Crop Production Technology

The crops are plants or products made of plants, which are cultivated in and harvested to provide the purpose of subsistence or profits. The majority of crops are classified into six groups that include food crop, feed crops oilseed crops, fiber crops, ornamental crops along with industrial crops. Since hunter-gatherer societies changed to agricultural societies during the Neolithic period, which was about 10,000 years ago, agricultural crops are now the principal way of providing food to humans all over the globe. Even to this day they not only drive distribution of food, but also consumption as well as manufacturing, fuel and almost every other sector.
The food crop  include subsistence plants designed to be consumed by humans. They are comprised of vegetables, fruits as well as grains and tubers similar to potatoes. Grains, which includes cereals like rice, wheat and corn are among the most popular varieties around the globe and wheat is the most extensively cultivated crop.

Food crops are harvested and grown to serve as food for livestock such as horses, cows or pigs. Also called livestock feed, as well as fodder These crops can be harvested and grown as food crops. These crops can be cultivated within large field (pastures) and meadows, where animals can feed (or forage) for food. Feed crops comprise cereal grains (like oatmeal) as well as alfalfa and many kinds of grasses and hay. They are usually designed to cater to the animal’s unique nutritional requirements. Based on the food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) division of the United Nations, 33 percent of the world’s agricultural land is utilized for the production of feed crops.

The fiber crops are cultivated specifically to ensure it can then be transformed into ropes, textiles, as well as paper items. Instead of being consumed in a direct way in the traditional sense, fiber crops like flax, cotton, and hemp are harvested, and later dried or chemically altered to make different products. For example, plants that are rich in fiber like bamboo are able to be transformed into a pulp which is then used to create paper.

The oil crops are cultivated to be used for main (human use) and secondary (industrial) applications. The edible oil crops are sunflower, corn and olives. Soybeans are among the most well-known oil crop. Apart from cooking and food applications oil crops can be used to make soaps, paints, cosmetics, lubricants, and fuel.

Ornamental plants are trees and plants that are used to create landscaping or for gardening. Most nurseries grow them, ornamental crops can be harvested for directly selling to consumers or for commercial uses. Some examples of ornamental crops are flowers, shade trees flowers, shrubs and grasses.

Industrial crops are plants which are not eaten however they are harvested for use in manufacturing processes machines, fuel, or production. Rubber is an example of an industrial plant. Rubber is made of latex, an ingredient located in the Hevea tree. It is then transformed and processed so it can then be turned into various other products that can be used for various industrial applications.