Introduction to Agriculture and Agronomy 

Agriculture and Agronomy 

Agriculture and agronomy are synonymously used; through agronomy is a branch of agriculture science. Similarly agronomy and crop production are used synonymously . Growth of crops stared from the time immemorial. Agronomy is a science started recently in the first decade of 20th century. 

Now we discus about Agriculture  

The term agriculture is derived from the Latin word 'ager' or 'agri' meaning   'soil' and 'cultura' meaning  'cultivation'. Agriculture is very broad term encompressing all aspects of crop production, livestock farming, fisher, foresty etc. 

Now we discus about the Agronomy 

Agronomy is branch of agriculture science with deals with principles and practices of soil, water and criop management. This term is derived for Greek word 'agro'  means 'field' nomos means 'to manage'.  In recent times, agronomy has assumed newer dimensions and can  be defined as branch of agriculture science that deals with the methods which provide favourble environment to the crop for the higher productivity. 

Environment is difined as the aggregate of all external conditions and influence affecting The life and development of organisms.  

Agronomy  as the science of manupulating the crop environment complex with dual aims of improving agricultural productivity  and graimg a degree of understanding of process involed.

                           

Basic Principles 

The environment of crop constitutes of crop constitutes both and arial, as part of the plant is inside the soil and other part is exposed to the aerial atmosphere. Environment influences growth and development of crops. Soil environment is amenable for manipulating or modifing through tillage, irrigation, fertillizer application etc.  

The soil physical environment compries the soil air, soil water and soil temperature. Soil solution,  ph, electrical conductively, nutrient concentration, constitute the soil chemical environment. The soil biological environment constitutes the living organisms present in the soil resultant reaction like mineralisation,  immobilisation etc. This soil management part of agronomy deal with the manipulation of soil environment for better crop growth. 

Aerial environment includes  soil radiation, rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity. Crop production  is basically conversion of environmental input solar energy, carbondioxide, water and soil nutrients into economic products in the form of human and animal food or industry raw materials. The aerial environment cannot be altered easily. 

                           

Major events of agronomy 

• Zero tillage, minimum tillage, non-till farming
• Crop establishment in the absence of rain by row water sowing 
• Crop establishment under zero tillage condition 
• Establishing crops in the rice follows
• Urea manufacturing is the major break through in nutrient management 
• Placement of fertilizer, top dressing of fertilizers, foliar application
• Top dressing N, Zn, Fe for fortification of nutrient content in grains
• Soil and moisture conservation
• Pot watering 
• Drip, sprinkler irrigation methods
• Water requirement of crops
• Farm pot technology,protective  irrigation, mobile irrigation, row water irrigation
• Chemical weed control started with identification of 2,4-D as herbicide               

Scope of Agronomy 

Agronomy is dynamic discipline. With the advancement of knowledge and better understanding of plant and environment, agriculture practices are modified or new practices are develop for high productively. For example, availablity of chemical fertilizers has necessitated the generation of knowledge on the method , quanlity and time of fertilizers. 

Similary availablity of herbicides of the control of weed has led to develop of a vast knowledge about selectivity, time and method of application of herbicides.

Role of Agronomist

Agronomist aims at obtaining maximum production of minimum cost. He exploit the knowledge developed by basic and allied applied science for higher crop production.  Agronomist is concerned with the production of food and fibre to meet the needs of the growing population. Agronomist carried out research on scientific cultivation of crops taking into account that effects of factors like soil, climate, variety of crop and adjusts production techniques suitably depending on the situation.