Yes, farmer villagers in Minecraft actively plant crops, specifically by replanting them after harvest. They play a vital role in maintaining the sustainability and productivity of agricultural areas within the game.
How Farmer Villagers Manage Crops
Once a villager claims a composter block and adopts the profession of a farmer, their primary focus during work hours shifts to crop management. Their behavior is highly beneficial for any player-built farm.
Here’s a breakdown of their planting and farming activities:
- Replanting Harvested Crops: Farmer villagers are programmed to replant any crop that has been harvested from tilled farmland within their reach. This ensures that the farm remains continuously productive, as they will immediately sow new seeds or crops (like potatoes, carrots, wheat, or beetroots) in the empty spots.
- Work Hour Efficiency: They perform these planting and maintenance tasks specifically during their designated work hours. During this time, they typically remain close to their job site (the composter block).
- Bonemeal Production and Usage:
- Farmers gather excess crops and use their composter to produce bonemeal.
- They occasionally apply this bonemeal to nearby crops, accelerating their growth process. This contributes significantly to faster yields.
- Crop Sharing: Farmer villagers are also known to share food with other villagers, particularly when they have excess crops in their inventory, contributing to villager breeding and population growth.
Essential Tools and Environment for Farmer Villagers
For a farmer villager to effectively plant and manage crops, certain conditions and items must be present:
- Farmland: Tilled farmland blocks are essential for them to plant any crop.
- Crops/Seeds: They require seeds (wheat, beetroot) or plantable items (carrots, potatoes) in their inventory to replant. They typically acquire these from harvesting mature crops.
- Water Source: Farmland needs to be hydrated by nearby water blocks to prevent it from reverting to dirt.
- Composter: This is their job site block. Without it, a villager cannot become a farmer.
| Activity | Description | Impact on Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Replanting | After harvesting a mature crop, the farmer sows a new seed/item. | Ensures continuous crop production. |
| Bonemealing | Uses bonemeal (from composter) to speed up crop growth. | Increases yield efficiency and growth rate. |
| Composter Use | Converts excess crops into bonemeal at their job site. | Provides resources for bonemealing. |
| Crop Gathering | Harvests fully grown crops, collecting them into their inventory. | Essential first step before replanting. |
By consistently replanting harvested crops and utilizing bonemeal, farmer villagers are incredibly valuable for setting up automated or semi-automated farms in Minecraft, reducing the need for constant player intervention in basic crop maintenance.
