LESSON 1: CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

· Agriculture: the science that deals with growing plants for human use is
called agriculture.
· Crop: are plants of the same kind cultivated in one field on a large scale.
Two main kinds of crops grown in India are:
o Kharif crop: sown in rainy season and harvested in drier months.
Eg: paddy, groundnut, etc.
o Rabi crop: sown after rainy season and harvested in March. Eg:
wheat, mustard
· Cultivation: All the activities involved in farming from sowing to
harvesting is known as cultivation.
· Steps involved in cultivation are:
1. Preparation of soil
2. Sowing
3. Adding manure, fertilizer
4. Irrigation
5. Protection from weeds
6. Harvesting
7. Storage

1. Preparation of soil – is done by turning and loosening soil. it involves

Tilling/ ploughing. Can be done in 2 ways:
a. Manual ploughing
i. Plough made of wood or iron is pulled by
cattle/oxen/horses.
ii. Hoe, spades, shovels and pickaxes area also used
b. Cultivator: is a machine use to turn and loosen soil.

Advantages of ploughing:
• it helps to circulate the air in the soil;
• it helps to retain moisture for a longer period of time;
• it helps decomposers to break down decaying matter into simpler and more
usable forms for plants
• it helps to control weeds.
2. Sowing: it involves 2 steps
a. Seed selection
b. Sowing: can be done in 2 ways
i. Manual sowing: In traditional method seeds are scattered
by hand or by using a funnel shaped tool.
ii. Mechanical sowing is done using a Seed drill.
3. Adding manure and fertilizer:
· Manure: organic decomposed matter
· Fertilizer: manmade inorganic chemicals
4. Irrigation:
· Sources: Rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, reservoirs, canals.
· Methods of irrigation
a. Traditional methods:
i. moat or pulley system,
ii. chain pump,
iii. lever system
b. Modern methods:
i. furrow irrigation:- small parallel channels which carry water.
Eg: for row crops like sugarcane
ii. basin irrigation: field is filled with water. Eg: paddy
iii. sprinkler irrigation: water flows through pipes and is
sprayed from a rotating nozzle.
iv. Drip irrigation: the water pipes have tiny holes through
water trickles drop by drop.
Soil fertility: can be improved by the use of manure and fertilizers
· Manure: is made by the decomposition of organic matter; it improves
the texture of soil and replenishes nutrients.
· Fertilisers are chemical substances that are rich in a particular nutrient.
Examples: urea, ammonium sulphate, phosphate, potash, NPK (nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium). These chemicals are produced in factories.
Weeding: Removal of unwanted plants that grow along with crop plants.
Weeds compete with crop plants for water nutrients, light and space. Methods
of weeding are:
· Manual weeding: by hand or using a harrow
 · Chemical method: by use of weedicides, herbicides
Harvesting: process of cutting and gathering crops by using a sickle or
harvester combine. It involves
· Threshing: grains are separated from stalks,
· Winnowing: the chaff (outer seed covering) is separated from the grain.
Organic farming:
It’s a method of natural cultivation without the use of chemicals. It involves
· Composting:
· Crop rotation: cultivating different crops alternately. Rotation of crops
by planting leguminous plants (beans, peas) to improve soil
Leguminous plants: The root nodules of leguminous plants have nitrogen fixing
bacteria called Rhizobium which can directly convert atmospheric nitrogen into
nitrogen compounds. These nitrogen compounds go into the soil and improves the
fertility.

Practice Questions:
1. During which month do farmers grow mustard in India?
2. What are crumbs? Big pieces of soil in a ploughed field is called crumbs.
3. What is meant by field fallow? When a field is left without growing any
crop on it for a season or two to allow the soil to replenish itself it is
known as field fallow.
4. Why do we need to keep requisite distance between 2 adjoining trees?
5. What precautions should be taken while spraying weedicides?
6. Why are weeds undesirable?
7. Why are plants grown on the ridges of furrows?
8. Define : (a) fertilizer (b) manure (c) humus (d) decomposers
9. How does organic farming help reduce air and water pollution?
10.Why are organic foods more expensive than traditionally grown foods?
Because organic farming is practiced on small scale and involves a lot of
manual labour. It ensures better quality of food.
11.What is the role of neem leaves in storing wheat?
12.What is animal husbandry?