors
• Nearly 70% of the rural population earns its livelihood from
agriculture and other occupation allied to agriculture.
18. Importance
• Industrial Inputs: All industries depend the raw material
produced by agriculture (cotton textile, jute, paper, sugar,
handloom and power loon, ginning and pressing, oil crushing,
rice husking, sericulture fruit processing, etc are also mainly
agro based industries)
• Food Supply: 277 million tons to feed the growing population
of India.
19. Importance
• State Revenue: Agriculture taxation includes direct tax and
indirect tax.
• Trade: Attracting foreign exchange to economic development
( Agri based industries contributed to 50% of our export)
• Indian agriculture plays and important role in roads, rails &
waterways outside the countries.
20. Agriculture as an Art, Science and Business
• Art - skill and experience
• Inherited by seeing parents or elders through experience
• Eg. Art of walking of a child
• Agriculture - Skill is purely derived by physical work
Agriculture as an art:
Skill
• Opening
a straight
furrow
• Levelling
the field
Decision
making
• Selection
of crops for
a season
21. Agriculture as a Science
• Science - systematic study of happenings of any thing
• Technology - get maximum output, science helps to select a crop
suitable to seasons at the appropriate time
• Science of agricultural tries to give reasons
• Farmers will become scientists if more sophisticated methods are
given - Experience makes them scientists
• Science of agriculture requires primarily mental skill and
secondarily physical skill
Yield
Decrease IncreasePest and
Diseases Nutrients
22. Agriculture as Business
• Is purely business oriented nowadays
• In agriculture business, quantity is ignored and profit is more
• Eg. In Punjab, rice is produced during Kharif season for profit and
commercial reason
• Business of agriculture is purely economic
• Marketing of crop produces
23. Agriculture Vs Industry
1 Resources are self generated Depends on raw materials
2 Direct producer Indirect producer
3 Primary sector Secondary sector
4 Production is not under
control
Under control
5 All the process is carried out
by single person or family
There are separate units and
subunits
6 Owner himself is the labour Owner as a labour is less in
industry
7 Inversely supported national
income
Directly supported to national
income
24. Land utilization statistics - India
• Total geographical area : 328.848 m. ha.
• Total reporting area : 304.300 m. ha.
• Area under cultivation : 143.000 m. ha.
• Total cropped area : 179.750 m. ha.
• Area sown more than once : 36.750 m. ha.
• Area not available for cultivation : 161.300 m. ha
• Area under forest : 66.400 m. ha.
25. Land utilization statistics - Tamil Nadu
• Total geographical area :13.00 m. ha.
• Total reporting area :13.00 m. ha.
• Net area sown :5.74 m. ha.
• Total cropped area :6.91 m. ha.
• Area sown more than once :1.17 m. ha.
• Area not available for cultivation :2.35 m. ha.
• Area under forest :2.02 m. ha.
• Fallow land :2.18 m. ha.
• Other uncultivated land :0.71 m. ha.