cultivates

Cultivates is the third-person singular present tense of cultivate, a verb with several related meanings centered on fostering growth and development. In agriculture and horticulture, to cultivate means to prepare and maintain the growing environment to support plant growth, including soil preparation, planting, irrigation, fertilization, weed and pest control, and harvest.

Practices vary by crop and system but commonly involve soil tillage (plowing, harrowing), crop rotation, cover cropping, mulching, controlled irrigation, and pest management strategies such as integrated pest management and the judicious use of herbicides and pesticides. Sustainable cultivation emphasizes soil health, biodiversity, and efficient resource use, often employing conservation tillage, organic matter additions, and agroforestry where appropriate.

In non-agricultural contexts, cultivate can refer to the development of non-physical attributes and relations. People cultivate skills, habits, or relationships by practice, study, and deliberate nurturing; institutions may cultivate culture, goodwill, or reputations. The noun cultivation is used for the resulting state or process.