noun
poor crop; bad harvest; crop failure
Primarily used for agricultural yields; can also appear in economic or figurative contexts referring to poor results.
今年は天候不順で米が不作だった。
This year the rice harvest was poor due to unseasonable weather.
noun
low quality; poor output
Extended use for creative or intellectual works; often implies a disappointing season or period of low-quality production.
今年の文学賞は不作で、受賞作がなかった。
This year's literary prize had a poor crop of entries, and no work received the award.