Agricultural science

Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic, and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. (Veterinary science is often excluded from the definition.)

Agriculture and agricultural science

The two terms are often confused. However, they cover different concepts:

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:Agriculture is the set of activities that transform the environment for the production of animals and plants for human use. Agriculture concerns techniques, including the application of agronomic research.

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:Agronomy is research and development related to studying and improving plant-based agriculture.

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Agricultural sciences include research and development on:

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• Production techniques (e.g., irrigation management, recommended nitrogen inputs)
• Improving production in terms of quantity and quality (e.g., selection of drought-resistant crops, development of new pesticides, yield-sensing technologies, simulation models of crop growth, in-vitro cell culture techniques)
• Transformation of primary products into end-consumer products (e.g., production, preservation, and packaging of dairy products)
• Prevention and correction of adverse environmental effects (e.g., soil degradation, waste management, bioremediation)
• Theoretical production ecology, relating to crop production modelling.