CLASSIFICATION.

Classification of Crops

  • Horticulture is the cultivation of plants within an enclosure, as opposed to field crops.

  • The botanical method is the most commonly used method of classifying plants.

  • Taxonomy, the study of plant classification, is dynamic and changes as new knowledge becomes available.

  • The four divisions of the plant kingdom are Thallophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, and Spermatophyta.

  • Spermatophyta is further divided into gymnosperms and angiosperms.

  • Angiosperms are divided into monocotyledons and dicotyledons.

  • The binomial system of plant nomenclature was originated by Carl von Linne, also known as Carolus Linnaeus.

  • Scientific names of plants are written with the genus name capitalized and the species name in lowercase.

  • Families in plant classification often end with -aceae, but there are exceptions.

Classification of Crops based on Use

  • Crops can be classified based on their use, such as food, fiber, beverage, oil, or medicinal.

  • Agronomic crops include cereals, grain legumes, forages, and sugarcane.

  • Horticultural crops include vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, and plantation crops.

  • Horticultural crops have more diversity and intensive cultivation compared to agronomic crops.

  • Horticultural crops have higher aesthetic value and provide important vitamins and minerals.

  • Agronomic crops are usually processed and eaten in mature stage, while horticultural crops are consumed in fresh form at any stage.

  • The life cycle of agronomic crops can be semi-annual, annual, or perennial.

  • Horticultural crops are highly compatible with cropping systems.

  • Moisture content of harvested horticultural crops is higher compared to agronomic crops.

Examples of Horticultural and Agronomic Crops

  • Examples of horticultural crops include leafy vegetables, cole/crucifers, root and bulb vegetables, legumes/pulses, solanaceous vegetables, cucurbits, tree fruits, small fruits, herbaceous fruits, oil crops, beverage crops, herbs and spices, fiber crops, plantation crops, medicinal crops, essences/flavoring crops, latex and resin crops, cutflowers, flowering pot plants, foliage plants, ornamentals, bedding plants, landscape plants, and turf grass.

  • Examples of agronomic crops include cereals, field legumes, fiber crops, drug crops, oil crops, sweeteners, forage and pasture crops, and biofuel crops.

Note: The list of crops mentioned in the transcript is not exhaustive.

Agriculture-related Information

Special Purpose Classification

  • Green manure

    • Crop usually leguminous crops grown for a specific period of time

    • Plowed under into the soil to improve soil fertility

    • Example: Mungbean crop planted in the Rice field

  • Silage

    • Forage crops harvested, processed, and stored for animal feeds

  • Soilage

    • Forage crops cut when green and succulent

    • Directly fed to livestock

  • Catch crop

    • Fast-growing crop grown simultaneously with or between successive plantings of a main crop

  • Cover crop

    • Grown primarily to provide ground cover

    • Improve soil properties

    • Control erosion

    • Minimize weeds

  • Companion crop

    • Planting one plant in proximity to another

    • Benefits bestowed on the other crop like insect-repelling qualities

  • Trap crop

    • Crop grown to protect the main crop from biotic and abiotic factors