Agriculture, since its invention and inception, has been the prime and foremost activity of every culture and civilization throughout the history of mankind. Agricultural practices secured the food supply. It also resulted in establishment of farming settlements that subsequently grew in villages, towns, cities, states, countries and empires.
The history of agriculture is broadly divided in four phases, differing widely in date according to the region. The four phases are
1. Prehistoric Agriculture- Believed to have started near 10,000 BC or earlier, it is considered as first prototype of agricultural modules. The main agricultural sites were in southeast and southwest Asia, in what are now India, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the adjoining areas. Nile River in Egypt, Danube in Europe and Indus-Ganga in India were the main center of the agricultural farmlands.
This was the age of agricultural innovations as many new tools and practices were invented due to compulsion of planting, sustaining and harvesting the crops. Use of wooden and earthen tools as well as some domesticated animals are major highlights of this period.
2. Historical Agriculture: This age roughly covers the period from 2500 BC to 500 BC. It marks the introduction of metals in agricultural tool making. Agricultural sites meanwhile grew proficient and covered much of southeast Asia, middle-east, Europe, North America and eastern Asia.
Mechanicals improvements in agricultural implements and development of storage and irrigation method marks the highlight of this age. For the first time, trade in agriculture also started, becoming the precursor to modern agribusiness industry.
3.Feudal Agriculture: The feudal age of agriculture ranges from 500 BC to 1700 AD, reaching its height near 1000 AD and then getting static thereafter.
This period is chiefly characterized by expansion of agriculture and irrigation and consolidation of agricultural methods. Use of fertilizers, in form of natural manures to boost production was a major breakthrough of this period.
The usual practice of this age was of intensive agricultural throughout Europe, middle east and southeastern Asia.
4. Scientific Agriculture: By 17th century AD world was seeing a rapid rise in its population. This was also the age of imperial expansions in Asia, Africa, Americas and oceanic countries.
These led to exploration of new methods and practices in agriculture. It also resulted in increased attention on commercial form of agriculture that was based solely on profit than subsistence purposes. Agriculture trade assumed global proportions and many new economies thrived on specialized production of one or other agricultural products.
Industrial revolution also led to many new inventions for agricultural sector, particularly in irrigation, sowing, and harvesting techniques. But it was the modern inventions in biotechnology and genetics that have completely changed the form of agriculture production. New variants of seeds and plants are manufactured in laboratories and genetically modified to suit particular consumption and commercial needs. This has enabled the world to meet the food demands of for a population that is crossing 6.5 billion mark. |
