ABSTRACT
The Agrosphere is a conglomerate of several agroecosystems, which are crop-based, food-generating ecological entities. Each of these agroecosystems is a product of several interactive, natural and man-made factors. However, its development, sustenance, and productivity to a great extent are guided through human ingenuity and preferences. Wood et ah (2000) opine that agrosphere, that is cropping activity within it is the dominant influence on global landscape. For this to happen agrosphere has expanded consistently, and throughout all the continents. Such an expansion has been more rapid during the past century. At present, agrosphere occupies 13,500 m km2 which is equivalent to a third of the global land surface. Clearly, large enough to be deemed an ecosphere comparable to lithosphere, hydrosphere or atmosphere. However, there could be limits to such an expansion of agrosphere, particularly the individual agroecosystems. Although a debatable issue, it is generally accepted that, at least with a few agroecosystems such as the intensive rice culture in Southeast Asia expansion is difficult.
