3. Branches of Agriculture

 Branches of Agriculture

    Agriculture is a very vast field but here we discussed 19 major branches of agriculture that are used often. These are discussed below:

1. Agronomy
2. Horticulture
3. Plant Pathology
4. Plant breeding and genetics 
5. Entomology
6. Seed science
7. Crop physiology
8. Plant protection
9. Soil sciences 
10. Agriculture biotechnology
11. Agriculture Engineering
12. Agriculture Economics 
13. Forestry
14. Food science and technology
15. Land and water management
16. Agricultural Microbiology
17. Environmental Sciences 
18. Animal husbandry
19. Agricultural chemistry

 

 

Briefly, a discussion of each field is given below:

1. Agronomy: 

    The cultivation of crops for food, fiber, forage, and sugar production falls under the purview of this agricultural branch. Its main goal is to improve agricultural productivity and advance cropping methods, making it a crucial and fundamental aspect of agriculture. This field encompasses a diverse range of agricultural practices, which includes but is not limited to permaculture, aquaponics, and polyhouse farming.

Agronomy is further divided into 2 branches:

• Weed science:

    This discipline focuses on the growth and management of vegetation in diverse settings, such as agricultural areas, natural zones, and urban and critical regions.

• Organic farming:

   Organic farming is a technique for cultivating plants and raising animals in a natural and sustainable way. This practice prioritizes the use of biological materials, promotes soil fertility and ecological stability, minimizes waste, and reduces environmental pollution. Additionally, organic farming encompasses the study of microgreens, among other areas.

2. Horticulture:

    This agricultural branch pertains to the cultivation of plants that have direct use to humans, such as for food, medicine, and aesthetic purposes.

This branch also has the following subbranches:

• Pomology:

    The cultivation of fruits is the focus of pomology.

• Olericulture:

   while the cultivation of vegetables is known as olericulture. 

• Floriculture:

    Floriculture, on the other hand, pertains to the cultivation of roses and other ornamental plants. 

• Arboriculture:

  Horticulture is a branch of agriculture that deals with the selection, planting, care, and removal of trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants.

• Landscaping:

    Deals with the production, presentation, and care of landscapes and other flowers and plants. 

• Viticulture:

    The cultivation and retailing of grapes are known as viticulture. 

3. Plant Pathology:

  This agricultural branch focuses on the causes of diseases and instabilities in plants, as well as methods for treating plant diseases. It involves an in-depth examination of how plant pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, attack plants and the measures that can be taken to control their spread.

4. Plant Breeding and Genetics:

    This agricultural field involves the application of scientific and artistic techniques to modify the genetic structure and traits of plants, with the aim of achieving desired characteristics. By utilizing these techniques, it is possible to develop a wide range of crop varieties with improved resistance to pests and diseases, resulting in increased agricultural productivity.

5. Entomology:

  This field of agriculture pertains to the study of insects and other pests that significantly impact agricultural practices. It involves a detailed examination of the biological characteristics, behavior, and ecological interactions of various pests, as well as the measures that can be taken to manage their populations and mitigate their harmful effects on crops.

Further discussion of entomology is given below: 

• Insect Ecology:

    This area of agriculture focuses on exploring the relationship between insects and their surrounding environment. It involves in-depth research and analysis of various ecosystems to understand the existence, behavior, and ecological interactions of insects in their natural habitats. 

• Insect Morphology:

   This agricultural branch is concerned with the study of the external body parts of insects and their functions. It focuses on the anatomy and morphology of insects, particularly the structure and function of their outer body parts.

• Insect physiology: 

   This field of agriculture focuses on the study of the different physiological functions and behavioral systems of insects. It involves an in-depth analysis of the diverse behaviors exhibited by insects in their natural environment and how these behaviors are related to their physiological processes.

• Insect Toxicology: 

    This agricultural field pertains to the study of the effects of insecticides and other chemicals on the physiological functions of insects. It involves an in-depth examination of how these chemicals interact with the biological systems of insects, and the impact that these interactions have on their behavior and health.

• Insect Taxonomy: 

    Insect taxonomy is a practice of insect naming. 

• Biological Control Entomology: 

   This agricultural practice involves the use of living insects to control or eliminate populations of harmful insects. It is a highly effective technique with significant economic benefits.

• Forest Entomology: 

    This agricultural field pertains to the study of the effects of insects on forests and forest products, as well as the development of solutions to protect forest trees from significant damage. It involves an in-depth examination of the ecological interactions between insects and forest ecosystems and the impact that these interactions have on forest health and productivity.

