Dictionary of Agriculture

The art and science of crop and livestock production. In its broadest sense, agriculture comprises the entire range of technologies associated with the production of useful products from plants and animals, including soil cultivation, crop and livestock management, and the activities of processing and marketing. The term agribusiness has been coined to include all the technologies that mesh in the total inputs and outputs of the farming sector. In this light, agriculture encompasses the whole range of economic activities involved in manufacturing and distributing the industrial inputs used in farming; the farm production of crops, animals, and animal products; the processing of these materials into finished products; and the provision of products at a time and place demanded by consumers. This dictionary provides clear, up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of agricultural terms. Subjects covered include cultivation, machinery, livestock, crops, pesticides and herbicides, fertilizers, organic farming and veterinary science. Jargon-free definitions make this dictionary particularly suitable for users with or without a background in agriculture.