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Harvest

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture

   Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history.
   Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history.
   Hay bales after the mechanical harvesting of a field in
   Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
   Hay bales after the mechanical harvesting of a field in
   Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

   In agriculture, harvesting is the process of gathering mature crops
   from the fields. Reaping is the harvesting of grain crops. The harvest
   marks the end of the growing season, or the growing cycle for a
   particular crop. Harvesting in general usage includes the immediate
   post-harvest handling, all of the actions taken immediately after
   physically removing the crop—cooling, sorting, cleaning, packing—up to
   the point of further on-farm processing, or shipping to the wholesale
   or consumer market.

   Harvest timing is a critical decision, that balances the likely weather
   conditions with the degree of crop maturity. Weather conditions such as
   frost, and unseasonably warm or cold periods, can affect yield and
   quality. An earlier harvest date may avoid damaging conditions, but
   result in poorer yield and quality. Delaying harvest may result in a
   better harvest, but increases the risk of weather problems. Timing of
   the harvest often involves a significant degree of gambling.

   On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most
   labor-intensive activity of the growing season. On large, mechanized
   farms, harvesting utilizes the most expensive and sophisticated farm
   machinery, like the combine harvester.

   Harvest commonly refers to grain and produce, but is used in reference
   to fish and timber. The term harvest is also used within the context of
   irrigation where water harvesting is referred to as the collection and
   run-off of rainwater for agricultural or domestic uses.

   Before the 16th century Harvest was the term usually used to refer to
   the season Autumn. However as more people gradually moved from working
   the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write,
   the only people whose use of language we now know), the word became to
   refer to the actual activity of reaping, rather than the time of year,
   and the terms Fall and Autumn began to replace it.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
