Agriculture vs Horticulture
Horticulture is often considered a subdivision of agriculture, sharing many characteristics but also differing in various ways. The term “agriculture” is derived from Latin and refers to large-scale field cultivation, encompassing crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and the cultivation of fungi. Agriculture played a significant role in human civilization before the industrial revolution, with a majority of people engaged in agricultural activities. The green revolution in the early 20th century led to significant advancements in agriculture. Agriculture produces food, raw materials, fiber, and fuel, and uses various techniques such as transplanting, pruning, tilling, crop rotation, and selective harvesting to increase field productivity.
Horticulture, on the other hand, is a small-scale practice that focuses primarily on crop cultivation in enclosed plots. This practice is derived from two Latin words: hortus (garden) and cultura (cultivation). Horticulture uses the same techniques as agriculture but promotes biodiversity and ecological succession. Horticultural practices involve the cultivation of diverse species at a small scale and the use of cultural methods for pest control. Horticulture can be divided into two major groups: the ornamental group, which includes arboriculture, floriculture, and landscaping, and the edible group, which includes olericulture, pomology, and viticulture.
### Key Takeaways
– While both agriculture and horticulture use the same techniques, agriculture involves large-scale field cultivation, while horticulture focuses on small-scale crop cultivation in enclosed plots.
– Agriculture includes crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and the cultivation of fungi, while horticulture is primarily concerned with crop cultivation.
– Horticultural practices promote biodiversity and ecological succession, whereas agriculture tends to involve mono-cropping or mono-culture, which can weaken ecological succession and reduce biodiversity.
