CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Agriculture and its divisions

• Agriculture:
o is a late Middle English word from the Latin word agricultūra originating from the root words
ager meaning “field”, and cultūra meaning “cultivation or growing”
o simply, it is the domestication of plants and animals for human consumption o the
management or cultivation of plants and the raising of animals for food and other needs.

• Two main branches of agriculture:

o Crop production: the art and science of producing plants which are useful to man either
directly or indirectly, raw or processed, aimed at increasing productivity and quality of the
products in order to maximize monetary returns but at the same time minimize, if not
completely eliminate, the negative effects on the environment.
Crop Science: the science that deals with the study of the principles and practices in crop
production
o Animal production or Animal husbandry : the art and science of producing animals to meet
humans needs and luxury

• Two main divisions of crop production:

o Agronomy:
is an early 19th century word from the French words agronomie or agronome meaning
“agriculturist”. The words agronomie or agronome also originated from the greek words
agros meaning “field”, and nomos meaning “arranging” which was also derived from the
greek word nemoein meaning “arrange”.
The production of field crops or the production of crops under a system of “extensive” or
large-scale culture. The products are usually utilized in high dry matter form or in a
“nonliving state”.
o Horticulture:
is a late 17th century word derived from the Latin word hortus meaning “garden” and the
English word agriculture.
The production of crops under a system of “intensive culture”. Horticultural products are
usually utilized in the “living-state” with high moisture content, thus highly perishable. A
science that deals with the production and utilization of garden crops
• Branches of Horticulture:
o Floriculture - the production of ornamental crops
o Olericulture - the production of vegetable crops
o Arboriculture - the study of how plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their
environment. is the cultivation, management and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines and
other perennial woody plants
o Pomology - the production of fruit crops
o Landscape horticulture - the art and science involved in beautification and protection of the
environment
o Viticulturte – is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes.
o Post-harvest – maintaining the quality of, and preventing the spoilage of horticultural crops.
B. Origin, domestication and history of some important crops

• Theories explaining the origin of life on earth:

o Creation - 7 days of creation of life on earth including Adam and Eve by God
o Spontaneous generation - living things arouse from non-living things
o Descent and natural selection - species descent with modification
o Panspermia - life forms that can survive the effects of space, such as extremophiles, were
trapped in debris and ejected into space after collisions of planets but become active and
evolving upon occurrence of an ideal condition on a new planet. This theory intends to explain
the distribution of life forms (and its possibility) in the universe.
o Chemical Evolution - small first molecules which were carbon-containing compounds in
prebiotic soup linked together to form nucleic acids and proteins which acquired the ability to
self-replicate, becoming the first living entity which led to biological evolution.

• Patterns of plant evolution:

Period Group of species involved
o Pre-Cambrian, more than 2 billion years - Archaic bacteria, the first organized
living things
o Pre-Cambrian, about 2 billion years - “Uralgae”, the first oxygen producing
plants
o Cambrian, 600 million years - Chlorophyta, first organized
chloroplast
o Silurian, 420 million years - Psilophyta, first true stems
o Devonian, 390 million years - Filicophyta, first true leaves
o Carboniferous, 345 million years - Gymnospermae, first true seeds
o Cretaceous, 135 million years - Angiospermae, first flowers

• Domestication: the process of bringing wild species (plants or animals) under the management of
man.

o First domesticated plants:

1. Rye - 11,050 BCE, believed to be domesticated during the Epi-Paleolithic Era at Abu
Hureyra in Syria
2. Bottle gourd - 10,000 BC, somewhere in Asia and brought by the immigrants to America
3. Cereal crops (e.g. Wheat and Barley) and Pulses (e.g. Lentils and peas) - 10,000-9,000
BC in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (in Fertile Crescent)
including the now modern countries of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria (Middle East)

o First domesticated animals:

Animal Approximate date Region
Dog - 15,000 BC - Multiple locations
Goat - 10,000 BC - Asia and Middle East
Sheep - 8,000 BC - Asia and Middle East
Pig - 8,000 BC - China
Cattle - 8,000 BC - India, Middle East and Sub-Sahara
Chicken - 6,000 BC - India and South East Asia
Water buffalo - 4,000 BC - China
Silkworm - 3,000 BC - China
 o Consequences of domestication:
- Change in plant type and limited ecological adaptation
- Higher yield
- Loss of seed dormancy
- Conversion from perennial to annual
- Increased susceptibility to diseases

o Centers of origin of some important crops (Abellanosa and Pava, 1987):

