Agronomy- Meaning and Its Scope II Fundamentals of Agronomy II B.Sc Ag First Sem II BY- Dr. O.P. Sir

Welcome to the class about Fundamentals of Agronomy for B.Sc. Agriculture first semester. Today we will discuss what agronomy is, its definition, scope, and importance. We start with understanding agriculture because it’s essential for your degree and can be asked in exams. The term agriculture comes from the Latin language, derived from 'ager' (meaning soil) and 'culture' (meaning cultivation), thus referring to soil cultivation. Agriculture combines activities like animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, horticulture, and crop production.

Agriculture is a broad term encompassing crop production, livestock farming (animal husbandry), fisheries, and forestry. It's defined as an art, science, and business of producing crops and livestock for economic purposes; this involves physical and mental skills for decision-making. The physical skills include maintaining farm machinery and livestock, while the mental skills involve decision-making in crop selection and implementation of modern techniques. Thus, agriculture is considered an art due to the physical handling and mental planning involved.

Agriculture is also regarded as science as it uses scientific principles like biotechnology to develop hybrid varieties for increased production and introducing practices that protect crops from disease, maximizing yield and profit. As a business, agriculture aims for maximum profit and income generation, often through mechanization and improved farming practices. The main spheres of agriculture include geosphere, hydrosphere, and aeroponics, each differing based on the environment (soil, water, air) in which cultivation occurs.