Subsistence farming
Farming for consumption by the farming family and maybe a few neighbors.
Industrial agriculture (Agribusiness)
Agriculture that applies the techniques of mechanization and standardization to the production of food.
Green Revolution
A shift in agricultural practices in the twentieth century that included new management techniques and mechanization, as well as the triad of fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, that resulted in increased food output.
Economies of scale
The observation that average costs of production fall as output increases.
Organic fertilizer
Fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals.
Synthetic fertilizer (Inorganic fertilizer)
Fertilizer produced commercially, normally with the use of fossil fuels.
Waterlogging
A form of soil degradation that occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged periods.
Salinization
A form of soil degradation that occurs when the small amount of salts in irrigation water becomes highly concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation.
Pesticide
A substance, either natural or synthetic, that kills or controls organisms that people consider pests.
Insecticide
A pesticide that targets species of insects and other invertebrates that consume crops.
Herbicide
A pesticide that targets plant species that compete with crops.
Broad-spectrum pesticide
A pesticide that kills many different types of pest.
Selective pesticide (Narrow-spectrum pesticide)
A pesticide that targets a narrow range of organisms.
Monocropping
An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety.
Energy subsidy
The fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced.
