MEANING & SCOPE of Crop science.ppt

introduction to crop science

1. MEANING & SCOPE OF
CROP SCIENCE
Nida G. Butron

2. Plant-any organism belonging to the kingdom
Plantae, typically lacking of active locomotion or
obvious nervous system or sensory organs and
has photosynthetic ability.
Crop-domesticated/cultivated plants that are
grown for profit. It usually connotes a group or
population of cultivated plants.

3. The major applied sciences in crop production are the
following:
Crop Science-concerned with the observation and
classification of knowledge concerning economically
cultivated crops and the establishment of verifiable
principles regarding their growth and development
for the purpose of deriving the optimum benefit from
them. It is divided into areas as follows:

4. Agronomy-from the Greek word “agros” meaning field
and “nomos” meaning to manage. Thus agronomy
deals with the principles and practices of managing
field crops and soils.
Horticulture-from the Latin words “hortus”, which
means a garden (a term derived from the Anglo-
saxon word “gyrdan” which means to enclose), and
“colere” to cultivate. The concept of gardens or
plants within an enclosure is distinct from the culture
of field crops. It also implies a more intensive
cultivation of crops as contrasted from the extensive
cultivation of field crops.

5. Crop production as a science, art and
business.
As a science-modern crop production is not
based on guess-work or trial and error
method. Its science is derived from the
adoption or application of the basic sciences
of chemistry, mathematics, physics and from
various applied sciences like physiology,
meteorology, anatomy, plant breeding etc.

6. As an art-crop science is an art because it
requires skills to produce crops even if one
has little or no scientific training. The art of
crop science reaches its greatest expression
in horticulture specifically in ornamental
horticulture where plants are raised for their
aesthetic qualities, e.g. in floral arts as well
as in landscaping.

7. As a business-plants are not grown simply to satisfy
the needs of man but to realize some profit in the
process of producing it. Thus, maximization of output
relative to production input is one of the guiding
principles of production. Scientific knowledge about
plants is utilized so that they are produced at the
time when the demand and the best prices could be
obtained when sold, e.g., the production of off-
season tomatoes and flowers, raising disease-
resistant field crops to reduce cost of crop protectant
chemicals.

8. DEVELOPMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
Early recognition of the importance of agricultural research
was made by the British Empire by the establishment of
agricultural research stations.
Agricultural research in the Philippines has been
established through schools and experiment stations,
both private and public. These are:
1.State Colleges and Universities offering degrees in
agriculture
2.Department of Agriculture’s Research Networks
3.National Commodity Research Centers

9. CRDI-Cotton Research and Development
Institute
PTRTC-Philippine Tobacco Research and
Training Center
FPRDI-Forest Products Research and
Development Institute
PhilRice-Philippine Rice Research Institute

10. 4. International Research Centers
IRRI-International Rice Research Institute
CIMMYT-Centro International de
Meyoramiente de Maize y Trigo
CIP-Centro International de Patatas

11. Contribution of related sciences to crop production:
1.Crop breeding and genetics-concerned with the
improvement of the inherent or heritable properties of
crops.
2.Botany-concerned with plant structures, processes and
relationships among plants as well as to their
environment.
3.Soil sciences-study of the nature and properties of
soils; fundamental principles upon which proper soil
management is based.
4.Plant pathology and entomology-concerned with insect
pests, pathogens and weeds, their nature, as well as
their control.

12. 5. Agricultural engineering-concerned with farm
structures, farm machinery, water management as well
as waste disposal.
6. Agricultural economics-concerned with the economics
of production and marketing of agricultural products.
7. Agricultural meteorology-concerned with the study of
weather and climate. The study of meteorology enables
one to do weather forecasting and thus help the farmer
minimize losses due to bad weather.