Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Class-IX, Chapter-15
Improvement in Food Resources
Food is one of the basic needs for all living organisms. Food provides nutrients like
carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Green Revolution
White Revolution
Types of Crops
Crop Season
Different crops require different conditions (temp, moisture, etc.), different Photo – periods
(duration of sunlight) for their growth and completing life cycle.
Kharif Season:
June to October (Rainy season).
Monsoon requires more water.
Paddy, soyabean, pigeon pea, maize, black gram, green gram and rice are kharif season
crops.
Rabi Season:
Nov. to April.
Requires less water.
Wheat, gram, peas, mustard and linseed are rabi season crops.
Yield increases when production increases from same amount of land in same period of time.
Approaches which enhance the crop yield are as following:
It involves different practices carried out by farmer to achieve higher standards of crop
production.
1. Nutrient Management
2. Irrigation
3. Cropping Patterns
Nutrient Management
Like other organisms, plants also require some elements for their growth. These elements are
called Nutrients.
Sources Nutrients
1. No proper growth.
2. Low resistance to diseases.
3. No proper fruits and flowers.
Plant nutrients and organic matter in the soil can be increased by adding manures and
fertilizers to the soil.
Manure
It is defined as the decomposition of animal excreta and plant waste. Manure mainly contains
organic matter and also some nutrients in small amount. Based on the biological material
used, manures are of three types.
1. Compost: Animal excreta (like cow dung etc.), kitchen waste, plant remains, waste
wood, etc are left in pit for long time. They decompose slowly to form compost. This
compost is used as manure. This process is called composting.
2. Vermi Compost: To make the decomposition process fast, earthworms are left in the pit.
Earthworms eat up the waste and excrete organic matter as there excreta. The compost
thus formed is called vermi – compost. This process is vermin – compositing
3. .Green Manure:
Fast growing plants like sun hemp, guar are grown. They are then mulched into the soil
by ploughing. They decay to form organic matter. After sometime, the main plants are
grown. Remains of the old plant enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus.
Fertilizers
Fertilisers are chemicals manufactured in factories. They are chemicals highly rich in
nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
They provide large amount of nutrients and thus ensure better growth of plants.
Disadvantages of fertilizers:
1. Fertilizers beings chemicals can harm the micro – organism and insects in soil.
3. Excessive use of fertilizers for a long period of time can damage soil fertility.
4. If excessive irrigation is done, some fertilizers can flow with excess water to water bodies.
As fertilizers are chemicals, they will cause water pollution.
Manure Fertilizers
Easily made using animal & plant waste Made in factories in well-defined way
Cheap Costly
Irrigation
We cannot depend on rain for water as it is not fully reliable. A proper irrigation system will
ensure timely and adequate water to crops. This will lead to more yield.
Some most commonly used irrigation systems:
1. Wells: These are constructed in the region where enough ground water in available. They
are of two types:
Dug Well: In the dug wells, water is collected by bullock-operated devices or by pumps. This
method is cheap.
Tube Well: It makes very deep underground water available for irrigation. Motor pump is
used to lift water. This method is required high cost.
1. Canals
Man- made water channels originating from rivers or water – reservoirs. They are
specifically made to take water to various agricultural plots.
In this system water is directly taken from rivers through pumps. This system is useful for
irrigation in areas close to river.
2. Tanks
Tanks are small storage reservoirs which are used to store the rain water.
Rain water harvesting is accumulation of rain water in tanks for later use. This also
prevents soil erosion. Soil erosion is unwanted How of top layer of soil with flowing
water. This method is required high cost.
Crop patterns
Different patterns are used to maximize the production from crop field.
1. Mixed Cropping: In this pattern, seeds of two or more crops are mixed and spread in
fields. Both the crops grow together.
Examples: wheat and gram, wheat and mustard, groundnut and sunflower.
Should require similar environmental conditions like rain, temperature for growth.
Should require different nutrients so that all nutrients of soil are used.
1. Inter Cropping: It is the advanced form of mixed cropping. Two or more crops are
grown on the same field in a definite pattern. Few rows of one followed by few rows of
other.
Examples: soybean + maize, finger millet (bajra) +cowpea (lobia)
How crops are chosen?
Should require similar environmental conditions like rain, temp. for growth.
Should require different nutrients so that all nutrients of soil are used.
Advantages:
Crop Rotation: Crop rotation is policy of growing different crops one after another on
the same filed.
If same crop is grown again and again on the same field, same nutrients are extracted
from soil again and again. So we should choose different crops so that all nutrients of soil
are used.
Advantages:
Soil fertility is maintained.
Less use of fertilizers.
High yield.
Pest is any destructive organism which can destroy or harm crops or products obtained from
them.