• Forensic Entomology: 

    This branch of agriculture involves the study of insects for legal purposes, with a focus on the use of insects to determine the time and location of human death. It involves an in-depth examination of the ecological interactions between insects and decomposing human remains, and how this can be used to provide critical information for forensic investigations.

6. Seed science: 

    This agricultural branch is concerned with the study of the structure of seeds and their growth habitats, starting from fertilization, embryonic development, and subsequent growth into a mature plant. It is closely related to the fields of biotechnology and botany and involves an in-depth examination of the genetic and physiological mechanisms that regulate seed development and growth.

7. Crop Physiology: 

   This agricultural field pertains to the study of the functions and responses of plants to various environmental conditions, including factors such as temperature, water availability, nutrient levels, and atmospheric composition. It involves an in-depth examination of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that regulate plant growth and development in different environmental contexts.

 

8. Plant Protection: 

      Plant protection refers to the various methods and techniques used to protect plants from pests, diseases, and other forms of damage, and to ensure their optimal growth and productivity. It includes a range of practices, such as the use of pesticides, biological controls, and cultural and mechanical techniques, as well as the development of disease-resistant plant varieties and the implementation of good agricultural practices to prevent plant stress and maintain plant health.

9. Soil sciences: 

    Soil science is a field of study that focuses on the properties, composition, and characteristics of soil, as well as the biological, physical, and chemical processes that occur within it. It involves an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on knowledge from fields such as geology, chemistry, biology, and physics to understand the formation, structure, and function of soils. Soil scientists examine the physical and chemical properties of soils, as well as their interactions with the atmosphere, water, and plants, and use this knowledge to develop sustainable practices for managing soil resources and maintaining soil health.

Sub-Branches of soil sciences are:

• Soil Biology:

    This branch of study concerns the organisms that inhabit the earth, their biology, functions, and activities. It includes a wide range of living organisms, such as nematodes, insects, and other types of fauna and flora. The focus of this field is to understand the relationships and interactions between organisms and their environment, including their roles in various ecosystems, their behaviors, and the impact of human activities on their populations.

• Soil Mineralogy: 

  This branch of study focuses on the various types of primary and secondary minerals found in soil and their contribution to the physical and chemical structure of the soil. It also includes the study of soil fertility and the various biological processes that occur within the soil, including nutrient cycling, microbial interactions, and the impact of human activities on soil health. 

• Soil Pedology: 

    Soil formation is the result of a complex process that involves the weathering of rocks and minerals, as well as various biological, chemical, and physical factors that influence the formation of soil. 

10. Agriculture biotechnology: 

  This branch of science involves the use of advanced scientific techniques and tools, such as genetic engineering, molecular markers, vaccines, and tissue culture, to manipulate the genetic material of living organisms for the purpose of improving or developing new organisms, such as crops and livestock.

11. Agriculture engineering: 

    It works with agriculture machinery for preparation, sowing, harvesting, and post-harvesting operations counting water and soil protection technologies and bioenergy.

This branch is further divided into 3 subs. branches which are given below: 

• Agricultural mechanization
• Farm power and machinery
• Farm structure

12. Agriculture economics:

    An applied economic field that studies human behavior concerning the relationship between food and fiber production and distribution.

13. Forestry:

    It is engaged in the extensive cultivation/farming of perennial plants for the supply of rubber, timber, etc. as well as industrial raw materials.

It has the following 6 branches: 

• Agroforestry
• Rangeland management
• Wildlife management
• Analog forestry
• Forest gardening
• Forest farming

14. Food science and technology:

    It uses a variety of approaches to study the composition of food, processing, packaging, and selection of existing food products.

Branches: 

• Food and nutrition

15. Land and water management:

    It is the process of management and expansion of land resources. Resources are mainly used for organic farming, water management, reforestation, and ecotourism projects.

Branches:

• Soil and water conservation
• Irrigation and drainage

16. Agriculture microbiology:

    This branch of microbiology deals with the study of microorganisms that are responsible for causing diseases in plants and animals. It also involves the study of soil microbiology, particularly the role of microorganisms in restoring soil fertility through processes such as microbial decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling in the soil.

17. Environmental Sciences:

    The field mixes biological, physical, and informational science in the study of the environment and solving ecological problems.

Branches: 

• Energy and environment
• Agro meteorology

18. Animal Husbandry:

    Branch of agriculture engaged in the agriculture exercise of breeding and rearing livestock to provide people with food, energy (drafts), and crop manure.

Branches: 

• Dairy farming
• Sericulture
• Fishery
• Mariculture
• Nematology
• Apiculture
• Poultry
• Nomadic pastoralism

19. Agriculture Chemistry:

    This branch of agriculture deals with the chemistry involved in agriculture, including organic and biochemistry, food processing, and the production of desired foods and beverages. It also involves the use of chemistry in environmental restoration.

