Question

Which of the following statements best describes the difference between "horticulture" and "agriculture" according to Cohen

A) Horticulture is a subset of agriculture, specifically focused on the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
B) Agriculture is a broader term encompassing all aspects of farming and cultivation, while horticulture is a specialized branch focusing on small-scale gardening.
C) Horticulture primarily deals with the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, while agriculture involves the cultivation of crops and livestock on a larger scale.
D) Agriculture refers to the cultivation of crops and the rearing of animals for food and other products, whereas horticulture is the science and practice of cultivating fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants in a more specialized manner.

Answer 1

Horticulture involves small-scale, sustainable, and often organic cultivation of crops with rotating plots, while agriculture, especially intensive agriculture, employs intensive methods on the same plots continuously, supporting larger populations and leading to urban development.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term horticulture is derived from the Latin words for garden (hortus) and culture (cultura), and refers to a subsistence strategy that entails the small-scale cultivation of crops, often involving the rotation of plots and letting fields lay fallow to regenerate soil nutrients. Horticulturists may use organic methods and have plots in various stages of cultivation and fallow, which is a system known as extensive or shifting cultivation. In contrast, agriculture, particularly intensive agriculture, involves more permanent and intensive methods such as the use of plows, irrigation systems, and continuous cultivation of the same plots, supporting larger populations and often leading to the development of villages, towns, and cities. Horticulturists can work in private and governmental laboratories, greenhouses, botanical gardens, and the production or research fields, applying their knowledge of genetics and plant physiology to improve crop production.