Agriculture can be classified into several types based on various criteria, including the following:
Based on the type of crops grown:
a. Crop agriculture: Cultivation of crops for food, fiber, or other products, such as wheat, rice, cotton, and sugarcane.
b. Horticulture: Cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants, such as apples, tomatoes, roses, and lilies.
Based on the scale of operations:
a. Subsistence agriculture: Farming for the purpose of feeding oneself and one’s family, usually on a small scale.
b. Commercial agriculture: Farming for profit, usually on a larger scale and involving the use of advanced technology and inputs.
Based on the level of technology:
a. Traditional agriculture: Farming practices that have been in use for generations and rely on human labor, animal power, and simple tools, such as plows and sickles.
b. Modern agriculture: Farming practices that incorporate advanced technology, such as mechanized equipment, chemical fertilizers, and genetically modified crops.
Based on the type of livestock reared:
a. Livestock agriculture: Raising animals for food, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.
b. Dairy farming: Raising cows or other animals for their milk, cheese, and other dairy products.
Based on the geography and climate:
a. Rainfed agriculture: Farming that relies on rainfall for irrigation, common in areas with adequate rainfall.
b. Irrigated agriculture: Farming that relies on artificial irrigation, common in arid and semi-arid regions.
Based on the intensity of farming practices:
a. Extensive agriculture: Farming practices that involve low inputs of labor, capital, and technology per unit of land, such as ranching and shifting cultivation.
b. Intensive agriculture: Farming practices that involve high inputs of labor, capital, and technology per unit of land, such as commercial farming and greenhouse cultivation.
These are some of the common ways in which agriculture can be classified, and many types of agriculture can overlap or fall under multiple categories.
