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Major Divisions of Agricultural Sciences

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The agricultural sciences can be divided into six groups. 1- Soil and Water Sciences 2- Plant Sciences 3- Animal Sciences 4- Food Sciences and Other Post-Harvest Technologies 5- Agricultural Engineering 6- Agricultural Economics 1- Soil and Water Sciences Soil and Water Sciences deal with the geological generation of soil,  soil and water physics and chemistry, and all other factors relevant to soil fertility. Soil science began with the formulation of the theory of humus in 1809. A generation later, Liebig introduced experimental sciences, including a theory of the supply of soil with mineral nutrients. In the 20th century, a general theory of soil fertility developed, embracing soil cultivation, the enrichment of soil with humus and nutrients, and the preparation of soil in accordance with crop demands. Water regulation, principally, drainage and irrigation, was also included.  Soil and water research have made possible the use of all classes of land in more effective ways, ...

Agriculture - An Introduction

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Food is the most basic human need. The domestication and cultivation of plants and animals beginning almost 10,000 years ago were aimed at ensuring that this need was met, and then as now, these activities also fit with the relentless human drive to understand and control the Earth's biosphere. Early knowledge of agriculture was a collection of experiences verbally transmitted from farmer to farmer. Some of this ancient lore had been preserved in religious commandments, but the traditional sciences rarely dealt with a subject seemingly considered so commonplace. Although much was written about agriculture during the Middle Ages, the agricultural sciences did not then gain a place in the academic structure. The scientific approach in agriculture was inaugurated in 1840 by Justus von Liebig of Darmstadt, Germany. His classic work, Organic Chemistry in it's Applications to Agriculture and Physiology (1840), launched the systematic development of the agricultural sciences. In Europ...