We have lived in the misapprehension of Agriculture for long that is “Agriculture is just about farming’’. Agriculture have been the Stone Age profession since the existence of mankind. Having revolutionized with tremendous blue print of history, it is still transmuting. There are a lot of events and studies most especially in the 21st century that unmasked the misconception of Agriculture, that, Agriculture is not just about farming but a full package of sciences, arts, engineering, technologies and in fact the most uprising issue in this field, marketing.
Long ago in the history of mankind, agriculture commenced with hunting and gathering; that is hunting wild animals and gathering wild grains, fruits, vegetables etc. for meals. This was on going until man turned over to domestication of plant and animals for easy access to food. They did not just turned over to domestication but was done with careful selection which forms the basis of breeding and genetics (later propounded on by Gregor Mendel, father of genetics). Mankind selected good grain weight, fresh, meaty, juicy, good quality, nice texture vegetables, tubers and fruits, taming and housing of most valuable animals for milk, meat, hides etc. For instance, maize has its identifiable phylogeny traced back to teosinte as a wild corn in the city of Mexico. The teosinte cob was very small but selection has made it seems as if small maize cobs have never existed. Germplasm Collection can be credited for this information.
Moreover, improving and studying the soil also became a key component of Agriculture development since the soil is the natural habitat of many small organisms and plants. In fact, for the past decades numerous attentions have been given to the soil till today which play major role in plant nutrition and support. However, since the soil nutrient can be exhausted, Man decided to study the nutrimental soil elements to improve the soil by infusing organic or inorganic fertilizers. Furthermore, maintaining the soil moisture, physical structure, pH, organisms etc. are all considered. The soil has many sciences (soil chemistry and fertility, soil physics, soil microbiology etc.) with significant impact on the flavour, quality, yield and good texture of plant. Not to forget technology which cut across virtually all the sections of agriculture. Agriculturists employ the use of pH meter for testing the soil pH, tractors attached with ploughs for mechanized land preparation and other farm implement, laboratory soil test for plant nutrition and many other advanced techniques.
The development of agriculture still continues spreading its wings into diverse areas of science. . One of the most important subject in agriculture which is Plant Physiology, the study of plant’s forms and functions is crucial for successful bumper harvest, quality, healthy, rich phytonutrient etc. as Man seek to understand the whole mechanism of plant life. The remarkable aspect of plant physiology in Agriculture is that, it informs the grower, the growth habit of the plant and its comfortable ecological zone. This aids the grower to ensure that there is proper growth functioning at each developmental life stages of the plant. All indicators show that all areas of plant science and technology is affected by plant physiology.
As humans also get sick and treated, the same applies to plants. This particular issue protrude the horn of another relevant science discipline called plant pathology into play as part of agriculture. One can notice the changes in plant health as result of attack by pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, nematodes etc.). Literally, the plant doctor (pathologist) diagnose and prescribe the right chemical (drug) to cure the plant back to live and kicking under a regulated scheme. One of the major issues in cocoa caused by Phytophthora spp. as a fungi, is treated using fungicides to deal with black pod diseases so that we can always have our increased production, chocolate, coco powder and as well, our elevated income. Plant sickness caused by non-pathogen agents is corrected by providing the lacking factors. We cannot do away with insect which can either be detrimental or beneficial to the plant. The entomologist study the life cycle of these insects and give advice on how to control them in times of invasion during agricultural production.
The instability and the increasing rate of climate change globally have subjected crops and animals to stress. The thought of food insecurity and the lose of farmland alone to the rising population worldwide clearly indicate that Agriculture is not just farming. Numerous measures have been taken to control these glitches in this field for the full benefit of mankind and the environment. Breeding, genetic engineering, controlled environment agriculture are some of the fighting tools deployed against climate change, diseases, insect pressure, population increase etc.
The art aspect of agriculture can be explore in breeding and genetic engineering. Man have gone beyond farming as he seek to introduce superior traits or habit into the genomic expression of plants or animals to suit the changing environment, human preference and/or needs. Drug cost and delivery to a typical village to tackle Vitamin A deficiency became a problem. However through genetic engineering; scientist have been able to harness the production of Beta-carotene as a precursor of Vitamin A into the native food crop (rice) of the people. Golden rice, flavr savr, BT corns, dolly sheep, zonkey, liger, Olympia hybrid lettuce, Meyer hybrid lemon trees etc. are some of the products of biological engineering and breeding.
The rise of controlled environment agriculture (greenhouse, container farms etc.) made production possible everywhere, just name them!!….. The Antarctic region, the desert, the hot, dry and humid tropics, and all seasons. This has proven that agriculture is not just farming but a combination of arts, technologies and sciences. Different technologies are involved in this system with an in-depth knowledge of the climate, plant and nutrient. Now Astronaut can grow their own vegetable crops on the moon and any planet in a nutrient rich solution with the most efficient use of resources.
With the advent of electronic gadgets, smartphones and the internet networks in the new generation, it is now possible for anyone to “run” a virtual farm.
Most agricultural production appears not to move well without good marketing and industrial use which are now the major concern. Farming alone cannot rattle shoulders with the demands of these driving factors. This is the reason why agriculture beyond farming have to be encouraged among students, government stakeholders, entrepreneurs, and individuals.
As envisaged by FAO, human population will increase to 9.1 billion worldwide in the wakes of 2050 and the vast migration from rural areas to urban cities will put pressure on the small rural growers due to high demands. Therefore having the mind set and putting everything in the hands of just farming will drastically put agriculture, the future of the world and food security into jeopardy.
“While farming is the base of the agriculture pyramid, it’s not the only factor that plays a role in the industry’’ said by Kara Elise.
