Module 1.
Basic Concepts of
Agricultural Crop Production
Topics
 Definition and Importance of Agriculture
 History of Agriculture
 Branches of Agriculture
 Plant Parts and their Functions
 Types of Agricultural Crops and Its
Classification
 Types of Commercial Food Crops in the
Philippines
OBJECTIVES OF
THIS MODULE
 To describe agriculture, its history and its branches
 To identify and explain the different parts of the
plants and their functions
 To categorize the types of agricultural crops, the
different types of commercial food crops (in the
Philippines) and remember each of their common,
local and scientific names
HISTORY OF
AGRICULTURE
When it all begun..
Humans invented
agriculture during the
Neolithic era, or the New
Stone Age, which occurred
between 7,000 and 10,000
years ago.
https://www.crestcapital.com/tax/history_of_agriculture#
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When it all begun..
Sometime around 12,000
years ago, our huntergatherer ancestors began
trying their hand at
farming
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/developm
ent-agriculture/
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When it all begun..
First evidence of farming
in Mideast 23,000 years
ago: Evidence of earliest
small-scale agricultural
cultivation
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/15072214
4709.htm
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Birth of agriculture..
The birth of agriculture is
often referred to as the
Neolithic Revolution since
it seems to coincide with
the Neolithic period—or
new stone age.
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Neolithic period—or
new stone age?
For better
understanding
lets go back in
time….
Archeologists have divided the
cultures of the past into ages
based on materials used for
making tools

Stone age
 Old Stone Age - Paleolithic
 New Stone Age - Neolithic


Bronze Age
Iron Age
Stone Age Periods
 Paleolithic Period
humans existed by foraging


