Chapter: Crop Production and Management

Subject: Science
Class: VIII

SCIENCE
CHAPTER 01: CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
(Questions & Answers)

A. ONE WORD QUESTIONS

(i) The ploughed field having big pieces of soil.
Crumbs
(ii) The implement made up of wood and is drawn by a pair of bulls or other animals.
Plough
(iii) Tool which is used for removing weeds and for loosening the soil.
Hoe
(iv) Traditional tools and seed drill used in agriculture for ___________
Sowing
(v) Organic nutrient for the soil.
Manure
(vi) Bacteria present in the nodules of the roots of leguminous plants that atmospheric
nitrogen.
Rhizobium
(vii) The supply of water to crops at different intervals.
Irrigation
(viii) Undesirable plants that grow naturally along with the crop.
Weed
(ix) The cutting of crop after it is mature.
Harvesting
(x) Harvesting done manually through _______
Sickle
(xi) Silos and granaries are used for __________
Storage
(xii) Separation of the grains from the chaff is called as __________
Threshing
(xiii) Threshing can be done using the machine ______.
Combine
(xiv) Removing the chaff from the grain is called ______.
Winnowing
(xv) Soil can be replenished through methods like ______ and ______.
Crop rotation and mixed cropping
(xvi) Freshly harvested grains are sundried to remove ______.
Moisture

B. VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1) Define crop along with examples.
Plants of same kind that are grown and cultivated at one place on large scale are called a crop.
Some of the crop plants are wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, cotton etc.
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII
2) What are the advantages of a cultivator over plough for the purpose of ploughing?
Ploughing by cultivators save time and labour as cultivator is driven by tractors whereas plough is
driven by pair of bull.

3) How good and healthy seeds are separated from the damaged ones?
When the seeds are put into a beaker half filled with water, the hollow seeds float in water because
of being lighter in weight while healthy seeds sink in water.

4) If wheat is sown in the kharif season, what would happen? Discuss.

Wheat crop does not require much water to grow, so wheat would not grow in kharif season. The
seeds would get destroyed in excess water due to rainy season.

5) Explain how soil gets affected by the continuous plantation of crops in a field.
If we sow continuously in a field then the soil will lack necessary nutrients and becomes unfertile.
It does not give any time to soil to replenish the nutrients. Thus, the soil will be unable to sustain
any further healthy and productive crop.

6) How could we prepare organic manure?

Organic manure can be prepared in fields. Dump plant and animal wastes in pits at open places
and allow it to decompose by some of the microorganisms; the decomposed matter is used as
manure.

7) What are the harmful effects of fertilisers?

Fertilizers are harmful because the excessive use of fertilisers makes soil less fertile. Secondly,
they are also considered as one of the sources of water pollution.

8) What do you understand by manuring and what are the harmful effects of improper or
insufficient manuring?
Farmers add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients and to increase their crop
production, this process of adding manures to the field is called manuring. Improper manuring
results in poor development of crop plants and unhealthy crops.

9) Why we should supply more water to crops during summer season?

It is because of the increased rate of evaporation of water from the soil and the leaves.

10) Babu wants to practice crop rotation. Help him by suggesting what kind of crops can be
grown between two consecutive cereal crops? Also, provide him names of one Rabi and one
Kharif crop that can be used to replenish the nitrogen content of the soil.
Babu should grow pulses between two consecutive cereal crops. Groundnut (Kharif) and Pea
(Rabi) crops can be used to replenish the nitrogen content of the soil.

11) If rice is sown in the month of November, how is the produce likely to be impacted? And
why?
If rice is sown in the month of November, then it will not get adequate temperature, sunshine, and
water. This will result in low productivity of rice crop.

12) What are crumbs? Why should they be broken?

A ploughed field has big pieces of soil called crumbs. They should be broken, so that air circulation
in soil takes place and seeds can easily enter and germinate through the soil.

13) Define the term ‘transplantation’? List any two advantages it offers to the farmer.
In some crops, like paddy seeds are sown in a small plot called nursery. When seedlings are formed,
they are manually planted in the field. This is known as transplantation. Two advantages
transplantation offers to the farmer are:
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII
a) It enables the farmer to selectively cultivate only healthy plants.
b) They can be planted at uniform distance to ensure uniform availability of water, sunlight
etc.

C. SHORT & LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

14) Differentiate between Kharif and Rabi crops.

S. No. Rabi Crop Kharif Crop
1. Grown in winter season Grown in rainy season
2. They do not need lot of water They require lot of water
3. In India time period for winter In India time period for rainy season is
season is from October to March so from June to September so they are grown
they are grown in this time period in this time period only
only
4. Examples: Linseed, wheat, gram, Examples: Paddy, maize, cotton,
pea etc. groundnut etc.

15) What do you mean by preparation of soil?