References:

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9. Soil Sciences and its Importance

Soil Science:

It is the study of soil as a herbal resource at the floor of the Earth with soil formation, class, and mapping; bodily, chemical, organic, and fertility houses of soils; and these residences with regards to the use and management of earth or soil.

https://youtu.be/YYhjm0B6mn4

Through this video, you can easily understand the general introduction to soil science.

Studies field in this course:

Soil occupies the pedosphere, considered one of Earth's spheres that the geosciences use to prepare the Earth conceptually. That is the conceptual angle of pedology and edaphology, the two fundamental branches of soil technology. Pedology is the observation of soil in its herbal setting. Edaphology is the observation of the earth on the subject of soil-established uses. Each branch observes a soil physics, chemistry, and biology aggregate. Due to the numerous interactions among the biosphere, surroundings, and hydrosphere which can be hosted in the pedosphere, extra-included, less soil-centric standards are also valuable. Many concepts are critical to know how soil comes from people now not identifiable strictly as soil scientists. This highlights the interdisciplinary nature of soil standards.

History:

The earliest known soil classification system comes from China, appearing in the book Yu Gong (5th century BCE), where the soil was divided into three categories and nine classes, depending on its color, texture, and hydrology.

Contemporaries Friedrich Albert Fallou, the German founder of modern soil science, and Vasily Dokuchaev, the Russian founder of modern soil science, are both credited with being among the first to identify soil as a resource whose distinctness and complexity deserved to be separated conceptually from geology and crop production and treated as a whole. As a founding father of soil science Fallou has primacy in time. The fallout was working on the origins of the soil before Dokuchaev was born, however, Dokuchaev's work was more extensive and is considered to be more significant to modern soil theory than Fallou's.

Previously, the soil had been considered a product of chemical transformations of rocks, a dead substrate from which plants derive nutritious elements. Soil and bedrock were equated. Dokuchaev considers the soil as a natural body having its genesis and its history of development, a body with complex and multiform processes taking place within it. The soil is considered different from bedrock. The latter becomes soil under the influence of a series of soil-formation factors (climate, vegetation, country, relief, and age). According to him, the soil should be called the "daily" or outward horizons of rocks regardless of the type; they are changed naturally by the common effect of water, air, and various kinds of living and dead organisms.                                                             

A 1914 encyclopedic definition: "the different forms of earth on the surface of the rocks, formed by the breaking down or weathering of rocks". serves to illustrate the historic view of soil that persisted from the 19th century. Dokuchaev's late 19th-century soil concept developed in the 20th century to one of soil as earthy material that has been altered by living processes. A corollary concept is that soil without a living component is simply a part of the earth's outer layer.

Further refinement of the soil concept is occurring given an appreciation of energy transport and transformation within the soil. The term is popularly applied to the material on the surface of the Earth's moon and Mars, a usage acceptable within a portion of the scientific community. Accurate to this modern understanding of soil is Nikiforoff's 1959 definition of soil as the "excited skin of the sub-aerial part of the earth's crust".

Branches of soil science:

1. Soil chemistry

2. soil biology

3. Soil mineralogy

4. Pedology

5. Soil Physics

6. Soil fertility

7. Soil salinity

8. Soil survey

9. Soil conservation

10. Soil microbiology

Objectives:

• ·         Train students on contemporary concepts in soil and environmental assets that would beautify their competence and provide them with knowledge in converting developments in soil technology globally.
• ·         Produce pinnacle excellent graduates who would excel in their fields of endeavor and effect undoubtedly their groups.
• ·         Conduct relevant basic and carried out research to deal with troubles, normally in Agriculture and especially in soil and the surroundings to enhance the development of the state.
• ·         Offer gender-touchy and environmentally sound extension services within the management of soils and sustainable agricultural manufacturing.

                  Importance:

• Meals and other biomass manufacturing
• Environmental interaction: storage, filtering, and transformation
• Organic habitat and gene pool
• Source of raw materials
• Bodily and cultural historical past
• A platform for guy-made systems: buildings, highways 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_science

https://www.isric.org/discover/about-soils/why-are-soils-important#:~:text=Soil%20provides%20plants%20with%20foothold,against%20pollutants%2C%20thus%20protecting%20groundwater

https://www.ug.edu.gh/soilscience/about/vision#:~:text=Conduct%20relevant%20basic%20and%20applied,the%20development%20of%20the%20nation.

https://pakagrifarming.blogspot.com/2013/08/soil-science-in-agriculture-intro-and-branches.html