7^th Global Summit on Agriculture & Horticulture October 17-19, 2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Agronomy is the science of production and utilization of plants for multidisciplinary use along with soil, crop and water management. Agronomy related to work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, Agrometeorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of combined sciences like biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, earth science, and genetics. Agronomy is now an important research field for scientists to study the behavior of plant in different environmental conditions including climate, soil type and irrigation, fertilization etc. by conducting various experiments in the fields, pots & laboratories. It also involves application of research in the field or forming suitable packages of practices under a given set of conditions. Agronomists work in identification of different environmental risks and find a key solution to avoid those risks. Management techniques developed by agronomists include terracing, strip cropping, and reduced tillage methods to reduce soil erosion. Developments in Global Information Systems (GIS) and site-specific technology are being used by agronomists to more precisely manage soil amendments and fertilizers. This helps to detect proper time for the application of pesticides which reduce ecosystem pollution or contamination. GIS and Remote Sensing are extremely useful in agricultural management.

Agricultural Biotechnology is the combination of scientific tools and techniques including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture to modify agricultural productivity, quality, diversity and species protection. Agricultural Biotechnology is developed to cope up with current challenges which are usually cannot be solved by traditional practices. Agricultural Biotechnology also helps in climate adaptation, stress management and disease management. Biotechnology has introduced modern technologies to deal with the global food crisis.

Livestock Farming is an agricultural practice to produce commodities such as food, fibre, leather, wool and labor by raising domestic animals like poultry, cow, cattle, fish and other mammals. In recent years, livestock farming is very well managed as animals are provided with proper nutritional food and shelter. Nowadays stress management is also a part of livestock farming as it finally improve product yield and quality. Pigs and poultry are reared intensively in indoor environments. However, indoor animal farming has often been criticized for multiple reasons - on grounds of pollution and for animal welfare reasons. Livestock farming plays a major role in the agricultural business and economy of major developing countries. They take an important part in crop agriculture. Most farms in the developing world are too small to avail tractor or other machinery facilities and their main alternative is animal power. The innumerable benefits of livestock farming can positively effect in a growth of agronomy, agro-economy, biological ecosystem and other agricultural fields.

Agroforestry is an intensive study on a land management system that benefits biological interactions between forest trees or shrubs and agricultural crops and/or livestock. There are five basic types of agroforestry practices have been developed: windbreaks, alley cropping, silviculture, riparian buffers and forest and hill farming. Agroforestry helps to conserve species diversity and protect natural resources, reduce pollution, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife biodiversity. The benefits of agroforestry include improvement of the growth of agro-economy and resource sustainability. Agroforestry practices also influence agroecosystem and diversification of endangered crop species. The greatest research need is to develop farm-level analyzes to increase potential economic costs, benefits which may reduce risks associated with agroforestry practices and increase the market value of products. This is a vital prerequisite to the objective comparison of both production and conservation-driven agroforestry practices with alternative land use options. Furthermore, awareness should be raised among farmers and labors to improve the future market value of regional, national and international markets for commodities that can be produced through agroforestry system. Research o­n tree-crop-animal-environment interactions should be pursued to provide a scientific basis for optimizing agroforestry designs.

A policy orientation for food security and safety include state-wise, previous, current and future policy issues, and cope-wise sustainability of agriculture. The particular part of food distribution in our society can be examined through the research of the changes in the food supply chain. Globalization, in particular, has significant effects on the food supply chain by validating scale effect in the food distribution industry. Provision of an adequate amount of essential nutrients to human beings has ever been the challenge in the province of food security. Hence, malnutrition is heavily interlinked to food security consideration, yet difficult to be eliminated. food security  and policy, therefore, become magnetic in the province of research.

