What is agronomy?
Agronomy is the science of crop production and soil management for sustainable agricultural productivity.
Why is agronomy important?
Agronomy improves crop yield, soil health, food security, and efficient use of natural resources.
What is crop rotation?
Crop rotation means growing different crops sequentially to maintain soil fertility and reduce pests.
What is monocropping?
Monocropping is cultivating the same crop repeatedly on the same land.
What is intercropping?
Intercropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field.
What is mixed cropping?
Mixed cropping grows multiple crops together to minimize risk of total crop failure.
What is soil fertility?
Soil fertility refers to soil’s ability to supply essential nutrients for plant growth.
What is soil texture?
Soil texture indicates relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay particles.
What is soil structure?
Soil structure describes arrangement of soil particles into aggregates.
What is soil pH?
Soil pH measures acidity or alkalinity influencing nutrient availability to crops.
What is tillage?
Tillage is mechanical manipulation of soil to prepare seedbed and control weeds.
What is zero tillage?
Zero tillage involves sowing crops without prior soil disturbance.
What is minimum tillage?
Minimum tillage reduces soil operations to conserve moisture and structure.
What is ploughing?
Ploughing loosens soil, buries residues, and improves aeration.
What is harrowing?
Harrowing breaks soil clods and levels field after ploughing.
What is seed rate?
Seed rate is quantity of seed required per unit area.
What is seed treatment?
Seed treatment protects seeds from pests, diseases, and improves germination.
What is sowing?
Sowing is placing seeds in soil at proper depth and spacing.
What is broadcasting?
Broadcasting scatters seeds uniformly over soil surface.
What is line sowing?
Line sowing places seeds in rows for better spacing and management.
What is transplanting?
Transplanting shifts seedlings from nursery to main field.
What is crop spacing?
Crop spacing ensures optimal plant population and reduces competition.
What is plant population?
Plant population is number of plants per unit area.
What is thinning?
Thinning removes excess seedlings to maintain proper spacing.
What is gap filling?
Gap filling replaces missing plants to maintain uniform crop stand.
What is irrigation?
Irrigation supplies water artificially to crops when rainfall is insufficient.
What is surface irrigation?
Surface irrigation distributes water over field by gravity.
What is drip irrigation?
Drip irrigation delivers water directly to plant roots efficiently.
What is sprinkler irrigation?
Sprinkler irrigation sprays water like rainfall over crops.
What is critical stage of irrigation?
Critical stage is growth period when water stress severely reduces yield.
What is crop growth stage?
Crop growth stage represents developmental phases from germination to maturity.
What is vegetative stage?
Vegetative stage involves leaf, stem, and root development.
What is reproductive stage?
Reproductive stage includes flowering, fruiting, and seed formation.
What is fertilizer?
Fertilizer supplies essential nutrients to crops for better growth.
What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are required in large quantities.
What are micronutrients?
Micronutrients are required in small amounts but are essential for crops.
What is nitrogen fertilizer?
Nitrogen fertilizer promotes vegetative growth and chlorophyll formation.
What is phosphorus fertilizer?
Phosphorus supports root development, flowering, and energy transfer.
What is potassium fertilizer?
Potassium improves disease resistance and water regulation.
What is organic manure?
Organic manure supplies nutrients and improves soil structure.
What is green manuring?
Green manuring incorporates fresh plants into soil to improve fertility.
What is farmyard manure?
Farmyard manure is decomposed mixture of dung, urine, and bedding materials.
What is compost?
Compost is decomposed organic waste used as soil conditioner.
What is biofertilizer?
Biofertilizer contains beneficial microorganisms that enhance nutrient availability.
What is weed?
Weeds are unwanted plants competing with crops for resources.
What is weed management?
Weed management controls weeds to reduce crop yield losses.
What is manual weeding?
Manual weeding removes weeds using hands or tools.
What is mechanical weeding?
Mechanical weeding uses implements to uproot weeds.
What is chemical weeding?
Chemical weeding uses herbicides to control weeds.
What is herbicide?
Herbicide is chemical used to kill or suppress weeds.
What is pre-emergence herbicide?
Pre-emergence herbicide is applied before weed germination.
What is post-emergence herbicide?
Post-emergence herbicide is applied after weeds emerge.
What is crop residue?
Crop residue is leftover plant material after harvest.
What is mulching?
Mulching covers soil surface to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
What is crop maturity?
Crop maturity indicates readiness for harvesting.
What is harvesting?
Harvesting is cutting and collecting mature crops.
What is threshing?
Threshing separates grains from harvested plants.
What is winnowing?
Winnowing separates grains from chaff using air flow.
What is yield?
Yield is total produce obtained per unit area.
What is biological yield?
Biological yield includes total biomass of crop plants.
What is economic yield?
Economic yield refers to usable part like grains or fruits.
What is harvest index?
Harvest index is ratio of economic yield to biological yield.
What is cropping system?
Cropping system is pattern and sequence of crops grown.
What is multiple cropping?
Multiple cropping grows more than one crop annually on same land.
What is relay cropping?
Relay cropping sows next crop before harvesting previous one.
What is sustainability in agronomy?
Sustainability maintains productivity without harming environment.
What is precision farming?
