Portal:Agriculture and Agronomy

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement 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 suitable for raising domesticated species. For plants, this usually requires some form of irrigation, although there are methods of dryland farming; pastoral herding on rangeland is still the most common means of raising livestock. 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. The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials. More about Agriculture... Pictured left: A heap of maize in India Maize (corn) is a grain and the most widely grown crop in the Americas with 332 million metric tons grown annually in the United States. Approximately 40% of the crop - 130 million tons - is used for corn ethanol. Transgenic maize (Genetically Modified Corn) made up 85% of the maize planted in the United States in 2009. While some maize varieties grow to 12 metres (39 ft) tall, most commercially grown maize has been bred for a standardized height of 2.5 metres (8.2 ft). Maize is widely cultivated throughout the world, and a greater weight of maize is produced each year than any other grain. The United States produces 40% of the world's harvest; other top producing countries include China, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, France and Argentina. Worldwide production was 817 million tonnes in 2009—more than rice (678 million tonnes) or wheat (682 million tonnes). In 2009, over 159 million hectares of maize were planted worldwide, with a yield of over 5 tonnes/hectare. Production can be significantly higher in certain regions of the world; 2009 forecasts for production in Iowa were 11614 kg/ha. Maize was domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or starch. The Olmec and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout central and southern Mexico, cooked, ground or processed through nixtamalization. Between 1700 and 1250 BCE, the crop spread through much of the Americas. The region developed a trade network based on surplus and varieties of maize crops. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, explorers and traders carried maize back to Europe and introduced it to other countries. Maize spread to the rest of the world due to its ability to grow in diverse climates. Sugar-rich varieties called sweet corn are usually grown for human consumption, and are usually shorter in length than field corn varieties, which are used for animal feed and as chemical feedstocks. Harvesting agriculture with a combine harvester in Volgograd Oblast, Russia Template:/box-header Sustainable agriculture is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. It has been defined as "an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will last over the long term: Satisfy human food and fiber needs Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls Sustain the economic viability of farm operations Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.” Sustainable agriculture in the United States was addressed by the 1990 farm bill. More recently, as consumer and retail demand for sustainable products has risen, organizations such as Food Alliance and Protected Harvest have started to provide measurement standards and certification programs for what constitutes a sustainably grown crop. Categories: Sustainable agriculture, Sustainability Template:/box-footer From the Wikinews Agriculture portal July 28: Scientists analyse effects of global warming, atmospheric ozone on crops September 25: 2012 Report on Gender Equality and Development looks at women's issues in India June 15: Gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo comments on North Colorado proposal June 11: Colorado counties consider forming new U.S. state Agronomy Journal - the American Society of Agronomy Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal Crop Science Journal Journal of Organic Systems See also: FAO Documents Organic Eprints- Organic Agriculture WikiProject Agriculture WikiProject Horticulture and Gardening WikiProject Tree of life and its subprojects WikiProject Veterinary medicine WikiProject Food and drink WikiProject Forestry WikiProject Business and Economics WikiProject Companies Agricultural chemistry Agricultural economics Agricultural engineering Agricultural philosophy Agricultural policy Agricultural science Agricultural soil science Agroecology Animal husbandry Farm History of agriculture Outline of agriculture Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : Fish production principles Expand : Agricultural land, Agricultural cycle, Agricultural education, Agrobiology, Agronomist, Agroforestry, Food and Agriculture Organization, Agricultural organization, Fungiculture, Fodder, Fish emulsion, more... 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