CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS

• Crop classification is the process of grouping crops based on their characteristics, uses, or other criteria.
• Crops can be classified based on their life cycle into annual crops, biennial crops, and perennial crops.
• Importance of classifying crops

  • For order and organization
  • For logical naming
• Ways crops can be classified

  • Botanical classification
  • Descriptive classification
  • Agricultural classification

  
• Botanical classification


  • Based on the morphological characteristics of plants as well as on their anatomy, physiology and DNA sequences

  
• Descriptive classification


  • Based on the environmental adaptation, growth habit and other observable features
• Agricultural classification


  • Plants can be broadly classified as to its usefulness
• Taxonomy


  The science of identifying, naming (nomenclature) and classifying plants

  
• Carolus Linnaeus was known as the Father of Modern Taxonomy
• The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) provides guidelines for standardizing the naming of plants
• Taxonomic groups (from most general to most specific)

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

  
• Taxon


  A group of organisms constituting a taxonomic unit

  
• Monocots and Dicots are the two classes of plants

  
• Poales and Fabales are two important orders of plants
• Some family names are exceptions to the -aceae suffix as specified in the ICBN
• Variety


  A naturally occurring variant of the species that is significantly different
• Cultivar


  A cultivated variety produced through plant breeding
• Types of reproduction


  • Sexual
  • Asexual
• Types of pollination


  • Self-pollinated
  • Cross-pollinated
  • Both self and cross-pollinated
• Types of growth cycle

  • Annuals
  • Biennials
  • Perennials
• Types of leaf retention

  • Deciduous
  • Evergreen
• Types of stems


  • Herbs
  • Vines
  • Lianas
  • Shrubs
  • Trees
• Types of growth habit

  • Erect
  • Decumbent
  • Creeping
  • Climbing
• Types of moisture requirement

  • Hydrophytes
  • Mesophytes
  • Xerophytes
• Types of habitat


  • Terrestrial
  • Epiphytes
  • Aquatic
• Types of ecological adaptation

  • Halophytes
  • Lithophytes
  • Parasitic
  • Saprophytes
• Types of light intensity requirement

  • Sciophytes (shade-loving)
  • Heliophytes (sun-loving)
• Types of photoperiod requirement

  • Short-day plants
  • Long-day plants
• Sciophytes


  Plants adapted to low light intensity or shade, often called shade-loving plants
• Sciophytes


  • Most ferns and mosses, black pepper, cacao, coffee, lanzones, mangosteen, hot pepper, gingers, and many orchids
• Heliophytes


  Plants adapted to high light intensity, also known as sun-loving plants
• Heliophytes


  • Banana, chrysanthemum, corn, cotton, cowpea, cucurbits, eggplant, papaya, peanut, sugarcane
• Short-day plants


  Plants that flower if the daylength is shorter than the critical daylength
• Short-day plants


  • Coffee, lima bean, rice, sesame, soybean, winged bean, cassava, sweet potato, taro, yambean
• Long-day plants


  Plants that flower if the daylength is longer than the critical daylength
• Long-day plants


  • Aster, castor oil, onion, radish
• Day-neutral plants


  Plants that flower regardless of daylength
• Day-neutral plants


  • Banana, citrus, coconut, corn, tomato
• Tropical crops


  Plants native to warm climates, practically evergreen
• Sub-tropical crops


  Plants grown in regions bordering the tropical zones