Abstract

Farmers and farming existed long before agricultural science was born or even conceived. For the first few decades after the birth of Agricultural science, scientists were merely engaged in finding out why and how certain farming practices worked. In the early stages, therefore, it was the farmers who led the scientist but not for very long. Very soon scientists took the lead and today they have far outstripped farmers and farming practices. However even today not infrequently a more successful practice is developed long before the causes of the improvement in results are discovered. For instance, take the successful practice evolved of placement of fertiliser below the seed or below and a little to either side of the seed. Why and how this works was discovered only several years later by plant physiologist using radio active phosphorus. In any science whatsoever but especially so in agriculture the dividing line between fundamental and applied research is so fine as almost to satisfy Euclid's definition of a line.

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