AGRONOMY

1. Agronomy – Definition
   Agronomy is the branch of agricultural science that deals with principles and practices of crop production and field management for higher productivity.
2. Scope of Agronomy
   It includes soil management, crop rotation, tillage, water management, weed control, and nutrient management to optimise crop yields.
3. Principles of Agronomy
   Agronomy is based on the efficient use of land, water, nutrients, and labour while maintaining soil health and sustainability.
4. Crop Rotation
   Crop rotation is the sequential cultivation of different crops on the same land to improve soil fertility and reduce pest incidence.
5. Advantages of Crop Rotation
   It improves soil structure, enhances nutrient availability, controls weeds, and minimises crop-specific diseases.
6. Monocropping
   Monocropping refers to growing the same crop year after year on the same field, often leading to soil nutrient depletion.
7. Mixed Cropping
   Mixed cropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously without a definite row arrangement to reduce the risk of crop failure.
8. Intercropping
   Intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crops in a definite row pattern to maximise land use efficiency.
9. Multiple Cropping
   Multiple cropping refers to growing more than one crop on the same land within a year to increase cropping intensity.
10. Cropping Intensity
    Cropping intensity is the number of crops grown on a field in one agricultural year, expressed as a percentage.
11. Tillage – Meaning
    Tillage is the mechanical manipulation of soil to create favourable conditions for seed germination and crop growth.
12. Objectives of Tillage
    Tillage improves soil aeration, controls weeds, incorporates residues, and enhances water infiltration.
13. Conventional Tillage
    Conventional tillage involves repeated ploughing and soil disturbance, commonly practised in traditional farming systems.
14. Minimum Tillage
    Minimum tillage reduces soil disturbance to conserve moisture, prevent erosion, and reduce cultivation costs.
15. Zero Tillage
    Zero tillage involves sowing crops without prior land preparation, improving soil organic matter and water conservation.
16. Soil Fertility Management
    Soil fertility management focuses on maintaining adequate nutrients through organic manures, fertilisers, and bio-fertilisers.
17. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
    INM combines chemical fertilisers, organic manures, and biological sources to sustain soil fertility and crop productivity.
18. Water Management in Agronomy
    Efficient water management ensures optimal moisture availability, prevents waterlogging, and improves water-use efficiency.
19. Critical Stages of Irrigation
    Critical stages are growth phases when water stress severely affects yield, such as flowering and grain filling stages.
20. Weed – Definition
    A weed is any unwanted plant growing in a cultivated field that competes with crops for nutrients, light, and water.
21. Critical Period of Crop-Weed Competition
    This is the stage during which weeds must be controlled to prevent significant yield loss in crops.
22. Methods of Weed Control
    Weed control methods include cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological approaches.
23. Harvest Index
    Harvest index is the ratio of economic yield to biological yield, indicating crop productivity efficiency.
24. Agro-Climatic Factors
    Agro-climatic factors such as rainfall, temperature, and humidity play a crucial role in crop selection and yield.
25. Sustainable Agronomy
    Sustainable agronomy focuses on environmentally sound practices that ensure long-term productivity and resource conservation.