From Old English 'cropp' (head of a plant), from Proto-Germanic *kruppaz (swelling) — the harvestable 'bulge' at the top of a plant.
A cultivated plant grown on a large scale; the yield from such plants in a season.
From Old English 'cropp' meaning 'head of a plant, sprout, ear of grain,' from Proto-Germanic *kruppaz (swelling, lump). The original sense was the swollen head of a plant — the part you harvest. Key roots: *kruppaz (Proto-Germanic: "swelling, protuberance").