Introduction to Agronomy

Agronomy is the science of soil management and crop production. Use Penn State Extension’s extensive resources to learn about best practices such as crop rotation, integrated pest management, forage crops, crop insurance, and all aspects of soil management.

What Is Agronomy?

Agronomy is both a science and a practice – it’s a way of looking at agriculture from an integrated, holistic perspective. Important things to understand include soil properties and how they affect different crops. It also looks at which nutrients crops need and when and how to apply them. Other aspects to consider are the crops’ growth requirements, how climate and other factors affect them, and how best to control pests, plant diseases, and weeds.

Penn State Extension has a wealth of information available for anyone interested in agronomy in Pennsylvania. The Organic Crop Production Guide includes case studies of successful organic crop farmers. The Agronomy Guide provides information relating to crop, soil, and pest management.

Field Crop Production Resources

Agronomic crops are the basis of the world’s food and fiber production systems and growing them is often mechanized as they occupy large acreage. Agronomic crops include wheat, alfalfa, soybeans, forage crops, cotton, corn and beans, canola, sugar beets, and many more.

Agronomy takes into consideration a whole range of influences on crop production. These include water, crop genetics, climate and adaptation, soil properties, and weed and pest management strategies such as crop rotation and cover crops.

There are key crop management factors to consider. Attend a one-day Crops Conference seminar to learn more and earn pesticide, nutrient management, and certified crop adviser credits.

While some agronomic factors such as climate and soil type are outside our control, others are a matter of knowledge and analysis. Hybrid selection, for example, is essential for optimum production, and also a great opportunity to lower seed costs if you’re growing corn and corn silage on a budget. Integrated crop management practices allow you to better manage your crops throughout the growing season.

You can improve forage crop establishment if you plan ahead. One year before seeding, for example, carefully select your forage species. Perennial forages common to the Mid-Atlantic region include Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, ryegrass, and tall fescue. Timing the harvest of forage crops is essential if you want to reduce forage harvest losses.

Weed and pest management reduces the need for control during forage establishment. Cover crops are most suitable, but you have to manage them to enhance weed suppression. The use of cover crops is becoming very popular, but this means the demand for cover crop seed is on the rise.

For factors you can’t control, there is crop insurance. The Federal Crop Insurance Program was established in the 1930s to protect producers from yield losses from most natural causes. Multi-peril crop insurance allows you to insure against losses on your farm due to adverse weather conditions, price fluctuations, and unavoidable pests and diseases.

Agronomy and Soil Management

A key part of agronomy is soil management. Different soil management practices can affect soil quality, soil fertility, and, ultimately, crop production.

Healthy soil is the foundation for profitable, productive, and environmentally sound agricultural systems. You can improve the health of the soil with manure and nutrients.

Soil compaction can be a big problem, especially after a small grain silage harvest. One of the effects of soil compaction is that it increases soil density, which means roots cannot penetrate the soil and are often shallow and malformed. Compaction infiltration is another effect. You can avoid soil compaction if you modify or adopt new farming methods.

Soil erosion is a problem often associated with modern farming methods. No-till farming methods can reduce or eliminate soil erosion and improve soil quality.