Crop facts for kids

Fields of crops, growing in England

Crops are special plants that farmers grow on purpose. Most crops are used for food, like grains, vegetables, and fruit. But crops can also be grown for other important things, such as medicines (like quinine), fibers for clothes (like cotton), or materials like rubber and wood.

Growing crops is a big part of agriculture, which is how we get many of the things we use every day.

What Are Crops?

Crops are living plants that people grow for a specific reason. Farmers usually grow just one type of crop in a large area, which is called a monoculture. These plants are not wild; they are domesticated. This means humans have carefully chosen and grown them over many years. Through a process called artificial selection, farmers pick the best plants to grow more of. This helps make crops bigger, tastier, or better for their intended use.

Why Do We Grow Crops?

Crops are super important for human life. They provide us with food, materials, and even energy.

Food Crops

The most common reason to grow crops is for food.

• Grains: These include wheat, rice, and corn. They are a main part of the diet for many people around the world.
• Vegetables: Such as carrots, potatoes, broccoli, and spinach. They give us important vitamins and minerals.
• Fruits: Like apples, oranges, and bananas. They are often sweet and full of nutrients.
• Legumes: These are plants like beans, peas, and lentils. They are a great source of protein.

Fiber Crops

Some crops are grown to make fibers. These fibers are used to create clothes, ropes, and other textiles.

• Cotton: This is one of the most widely grown fiber crops. Its soft fibers are used to make many types of fabric.
• Flax: Used to make linen fabric.
• Hemp: Can be used for strong ropes and fabrics.

Other Important Crops

Crops are also used for many other purposes:

• Medicinal crops: Plants like quinine are grown to make medicines that help people get better.
• Rubber crops: The rubber tree produces a sap that is turned into rubber, used in tires and many other products.
• Wood crops: Trees grown in forestry are a type of crop, providing wood for building and paper.
• Biofuel crops: Some crops, like corn or sugarcane, can be used to create biofuels, which are fuels made from living things.

How Are Crops Grown?

Growing crops involves many steps, from preparing the soil to harvesting the plants.

Domestication and Selection

For thousands of years, humans have been domesticating plants. This means we have taken wild plants and changed them over time to be more useful to us. Farmers do this through artificial selection. They choose plants with the best qualities, like bigger fruits or stronger stems, and then plant their seeds. Over many generations, the plants become very different from their wild ancestors.

Monoculture Farming

Many modern farms practice monoculture. This means they grow only one type of crop in a very large field. For example, a farmer might have a huge field of only wheat or only corn. This method can be very efficient for harvesting and managing crops. However, it can also make the crops more open to diseases or pests, as there is no variety to stop them from spreading.

Images for kids

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  Domesticated plants

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  Crops drying in a home in Punjab, India

See also

In Spanish: Producto agrícola para niños