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A plant, Musa textilis, of the banana family that is valuable for its hard fiber (also known as Manila hemp) and native to Borneo and the Philippines. Abaca is one of the strongest of the hard fibers. Commercially, it is known as Manila hemp. The…

The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a remarkable evergreen, treelike plant found only in the southwestern United States. It was named by Mormon settlers in the early 1800s. Upon seeing the limbs of this plant branching upwards to heaven, the…

Aircraft specifically designed or adapted from a general utility airframe for use in agriculture and forestry and for control of insect vectors of human, animal, and plant diseases. Agricultural aircraft (Fig. 1) have become an indispensable tool…

A discipline concerned with solving the engineering problems of providing food and fiber for the people of the world. These problems include designing agricultural machinery to work the soil and harvest the crops, as well as developing water…

The science that deals with the selection, breeding, nutrition, and management of domestic animals for economical production of meat, milk, eggs, wool, hides, and other animal products. The broad field of agricultural science focuses on two realms:…

The techniques and methods used in plowing, harrowing, planting, tilling, harvesting, drying, storing, and processing of agricultural crops. Agricultural soil and crop practices seek to keep the quality and fertility of soils at high levels so as to…

A model for the functioning of an agricultural system, with all inputs and outputs. An ecosystem may be as small as a set of microbial interactions that take place on the surface of roots, or as large as the globe. An agroecosystem may be at the…

The science and study of crops and soils. Agronomy is the umbrella term for a number of technical research and teaching activities (see illustration): crop physiology and management, soil science, plant breeding, and weed management frequently are…

Any of the deciduous shrubs and trees of the genus Alnus in the birch family (Betulaceae). There are approximately 30 species of alder, with 10 in the United States. Alders are widespread in cool north temperate regions and are also found southward…

The world's most valuable forage legume, Medicago sativa, also known as lucerne, and less often as purple medic, medica, snail clover, median herb, Burgundy hay or clover, and Chilean clover. Alfalfa is often referred to as the queen of forages. It…

The dried, unripe fruits (berries) of a small, tropical, evergreen tree, Pimenta dioica (P. officinalis), of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Allspice (see illustration), which is also known as Jamaica pepper, is a native of the West Indies and parts…

Prunus dulcis (also known as Prunus amygdalus or Amygdalus communis), a small deciduous tree of the order Rosales that is closely related to the peach and other stone fruit trees, and grown widely for its ellipsoidal edible seeds. The fruit of the…

Vicugna pacos, a member of the camel family (Camelidae), which has been domesticated for more than 2000 years and is economically important for its long, fine wool. The alpaca (Vicugna pacos; formerly, Lama pacos) [see illustration] belongs to the…

An annual plant (seldom perennial) of the genus Amaranthus (family Amaranthaceae) that is distributed worldwide in warm and humid regions. Amaranth plants are botanically distinguished by their small chaffy flowers (see illustration), which are…

The application of genetic principles for improving heredity for economically important traits in domestic animals. The science of animal breeding is based on fundamental genetic concepts. Through controlled mating and selection, which can involve…

An annual herb, Pimpinella anisum (family Apiaceae), whose fruit is used to provide food flavoring and to make a distilled oil. Anise is one of the earliest aromatics mentioned in literature. The anise plant (see illustration) is an annual herb that…

A deciduous tree, Prunus armeniaca, in the order Rosales that produces a simple fleshy stone fruit. The apricot is thought to be native to China; then it was distributed throughout Asia and Europe, and eventually North America, South America, and…

The cultivation of freshwater and marine species for human purposes. Aquaculture, or aquatic farming, is concerned with the raising of animals and the harvesting of plants in freshwater and marine environments (Fig. 1). In other words, it is the…