The primary sector's contribution to GDP has halved, to below 4% in 2020.
Agriculture is the cultivation of land.
Physical factors such as climate, relief and soil type can either help or make it more difficult to grow plants.
Each plant needs specific temperatures, levels of sunlight and humidity to grow.
In each climatic region, some crops grow better than others.
Climate change is causing unusual weather patterns that restrict agricultural activity.
Extreme cold slows down plant growth in areas with low spring frosts that ruin crops in full bloom or with ripened fruits.
Plants cannot grow in areas where temperatures fall below zero.
Most plants cannot grow below 10 0 C.
Underwater farming is a method of growing crops in areas where soil is scarce.
Heavy rainfall encourages weeds to grow and washes away the soil.
Aridity restricts the development of agriculture as plants need a certain amount of water throughout their growth cycle.
Low and irregular rainfall restricts the development of agriculture.
Polar regions, deserts and rainforests are not suitable for agriculture due to their harsh climates.
Greenhouses are enclosed areas made of a metal structure covered with plastic or glass to allow sunlight to enter.
Inside greenhouses, optimum lighting, temperature and humidity conditions are artificially created so that plants will grow.
Greenhouses make it possible to cultivate plants that would not usually grow in that location due to the climate.
Greenhouses allow plants to ripen faster, resulting in earlier and more frequent harvests.
Greenhouses protect plants from damage that can be caused by bad weather, such as sudden changes in temperature, torrential rain, strong winds, etc.
Greenhouses make it easier to control pests and to use water and fertilisers efficiently, which reduces waste significantly.
Altitude is a feature of relief that affects agricultural activity, as temperatures decrease at higher altitudes, preventing plants from growing above certain levels.
Land at altitudes below 200 metres is usually the most suitable for agriculture.
The incline of the terrain is another feature of relief that affects agricultural activity, as a greater incline of the terrain increases erosion and makes farming more difficult.
An incline of 120 is usually considered the maximum on which to grow crops.
Terraces, or steps, are constructed on slopes so they can be cultivated.
Plants absorb the substances they need to grow from the soil, each type of plant needs soil with certain characteristics.
The size and porosity of the grains of soil determine the amount of oxygen in the soil and the soil's capacity to retain water.
The chemical and biological composition of the soil determines the acidity of the soil and how rich in nutrients and organic matter the soil is.
The texture, fertility and acidity of soil can be improved through the use of fertilisers, manure and compost, artificial irrigation, etc.
Normal sand retains very little of the nutrients that plants need, therefore, in sandy soil need to be watered frequently and given fertiliser.
The Norwegian scientist Kristian Morten Olesen has developed technology that makes it possible to grow crops in deserts, which now cover almost 25 % of the Earth's surface.
The technology consists of mixing water and clay nanoparticles, which have a high capacity to retain water, producing liquid clay, which makes the arid, sandy desert soil fertile.
An agrarian holding is a group of areas of land or farms that are worked on by a person or company to produce agricultural, livestock or forestry products.
Depending on their size, holdings can be large (large holdings), medium or small (small holdings).
Depending on the main activity, they can be agricultural, livestock, forestry or mixed holdings.
Agrarian holdings usually consist of one or various pieces of land called plots.
In open-field landscapes, plots of land are not enclosed by fences, creating a rural habitat that is usually compact with human settlements, such as housing and other buildings, grouped together to form villages or hamlets.
Cultivated land and pastures surround the settlements in open-field landscapes.
The open-field landscape is the typical landscape of the great plains, like those in Central Europe and the inland areas of the continent of America, where cereal crops are usually grown.
In closed-field landscapes, plots of land are enclosed by hedges, walls or wire fences, creating a mosaic of small, irregular, well-defined plots.