Crop categories

In the Global Crops Database each individual crop species is assigned to one or more categories. This allows agricultural crops to be grouped together, for example in major groups such as cereals, fruits and vegetables, or in more specific groups such as leafy vegetables, root vegetables and medicinal plants.

This page gives a short description for each of the categories used in the Global Crops Database. Suggestions to include other categories are welcome (email).

Click on a category below to find it in the Global Crops Database.

Main food crops

Main food crops are those that form a major part of the daily diet in relatively large quantities as a source of energy (e.g. cereals and some tubers), proteins (e.g. beans), vitamins (e.g. vegetables and fruits) and minerals.

Cereals

The 'cereals' category in the Global Crops Database includes grains (cereal grains) in the family Poaceae (or Gramineae). These are grasses cultivated for their seeds. Cereals are usually grown for their food energy and are therefore often staple crops. The earliest grown agricultural crops were probably cereals (e.g. barley, wheat).

Fruits

The term 'fruit' usually refers to a structure of a plant containing the seeds. In the Global Crops Database, the 'fruits' category refers only to fruits that are fleshy and are usually eaten raw (such as bananas, apples and mangoes). The category does not include vegetable fruits (e.g. beans, peas) or grains.

Vegetables

The 'vegetables' category in the Global Crops Database includes edible plants that are grown as a food crop for their leaves, stems, roots, tubers, bulbs, corms, pods or flowers, but plants that are only grown for their sweet fruit or for seeds or grains are not included. Also plants that are consumed in smaller quantities, such as herbs or spices or medicinal plants are not included in 'vegetables'.

Categories of vegetables

Depending on the part of the plant that is used the vegetables can be divided in a number of different categories.

Leaf vegetables

This category includes plants of which the leaves are used as food (e.g. lettuce and spinach).

Stem vegetables

This category includes plants of which the stems are used as food (e.g. asparagus).

Fruit vegetables

This category includes plants of which the fruits are used as food, but does not include plants with sweet or fleshy fruits that are eaten raw and does not include plants that are grown for their grains. Examples of fruit vegetables are tomato and cucumber.

Flower vegetables

The 'flower vegetables' category includes plants of which the flowers are used as food. Examples of flower vegetables are cauliflower and artichoke.

Root vegetables

This 'root vegetables' category includes plants of which the roots are used as food. In some cases these are swollen roots (e.g. carrots).

Tuber vegetables

The 'tuber vegetables' category includes plants of which the tubers are used as food (e.g. potato). Tubers are modified plant structures (usually roots or stems) that are enlarged to store nutrients.

Bulb vegetables

The 'bulb vegetables' category includes plants of which the bulbs are used as food (e.g. onions). A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases, which are used as food storage organs during periods of dormancy.

Corm vegetables

The 'corm vegetables' category includes plants of which the corms are used as food (e.g. taro). A corm is a short underground swollen plant stem used as a storage organ of the plant.

Podded vegetables

The category 'podded vegetables' includes legumes of which the fruit (a pod) is used as food. It includes two type of podded vegetables; those that are shelled before eating (e.g. garden peas), and those that are cooked and eaten whole (e.g. yard-long beans). Some plants that are not legumes produce pod-like fruits and are also included in this category.

Other edible crops

Herbs

The category 'herbs' includes crops that are not cultivated for the food value but for their flavor, scent or medicinal qualities. Herbs are plants of which the leafy green parts are used in cooking, to make herbal teas, as natural medicines, and in some cases for spiritual purposes. Examples of herbs are oregano and mint.

Spices

The category 'spices' includes plants that are not grown for their food value but rather are used in small amounts as a food additive to add flavor or color. Some spices are used as food preservatives. While 'herbs' are green plant parts, 'spices' are dried seeds, fruits, root or bark. Examples of spices are ginger, chili powder, black pepper and cinnamon.

Medicinal plants

The category 'medicinal plants' includes plants which are used as botanical medicines (herbal medicines). An example is Aloe vera, which is used to treat wounds.

Stimulants

The category 'stimulants' includes crops that have a psychostimulant effect. Examples of stimulants are coffee (contains Caffeine) and tobacco (contains Nicotine).

Nuts

The category 'nuts' includes all crops that produce hard-shelled fruits which are called nuts. It includes not only true nuts according to the biological definition of a nut (e.g. hazelnut, chestnut), but any hard shelled fruits that contain an oily kernel used as food (e.g. groundnut).

Edible seeds

In the Global Crops Database the category 'edible seeds' includes all plants with edible seeds, except the 'cereals' and 'legumes'. Cereals and legumes are separate categories. Examples of edible seeds are Sesame and Black pepper.

Vegetable oils

The category 'vegetable oils' includes crops which are grown to extract oils that are used in cooking, for fuel, for cosmetics, for medical purposes, or for industrial purposes. Example of oil crops are corn, olive, soybean and sunflower.

Pseudocereals

The category 'pseudocereals' includes plants that are used in much the same way as cereals, but which do not belong to the grasses (true cereals are grasses). Examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and amaranth.

Aphrodisiacs

The category 'aphrodisiacs' includes plant that are known or expected to increases sexual desire. Examples are ginseng and celery.

Nonfood categories

Forage and Fodder crops

The category 'forage and fodder' includes agricultural crops that are grown as animal food.

Fiber crops

The category 'fiber crops' includes plants that are grown for their fibers, for example cotton and jute.

Energy crops

The category 'energy crops' includes crops that are grown to produce different types of fuels. For example sugar containing crops, where the sugar is used to produce alcohol.

Dye crops

The 'dye crops' are grown to use as a coloring agent. For example henna is used to dye hair.

Essential oils

The category 'essential oils' contains crops that are grown for their natural oils. These oils give the plant its characteristic odors and can be extracted and used for making perfumes or flavorings. Examples are cloves and peppermint.

Green manures

The category 'green manures' includes plants that are grown as natural fertilizers. Often these belong to the family fabaceae (for example clover) because they contain high levels of nitrogen.

Erosion prevention

The category 'erosion prevention' includes crops that can be used on steep slopes to prevent soil erosion.

Soil improvement

Crops grown to improve the quality of the soil.

Cover cops

The 'cover crops' are grown for different reasons, such as improving soil fertility or to manage pests and diseases or to control weeds.

Botanical pesticides

The category 'botanical pesticides' includes agricultural crops that contain substances that can be used in pest control. For example pyrethrum contains a natural insecticide.

Cut flowers

The 'cut flowers' category are plants grown for their flowers, which are usually used for indoor decoration.

Ornamental plants

The 'ornamental plants' includes plants used in parks and gardens.

Climatic zones

Some plants require specific climatic conditions. The database currently classifies agricultural crops in 3 categories, but several crops belong to more than one of these categories.

Tropical crops

Subtropical crops

Temperate crops

Other categories

Legumes

The 'legumes' category includes all plants that are classified in the family 'Fabaceae'. This is the legume family or pulse family, which is also called 'Leguminosae'.

Staple crops

The 'staple crops' category in the Global Crops Database includes food crops that are the main food eaten and the main source of energy in the diet. Some of the crops included in this category used to be staple foods in the past but have now lost their importance.