Precision farming uses technology to optimize inputs and maximize yield.
What is soil erosion?
Soil erosion is loss of topsoil by wind or water.
What is conservation agriculture?
Conservation agriculture minimizes soil disturbance and maintains cover.
What is climate-smart agriculture?
Climate-smart agriculture adapts farming to climate change effects.
What is crop ecology?
Crop ecology studies interaction of crops with environmental factors affecting growth and productivity.
What is soil moisture?
Soil moisture is water present in soil available for plant uptake.
What is field capacity?
Field capacity is maximum water soil holds after excess drainage.
What is permanent wilting point?
Permanent wilting point is soil moisture level where plants cannot recover.
What is evapotranspiration?
Evapotranspiration is combined water loss through evaporation and plant transpiration.
What is agroclimatology?
Agroclimatology studies climate effects on agriculture and crop production.
What is crop adaptation?
Crop adaptation is ability of crops to adjust to specific climatic conditions.
What is heat stress in crops?
Heat stress damages plant metabolism and reduces yield.
What is drought stress?
Drought stress occurs when water availability is insufficient for crops.
What is water use efficiency?
Water use efficiency measures yield produced per unit of water used.
What is nutrient use efficiency?
Nutrient use efficiency indicates how effectively crops utilize applied nutrients.
What is lodging in crops?
Lodging is bending or falling of crop plants before harvest.
What causes crop lodging?
Excess nitrogen, wind, rain, and weak stems cause lodging.
What is crop canopy?
Crop canopy is above-ground plant cover in a field.
What is leaf area index?
Leaf area index measures leaf area relative to ground area.
What is photosynthesis efficiency?
Photosynthesis efficiency shows how effectively plants convert sunlight into biomass.
What is C3 crop?
C3 crops fix carbon using Calvin cycle under normal conditions.
What is C4 crop?
C4 crops have special pathway reducing photorespiration in high temperatures.
What is CAM crop?
CAM crops fix carbon at night to conserve water.
What is photorespiration?
Photorespiration reduces photosynthetic efficiency in plants.
What is crop duration?
Crop duration is time taken from sowing to harvest.
What is short-duration crop?
Short-duration crops mature quickly within limited growing season.
What is long-duration crop?
Long-duration crops require extended growth period.
What is cropping intensity?
Cropping intensity shows number of crops grown annually on same land.
What is fallow land?
Fallow land is left uncultivated to restore soil fertility.
What is land capability classification?
Land capability classification evaluates land suitability for agriculture.
What is soil organic matter?
Soil organic matter improves fertility, structure, and water holding capacity.
What is humus?
Humus is stable organic matter formed after decomposition.
What is soil aeration?
Soil aeration ensures oxygen supply to plant roots.
What is soil compaction?
Soil compaction reduces pore space and restricts root growth.
What is root zone?
Root zone is soil depth where majority of roots grow.
What is crop establishment?
Crop establishment is successful germination and early growth of plants.
What is seed dormancy?
Seed dormancy prevents germination under unfavorable conditions.
What is seed viability?
Seed viability indicates ability to germinate under suitable conditions.
What is germination percentage?
Germination percentage shows proportion of seeds that successfully sprout.
What is seed vigor?
Seed vigor reflects seed’s ability to produce strong seedlings.
What is plant density?
Plant density is number of plants per unit area.
What is nutrient deficiency?
Nutrient deficiency causes abnormal plant growth and symptoms.
What is nutrient toxicity?
Nutrient toxicity occurs due to excess nutrient concentration.
What is foliar nutrition?
Foliar nutrition supplies nutrients through leaves.
What is top dressing?
Top dressing applies fertilizers during crop growth.
What is basal application?
Basal application supplies nutrients at sowing time.
What is split application?
Split application applies fertilizers in multiple stages.
What is integrated nutrient management?
Integrated nutrient management combines organic and inorganic nutrient sources.
What is integrated weed management?
Integrated weed management uses multiple weed control methods.
What is crop protection?
Crop protection prevents yield loss from pests, diseases, and weeds.
What is pest threshold level?
Pest threshold is population level causing economic damage.
What is economic injury level?
Economic injury level is pest density causing economic loss.
What is crop diversification?
Crop diversification involves growing varied crops for risk reduction.
What is sustainable yield?
Sustainable yield maintains productivity without degrading resources.
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry integrates trees with crops and livestock.
What is soil conservation?
Soil conservation prevents erosion and degradation.
What is contour farming?
Contour farming follows land contours to reduce erosion.
What is strip cropping?
Strip cropping grows crops in alternate strips to reduce erosion.
What is shelterbelt?
Shelterbelt reduces wind speed and soil erosion.
What is crop insurance?
Crop insurance protects farmers from crop losses.
What is precision nutrient management?
Precision nutrient management applies nutrients based on crop needs.
What is site-specific farming?
Site-specific farming manages variability within fields.
What is digital agronomy?
Digital agronomy uses data and technology to improve farming decisions.
What is smart irrigation?
Smart irrigation uses sensors to optimize water application.
What is agronomic efficiency?
Agronomic efficiency measures yield increase per unit input.
What is sustainable cropping system?
Sustainable cropping systems balance productivity, environment, and profitability.