Crop categories
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Non-food crops are plants cultivated for purposes other than direct human consumption. These include crops grown for fiber, fuel, construction materials, industrial ingredients, medicinal use, or ornamental value. Examples include cotton (textiles), jatropha (biofuel), eucalyptus (timber), and roses (ornamental). Some crops have both food and non-food uses. For instance, coconut […]
Marine crops are aquatic plants and algae cultivated in ocean or coastal environments for food, industry, or ecological purposes. Unlike terrestrial crops, they thrive in saltwater and include species such as seaweeds (e.g. sugar kelp, nori, sea lettuce) and seagrasses. Marine crops are gaining attention for their sustainability, high nutrient […]
The category “Mediterranean crops” refers to plants that grow in Mediterranean climates. These climates are found in regions between roughly 30° and 45° latitude, both north and south of the Equator. Mediterranean climates have hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Wild-harvested plants are species that grow naturally in forests, grasslands, or other ecosystems and are collected rather than cultivated. They are often important for subsistence, traditional medicine, or as seasonal foods, especially in rural communities. Examples include American groundnut, Common thyme, and Wild rice. Some wild species, such as mushrooms […]
Minor crops are cultivated on a smaller scale, often limited to specific regions or cultures. While they may not dominate global markets, they are crucial for local food traditions, nutrition, and agricultural resilience. These crops are often adapted to specific climates or cultural preferences and may be underutilized or overlooked […]
Major crops are extensively cultivated plants that play a central role in global agriculture and food systems. These crops are typically grown on a large scale and are essential to the economies of many countries. They form the dietary staples for large populations and are often heavily traded internationally. Examples […]
The category “high altitude crops” refers to plants that grow in mountainous or elevated regions, typically above 1,000 to 2,000 meters. These areas often have cooler temperatures, a shorter growing season, increased UV radiation, and thinner atmospheres. Crops in these regions need to be hardy and tolerant of cold, wind, […]
The category “cool temperate crops” refers to plants that grow well in cool temperate climates, which are typically found in higher latitudes of the temperate zone, including parts of northern Europe, Canada, northern Asia, and the southern regions of South America and Oceania. Cool temperate climates are characterized by cold […]
The category “arid crops” refers to plants that grow in dry regions, such as deserts or semi-deserts. These areas receive very little rainfall and often experience extreme temperatures and high evaporation rates. Arid crops are adapted to survive with minimal water, often by having deep root systems, specialized leaves, or […]
The categorie “alcoholic drinks” includes crops that are used to produce beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Examples of crops used to produce alcoholic drinks are grapes, barley and sugarcane. For crops that are used to produce commercial alcohol (ethanol) see category ‘alcohol production‘. Examples of crops for alcohol drinks
Vegetables are edible plants that are grown as a food crop for their leaves, stems, roots, tubers, bulbs, corms, pods or flowers,
The "Cereals" category in the World Crops Database includes cereal grains in the family Poaceae (or Gramineae). These are grasses cultivated for their seeds.
The term "Fruit" usually refers to a structure of a plant containing the seeds. In the World Crops Database, the "Fruits" category refers only to fruits that are fleshy and are usually eaten raw (such as bananas, apples and mangoes). The category does not include vegetable fruits (e.g. beans, peas) or cereals.
Herbs are plants grown for their flavor, scent or medicinal qualities. The leafy green parts are used in cooking, in herbal teas, or as natural medicines.
Spices are plants that are used in small amounts as a food additive to add flavor or color. Some spices are used as food preservatives.