1. Weeds: Weeds are unwanted plants in the cultivated field like xanthium, parthenium,
cyperinus rotundus.
They compete with desired crops for food, space and light. Therefore desired crops get
less nutrients and are adversely affected.
2. Insects: Insects can harm plants in following ways :
They can cut roots, stems and leaves of plants.
They can get into fruits, flowers and steam of plants destroying them.
They can suck food and water from plant bodies.
1. Pathogens: Any organism that can produce disease is called pathogens. Example;
bacteria, virus, fungi.
Plants can get these organisms from soil, air or water. Diseases caused by these can spread in
all crops on the field and destroy the entire cultivation.
1. Killing Pests
Various types of pesticides are spread on plants to kill different pests. These are toxic
chemicals. Herbicides kill weeds. Insecticides kill insects. Fungicides kill fungi.
Disadvantages of using pesticides:
Pollution
Toxic too many useful plants and animals.
1. Weed Control
Storage of Grains
For getting seasonal foods throughout of the year, they are stored in safe storage. But during
storage of grains, they can destroy and waste by various means.
1. Biotic problems: Due to living organisms like insects, birds, mites, bacteria, fungi.
2. Abiotic problems: Due to non – living factors moisture, inappropriate temperature etc.
These factors affect quality degradation, loss in weight, change in colour, and loss of
germinability.
Solution:
Organic Farming
Use of fertilizers and pesticides has their own disadvantages. They cause pollution, damage
soil fertility in long run. Grains, fruits, vegetables obtained may contain harmful chemical in
small amount.
Organic farming is farming system with no or very little use of chemicals like fertilizers and
pesticides.
Use of manure.
Use of bio fertilizers: blue – green algae (organism). They fix nitrogen from atmosphere
to soil. Some micro – organism can also kill pests. They are intentionally put in soil to
kill pests. They act as bio fertilizers.
Use of bio pesticides: Neem and turmeric can kill some pests.
Weed & Pest control systems are used. So that use of pesticides is not required.
Use different cropping pattern like mixed Cropping, intercropping and crop Rotation.
Animal Husbandry
Cattle Farming
Types of Cattle:
Care of Cattle
1. Cleanliness
– Roofed shelter with good ventilation for protection from rain, heat and cold.
– Regular brushing of skin of cattle.
– Sloping floor of shelter for avoiding water – logging.
2. Food
– Roughage mainly containing fibre.
– Concentrates containing proteins.
– Food containing micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals) for enhanced milk production.
Proper food is required for good health and special diet should be given during lactation
period.
Diseases
Poultry Farming
Poultry Farming is done for eggs and meat. Both provide protein to our diet.
Broilers: Birds grown for obtaining meat are called broilers. They can be used after 6-8
weeks from their birth.
Layers: Birds grown for obtaining egg are called layers. They can be used after 20 weeks
when sexual maturity has been attempt to lay eggs.
Most of the broilers & layers are cross – breed.
Proper diet: Layers eat mostly fibre diet. Broilers need diet rich in protein, fat and
vitamin A and K.
Maintenance of proper temperature.
Hygienic environment and proper sanitation.
Regular spraying of disinfectants to kill bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites which can
otherwise cause diseases.
Controlling canvass quality. Canvass quality refers to ratio of bone to flesh in chicken.
Avoid mortality.
Providing adequate space to birds. This is important for their proper growth.
Fish Production
Fish production is a great source of protein to our diet.
Marine Fishing
Marine fishing includes fish production in ponds, rivers, lakes, reservoirs.
India has huge coastline of 7500 km. So it is natural for India to have a large marine fishing
industry.
Popular marine fishes include pomphret, mackerel, tuna, sardines, Bombay duck. Some
costly fishes found in sea like mullets, prawns, mussels, seaweed, oysters.
Using satellites, regions of high fish population in sea can be found. Echo – sounders are also
used.
Inland Fishing
It includes fish production in fresh water (for ex. ponds, rivers, lakes, reservoirs) and brackish
water (for ex. Estuaries, lagoons).
This type of fishing gives lower yield compared to marine fishing. Capture & culture fish
farming, both are done in such water bodies.
Bee – Keeping
it is the practice of keeping, caring & management of honeybees on a large scale for
obtaining honey & wax.
Many farmers use bee – keeping for additional small income. Also there are big farms
called apiaries/ bee farms.
Some common Indian varieties of bees include apis carana indica (Indian bee), dorsata (rock
bee), florae(little bee).
One Italian variety mellifera is also used in India for commercial large scale production
because of its following advantage:
1. High honey collection capacity.
2. They reproduce fast.
3. They sting less.
4. They stay in a beehive for long.