Hunting, fishing, gathering
wild berries, roots, seeds, etc
Number of people restricted
by food available in the area
Stone Age Periods
 Neolithic Period
people controlled there own
food supply by cultivating
plants and breeding animals
Stone Age Periods
Many of the
artifacts are
stone tools which
are believed to
have facilitated
early agriculture
Agricultural tools found in the Iberian settlement Bastida of
Alcusses, late 5th century B.C.E. to the 4th century B.C.E.
Why did agriculture emerge?
The simple answer is that
nobody knows.
However, legends and
theories do exist.
Why did agriculture emerge?
According to legends among different
groups such as Egyptians, Greeks,
Aztecs:
“Agriculture is a gift from
the gods”
Why did agriculture emerge?
Many theories focus on a wise person
or brilliant sage (aka “Genius Theory”)
If you sow seeds, a plant
will grow
Why did agriculture emerge?
Scientific theories
The fact that agricultural was
a gradual cultural evolution
not a revolution
Why did agriculture emerge?
Scientific theories
Hunter-gatherers knew the wild
plants, knew how they grew, and
would incorporate farming along
with foraging as part of an overall
food collection strategy when
necessary
Why did agriculture emerge?
Scientific theories
Environmental change made the
difference (archaeologists believe
that the climatic dry period around
11,000 years ago brought about a
change in the distribution of grains)
Why did agriculture emerge?
Scientific theories
Population pressure - with only
hunting and foraging to support
growing human populations,
people began using their botanical
knowledge in cultivation
Where did agriculture emerge?
It is believed that agriculture
emerged independently and spread
from places as varied as
Mesopotamia, China, South
America and sub-Saharan Africa
Where did agriculture emerge?
Archeological finds dates back
approximately 10,000 years in
Near East, Far East, and also in
the New World
Where did agriculture emerge?
First evidence of farming in
Mideast : New evidence recently
published
The Zagros Mountain range,
which lies at the border
between Iran and Iraq, was
home to some of the
world's earliest farmers.
Early Sites of Agriculture
Neolithic Agriculture Map
Early Sites of Agriculture
Neolithic Agriculture Map
• Some of the best studied sites of
agriculture are in southwestern
Asia
• In foothills around the Fertile
Crescent (Middle East)
Early Sites of Agriculture
Neolithic Agriculture Map
• Area around the Tigris and
Euphrates River is a particularly
rich area for archeologists
especially the foothills of Zagros
Mts in Iraq and Iran
First crops of agriculture
• Neolithic founder crops of
agriculture includes emmer wheat,
einkorn wheat, hulled barley,
peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chickpeas
and flax
First crops of agriculture
• Barley has been found in
archeological sites in Levant,
and East of the Zagros
Mountains in Iran
First crops of agriculture
• Bitter vetch and lentils along with
almonds and pistachios appear in
Franchthi Cave Greece
simultaneously, about 9,000 BC.
First crops of agriculture
• From at least 7,000 BC
the Indian subcontinent
saw farming of wheat
and barley, as attested
by archaeological
excavation at
Mehrgarh in
Balochistan.
First crops of agriculture
• About 6,000 BC, agriculture
was developed independently
in the Far East, with rice as the
primary crop.
First crops of agriculture
• Chinese and Indonesian farmers
in 6,000 BC went on to
domesticate taro and beans
including mung, soy and adzuki.
First crops of agriculture
• Maize, tapioca, and arrow root
were first domesticated in the
Americas as far back as 5,200 BC
First crops of agriculture
• Potato, tomato, pepper, squash,
several varieties of bean, tobacco,
and several other plants were also
developed in the New World
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
The Fertile Crescent of the Middle
East is where the earliest planned
sowing and harvesting of plants
that had previously been gathered
in the wild was initiated.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
Independent development of
agriculture occurred in northern
and southern China, Africa's Sahel,
New Guinea and several regions of
the Americas.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
By 7,000 BC, small-scale
agriculture was introduced from
Egypt to the Indian subcontinent
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
By 6,000 BC, mid-scale farming
was entrenched on the banks of the
Nile river. With abundant source of
water, new methods of farming and
fishing inaugurated together with
human population boom
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
By 5,000 BC, the Sumerians had
developed core agricultural
techniques including large scale
intensive cultivation of land, monocropping, & organized irrigation.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Ancient era
By 5,200 BC, the Greeks and
Romans introduced few
fundamentally new advances in
agriculture with emphasis on the
cultivation of crops for trade.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Middle Ages
Muslim farmers in North Africa and
the Near East developed and
disseminated agricultural
technologies including irrigation
systems based on hydraulic and
hydrostatic principles.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Middle Ages
Muslim farmers also introduced the
use of machines particularly the use
of water raising machines, dams,
and reservoirs.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Middle Ages
Muslim farmers also invented a
three field system of crop rotation
during the Middle Ages.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Middle Ages
At the same time, Chinese invention
of moldboard plow, vastly improved
agricultural efficiency
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
After 1492, a global exchange of
previously local crops and livestock
breeds occurred.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
Started animal exportations, the
most important of which were the
horse and dog (breeds suited to
farm work).
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
Rapid rise of mechanization (in
the late 1900 to 1920),
particularly in the form of the
tractor, farming tasks could be
done with a speed & on a scale
previously impossible
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
In the 1930 – 1940 the introduction
of ammonium nitrate fertilizer saw
a major breakthrough that allowed
crop yields to overcome
previous constraints
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
In the 1930 – 1940 at the same
time, the productivity per hectare of
farmland began to rise significantly,
as did the use of pesticides and
herbicides.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
In the 1950 – 1960 (Green
Revolution) introduction of highyielding varieties of crops,
particularly for grains like wheat
and rice.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
In the 1950 – 1960 developments in
irrigation processes, cultivation
methods, and the beginning of
selective breeding of plants led to an
increase in the amount of food
produced around the world.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
During the 1970s and 80s, many
farmers turned toward no-till
farming, a practice that allows
farmers to grow crops from year to
year without tilling and disturbing
the soil.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
In the 1990s, the first insect and
weed-resistant crops became
commercially available and satellite
technology became more popular to
track and plan farming practices
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
The introduction of molecular
technology enable prediction of
offspring of crops and livestock, and
identify disease-resistant genes in
crops, which lessens the chance of
crop loss and future disease
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
The developments in genetic testing
and disease surveillance have
increased crop yield and improved
animal health, and they also provide
solutions to the issues posed by
modern agriculture regulations.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
The year 2010 to the present –
marked major technology
innovations focused around on
indoor vertical farming, automation
and robotics.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
At the same time flourished the
livestock technology, modern
greenhouse practices, precision
agriculture, artificial intelligence,
and blockchain technology.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
Blockchain technology enables the
traceability of information in the
food supply chain (genetic bar
coding) and thus helps improve
food safety.
Evolution of Agri-technology
Modern Era
It provides a secure way of storing
and managing data, which facilitates
the development and use of datadriven innovations for smart
farming and smart index-based
agriculture insurance.
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