Introduction to Agronomy

Agronomy is the science and practice of crop production and field management. It is an amalgamation of many sciences and views the agriculture from an integrated and holistic perspective. It combines the knowledge and technology from the fields of botany, ecology, chemistry, genetics, pest management, water management, weed science, and soil science in order to improve and manage the major food crops of the world. It studies various aspects of crop production like soil properties and how they affect the crop growth, which nutrients are needed by crops, how to control the pests, diseases, and weeds. This chapter introduces you to agronomy and gives details of the history, development, and scope of agriculture. Various agroclimatic zones of India and concept of tillage are also discussed.