Crop Science Master Notes Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering crop science principles, crop classification, plant physiology, environmental factors, breeding methods, biotechnology, and sustainable production.

Agriculture

The science, art, and practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock for food, fiber, medicinal plants, and other products used to sustain and enhance human life.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming practices that ensure the long-term productivity of natural resources while minimizing negative environmental impact, addressing both food security and climate adaptation.

Hacienda System

A land ownership system introduced in the Philippines during the Spanish period (1521–1898) characterized by centralized land ownership.

Green Revolution

A period in post-independence era Philippine agriculture (1946–1980s) marked by land reform programs and the introduction of high-yield rice and corn varieties.

Precision Agriculture

An agricultural strategy utilizing GPS, drones, and sensors to monitor soil and crop health to reduce input costs and optimize fertilizer, water, and pesticide usage.

Integrated Crop Management

An approach combining soil fertility management, irrigation, pest control, and crop rotation to promote sustainable and eco-friendly production.

Climate-Smart Agriculture

Farming practices such as raised beds, mulching, and intercropping designed to reduce crop vulnerability to typhoons, floods, and drought.

Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)

A current government program providing seeds, machinery, and training to support high-yield crop production.

Food Crops

Crops grown primarily for direct human consumption, such as rice, corn, banana, and root crops.

Industrial Crops

Crops cultivated to supply raw materials for industrial processing, such as sugarcane, coconut, cotton, and rubber.

Fiber Crops

Crops grown specifically for textile production, such as cotton and abaca.

Oil Crops

Crops yielding edible or industrial oils, including coconut, soybean, and peanut.

Fodder Crops

Crops grown specifically to provide livestock feed, such as Napier grass and alfalfa.

Medicinal Crops

Crops cultivated for pharmaceutical or therapeutic use, such as garlic, ginger, and turmeric.

Binomial Nomenclature

A formal system of naming species using a two-part scientific name comprising the Genus and species names (e.g., Oryza sativa).

Root

A plant organ consisting of primary root, lateral roots, and root hairs that absorbs water and nutrients, anchors the plant, and stores food.

Stem

A plant structure consisting of nodes and internodes (woody or herbaceous) that supports the plant, transports water and nutrients, and stores food.

Leaf

A vegetative plant organ consisting of a blade, petiole, and veins responsible for photosynthesis, gas exchange, and transpiration.

Flower

A reproductive plant structure containing petals, sepals, stamens, and pistils responsible for the formation of seeds and fruit.

Fruit

A plant structure consisting of pericarp and seed(s) that functions to protect seeds and assist in dispersal.

Seed

A structure containing embryo, endosperm, and seed coat that serves for plant propagation and food reserve during germination.

Vegetative Organs

Plant organs including roots, stems, and leaves that function in growth, nutrient absorption, photosynthesis, and vegetative propagation.

Reproductive Organs

Plant organs including flowers, fruits, and seeds responsible for sexual reproduction, seed development, and genetic diversity.

Plant Growth

The irreversible increase in plant size and mass over time.

Plant Development

The progression of a plant through various structural and functional stages of its life cycle, including vegetative and reproductive phases.

Germination

The growth phase marked by the activation of the seed and the emergence of the radicle and plumule.

Senescence

The final phase of plant development characterized by gradual aging, leaf fall, and reduced photosynthetic activity.

Photosynthesis

The physiological process of converting light energy into chemical energy to drive biomass accumulation and growth.

Respiration

The metabolic process of breaking down sugars to release cellular energy required for growth and living functions.

Transpiration

The movement of water through a plant and its evaporation into the atmosphere, influencing nutrient transport and temperature regulation.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living environmental elements such as light, temperature, water, soil properties, and air that influence plant growth and crop yield.

Biotic Factors

Living organisms in an agricultural environment, including pests, disease pathogens, weeds, and beneficial organisms, that impact crop growth.

Genotype

The complete genetic makeup of an individual plant.

Phenotype

The observable physical or physiological traits of a plant, such as height, color, and yield.

Mass Selection

A breeding method involving the selection of best-performing individual plants from a population for simple yield improvement.

Pure Line Selection

A plant breeding method involving repeated self-pollination to obtain homozygous lines with genetic uniformity and stability.

Hybridization / Cross Breeding

The process of crossing genetically different plants to combine desirable traits into their progeny.

Backcrossing

A breeding method involving repeated crossing of offspring with a superior parent to introduce a specific desired trait.

Mutation Breeding

Inducing genetic mutations in plants using chemical mutagens or radiation to generate novel traits.

Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS)

A biotechnology tool that utilizes DNA markers to track and select plants with desirable genes for accelerated breeding.

CRISPR-Cas9

A modern genome editing technology used to precisely modify plant DNA for improved tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress.

Breeder Seed

Seed directly controlled by the originating plant breeder or institution that provides the initial source for foundation seed production.

Foundation Seed

Seed produced under strict supervision from breeder seed that maintains specific genetic identity and purity standards.

Certified Seed

Seed produced from foundation seed and released to commercial farmers after meeting legal quality standards.

Monocropping

A farming practice of growing a single crop species on the same field during a given growing season.

Intercropping / Mixed Cropping

The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land to optimize space and resources.

Relay Cropping

A cropping system where a second crop is planted into an established standing crop before the primary crop is harvested.

Seeding Rate Formula

The mathematical formula used to calculate seeding rate: $\text{Seeding Rate} = \frac{\text{Desired Plant Population} \times 1000}{\text{Germination \%} \times 1000}$

Physiological Maturity

The stage in a crop's growth cycle marked by maximum accumulation of dry matter, making it optimal for seed storage.

Harvest Maturity

The stage of crop development when the economic yield achieves optimal quality for human consumption or commercial marketing.