AGR-301 By: SIRAJ AHMED

1st Semester

Definition of Agriculture

The word agriculture has been derived from two Latin words; ‘Ager’ or ‘Agri’ means field
and ‘Coleree’ or ‘Cultura’ means cultivation. It means cultivation of land. Agriculture may be
defined as the art, the science and the business of producing crops and raising animals for economic
purposes. Agriculture is an industry which makes the use of soil and other resources for the
production of plants, rearing of animals and birds which are directly or indirectly useful for human
being. In other words, it is activity of man, primarily aimed at the production of food, fiber and
other materials by the controlled use of plants and animals.

*The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and
the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

Objectives of Agriculture
1. To provide more food for the hunger world.
2. To produce balanced food products including cereals, starchy roots, vegetables and fruits as well
as animal products for proteins, meat, milk, fish and eggs.
3. To provide raw materials to agricultural industries.
4. To produce feed for animals (forage, cereals, grasses etc.).
5. To increase present crop yield by providing all inputs, technologies and scientific skills.
6. To make country self-sufficient in food as well as in raw materials for feeding industries, and
also provide creative employment in rural areas.
7. To make availability of agricultural commodities at cheap and easy reach of consumers.
8. To conserve soil, crop and water resources.
9. To improve amenity of the land with planting of lawns, flowers, forests and field crops.

Origin and History of Agriculture

Agriculture arose because of slow cultural evolution. It occurred 10,000 years ago in many
different parts of the world. Another idea was that drought caused humans and wild animals to
occupy smaller areas near water. This caused people to domesticate animals. The soil was
disturbed by the animals being confined to smaller spaces, and animal manure was added. This
encouraged weedy species to grow here. Humans then utilized these weedy species as crops. This
again led him to discover that by scattering seeds near his houses, they could have their food
materials near home without having search for them at long distances. He then had resources to
the clearing of forests or the growing of their crops but they probably found that the continuous
growing of crops in the same place gives reduced yields, so they moved about from place to place.
In this way, primitive man made a remarkable choice of crops. Civilization began to centre around
the growing of certain crops like wheat and cotton in central Asia; rice in China and South-eastern
Asia; and maize and potato in tropical America. The old civilization developed along river banks
and flourished only because food production was possible from irrigated lands much in excess of
the needs of the producers.
AGR-301 By: SIRAJ AHMED

Agriculture as an Art
The art of cultivation of crops began when domestication of plants become essential to
supplement natural supplies. In broad sense, ability to plough well, to handle the animals properly,
to handle the farm implements and proper sowing of seeds manure, fertilizers etc. are examples of
physical skills achieved through experience. The art of farming is the performance of practices and
experiences outside the class rooms. In general, the best place to become trained in art of farming
is field rather class room. The art means correct time and method of application, when to apply
and how to apply.
Agriculture as a Science
Scientific agriculture is the application of tested knowledge of farm practices, which is
based on repeated experiments and critical observations. However, recent advances made in the
fields of plant breeding and genetics technology of production, use of fertilizers, pesticides,
fungicides, herbicides and growth regulators have improved crop yields at greater levels. The
recent research findings in the field of atomic science has greatly helped in the studies of soils,
nutrition of crops, movement of water in soil and related fields. Whilst, introduction of labour
saving machineries, theories and concepts in the fields of mathematics, statistics and economic
etc. have completely revolutionized agriculture for increased crop production.
Agriculture as an Industry
Agriculture is important from industries point because most of the industries depend upon
the raw materials supplied by agriculture. Pakistan is an agricultural country, where agriculture is
a way of life. Agriculture with its allied branches such as Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Forestry,
Horticulture etc. is the largest segment of the national economy. The under developed countries
agriculture is carried on at survival levels whereas, in the developed countries, the farmer raises
the crop and livestock with the objective of earning more income. To obtain such goals and returns,
the factors like land, labour and capital are utilized fully for greater profits.
Industries allied to Agriculture
1. Cereal crops industries: food (Bakery products), Brewing (soft drinks)
2. Horticultural crops industries: Fruits, vegetables and flowers (Food Technology, canning,
fruit preservation) Horticultural products such as Juice, jam, jelly, pickle, squash etc.
3. Textile industries: Weaving(bunai), spinning, dying, ginning etc.
4. Sugar mills: Crushing, refining(removing impurities), and crystallizing.
5. Vegetable oil mills: Pressing, refining, oil.
6. Drug and medicine industries: Quinine, opium, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, morphine.
7. Paper industries: Paper, hard board, soft board.
8. Cosmetic industries: Perfumes, camphor, lacquer, turpentine, gum, saffron.
9. Forest industries: Timber wood, fuel wood, furniture.
10. Apiculture industries: Honey and wax.
11. Sericulture industries: Silk worm, silk products.
12. Lac culture industries: lac, sealing wax, bangles.
13. Fishery industries: Fish, fish flesh, fish bone meal, fish manure, cod fish oil.
14. Dairy farming: Milk, cream, butter, curd, cheese, whey, ghee, meat, skins, horn, hoof.
15. Poultry farming: Broilers, layers, eggs, poultry manure.
AGR-301 By: SIRAJ AHMED

