cultivo

Cultivo, Spanish for cultivation, is the practice of growing and harvesting crops, plants, and other organisms for food, medicines, ornamentals, or industrial uses. The concept covers activities from soil preparation and selection of varieties to planting, irrigation, fertilization, pest management, and harvesting. Cultivo can occur in fields, orchards, greenhouses, or controlled environments, and includes both traditional farming and modern horticultural techniques.

Historically, cultivation emerged with early farming communities and has evolved through innovations such as crop rotation, selective breeding, irrigation, and mechanization. Modern cultivo emphasizes efficiency, sustainability, and resilience through practices like precision agriculture, soil health management, water stewardship, and integrated pest management.

Systems of cultivo vary: soil cultivation relies on soil fertility and agronomic practices; protected cultivation uses greenhouses or high tunnels; soilless cultivation, such as hydroponics and aeroponics, allows growing plants in nutrient solutions or air. In some contexts, vertical farming and climate-controlled environments are used to increase yields in limited spaces.

Environmental and social aspects: cultivation is a major factor in food security and rural economies, but it can exert pressures on land and water resources, biodiversity, and climate. Sustainable cultivo seeks to balance productivity with soil conservation, water efficiency, and reduced chemical inputs, often through certification schemes and agroecological approaches.