The category “timber” includes trees that are grown to produce wood that is used for furniture or building materials. The North American word for timber is “lumber”. Timber is available in many species; often hardwoods are used, but timber is also available in softwoods, such as white pine and red […]
The category “sugar crops” includes crops that are used to produce sugar. The most well known sugar crops are sugar beet and sugarcane. In the tropics, some palm trees are used to extract a sweet liquid for making sugar. Examples of sugar crops
The categorie “alcohol production” is for crops that are used to produce pure alcohol (ethanol or bio-ethanol). This alcohol can be used in fuels or for industrial purposes. Examples of crops used for commercial alcohol production are barley, wheat and potato. There is a separate category of crops that are […]
The category “temperate crops” refers to crops that grow in the cooler climates in the world. However, some temperate crops are also found cooler regions in the tropics, for example in mountain areas. The temperate zones are located between latitude 35° and latitude 66.5° north and south of the equator. […]
The category “subtropical crops” refers to plants that generally grow in areas with a subtropical climate. The database currently classifies agricultural crops in 3 categories (tropical, subtropical, temperate), but many crops belong to more than one of these categories. The subtropics are located roughly between the tropics and the temperate […]
The category “tropical crops” refers to plants that grow in tropical climates. The database currently classifies agricultural crops in 3 categories (tropical, subtropical, temperate), but several crops belong to more than one of these categories. The tropics are located between latitude 23.5° north and south of the Equator. These latitudes […]
Food crops form a major part of the daily diet in relatively large quantities as a source of energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
The category “algae” includes algae that are commercially produced, either as food or for industrial purposes. Examples of edible algae
The category “mushrooms” includes edible fungi that are commercially grown on mushroom farms. If you like mushrooms, perhaps you will enjoy these proverbs and quotes about mushrooms . Examples of edible mushrooms
The category “industrial crops” in the World Crops Database contains plants that are grown to be processed in factories for non-food purposes. Plants can be processed for their fibers to make clothing, special chemicals to make plastic, ink or perfumer, or oils for industrial use. Examples of industrial crops are […]
The category “staple food” in the World Crops Database includes food crops that are the main food eaten and the main source of energy in the diet. Different countries often have different staple foods. Some of the crops included in this category used to be staple foods in the past […]
The category “legumes” includes all plants that are classified in the plant family ‘Fabaceae’. This is the legume family or pulse family, which is also called ‘Leguminosae’. Examples of legumes are beans, peas and groundnuts. Examples of legumes
The category “ornamental plants” includes a wide range of plants that are used in parks and gardens. Examples of ornamental plants are flowers such as tulips and crocus, but also beautiful trees such as the breadfruit tree. Examples of ornamental plants
The category “cut flowers” are plants grown for their flowers, which are usually used for indoor decoration. Examples of cut flowers are roses, tulips and daffodils. If you like to read more about flowers, have a look at these proverbs and quotes about flowers. Examples of cut flowers
The category “botanical pesticides” includes agricultural crops that contain substances that can be used in pest control. For example pyrethrum contains a natural insecticide. Also the neem tree is often used to prepare botanical insecticides. Examples of botanical pesticides
The category “cover crops” includes plants grown for different reasons, such as improving soil fertility or to manage pests and diseases or to control weeds.
The category “soil improvement” includes crops grown to improve the quality of the soil. Examples of crops that improve soil quality are kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) and lupin. Examples of crops for soil improvement
The category “erosion prevention” includes crops that can be used on steep slopes to prevent soil erosion. Examples of crops that prevent erosion are bamboo and vetiver grass.
The category “green manures” includes plants that are grown as natural fertilizers. Often these belong to the family Fabaceae (for example clover) because they contain high levels of nitrogen. Examples of green manures are clover, alfalfa and lupins. Examples of green manures
The category “essential oils” contains crops that are grown for their natural oils. These oils give the plant its characteristic odors and can be extracted and used for making perfumes or flavorings. Examples are cloves, peppermint and several types of flowers, such as roses and freesias. Examples of essential oils
The category “dye crops” are plants that are grown to use as a coloring agent. Examples of dye crops are henna and turmeric. Examples of dye crops
The category “energy crops” includes crops that are grown to produce different types of fuels. For example sugar containing crops, where the sugar is used to produce alcohol. Examples of energy crops are oil palm and wheat. Energy crops
The category “fiber crops” includes plants that are grown for their fibers, for example cotton and jute. Examples of fiber crops
The category “forage and fodder” includes agricultural crops that are grown as animal food. Examples of forage and fodder crops
The category “aphrodisiacs” includes plants that are known or expected to increases sexual desire. Examples are ginseng and celery. Examples of aphrodisiacs
The category “pseudocereals” includes plants that are used in much the same way as cereals, but which do not belong to the grasses (true cereals are grasses). Examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and amaranth. Examples of pseudocereals
The category “vegetable oils” includes crops which are grown to extract oils that are used in cooking, for fuel, for cosmetics, for medical purposes, or for industrial purposes. Example of oil crops are corn, olive, soybean and sunflower. Examples of vegetable oils
In the World Crops Database the category “edible seeds” includes all plants with edible seeds, except the “cereals” and “legumes”, which are separate categories. Examples of edible seeds are sesame, sunflower and black pepper. Examples of edible seeds
The category ‘nuts’ includes all crops that produce hard-shelled fruits which are called nuts. It includes not only true nuts according to the biological definition of a nut, such as hazelnut and chestnut, but any hard shelled fruits that contain an oily kernel used as food (e.g. groundnut). Examples of […]
The category “stimulants” includes crops that have a psycho-stimulant effect. Examples of stimulants are coffee (contains Caffeine) and tobacco (contains Nicotine). Examples of stimulants
The category “medicinal plants” includes plants which are used as botanical medicines (herbal medicines). Many different plants are known to have healing properties. Examples of medicinal plants are Aloe vera, which is used to treat wounds, and Centella. Examples of medicinal plants
Corm vegetables are plants of which the corms are used as food (e.g. taro). A corm is a short underground swollen plant stem used as a storage organ of the plant.
Podded vegetables are legumes of which the fruit (a pod) is used as food. Some other plants that are not legumes also produce pod-like fruits.