Agriculture Glossary
Fallow
Agricultural land that is left unplanted for a period to allow soil recovery.
Forage
Plants or plant parts that are eaten by domestic animals, either fresh or preserved.
Fallow Land
Land that is intentionally left unplanted for one or more growing seasons to reduce weed populations and enrich the soil.
Forestry
The science and practice of managing forests and tree plantations for human benefit and ecological health.
Farming System
An integrated approach to farming that combines various agricultural enterprises (like crop cultivation, livestock rearing, and horticulture) to maximize productivity and sustainability.
Field Irrigation Efficiency
The percentage of water delivered to a field that is actually used by crops.
Filler
Substances mixed with fertilizers to enhance properties like anti-caking and to adjust nutrient percentages.
Fodder Crops
Cultivated plants used as feed for livestock, often stored as silage or hay.
Foundation Seed
High-quality seed produced from breeder seed, ensuring genetic purity and uniformity for subsequent generations.
Fertilization
The process where pollen fuses with an egg cell to form an embryo.
Forage
Plant material harvested and fed to animals as roughage, such as hay or silage.
Factory Farming
The industrial-scale production of livestock, often involving the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, which may pose health risks.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)
A United Nations agency focused on improving agricultural productivity and food distribution worldwide.
Fauna
The collective animal life found in a particular region.
Feedlot
A confined area where livestock are fattened for market, often associated with high waste concentrations.
Fertilizer
A substance providing essential nutrients to plants, primarily containing potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.
First Law of Thermodynamics
A principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
First World
Term used to describe industrialized, developed countries.
Fission
The splitting of atomic nuclei to release energy.
Flood Plain
Low-lying land adjacent to a river, susceptible to flooding.
Flora
The plant life characteristic of a particular region.
Fly Ash
A byproduct of burning solid waste, often released into the atmosphere.
Food and Agriculture Organization
A UN agency dedicated to enhancing global agricultural productivity and food distribution.
Food Chain
A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
Food Gap
The disparity between the food produced and the food required to sustain a population, prevalent in some low-income countries.
Forest
An ecosystem with enough rainfall to support tree growth.
Fossil Fuels
Energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas, formed from the remains of ancient organisms.
Free Market
An economic system where transactions between buyers and sellers are free from government intervention.
Frugivore
An animal that primarily eats fruit, common among certain primates that cannot digest cellulose.
Fungicide
A chemical used to eliminate fungi.
Fungus
Organisms lacking chlorophyll, feeding on organic matter, and often parasitic or saprophytic.
Fusion
The process of combining atomic nuclei to release energy.
Horticulture Glossary
Drought-Resistant Crops
Cultivating crops like ber, custard apple, amla, and mango that require less water.
