There are some major differences between agriculture and horticulture. Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating plants and producing crops. Whereas horticulture is a branch of agriculture that deals with the cultivation, planting, and harvesting of fruit and vegetables for human consumption.
In fact, agriculture is the way to get mass production of commodities. It mainly deals with the production of crops to the livestock and its feed. On the other hand, the major focus of horticulture is a bit different from agriculture. Basically, horticulture mainly deals with the cultivation to make sure the quality product for the consumers.
Apparently, agriculture needs more soil and fertilizer than the horticulture method of cultivation. But you will read here how one is a more environmentally friendly technique than the other. However, there are many overlaps between the two fields.
For instance, both deal with irrigation and fertilization through organic or chemical means. They both require growers to be knowledgeable about plant physiology and environmental influences such as water availability and climate change. Which one you choose depends on your goals what u want to produce.
What does agriculture mean?
There are many definitions for the word agriculture. The definition used in this post is the process of growing crops for human consumption or providing food, fiber, fuel, feed, or other products in an environmentally sustainable way. Farming is a subset of agricultural techniques that includes the cultivation of plants to produce grain or vegetables.
What does horticulture mean?
Horticulture is the science and art of cultivating fruit, vegetables, or other plants for human consumption. Horticulture focuses on cultivation methods rather than production methods because the emphasis is on creating a healthy environment for plants.
Differences between the two fields
The main difference between agriculture and horticulture is that horticulture deals with plants grown for human consumption. While agriculture deals with plants grown for other purposes such as fiber, fuel, livestock feed, or biodegradable products. Horticulture also focuses more on cultivation methods than production methods. Because the emphasis is on creating a healthy environment for plants. One might argue that because of this difference in focus, horticulture is more environmentally friendly than agriculture because it does not drain natural resources like water and soil as much.
Another key difference between the two fields is that agricultural production often includes livestock and crops grown on large-scale farms. Horticultural production may include both small-scale farming and gardening. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that about 20 percent of people in the U.S. are working in some aspect of farming or forestry.
Horticulture is more environmentally friendly than agriculture
The main difference between horticulture and agriculture is that horticulture focuses on the cultivation of plants. Agricultural sciences also encompass this, but its focus is on production methods rather than cultivation methods because it’s more concerned with the creation of products like fiber, fuel, livestock feed, and biodegradable products.
The emphasis in horticulture is to provide a healthy environment for plants, which makes it arguably more environmentally friendly than agriculture. Because it does not drain natural resources like water and soil as much.
Another major difference between the two fields is that agriculture deals with plants grown which humans consume such as fruits and vegetables. Whereas horticulture focuses only on the cultivation of plants that are consumable.
Agriculture may not necessarily be considered more environmentally friendly because fruits and vegetables are often sprayed with pesticides to kill insects and maintain their freshness; these pesticides can end up in our water supplies when they’re washed off. Horticulture has a better reputation when it comes to environmental friendliness. Because its focus is on plant cultivation rather than plant production.
The future of both fields
Horticulture and agriculture have evolved over time. In the past, people relied on subsistence farming to feed themselves. It was a simple enough job: farmers would plow the earth, plant seeds, and wait for a bountiful harvest. As time went on, they started using more advanced cultivation methods such as crop rotation and new fertilizers to improve their yields.
However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the fields of agriculture and horticulture really began to take off. For instance, in 1930 Henry Ford invented the first automated agricultural machine. Which used power from gas engines to combine harvesting (cutting) grain with threshing (separating grain from straw). This new invention allowed farmers to double their production by cutting time in half while also saving them money on labor costs.
This new technology led to similar innovations like water pumps and irrigation systems that helped make farming more efficient and effective than ever before.
Today, we are seeing an intersection of both fields with companies like Monsanto Inc. Which produces genetically modified organisms (GMOs) used for both food production and non-food uses such as biofuel production. These advanced technologies allow us to grow plants faster than ever before while also making them more resistant to disease or
Use of technology for more production
One way that horticulture differs from agriculture is that more technologically advanced tools are used. For example, hydroponics is a technique for growing plants without soil by delivering all of the plant’s nutrients through water. A greenhouse is an enclosed structure with walls made of transparent material, usually glass or plastic, and artificial lighting. The plants inside are protected from the elements and can be cultivated year-round.
Horticulturalists use technology to cultivate plants more quickly than they could through natural methods. This allows for increased production and higher yields on crops, making horticulture more efficient than agriculture.
Plants grown in horticultural settings don’t need as much space as those grown in agricultural settings. Because they are not reliant on natural resources like soil and water like their agricultural counterparts. Horticulturalists can produce more food without depleting natural resources to the extent that agriculturalists do.
Conclusion
Agriculture and horticulture are two fields that are often used interchangeably. However, there are some differences between the two methods of cultivation.
Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating soil and raising crops and livestock to produce food and other products. Horticulture is the cultural and scientific study of planting, tending, and harvesting fruits and other crops.
The major difference between agriculture and horticulture is that agriculture is not so environment friendly while horticulture is more environmentally friendly. Horticulture requires less machinery than agriculture and produces less waste than agriculture. The future of both fields seems to be headed in the direction of more technology for more production.