Preparation of soil is a very important step in agriculture before cultivation of crops. It includes
loosening of soil, removing weeds from the soil and levelling of soil before sowing of seeds.
Loosening of soil is important for various reasons like it improves the air circulation in soil,
enhances the water retaining capacity of the soil, fastens the germination of seeds etc.

16) State the advantages of ploughing the soil. State the different ways through which it is done.
The advantages of ploughing the soil are:
(i) It improves air circulation, so that roots can respire easily.
(ii) Roots can penetrate deeper into the soil; this enables them to hold the plant firmly.
(iii) Ploughing enhances the water retaining capacity of the soil.
(iv) Ploughing uproots the weeds growing in the field; it also aids in the growth of the
microbes.
It is done by using a wooden or iron plough which is pulled either by oxen, or by a tractor.

17) Why loosened soil is important for cultivation of crops?

It is necessary to turn and loosen the soil because
(i) It allows the roots to penetrate freely deeper into soil;
(ii) Roots can breathe easily in loose soil;
(iii) It allows mixing of manure and fertilizers more uniformly and thoroughly;
(iv) It promotes the growth of microbes and worms;
(v) Water can reach easily up to more depth in loose soils;
(vi) Seeds are easily germinated in the aerated soil;
(vii) It helps uprooting the weeds;
(viii) It brings nutrient rich soil to the top for consumption by plants.

18) Write a paragraph in your own word on each of the following:

(i) Tilling
(ii) Weeds
(i) Tilling: The process of loosening and turning of the soil is called tilling or ploughing and is
carried out by using a plough or cultivator. Ploughs are made by wood or iron material, it is
being used since ancient times for different purposes like tilling the soil, adding fertilisers to
crops, removing weeds etc. Traditional tilling method makes use of bulls or other animals like
camels, horses etc. In modern times, cultivator attached with a tractor is used for tilling which
is costly but saves time and labour.
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII

(ii) Weeds: Weeds are unwanted plants that grow along with crop plants and compete with them
for water, nutrients, space and light, thus they affect growth of crop plants. Some of the weeds
are poisonous for animals and human beings and they interfere even in harvesting of crop
plants. The process of removal of weeds is called Weeding. Weeding is done with a help of a
tool called Hoe.

19) Write shorts notes on:

(i) Sowing of seeds
(ii) Threshing

(i) Sowing of seeds: It is one of the important steps of Crop production process. Good quality
seeds are selected and are sown in prepared soil with the help of various tools like traditional
tools and seed drill. Traditionally, the seeds were sown with the help of a funnel shaped tool
and using manual labour while in modern times it is done with the help of a Seed Drill attached
to the tractor. Modern method of sowing is costly but it saves time and labour.

(ii) Threshing: Threshing is the process of separating the grains from the straw and chaff. This
is carried out with the help of a machine called Combine which works as harvester and
thresher both. When it is done at small scale, it makes the use of Winnowing machine.

20) Write a short notes on tools used for sowing seeds.

Tools used for sowing of seeds are:
(i) Traditional tools: The shape of this tool is like a funnel which is
filled by seeds, then the seeds are passed down through two or three
pipes having sharp ends and these ends pierce into the soil and place
seeds there.
(ii) Seed drill: This tool is used for sowing with the help of tractors and
it sows the seeds uniformly and at proper distances and depth, it also
ensures covering of the seeds from soil after sowing, so that seeds
could not get damaged by birds and by other organisms. Sowing by
using a seed drill saves time and labour. In order to avoid overcrowding of plants it is very
important to leave some space between two seeds. This also allows plants to get sufficient
sunlight, nutrients and water from the soil.

21) What are the advantages of a seed drill used for sowing?
OR
Why is the use of a seed drill more advantageous as compared to sowing seeds by
broadcasting?
Advantages of seed drill are as follows:
(i) It sows the seeds uniformly at equal distance and depth;
(ii) It ensures that seeds get covered by the soil after sowing;
(iii) It protects seeds from being eaten by birds;
(iv) It saves time and labour.

22) How could we supply nutrients to the soil?

We can supply nutrients to the soil by adding manure and fertilisers. Manures are organic
substances obtained from the decomposition of plants and animal wastes which provides lot of
humus to the soil. It is very important for the healthy growth of plants, and Fertilisers are chemical
substances which are rich in particular nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, they are
produced in factories. Examples: Urea, NPK, Ammonium sulphate etc.
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII
23) Explain how weeds are harmful for plants. State the different ways of weed removal
practiced by farmers.
Weeds are the unwanted plants, that grow along with the crops and hinders its growth. It uses up
nutrients which are meant for the crop. They also compete for water and light and thus affect the
production of the crop. The different ways of weed removal practiced by farmers are
(i) Manual removal: Weeds can be removed by uprooting unwanted plants with the help of
trowel (khurpi) or harrow.
(ii) Tilling before sowing: Ploughing the field, before sowing the seeds, uproots the weeds.
Weeds then dry up and get mixed up with the soil.
(iii) Weedicides: These are chemicals which kill the weeds but do not harm. the crops. These
are sprayed on the fields.