16. Livestock farming: Raising cattle for milk, meat,

Divisions of Agriculture

1. Agronomy: is the main branch of agricultural sciences. It is a combination of two Greek words
“Agros” means ‘field’ and “Nomos” means ‘management’. It is a branch of agricultural
sciences which deals with principles and practices of crop production and soil
management for successful crop production.

i. General Agronomy: It deals with principles and practices of crop production and soil
management.

ii. Crop Physiology: It is a branch of Agronomy which deals with the study of various functions
taking place in crop plants. For example; Photosynthesis, phototropism, photoperiodism,
respiration, transpiration, uptake and translocation of nutrients, opening and closing of stomata,
inside the plant's body. It also includes study of the responses of plants/crops to drought, heat,
frost, light, salinity, water logging, micronutrients, diseases and other types of stresses.

2. Horticulture: The term Horticulture is taken from Latin language word “Horticultura” where
“Horteus” means garden and “cultura or culture” means to cultivate. This means cultivation of
garden crops. Horticulture is an art, science and business of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers
and ornamental crops for economic purpose. The main divisions of Horticulture are as under.
i. Pomology: It is growing of fruits.
ii. Olericulture: It is growing of vegetables.
iii. Floriculture: It is growing of flowers.
iv. Arboriculture: growing of trees for glory.

3. Plant Breeding & Genetics: A branch of agicultural sciences which deals with the study the
genetic make-up, breeding methods and development of new varieties of crop plants.

4. Soil Science: It is one of the main branches of agricultural sciences which deals with the study
of physical and chemical properties of soil in relation to successful crop production.

5. Plant Protection Science: A branch of agricultural sciences which deals with the study of the
biotic factors (flora & fauna) affecting plant/crop productivity and the measures to protect
plants/crops from these factors. There are three branches of plant protection science. These are,

i. Entomology: It is a branch of plant protection science which deals with the study, raising or
control of insects. Insects can be useful as well as harmful.

Useful insects include boney bees, silk worms, pollinators and natural predators of harmful
insects etc. Such natural predators include lady bird beetle which feed on aphids. Harmful insects
include aphids, mites, termites and grasshoppers
etc. In entomology, the rearing and maintenance of useful insects and the control of harmful
insects are carried out.
AGR-301 By: SIRAJ AHMED

ii. Plant Pathology: Plant pathology is a branch of plant protection science which deals with
the study and control of plant pathogens including viruses, bacteria and fungi which cause
serious diseases in plants/crops. These diseases include rusts, smuts, mildews, blights and
mosaics etc.

