planting and harvesting; farming
A formal, literary term for agricultural work, especially the cycle of planting and harvesting. Rare in everyday speech; more common modern equivalents include 農業 (のうぎょう) or 農作業 (のうさぎょう).
In old documents, the timing of planting and harvesting is described in detail.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 稼 (planting/sowing) and 穡 (harvesting/reaping). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with agricultural labor.