Agriculture and Agricultural Science

Agriculture

• Derived from two latin words: ager meaning field and cultura meaning cultivation.

• Agriculture is defined in its widest sense as

"all activities related to the production, processing and marketing of plant crops and animals that are used for human well-being."

Agriculture Science

• Agricultural Science is

"the body of knowledge derived from the study of the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals that are of benefit to man."

Scope of Agriculture Science

Agriculture Science is divided into several major branches:

Crop Science:

the study of plants of use to man, their anatomy and physiology, growth requirements and best practices for the production of maximum yield from them.

Soil Science:

the study of soil, their formation, their physical, chemical and biological characteristics and processes and the best practices for the management of soils during crop production.

Animal Science:

the study of livestock, their anatomy and physiology, breeding and reproduction, disease and pests and their control and best practices in their management.

Agricultural Engineering:

the branch of engineering that deals with the design of farm machinery, the location and planning of farm structures, farm drainage, soil management and erosion control, water supply and irrigation, rural electrification, and the processing of farm products.

Agricultural Economics:

studies the allocation, distribution, and utilization of farming resources, as well as the commodities produced by farming.

Agricultural Education:

refers to the dissemination of information pertaining to agriculture and the different branches that fall within it to students, farmers and the like.

Agricultural Entrepreneurship:

can be defined as being primarily related to the marketing and production of various agricultural products.

Relationship between Agriculture and Agricultural Science

While agriculture refers to the practice of crop and livestock production, agricultural science refers to the body of knowledge gained through research and practical experience that is utilized to improve agricultural production.

References

• https://www.britannica.com/topic/agricultural-economics

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agricultural%20engineering

• https://www.britannica.com/science/agricultural-sciences

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_education

• https://www.earlytorise.com/defining-entrepreneurship/#:~:text=Agricultural%20Entrepreneurship%20can%20be%20defined,also%20related%20to%20agricultural%20inputs.