Information Sheet 1.1-4 DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF

Bachelor of Agricultural Technology

Ag Tech 4 – Field Crops and

Cereals Production

Date prepared: SEPT 2021

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Issued by: APCI

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Developed by: ERWIN C. COPAS, LPT, MSA

Information Sheet 1.1-4

DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS AND CEREALS

Objectives:

At the end of this topic the learners will be able to;

➢ Discuss briefly the definition field crops and cereals.

➢ Identify the different Classification of field crops.

Discussion

The two main divisions of crop production are horticulture and agronomy.

However, classification into agronomic and horticultural crops varies from country to

country and even from author to author. This system of classification is highly artificial,

arbitrary, and is not mutually exclusive.

The word Agronomy has been derived from two Greek words i.e., “agros”

meaning field and “nomos” meaning to manage. Literally it means the art of managing

fields and technically it means the science and economics of crop production. In other

words, it is the art and underlying science in production and improvement of field crops

with the efficient use of soil fertility, water, labor, and other factors related to crop

production. Agronomy is the field of study and practice of ways and means of production

of food, feed, and fiber crops. Thus, agronomy as a branch of agricultural sciences deals

with principles and practices of field management for the production of field crops.

Field crops as crops that are grown for agricultural purposes covering large areas

but excluding fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and plantation crops.

Classification of field crops is necessary to know the adaptation, habitat, life cycle,

nutrient requirement, insect-pest, and disease reaction of crops, so that an appropriate

production technology could be developed and adopted for maximum productivity at

minimum cost.

Crop plants are grouped into three main classes according to the range of

cultivation.

They are as follows.

1. Garden Crops: Crop plants that are grown on a small scale in gardens such as

kitchen gardens, flower gardens and backyard gardens.

2. Plantation Crops: Crop plants that are grown on a larger scale on estates. They

are perennial or permanent in nature.

3. Field Crops: Crop plants that are grown on a vast scale. They are mostly

seasonal.

Among these three classes agronomy deals with field crops only. Field crops are

classified in many ways. According to economic or agrarian or agricultural classification



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or classification according to use of crop plants and their products, field crops are

classified as follows.

CLASSIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS

I. Cereal Crops

A cereal is generally defined as a cultivated grass grown for their edible starchy

grains. Bulk of staple food crops all over the world comes from this group.

A. Major Cereal Crops

In general, the larger grains are used as staple food is considered as major cereals.

1. Rice: Oryza sativa

2. Maize/Corn: Zea mays

3. Wheat: Triticum aestivum

4. Barley: Hordium vulgare



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B. Millets

Millets are a group of small grained cereals which are of minor importance as food

and they have a single cover. Millets are further classified into two groups.

1. Sorghum: Sorghum bicolor

2. Bajra/Pearl millet: Pennisetum typhoides

II. Pulse Crops

Pulses are grain legumes used as food. On splitting they produce dal which is rich in

protein. They are regarded as building blocks of living organisms for high protein

content. These crops have the unique built-in ability of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in

their root system.

A. Grams

1. Red gram/Pigeon pea: Cajanus cajan

2. Green gram/Mung bean: Vigna radiata

3. Black gram : Phaseolus mungo/Vigna mungo



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B. Beans

1. Soybean: Glysine max

2. French bean: Phaseolus

vulgare

3. Lima bean: Phseolus lunatus

C. Peas

1. Pea: Pisum sativum

2. Cow pea: Vigna unguiculata/V. sinensis

III. Oil Seed Crops

Oil seed crops are grown for the purpose of oil. The seeds of these crops are rich in fatty

acids and are used to extract vegetable oil to meet edible oil, industrial and plant

protection requirements.



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A. Edible Oil Seed Crops

1. Peanut: Arachis hypogaea

2. Sunflower: Helianthus annus

B. Non-Edible Oil Seed Crops

1. Castor: Recinus comunis

2. Cotton: Gossypium hirsutum

IV. Fiber Crops

These plants are grown for extraction of fibers which are mainly used for clothing, rope

making, carpet making and other purposes.

1. Jute: Corchorus capsularis



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2. Ramei: Boemeria nivea

3. Manila hemp: Musa textiles

V. Sugar Crops

Crops are grown for the production of sugars and starch.

1. Sugarcane: Sacharum officinarum

2. Sugar beet: Beta vulgaris

VI. Commercial Crops

In these crops, more than 75 per cent of the product is for trade but not for home

consumption.

1. Sugarcane: Saccharum officinarum

2. Cotton: Gossypium hirsututm

3. Tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum

4. Jute: Carchorus capsularis

5. Potato: Solanum tubersosum

6. Chilli: Capsicum annum

7. Cassava: Manihot esculenta



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VII. Forage Crops

Forage crops refer to vegetative matter, fresh or preserved, utilized as feed for animals.

It includes fodder, hay, silage and pastures.

1. Maize: Zea mays

2. Cowpea: Vigna unguiculata/V. sinensis

3. Napier: Pennisetum purpureum

4. Winged bean: Psorocarpus tetragonoloba

VIII. Green Manure Crops

Green manure crops are those crops which are used for incorporating their plant tissues

into the soil for improving the soil productivity.