China - millet, buckwheat, soybeans, legumes, many vegetables.
India (Indo-Malayan Center including the Philippines) - rice, sugarcane, many legumes, many
tropical fruits such as mangoes and citrus
Central Asia - wheat, peas, lentils, several oil plants and cotton
Near East - wheat, rye, grapes, peas, cherry, almond and fig
Mediterranean Center - St. John bread, beet and several vegetables
Ethiopia - barley and wheat
South Mexico and Central America - corn, beans, squash, chili pepper,
many fruits, cacao and cotton
South America (Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia) with sub centers in Chili, Brazil
and Paraguay -
white potato, cassava, peanut, pineapple, cashew, rubber tree

o Earliest civilizations:
Sumer - about 5,000 BC or earlier. The Sumerians were a race who occupied the Fertile
Crescent between the great Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in the Near East. Egypt: 4,000 BC in
the Nile River.
India - prior to 2,500 BC along the banks of the fertile River Indus in what is now Pakistan.
China - about 3,000 BC along the banks of Hwang-ho or Yellow River.

o Other historical events relevant to agriculture:

Development of the plow - 3,000 BC, Egyptians cultivated figs, dates, bananas, cucumbers,
grapes, olives, melons, lettuce and lemons.
Cultivation of beans and maize - 2,000 BC, when Mayas from Asia settled in America
Development of landscaping - 1,500 BC, Egyptians developed landscape gardens in which
flowering plants, shade trees and ornamental shrubs were planted and cultivated for their
beauty alone.
Development of terrace gardening with irrigation - 605-560 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II built the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Iraq) in four
hectares. They were not hanging gardens, but gardens with balconies or terraces
supported with concealed large pillars, irrigated from below by pumps manned by slaves
or oxen.
Discovery of tea, and development of paper and bonsai making - 200 BC-AD 200, Han
Dynasty of China. Tea was discovered and paper was made. Monks practiced bonsai
making.
The Green revolution - initiated in the year 1940s but soared in the late 1960s.
Characterized by a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives
which resulted to increased agricultural production around the world especially Asia. Led
by Dr. Norman Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution" and a Noble Peace Prize
fellow, who is credited for saving over a billion people from starvation due to the
 development of high yielding varieties of cereal grains, more efficient irrigation
infrastructures, modern agricultural techniques, hybrid crops, synthetic fertilizers, and
pesticides.
C. World food situation and centers of production
• Food security - “A situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life. Based on this definition, four food security dimensions
can be identified: food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization and
stability over time” (FAO, 2013).
• Food insecurity - “A situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of
safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life. It may
be caused by the unavailability of food, insufficient purchasing power, inappropriate distribution or
inadequate use of food at the household level. Food insecurity, poor conditions of health and
sanitation and inappropriate care and feeding practices are the major causes of poor nutritional
status. Food insecurity may be chronic, seasonal or transitory” (FAO, 2013).
• Current world population - 7,594, 000,000 people
• Number of people suffering from chronic hunger: 842 million people (12% of global population),
year 2011-2013
• Sub-Saharan Africa: remains the regions with the highest prevalence of undernourishment
• Major source of food in the world:
o Agriculture: mainly 75-80%
o Fisheries or aquaculture: 15-20%
o Forestry
• Centers of Agricultural Production:
o International Rice Research Institute(IRRI) - research and development in
production of rice
o CIMMYT- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
o CIP - International Potato Center of CGIAR (Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research)
o FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations

