Classification of Crops (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms and definitions from crop classification, crop groups, life cycles, root depth, growth seasons, pollination, and common crops listed in the lecture notes.

Classification

A category into which something is put; the action or process of classifying or dividing things into groups according to type; the arrangement of organisms in taxonomic groups based on observed similarities.

Taxonomy

The arrangement of plants and animals in taxonomic groups according to observed similarities.

Garden crops

Crops grown on a small scale in gardens such as kitchen gardens, flower gardens, and backyard gardens.

Plantation crops

Crops grown on a larger scale on estates; usually perennial or permanent in nature.

Field crops

Crops grown on a vast scale; typically seasonal.

Division (Plant Kingdom)

Spermatophyte.

Subdivision

Angiosperms.

Class (Monocotyledons)

Monocotyledons.

Class (Dicotyledons)

Dicotyledons.

Family

Gramineae (Poaceae).

Genus

Zea.

Species

mays.

Variety

Yangtsepa.

Similarity of plant parts and flower structure

Basis for botanical classification.

Cereal Crop

A crop group grown primarily for edible grains produced by grasses.

Pulse Crop

Leguminous crops grown for edible seeds.

Oil Seed Crop

Crops grown for oil-rich seeds.

Fibre Crop

Crops grown for natural fibers (e.g., cotton, jute).

Sugar Crop

Crops cultivated for sugar (e.g., sugarcane, sugar beet).

Forage Crop

Crops grown to feed livestock (pasture, hay, fodder).

Green Manure Crop

Crops grown to improve soil fertility and organic matter, often green and tilled into the soil.

Rubber Crop

Crops that produce natural rubber.

Tuber Crop

Crops with edible underground storage organs (tubers).

Root crops

Crops with edible roots or storage organs below ground.

Medicinal Crops

Crops used for medicinal purposes.

Special-purpose classification

Classification of crops by special uses such as catch, cash, cover, green manure, companion, and silage crops.

Catch crops

Crops grown to take up residual nutrients or moisture between main crops.

Cash crop

Crops grown primarily for sale to generate income.

Cover crops

Crops grown to cover and protect soil between main crops.

Green manure crops

Green manures grown to add organic matter and fertility to the soil.

Companion crops

Crops grown alongside main crops to aid growth or yield.

Silage crops

Crops harvested for silage to feed livestock.

Annual

Crops that complete their life cycle from seed to seed in one growing season.

Biennial

Crops that complete their life cycle in two seasons.

Perennial

Crops with an indefinite life span; they flower and set seed every year.

Shallow root crops

Root systems extend up to about 1 meter (e.g., wheat, barley, rye).

Intermediate root crops

Root depth about 1–1.5 meters (e.g., faba bean, sugar beet).

Deep root crops

Root depth greater than 1.5 meters (e.g., alfalfa).

Summer season crops

Crops grown in the summer season.

Winter season crops

Crops grown in the winter season.

C3 plants

Stomata open during the day; lower net assimilation rate; higher CO2 compensation point.

C4 plants

Stomata open during the day; higher net assimilation rate; lower CO2 compensation point.

CAM plants

Crassulacean acid metabolism; stomata open at night; CO2 fixed as malic acid and stored; daytime stomata closed.

Self-pollinated crops

Crops that primarily self-pollinate (e.g., rice, most pulses, okra, tobacco, tomato).

Cross-pollinated crops

Crops that primarily cross-pollinate (e.g., corn, many grasses, avocado, grape, mango).

Self- and cross-pollinated crops

Crops that can be pollinated by both self and cross-pollination (e.g., cotton, sorghum).

Paddy (Rice)

Oryza sativa.

Wheat

Triticum aestivum.

Maize (Corn)

Zea mays.

Barley

Hordeum vulgare.

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor.

Bajra (Pearl millet)

Pennisetum typhoides.

Ragi (Finger millet)

Eleusine coracana.

Foxtail millet

Setaria italica.

Little millet

Panicum miliaceum.

Kodo millet

Paspalum scrobiculatum.

Barnyard millet

Echinochloa frumentacea.

Red gram / Pigeon pea

Cajanus cajan.

Bengal gram / Chickpea

Cicer arietinum.

Black gram / Urd

Vigna mungo.

Green gram / Mung

Vigna radiata.

Horse gram

Macrotyloma uniflorum.

Soybean

Glycine max.

Cowpea

Vigna unguiculata.

Cotton

Gossypium hirsutum.

Jute

Corchorus capsularis.

Linseed / Flax

Linum usitatissimum.

Ramie

Boehmeria nivea.

Roselle

Hibiscus sabdariffa.

Manila hemp

Musa textilis.

Sugarcane

Saccharum officinarum.

Sugar beet

Beta vulgaris.

Sunnhemp

Crotalaria juncea.

Daincha

Sesbania aculeata.

Indigo

Indigofera tinctoria.

Sesbania

Sesbania speciosa.