Agronomy is the branch of agriculture treats of the principles and practices of crop production and field management. An agronomist is a scientist who studies the ways arid me of production of food for man and feed for his animals. A dictionary definition of an agronorn ist would be: one who is engaged in the theory and practice of field-crop production and soil management. Following broad definition, agronomists can be classified under three areas: (a farmers, (b) business men in fields related to agriculture, and (c) research agronomists. Usually, a more restricted definition follows; most people prefer to differentiate between farmers and agronomists. According to this idea, a farmer would be an individual engaged in the practice of field-crop production, .and an agronomist would be a college-trained specialist in the theory of crop production whose primary reason for existence is to advise farmers as to the best methods of growing crops.
Scientific research on agronomy may be said to have begun with the establishment of the first experiment station by J.B. Boussingault in Alsace in 1834, although many empirical tests long. before that time had established numerous facts about crops and soils. Agronomy has been a distinct and recognized branch of agricultural science only since about 1900. The American Society of Agronomy. was organized in 1908. Agronomy had its origin largely in the sciences of botany, chemistry, and physics. Prior to the early years of the previous century, crop experimenters usually were trained as botanists, chemists, or general agriculturists, or were interested farmers, gardeners, or naturalists who became agronomists by adoption. Thus the .new science of agronomy was built up by coordination of knowledge derived from the natural and biological sciences with the written records of observations and empirical trials, and later of controlled experiments that dealt with crop production. .
Better crop production follows’ application of new crop varieties discoveries, adoption of improved machines, and breeding of new crops. New developments must be publicized to inform a few enterprising farmers in each community in which such developments might apply.
Key Referene : General agriculture By Muhammad Akhtar Abbas