D. The Philippine agriculture

• Proclamation of the Philippine Independence (June 12, 1898): President Emilio Aguinaldo formed
the Department of Agriculture (DA) as one of the first agencies in the Philippines. The first three
directors of the DA are Jose Alejandrino (1898-1899), Graciano Gonzaga and Leon Ma. Guerrero,
both during the latter part of 1899.
• The DA was renamed to the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) in the year
1947, and in the years 1953-55, under DANR Secretary Salvador Araneta, three major agricultural
agencies were created including Agricultural Tenancy Commission (precursor of the Department of
Agrarian Reform); Philippine Tobacco Administration (forerunner of the National Tobacco
Administration); and Philippine Coconut Administration (now known as Philippine Coconut
Authority).
• The Abaca Development Board (forerunner of the Fiber Development Authority) was created in
the year 1961 under Cesar Fortich as DANR chief.
• The Bureau of Agricultural Economics (forerunner of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics); and the
National Rice and Corn Administration or RCA (now known as the National Food Authority) were
established in 1962 under President Diosdado Macapagal and DANR Secretary Benjamin M. Gozon.
• The Philippines was able to export rice for the first time in the year 1968 due to improved rice
production programs in the country.
• The DANR was split into two agencies, Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) during the early years of Martial Law in the year 1974, which became Ministries
four years later. DA became Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF).
• The Philippines became self-sufficient in rice and white corn, and an active rice exporter under
Arturo R. Tanco, Jr. as Minister of Agriculture and Food. Masagana 99 is among his programs for
the improvement of rice production in the country.
• The Intensive Rice Production Program (IRPP), an import-substitution program, was initiated in
1984 which included government’s animal dispersal program such as the Bakahang Barangay
(cattle raising at village level) and Pagbababuyan (swine raising), under MAF Minister Salvador H.
Escudero III.
• The EDSA People Power Revolution arouses in the year 1986 which resulted to higher farm gate
prices of agricultural goods.
• Executive Order No. 116 signed by President Corazon Aquino in the year 1987 led to the renaming
and reorganization of MAF to DA which introduced reforms in rural credit system and established
Comprehensive Agricultural Loan Fund (CALF).
• The Livelihood Enhancement for Agricultural Development (LEAD) program was launched in the
year 1988 for farmers' organizations to access financing, management expertise, and marketing.
Also, Agriculture and Fishery Councils (AFCs) were set up at the sectoral, regional, provincial and
municipal levels to provide inputs on major programs and policy decisions and help plan and
monitor government projects under DA.
• Other programs or projects launched under the DA included Rice Action Program (RAP) and Corn
Production Enhancement Program (CPEP) in the year 1990, Medium-Term Agricultural
Development Plan (MTADP) in the year 1992, Gintong Ani in the year 1996, Agrikulturang
Makamasa in the year 1998, Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Countrywide Assistance for Rural
Employment and Services (GMA-CARES) in the year 2001, and Roll-On, Roll-Off or RORO transport
program in the year 2002. Other programs focused on modernization of agriculture in the
Philippines including the recently organized program (year 2010) Agrikulturang Pilipino or Agri-
Pinoy.
• Presidential degrees (PD), Republic Acts (RA), Executive Orders (EO) and others passed by the
Philippine government for agriculture include:
o P.D 1433 (The Plant Quarantine Law)
o E.O I986 (Pesticide Residue Analysis and Monitoring)
o E.O 1061 (creation of the Philippine Rice Research Institute or PhilRice)
o E.O 116 (creation of the Bureau of Agricultural Research or BAR under DA)
o E.O 430s (creation of the National Biosafety of the Philippines or NCBP in the year 1990)
o E.O 514s (the strengthening of the NCBP)
o DAO 8-S (guidelines for importation and use of genetically modified or GM crops in the year
2002),
o R.A 7394 (Consumer Act of 1992)
o R.A 7308 (The Seed Industry Development Act of 1992, or the replacement of the Philippine
Seed Board into the National Seed Industry Council)
o R.A 7607 (Magna Carta for Small Farmers)
o R.A 5185 (Decentralization Act of year 1967)
o R.A 7160 (Local Government Act of 1991)
o Morill Act (Land Grant Act of 1862)
o R.A 9168 (The Plant Variety Protection Act of 2002)
o R.A 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act or AFMA of 1997)
 o R.A 10068 (The Organic Agriculture Act of 2010).
o R.A 10601 (Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization “AFMech” Law of 2012)
o R.A 10611 (Food Safety Act of 2013)
o R.A 8048 (Coconut Preservation Act of 1995)

E. Meaning and Scope of Crop Science

• Crop Science - the art and science that deals with the domestication or production of crops
including the principles and practices in crop production
• Crop Science 1 - focuses on the principles of crop production, specifically on the biology and
ecology of crops
• Crops
Are plants, but not all plants are crops.
Plants:
o organisms capable of synthesizing organic compounds from inorganic materials
o capable of undergoing growth, differentiation and reproduction
o have chlorophyll and develops cell wall
o photoautotrophs: phototroph (takes energy from light) and autotroph (take
carbon from carbondioxide, CO2)
o capable of photosynthesis
in agriculture, crops are:
o a population of domesticated plants
o plants grown for human consumption (directly to eat or indirectly for other
purposes)
o plants that are grown to meet human requirement for food, shelter and clothing,
as well as, other needs and luxury items

• How are plants/crops different from other organisms?

 Exercises

1. How importance the AGRICULTURE to our daily life?

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2. What is the effect of Domestication in the world of Agriculture?

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3. There are branches of Agriculture (Crop Production and Animal Husbandry), explain the importance
of each branch to the society.
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4. Differentiate the two (2) main divisions of crop production.

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5. Did you think that our government today is doing enough to support the Agricultural sector in our
country? Why?
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