6. Forestry: Forestry deals with growing of forest trees for the production of timber and fuel wood.
The forests are raised also for the production of silk, honey, lac, tannins, dyes and wild animals
or birds. Modern forestry generally concerns itself with assisting forests to provide timber as
raw material for wood products; wildlife habitat; natural water quality regulation; recreation;
landscape and community protection; employment; aesthetically appealing landscapes; and a
'sink' for atmospheric carbon dioxide.

7. Fishery: Fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic
species. Fishery exists for the purpose of providing human food or fish products such as fish
oil, fish flesh, fish bone meal, fish manure and also fish nursery. Today, fisheries are estimated
to provide 16% of the world population's protein, and that figure is considerably elevated in
some developing nations and in regions that depend heavily on the sea. Fisheries science is the
academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It draws on the disciplines of
biology, ecology, oceanography, economics and management to attempt to provide an
integrated picture of fishe rise.

8. Animal husbandry: Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising
Livestock. Sub-divisions of Animal Husbandry include.

i. Live stock farming: Raising cattle for milk, meat, hides etc.
ii. Dairy farming: Rearing animals for milk, butter, curd, whey, cheese, ghee and fat.
iii. Poultry farming: Raising birds (hens, ducks etc) for eggs, meat, feather and manure

Sciences allied to Agriculture

1. Physics: The study of energy which is very important to plant nutrition and growth. In
agricultural practices we use hand tools and other tillage implements. The efficiency of a tool
or implement depends upon its construction.

2. Chemistry: The study of composition of matter. It includes soil physics (nature of the soil) and
details of fertilizer, manures etc. Chemistry is the basic science knowledge which helps in
understanding plant life processes such as photosynthesis, transpiration, absorption and
nutrition.

3. Botany: It includes the study of plants and their growth habits. It gives the detailed
morphological, histological, physiological knowledge of plants. Plant breeding is a branch of
botany which plays an important role in the development of present agriculture by evaluation
of new varieties.
AGR-301 By: SIRAJ AHMED

4. Agriculture Economics: It evolves all the transaction of money matters, marketing trade and
Industry.

5. Agriculture Extension: the Bridge between the farmers and the Government. It provides the
Recent findings to the farmers from research and universities

Scope and importance of Agriculture sector in Pakistan

Or
Significance of agriculture sector in Pakistan’s economy

Pakistan is an agricultural country and its economy is mainly agrarian and earns a 35-40 % of the
national income from it.
The Agriculture sector continues to play a central role in Pakistan’s economy. The country is
totally dependent on agriculture for the supply of food and fiber. Agriculture is an important
sector, providing food to the fast-growing population of the country.
In Pakistan agriculture contributes 24.5 % to the gross domestic product (GDP). It employs more
than 45 percent of the national employed labour force and supports directly or indirectly to about
68 % of the population for their sustenance.
Nearly 62 % of the country’s population resides in rural areas, and is directly or indirectly linked
with agriculture for their livelihood. It contributes about 65 percent to total export earnings
derived from raw and processed agricultural commodities.
The agriculture framework in Pakistan is supported to a greater extent by the crop sector. The
crop sector contributes 43.9% to agricultural value added in GDP as opposed to 53.2%
contribution from livestock and remaining from the fisheries and forestry sectors.
Agriculture is therefore the leading sector and backbone of our economy. Only textile industry
contributes around 8.5 percent to GDP, employs 38 % of the total manufacturing labour force and
contributes between 60-70% total. In foreign trade agriculture again dominates, through exports
of raw products such as rice and cotton and semi-processed and processed products such as cotton
yarn, cloth, carpets and leather production. Agriculture is essential for sustainable improvements
in internal and external balances. Of the total export earnings, the share of primary commodities
and processed and semi-processed products constituted almost 60% of the total exports. While on
the one hand, agriculture sector is a primary supplier of raw materials to downstream industry,
contributing substantially to Pakistan’s exports, on the other, it is a large market for industrial
products such as fertilizer, pesticides, tractors and agricultural implements.