Agriculture
Agriculture is the science that deals with the cultivation of plants and raising livestock for human use.
Agronomy
Study and development of techniques for improving agricultural practices.
Horticulture
Cultivation of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants.
Animal Husbandry
Rearing and Management of domesticated animals.
Crops
The same kinds of plants that are grown, cultivated and harvested in the field on a large scale for profit or livelihood.
Kharif Crops
Crops grown in the rainy season between June and September.
Examples of Kharif Crops
A few examples of Kharif Crops are paddy, cotton, soybean, jowar, bajra, groundnut, maize, etc.
Rabi Crops
Crops grown in the winter season between October and March.
Examples of Rabi Crops
A few examples of Rabi Crops are wheat, pea, gram, mustard, linseed, etc.
Zaid Crops
Crops grown in the summer season between April and June.
Examples of Zaid Crops
A few examples of Zaid Crops are watermelon, pumpkin, bottle gourd, etc.
Agricultural Practices
The various activities or tasks which a farmer performs to produce a good crop.
Agricultural Implements
A number of different tools required during the course of different agricultural practices.
Step-by-Step process of Agriculture
Preparation of Soil -> Adding Manure and Fertilizers -> Seed Selection and sowing -> Irrigation -> Protection from stray animals, birds, pests and diseases -> Harvesting, Threshing and Winnowing -> Storage.
Ploughing
The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing.
Plough
An agricultural implement made of wood, containing a plough share made of iron, attached to a wooden plough shaft.
Hoe
It is a simple tool used for removing weeds and ploughing the soil.
Cultivator
An agricultural implement equipped with shovels, blades, etc., which is used to break up soil and remove seeds.
Levelling
The process of crushing big lumps of soil present after ploughing, to ensure a flat land and prevent erosion of soil by wind or water.
Leveller
An agricultural implement used to crush big lumps of soil (called clods) that may remain in the field.
Manuring
The process of applying organic materials and adding nutrients to the soil is called manuring.
Broadcasting
The process of sowing seeds manually by sprinkling them into the soil by hand.
Seed Drill
An agricultural implement consisting of a funnel shaped opening, long tubes, attached to a plough, which ensures the proper sowing of seeds.
Nursery Bed
A place where seeds of plants like paddy, tomato and onions are sown in, to ensure disease-free growth.
Field Fallow
A method of allowing land to naturally regain the nutrients by leaving it free (or fallow) for one or more season.
Crop Rotation
A method of changing crops in each season so that the soil is not depleted of any particular nutrient.
Mixed Cropping
A method of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field, which reduces risks and gives insurance against failure of one of the crops.
Intercropping
The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field in rows.
Green Manure
Consisting of green plants, commonly leguminous plants, which are ploughed along with the ploughing of soil.
Farmyard Manure
A mixture of decomposed cattle dung (excreta and urine), left over fodder (cattle feed) and litter.
Compost
Compost is prepared by burying all available organic materials in a pit with alternating layers of soil and leaving it to rot.
Vermicompost
Vermicompost is the compost broken down by earthworms.
Fertilizers
Fertilizers are human-made chemical substances that contain one or more nutrients essential for plant growth.