Fertilization

noun

1. The act or process of initiating biological reproduction by insemination or pollination.
2. The union of male and female gametes to form a zygote.
3. The act or process of applying a fertilizer.
4. The act or process of rendering land fertile, fruitful, or productive.
5. Fecundation or impregnation of animals or plants; specifically, in bot., the process by which the pollen reaches and acts upon the ovules, and assures the production of fruit; also, the analogous process in cryptogams.