1. Cowpea: Vigna unguiculata/V. sinensis

2. Green gram/Mung: Phaseolus aureus/Vigna radiata

3. Black gram/Urd: Phaseolus mungo/Vigna mungo



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REFERENCE

RATHORE, P.S., 2002, Techniques and Management of Field Crop Production, Agrobios

JAHARDHAN, G AND VELAYATHAN, P., Introduction to Major Field Crops. www.

AgriMoon.com

Photos Credit to Google.com



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Information Sheet 1.2-4

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CEREALS AND FIELD CROPS

Objectives:

At the end of this topic the learners will be able to;

➢ Understand the economic importance of cereals and field crops

DISCUSSION

Ensuring food security has become an issue of key importance to countries with

different degrees of economic development, while the agricultural sector plays a strategic

role in improving food availability.

Despite various measures taken to alleviate the world hunger problem, food

insecurity and undernutrition remain serious problems in many countries. Although

achieving food security is desirable irrespective of the political system and socioeconomic

conditions, it is an extremely high priority in the developing regions of the world, where

population growth coupled with the increased intensity of such environmental events as

floods, droughts, extreme variability in temperature or rainfall often pose a threat to food

security.

It should be noted here that poverty, war and conflict, natural disasters and

climate change, as well as population growth are considered to be the main causes of

hunger and malnutrition. According to the most recent Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO) data, around 13% of the population living in

developing countries are suffering from undernourishment and feeding the world’s

population is a challenge that is likely to become even more serious in the future.

The global population exceeded 7.6 billion people in 2018 and is predicted to reach

9.2 billion by 2050, with a projected increased food demand of 59%–102%. In view of the

above it seems necessary to increase agricultural production by about 60%–70% to

provide food for the global population in 2050.

The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in improving the availability of food

and achieving food security. However, while there is general agreement on the increased

global demand for food to be expected in the coming decades, there is uncertainty

surrounding global agriculture’s capacity to service this demand through an expansion

in the food supply. Better food provision ensured by increasing the productivity of

agriculture and expanding the range of agricultural land use seems to be a possible

method to eradicate hunger.

However, in the case of low-income developing countries the existing technology

and knowledge will not enable them to produce all the food needed in 2020 and beyond.

It shows the need to expand investments in agricultural research and extension systems

both in and for developing countries to increase the productivity of agricultural



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production per unit of land and per agricultural worker. Technology transfer from

developed to developing countries should be facilitated to support these processes, to

eliminate technology gaps and to overcome knowledge barriers. Bearing in mind that

agriculture has a much greater impact on reducing poverty and improving food security

than the other sectors of the economy.

In discussing food security and global competitiveness, the significant role the rice

industry plays in attaining these goals comes to the forefront. This is because socio-

economic importance of rice in the Philippines cannot be overlooked. The average

Filipino household spends 25% of its food budget on rice, it being the stable food item of

90% of the population. Among the major agricultural commodities, rice traditionally

contributes the highest to the total national output of the agricultural sector.

Rice is Asia 's main staple food and is central to the food security of roughly half

the world's population. Asia accounts for over 90 per cent of rice production and

consumption worldwide.

Global production forecasted by the FAO is forecast to surpass 758.8 million (milled).

Strong government aid to rice production is expected further to expand rice production

in Asia and West Africa. Rice offers 20 percent of dietary protein and 3 percent of dietary

fat where at least 33 developed countries are predominant staple food. This also

contributes to intakes of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc in dietary micro-nutrients.

Many factors affect the nutrient content of rice at consumption including cultivar,

farming practices, post-harvest conditions, food processing, and methods of cooking.

On the other hand, Maize is a significant food source and accounts for 94 percent of

global cereal consumption and rice and wheat. Like other cereals, rice and wheat, maize

is used as a source of starch in the diet due to the large quantities of starch contained in

the grain's endosperm portion. Maize contains about 72 per cent starch, 10 per cent

protein and about 4 per cent fat. But sadly, the more nutrient-dense components of maize

grain were favored in the refined state that excluded the aleurone and embryo layers.

Therefore, maize must be consumed as part of a more diversified diet in order to achieve

better nutritional and health results.

Trends in maize use reflect that while maize use for human food consumption has

increased steadily over the decades from the 1960s to 2013, animal feed usage has

increased much faster (Figure Y). Use the grain as well as using the whole plant in silage

production for beef and dairy requires animal feed use.

Moreover, recent demand for biofuel use has increased significantly, putting an

upward pressure on prices.



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REFERENCE

Pawlak, K. and Kołodziejczak, M. 2020. The Role of Agriculture in Ensuring Food Security in

Developing Countries: Considerations in the Context of the Problem of Sustainable Food

Production. Department of Economics and Economic Policy in Agribusiness, Faculty of

Economics and Social Sciences, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637

Poznan, Poland.

PCARRD. 2002, Food Security, Global Competitiveness, Technological Innovation, Philippines

Rice: Some insight from existing Literature.

FAO, 2014. A Regional Rice Strategy for Sustainable Food Security in Asia and the Pacific. Final

Edition. RAP PUBLICATION 2014/05. Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok.

Banayag, JM., 2021, Field Crops and Cereal Production Course Pack.

Documents

Information Sheet 1.1-4 DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF