3. Definition and Importance of Agriculture
• What is Agriculture?
Nominal Definition (explains what a name is)
Agriculture comes from the Latin words ager, agri meaning field and
cultura meaning growing, cultivation. Therefore it means “growing and
Cultivating of the field.”
4. What is Agriculture?
• Real Definition (explains what a thing is)
Agriculture is the science or practice of farming which
includes the cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops
and fruit-bearing trees. It also considers the raising of
animals to provide food and other raw materials which can
produce another product.
5. Elements in the Definition of Agriculture
• It is a science, because of systematically organized body of knowledge which
not only based on opinions, hypothesis and theories but on factual and
absolute knowledge. Also, it is a practice because of the actual applications
of the ideas.
• In farming, because is the act or process of working the ground, planting
seeds, and growing edible plants. It can also include raising animals for milk,
meat and wool.
6. VALUE OF AGRICULTURE
• Agriculture has a vital role in the life and progress of an economy. It does
provide food which is the basic needs of mankind, not only to sustain food
and raw material but also employment opportunities to a vast number of the
population of a country. It can be a source of livelihood which can
contribute to micro and macro community, supplying and sustaining food
and fodder that are the basic necessities of human to live, promoting the
diplomatic friendship facilitated by trading system in local, national and
international arena, marketable surplus products, source of saving of the
entire national budget and basis of the economic development of a country.
7. VALUE OF AGRICULTURE
• Without agriculture, the economy will be at high risk to
food security that may result into serious national
problems. The effect may be adverse or even worse.
9. Agriculture was developed at least 10,000
years ago, and it has undergone significant
developments since the time of the earliest
cultivation.
10. Ancient Origins
• The eight so-called Neolithic founder crops of agriculture
includes emmer wheat einkorn wheat, hulled barley, peas, lentils,
bitter vetch, chick peas and flax. Bitter vetch and lentils along with
almonds and pistachios appear in Franchthi Cave Greece
simultaneously, about 9,000 BC. Neither was native to Greece,
and they appear 2,000 years prior to domesticated wheat in the
same location. This suggests that the cultivation of legumes and
nuts preceded that of grain in some Neolithic cultures.
11. Ancient Origins
• By 7,000 BC, small-scale agriculture reached
Egypt. From at least 7,000 BC the Indian
subcontinent saw farming of wheat and barley, as
attested by archaeological excavation at Mehrgarh
in Balochistan
12. • The potato, tomato, pepper, squash, several varieties of
bean, tobacco, and several other plants were also
developed in the New World, as was extensive terracing
of steep hillsides in much of Andean South America.
The Greeks and Romans built on techniques pioneered
by the Sumerians but made few fundamentally new
advances. Southern Greeks struggled with very poor soils,
yet managed to become a dominant society for years. The
Romans were noted for an emphasis on the cultivation of
crops for trade
13. Middle Ages
• During the Middle Ages, Muslim farmers in North Africa and the
Near East developed and disseminated agricultural technologies
including irrigation systems based on hydraulic and hydrostatic
principles, the use of machines and the use of water raising
machines, dams, and reservoirs. They also wrote location-specific
farming manuals, and were instrumental in the wider adoption of
crops including sugar cane, rice, citrus fruit, apricots, cotton,
artichokes, aubergines, and saffron.
14. Middle Ages
• Muslims also brought lemons, oranges, cotton, almonds, figs and
sub-tropical crops such as bananas to Spain. The invention of a
three field system of crop rotation during the Middle Ages, and
the importation of the Chinese-invented moldboard plow, vastly
improved agricultural efficiency. Another important development
towards the end of this period was the discovery and subsequent
cultivation of fodder crops which allowed over-wintering of
livestock.
15. Modern Era
• After 1492, a global exchange of previously local crops
and livestock breeds occurred. Key crops involved in this
exchange included the tomato, maize, potato, cocoa and
tobacco going from the New World to the Old, and
several varieties of wheat, spices, coffee, and sugar cane
going from the Old World to the New
16. Modern Era
• By the early 1800s, agricultural techniques,
implements, seed stocks and cultivated plants
selected and given a unique name because of its
decorative or useful characteristics had so
improved that yield per land unit was many times
seen in the Middle Ages.
17. Modern Era
• Agricultural exploration expeditions, since the late
nineteenth century, have been mounted to find new
species and new agricultural practices in different
areas of the world.
18. January 22, 2024
Instructions: Write eligibly. Minimum of 5 sentences each
questions.
1. What is the definition of agriculture? Justify.
2. Why is it important to know and understand the history
of agriculture?
Activity No. 1
20. BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE
There are four main branches of agriculture, namely;
• Livestock Production or Animal Husbandry
• Crop Production or Agronomy
• Agricultural Economics
• Agricultural Engineering
21. I. Livestock Production or Animal
Husbandry
• Animal Husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that
are raised for meat, fiber, milk, eggs, or other products. The term "livestock"
encompasses many species and numerous breeds within animal species
which can produce food and other raw materials.
• Livestock production or Animal Husbandry has 4
common classifications such as:
22. Nomadic Pastoralism
• is the husbandry of grazing animals is viewed as an ideal
way of making a living and the regular movement of all
or part of the society is considered a normal and natural
part of life. Pastoral nomadism is commonly practice
where climatic conditions produce seasonal pastures but
cannot support sustained stationary agriculture because
of the animals’ food limitations.
23.
24. Poultry Farming
• is the raising of birds domestically or
commercially, primarily for meat and eggs as
well as for feathers. Chickens, turkeys, ducks,
and geese are of primary importance, while
guinea fowl and squabs (young pigeons) are
chiefly of local interest.
25.
26. Swine Farming
•is the raising and breeding of domestic pigs as
livestock, and is a branch of animal
husbandry. Pigs are farmed principally for
food (e.g. pork, bacon, gammon) or
sometimes skinned.
27.
28. Apiculture
• is the scientific method of rearing honeybees. The word
‘apiculture’ comes from the Latin word apis meaning bee and
colere which means “to culture”. Bees are mainly reared for
their honey. So, apiculture or also known as beekeeping is the
care and management of honey bees for the production of
honey and the wax. In this method of apiculture, bees are
bred commercially in apiaries, an area where a lot of beehives
can be placed.
29.
30. II. Crop Production or Agronomy
• It is the science dealing with the cultivation of crops and vegetables on a
field scales either under rain fed or irrigation conditions. These crops are
mainly annuals cultivated food. The requirements of each crop are studied in
terms of soil and climate, as well as planting time and techniques, different
cultivars, fertilization, weed, disease, and insect control, as well as the effect
of stress factors.
• Crop Production or Agronomy includes:
31. Horticulture
• Horticulture is the science and art of growing and caring
for plants, especially flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The word
is derived from the Latin hortus which means “garden” and
colere which means “to culture”. As a general term, it covers
all forms of garden management, but in ordinary use it refers
to intensive commercial production. Horticulture has 3
branches namely, pomology, olericulture and floriculture.
32.
33. Pomology
• Pomology- is the branch of botany that studies all fruits,
specifically the science of growing fruits and nuts. The
word is derived from the Latin pomum which means
“fruit” and logia which means “field of study”. As a
branch of horticulture, it focuses to the cultivation of
fruits, nuts, fruitbearing and nut-bearing trees/plants for
human use and consumption.
34.
35. Olericulture
• Olericulture is the science and art of vegetable growing, dealing
with the culture of non-woody (herbaceous) plants for food. The
word is derived from the Latin oleris which means “pot herb” and
colere which means “to culture”. As language develops over long
period of time, it is simply defined as the science and art of
growing vegetables crops. It deals with the production, storage
processing and marketing of vegetables. It also includes
maintenance and care of vegetable crop production.
36.
37. Floriculture
• Floriculture refers to farming, plant care, propagation,
and cultivation with one goal in mind, the maximum
production of flowering and ornamental plants for
gardens and floristry, comprising the floral industry. The
word is derived from the Latin floris which means
“flower” and colere which means “to culture”. Therefore,
it is the cultivation of flower.
38.
39. III. Agricultural Economics
• is study of the allocation, distribution and utilization
of the resources used, along with the commodities
produced, by farming. It concerns itself with the study
of the production and consumption of food in both
developed and developing countries along with
analysis of the policies that shape the world’s largest
country.
40.
41. Assignment
What are the four (4) branches of agriculture? Give its
importance.
What are the four (4) branches of livestock production?
Describe each
If you were given a capital to build or establish your own
agricultural business, in what branch of crop production do
you prefer? Explain and share it to the class.
Instruction: Write it on a piece of yellow paper. Minimum of 5 sentences each.
