Pinto, Pedro Aguiar2013-07-092013-07-092012"Revista de Ciências Agrárias". ISSN 0871-018x. 35 (2) (2012) 165-1700871-018xhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/5745Agronomy was born as a science integrating several scientific disciplines, growing technological needs and from the interaction resulting born in agricultural schools created along the whole XIX century. Although very successful, it finds herself in a crossroad as a result of the method used – the limiting factor principle: the sciences that are in its origin seem to be following a centrifugal road. It is necessary to go back to integration and systems tems analysis seems to be the most adequate method, strengthening at the same time, skills or reality observation and judgment capacity to allow that the scientific knowledge might support the operative decisionsporagro-ecosystemhistory of agronomyplant protectionsystems analysisjournal article