In agriculture, cultivation is the process of growing plants (specifically crops) on arable land. It is usually associated with large-scale agriculture, as opposed to small-scale gardening. Cultivation requires fertile soil, water (from irrigation or precipitation), and seeds. Cultivation usually begins with sowing of the seeds in the appropriate season. In the process of cultivation a farmer may be required to till the land, control weeds, and ultimately harvest the crops. In the modern age, this practice has been perfected into the professional art of agronomy, where it is analyzed by specialized agonomists to maximize efficiency.
