Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact,

natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture.
(Veterinary science, but not animal science, is often excluded from the definition.)

Agriculture, agricultural science, and agronomy[edit]

The three terms are often confused. However, they cover different concepts:

Agriculture is the set of activities that transform the environment for the production of animals and
plants for human use. Agriculture concerns techniques, including the application of agronomic research.

Agronomy is research and development related to studying and improving plant-based crops.

Agricultural sciences include research and development on:[1][2]

Plant breeding and genetics

Plant pathology

Horticulture

Soil science

Entomology

Production techniques (e.g., irrigation management, recommended nitrogen inputs)

Improving agricultural productivity in terms of quantity and quality (e.g., selection of drought-resistant
crops and animals, development of new pesticides, yield-sensing technologies, simulation models of
crop growth, in-vitro cell culture techniques)

Minimizing the effects of pests (weeds, insects, pathogens, nematodes) on crop or animal production
systems.

Transformation of primary products into end-consumer products (e.g., production, preservation, and
packaging of dairy products)

Prevention and correction of adverse environmental effects (e.g., soil degradation, waste
management, bioremediation)

Theoretical production ecology, relating to crop production modeling

Traditional agricultural systems, sometimes termed subsistence agriculture, which feed most of the
poorest people in the world. These systems are of interest as they sometimes retain a level of
integration with natural ecological systems greater than that of industrial agriculture, which may be
more sustainable than some modern agricultural systems.

Food production and demand on a global basis, with special attention paid to the major producers, such
as China, India, Brazil, the US and the EU.

Various sciences relating to agricultural resources and the environment (e.g. soil science,
agroclimatology); biology of agricultural crops and animals (e.g. crop science, animal science and their
included sciences, e.g. ruminant nutrition, farm animal welfare); such fields as agricultural economics
and rural sociology; various disciplines encompassed in agricultural engineering.

Agricultural biotechnology[edit]

Agricultural biotechnology is a specific area of agricultural science involving the use of scientific tools
and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines,
and tissue culture, to modify living organisms: plants, animals, and microorganisms.[3]

Fertilizer[edit]

One of the most common yield reducers is because of fertilizer not being applied in slightly higher
quantities during transition period, the time it takes the soil to rebuild its aggregates and organic matter.
Yields will decrease temporarily because of nitrogen being immobilized in the crop residue, which can
take a few months to several years to decompose, depending on the crop's C to N ratio and the local
environment.

History[edit]

Main article: History of agricultural science

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Mayer conducted experiments on the use
of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate) as a fertilizer.[4]

In 1843, John Lawes and Joseph Henry Gilbert began a set of long-term field experiments at Rothamsted
Research Station in England; some of them are still running.[5]

In the United States, a scientific revolution in agriculture began with the Hatch Act of 1887, which used
the term "agricultural science". The Hatch Act was driven by farmers' interest in knowing the
constituents of early artificial fertilizer. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 shifted agricultural education
back to its vocational roots, but the scientific foundation had been built.[6] After 1906, public
expenditures on agricultural research in the US exceeded private expenditures for the next 44
years.[7]:xxi

Prominent agricultural scientists