Crop Science and Technology is the field dealing with the Selection, Breeding, Crop productivity, Seed production, Organic crops, Crop technology transpiration, Field crops research, and Crop and Irrigation technology. Crop science deals with food, feed, turf, and fibre crops and their management. It is a broad field includes breeding, genetics, production, and management of crops and animal feed. Crop science also takes part in conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of plants, insects and other invertebrates, and microorganisms. For development and improvement in rural areas, proper awareness and knowledge-intensive programs have been developed in recent decades. Recent research is concentrated on genetic diversification of crops and turf grasses to tolerate drought; management of herbicide resistant weeds and their control, production of organic grains, and grown market of food and sustainable food systems. These will lead to a reduction of  the food crisis of world’s growing population.

Soil provides ecosystem necessary for plants and animal life. Soil acts as a base medium provide habitat, water and nutrition to living organisms. Soil is used as a holding and interacting facility for nutrients, microorganisms, plants and water. Soil is responsible for Agroecosystems and Eco-agriculture which indirectly help in food security. Soil purifies groundwater, provides nutrients, help in the growth of plants and regulate the Earth's temperature. Industrial, household, and non-point source pollution negatively influence soil environment and finally the whole ecosystem. In recent decades, scientists have developed new practices which limit the mobility of contaminants which reduce pollution. As a result, land managers now have access to new, innovative soil management strategies that can mitigate soil, water, and air pollution, while also enhancing ecosystem activity.

A fertilizer is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soils or to plants tissues to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Fertilisers enhance the growth of plants. This goal is met in two ways, the traditional one being additives that provide nutrients. The second mode by which some fertilisers act is to enhance the effectiveness of the soil by modifying its water retention and aeration.

Pesticides are substances meant for attracting, seducing, and then destroying, ormitigating any pest. They are a class of biocide. The most common use of pesticides is as plant protection products (also known as crop protection products), which in general protect plants from damaging influences such as weeds, plant diseases or insects. This use of pesticides is so common that the term pesticide is often treated as synonymous with plant protection product, although it is, in fact, a broader term, as pesticides are also used for non-agricultural purposes.

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that includes techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest control. Organic farming uses only natural fertilizers and pesticides, but it strictly limits the use of some applications like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; plant growth regulators hormones; antibiotic use in livestock; genetically modified organisms; human sewage sludge etc. This farming system ensures sustainability, openness, independence, health, and safety. Organic agricultural methods are applied, regulated and legally enforced by many nations. Since 1990 the market for organic food and other products has grown rapidly, reaching $63 billion worldwide in 2012.This demand has driven a similar increase in organically managed farmland which has grown over the years 2001-2011 at a compounding rate of 8.9% per annum. As of 2011, approximately 37,000,000 hectares worldwide were farmed organically, representing approximately 0.9 % of total world farmland. Organic farming deals with biosafety, soil conservation and environmental impacts.

Horticulture is the study of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants. It includes production, improvement, marketing and scientific analysis of medicinal plant, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and non-food crops such as grass and ornamental trees and plants. It also deals with species conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design, management, and maintenance, research and marketing. Horticulturists apply their knowledge, skills, and technologies to grow plants for human food and non-food uses like garden or landscape design, decorations etc. Their field also involves plant propagation and tissue culture to improve plant growth, diversification, quality, nutritional value, and resistance and adaptation strength to environmental stresses. Major horticulture sections are Arboriculture, Turf management, Floriculture, Landscape horticulture, Olericulture, Viticulture, Oenology, Postharvest physiology.

The agricultural policy describes a set of laws relating to domestic agriculture and business of foreign agricultural products. Governments usually implement agricultural policies with the goal of achieving a specific outcome in the domestic agricultural product markets. Agriculture policy mainly concerns for poverty reduction, food security, biosecurity, food sovereignty, management skills and labor supply, research technologies and development, infrastructure, marketing challenges and consumer demands, agricultural insurance, farming rights, land tenure and tenancy systems. It also encompasses seed, water, fertilizer, pesticide, land use, environmental issues, food production, agricultural finance, and other aspects of the agricultural processing, business, and rural industries. Commercial agricultural operations include many areas such as commercial law, sale of goods, leasing, contract law, secured transactions, and commodity futures trading.

