DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PLANT AND A CROP

Most farmers and agronomist often make the mistake of indiscriminately calling a plant a crop and a crop a plant; they are not the same at all; all crops are plants but all plants are not crops. As a farmer or an agro-inclined individual, you really need to get things right so that can communicate to a larger and diverse farming community in the best and standard expression. I used to indiscriminately use both plant and crop in my expression, thinking they both mean the same until I found this you are about to read. It is high time we got things right and used the right expression.

What is a plant in agriculture?

Plants and animals are what agriculture entails and not crops and animals. A plant is the compound name of all green matters; everything that has chlorophyll and can undergo photosynthesis is a plant. A plant is any green matter that is known or believed to exist but yet to be discovered or identified and domesticated or cultivated; there are several plants in the world but only few have been discovered and domesticated or cultivated, more are still in the wild. As said above, all crops are plants but all plants are not crop; plants are wild because that are yet to be discovered or identified. A plant is known or believed to exist but yet to be identified and named.

What is a crop in agriculture?

A crop is a plant that has been discovered, named and domesticated or cultivated in the community. A crop is any plant that is known and can be cultivated; crops are harvested as food for man and livestock but no plants. We cultivate crops and not plants; this is because we know the name and type of the crop we want to cultivate. Also, we eat crops and not plants; this is because we know the name of what we eat. A crop can be identified, named and cultivated or domesticated.

Main difference between a crop and a plant.

The main difference between a plant and a crop is that a crop can be identified and named but a plant cannot be identified and named. Once a plant can be identified and named, it becomes a crop. We have tree crops, fruit crops, vegetable crops etc.; all these have names they can be called and can be cultivated. The difference between crop and plant is the same as reserve and resources. 

All countries have one or more resources; when these resources are discovered, they become reserves. Reserves are known resources that can be identified and utilized but resources are known to exist but they are yet to be discovered and exploited.