Agriculture

Agriculture is the practice of farming, including cultivating crops, raising animals, and producing food, fiber, and other products to sustain human life. Agriculture is a fundamental part of human civilization and has evolved over thousands of years to meet the needs of growing populations, different ecosystems, and different cultures. Modern agriculture has become more advanced with the use of technology and machinery. The creation of genetically modified and hybrid crops has increased yields and efficiency.

History

Before agriculture, humans were hunter-gatherers who traveled nomadically. Roughly 10,000 years ago, humans learned how to domesticate animals and cultivate plants in a single area and found they could have a more stable and consistent food supply, increasing survival rate and population size.

The first known agricultural settlement is in what is known as Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. This area had very nutrient-rich and fertile soil and is called the Fertile Crescent. In the 17 and 1800s, there were massive developments in technology in agriculture which could increase productivity and efficiency. Some of these technologies included plows. New practices were also adopted that improved the quality of the crop, such as crop rotation and hybridization of plants. Later, they did the same with livestock by breeding them to grow bigger and faster.

Types of Agriculture

Subsistence Agriculture

Commercial Agriculture

Organic Agriculture

Precision Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture

Aquaculture

Agroforestry

Permaculture

Hydroponics

Vertical Farming

Urban Agriculture

Environmental Impacts

Pesticides

Water Quality

Crop Modification

Plant Breeding

Livestock Breeding