Energy has always been essential for the production of food. Prior to the industrial revolution, the primary energy input for agriculture was the sun; photosynthesis enabled plants to grow, and plants served as food for livestock, which provided fertilizer (manure) and muscle power for farming. However, as a result, of the industrialization and consolidation of agriculture, food production has become increasingly dependent on energy derived from fossil fuels.

Large quantities of agricultural wastes resulting from crop cultivation activity are a promising source of energy supply for production, processing and domestic activities in rural areas of the concerned region. The available crop residues are either being used inefficiently or burnt in the open to clear the fields for subsequent crop cultivation. On an average 1.5 tons of crop residue are generated for processing 1 ton of the main product. In addition, substantial quantities of secondary residues are produced in agro-industries processing farm produce such as paddy, sugarcane, coconut, fruits and vegetables.

The environmental impact of agriculture varies based on the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world. Ultimately, the environmental impact depends on the production practices of the system used by farmers. The connection between emissions into the environment and the farming system is indirect, as it also depends on other climate variables such as rainfall and temperature.

The environmental impact of agriculture involves a variety of factors from the soil to water, the air, animal and soil diversity, people, plants, and the food itself. Some of the environmental issues that are related to agriculture are climate change, deforestation, genetic engineering, irrigation problems, pollutants, soil degradation, and waste.

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish and even plants. The term aquaculture refers to the cultivation of both marine and freshwater species and can range from land-based to open-ocean production. The jurisdiction of The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and the focus of this website is the farming of marine species within the coastal waters of Maine. Mariculture is another term used for the farming of marine organisms in their natural habitats.

Poultry farming branch of animal husbandry concerned with the raising of domestic fowl. Poultry is raised primarily for eggs and meat; down and feathers are secondary products. Of all domestic fowls, chickens are the most important producers; chickens of egg-producing lines are used for the production of eggs sold as food. Chickens of meat breeds and lines, ducks, turkeys, geese, and, less often, guinea fowl and quail are used in the production of poultry meat.

Agricultural Engineering is developed to make advances in sustainable agriculture which is totally eco-friendly. By the middle of the 20th century, Agricultural Engineering evolved into four types of activity like Power and machinery, Irrigation and drainage, Farm structures and environment, Processing and electrification. Most Agricultural Engineering focused on biological engineering, efficient use of irrigation water, renewable energy and environmental issues. Agricultural Engineering is facing three great challenges: Food safety and Food security, protecting the species and natural resources and reduced employment status. Agricultural Engineering is focused on engineering skills and technologies that take a strong approach to current problems. Food security and crop production will be much stronger if Agricultural Engineering can be developed appropriately.

Rice is one of the most consumed cereal in the world as a food product.Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population.Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Although many people think that food and nutrition mean the same thing, they don’t. Food refers to the plants and animals we consume. These foods contain the energy and nutrients our bodies need to maintain life and support growth and health. Nutrition, in contrast, is a science. Specifically, it is the science that studies food and how food nourishes our bodies and influences our health. It identifies the processes by which we consume, digest, metabolize, and store the nutrients in foods, and how these nutrients affect our bodies. Nutrition also involves studying the factors that influence our eating patterns, making recommendations about the amount we should eat of each type of food, maintaining food safety, and addressing issues related to the global food supply. When compared with other scientific disciplines such as chemistry, biology, and physics, nutrition is a relative newcomer. The cultivation, preservation, and preparation of food have played a critical role in the lives of humans for millennia, but in the West, the recognition of nutrition as an important contributor to health has developed slowly only during the past 400 years.

Entrepreneurs Investment Meet- A global platform aimed to connect Entrepreneurs, Proposers and the Investors worldwide. It's intended to create and facilitate the most optimized and viable business meeting place for engaging people in constructive discussions, evaluation and execution of promising business ideas. Through Agri 2016 an investor could be able to find out the highest potential investment opportunities in the field of Agriculture. For entrepreneurs, this would be an ideal place to find out suitable investors and partners to start or expand their business.