Agronomy

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Agronomy

• 1. the science of growing plants from creating
  on-farm opportunities to environmental protection
  and ecosystem management
• 2. the science of utilizing plants for food,
  fuel, feed, and fiber

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• 3. Science of agriculture that deals with all
  aspects of field crop production and soil
  management
• 4. The word derived from Greek word agros
  meaning fields and nomos meaning management
  indicating crop production and soil management on
  scientific approach

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Principals of Agronomy/Crop Production

1. Cultural practices
2. Seed and variety
3. Irrigation
4. Manuring
5. Plant protection
6. Post harvest management

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Cultural Practices

• 1. Tillage
• Primary tillage (preparatory tillage)
• Secondary tillage (seed bed preparation)
• Tertiary tillage (Interculture)

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• 2. Sowing Method
• Ridge sowing
• Line sowing
• Pit planting

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Seed and Variety

• Varieties according to sowing time
• Seed rate
• Depth of sowing

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Irrigation

• Irrigation requirement
• Method of irrigation

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Manuring

• Rate
• Method of application
• Green manuring
• Crop rotation

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Plant Protection

• Weed management
• Insect management
• Disease management

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Post Harvest Management
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How plants grow

• Requirements

• Light
• Water
• Air
• Essential minerals
• Anchorage
• Favorable climatic conditions

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• Plant utilizes raw material for food manufacture
  through photosynthesis
• CO2 H2O C6H12O6
• proteins, fats, starch,
• cellulose

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• Essential nutrients (C, H, O) 18 of plant
  weight
• Water 80
• Mineral constituents 2

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16 essential nutrients

• Primary nutrients,
• N, P, K
• Secondary nutrients,
• Ca, Mg, S
• Micro-nutrients
• Fe, Zn, Co, Cl, Mn, B

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The soil that feeds plants
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Physical properties of soil to regulate
productivity
Water holding capacity
Nutrients retention capability
Movement of air and heat
Mechanical impedance to root development and seedling emergence
Ease with which the soil can be tilled
Soil texture
Soil structure
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Soil chemical properties

• Organic matter
• Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
• Soil reaction (pH)
• CN ratio (Carbon to Nitrogen)
• Salinity (EC)

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The living part of soil

• Bacteria
• Algae
• Protozoa
• Fungi
• Insects
• Earthworms
• Azotobactor
• Clostridium

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Fertilizer-food for the hungry plant

• 30-50 contribution toward yield
• Improve quality of the produce
• Resistance to cold/water stress
• Increase/decrease plant resistance to
  diseases/insects

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What is fertilizer

• Plant foods
• Supplement the soil supply of essential nutrients
• Defined as a substance used for the purpose of
  supplying one or more of the elements essential
  for growth.

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Fertilizer terms

• Straight fertilizer contain single nutrient,
  examples are Urea, SSP, TSP, SOP, MOP
• Compound fertilizer contain two or more
  elements, examples are DAP, NPK

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Expression of nutrients

• N elemental form, N on age by weight basis
• P P2O5,
• Px2.29 P2O5
• P2O5x0.44P
• KK2O
• Kx1.2K2O
• K2Ox0.83K

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Fertilizers available in Pakistan

• Urea
• DAP
• SSP
• TSP
• Potassium sulphate
• Potassium chloride
• NPK
• Ammonium Nitrate

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Special fertilizers

• Polyphosphates
• Slow release fertilizers concept based on 2 imp.
  points
• Certain nutrients particularly N and S can leach
  beyond root zone, slow release increase their
  efficiency
• Certain crops require to be fertilized
  frequentlyreduce their requirement e.g.

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• Super coated urea (SCU)-for rice
• Urea super granule (USG)
• Liquid fertilizers
• Fertilizer pesticide mixtures

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Mechanism of nutrient uptake

• Diffusion
• Mass flow
• Root interception