24) Differentiate between manure and fertilizers.

25) What is irrigation? Describe two methods of irrigation which conserve water.
The process of watering the crops is called irrigation. Two methods of irrigation are:
(i) Sprinklers: Sprinklers work like fountains and saves water while simultaneously
irrigating the field. Long perpendicular pipes have holes at regular distances. When water
is supplied, it comes out of these holes and spray water in field. These holes have rotating
nozzles which sprinkle water in all directions.
(ii) Drip System: This system is used to save water as it allows the water to flow drop by drop
at the roots of the plants. It is the best irrigation technique for terrace farms as well as for
watering fruit plants, gardens and trees. Water is not wasted at all.

26) What is Crop Rotation? How it helps in replenishment of the soil?

Crop rotation involves growing two or more crops alternatively on the same piece of land. For
example, after growing wheat for a season, farmers prefer to grow crop of legume1 family such as
peas, gram and groundnut. These leguminous plants have nitrogen fixing bacteria on their root
nodules. These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into compound that can be used by plants.
This makes the soil rich in nitrogen which is good for crops.

27) State advantages of manure

Manure is advantageous because it:
(i) Increases the water holding capacity of soil;
(ii) Increases the total number of friendly microbes in soil thereby increase in the soil fertility;
(iii) Makes the soil more porous to facilitate the easy exchange of gases/ air;

1
The legume family consists of plants that produce a pod with seeds inside. The term “legume” is used to describe
the seeds of these plants.
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII
(iv) Improves the texture of the soil.

28) What is irrigation and its importance?

Irrigation is the process of applying water to the crops artificially to fulfil their water requirements.
The various sources of water for irrigation are wells, ponds, lakes, canals, tube-wells, and even
dams. Water is very important for proper growth and development of flowers, fruits and seeds of
plants, it plays important role in
(i) Germination of seeds;
(ii) Transportation of nutrients in different parts of plants;
(iii) Protects crops from both frost and hot air currents;
(iv) It maintains the moisture of soil.

29) Give reasons for the following:

(a) Excess water supply can damage crops.
Excessive supply of water can reduce air in the soil spaces and can cause water logging. This
can damage the plant roots and can cause them to die.

(b) Grains are not stored without sun-drying.

Harvested food grains often contain more moisture than is suitable for their storage. Hence,
these grains are sun-dried before storing. This prevents growth of microbes on them.

(c) Overuse of pesticides should be avoided.

Overuse of pesticides should be avoided because these pesticides stick to fruits and vegetables,
and are also absorbed by plants. They can, therefore, become a part of the food chain. It is for
this reason that the use of the pesticides must be kept to the bare minimum.

30) Bhola’s field is ready with a mature wheat crop. List and explain the steps he would have to
undertake before selling the grains to the FCI (Food Corporation of India).
Bhola will take following steps before selling the grains:
(i) Harvesting: Cutting and gathering of crops, after maturation, is known as harvesting.
(ii) Threshing: After harvesting, grains are separated from the cut crop. This process is called
threshing. This can be done manually or by a machine called thresher.
(iii) Winnowing: After threshing, grains are separated from the chaff. This is known as
winnowing.
(iv) Storage: Grains are dried in sun to remove moisture. After that, grains are stored in
granaries and silos which are designed to protect grains from rats and insects. This is done
by Food Corporation of India (FCI).

31) Define hybridisation. List the steps to be followed for obtaining seeds of a hybrid variety.
Hybridisation is the process of crossing two genetically different ‘individuals’ to obtain a new
‘individual’ (hybrid) exhibiting desirable characteristics. Steps to be followed for obtaining seeds
of a hybrid variety are as follows:
• Step 1: Two varieties of plants, say A and B, of desired characteristics are chosen.
• Step 2: Anthers from plant ‘A’ are removed. This process is called emasculation.
• Step 3: Anthers from plant ‘B’ are taken and its pollen are dusted on stigmas of ‘A.
• Step 4: Stigmas of ‘A’ are then covered by paper bags.
• Step 5: By such cross breeding of two desired varieties, seeds of a hybrid variety can be
obtained.

32) Both manures and fertilisers replenish soil fertility. Compare and contrast the advantages
and disadvantages of using them.
Chapter: Crop Production and Management
Subject: Science
Class: VIII
Advantage of using manures:
(i) It is cheap.
(ii) It increases the water-holding
capacity of the soil.
(iii) The number of microbes increases
in the soil.
(iv) The texture of the soil improves.
Disadvantages of using manures:
(i) It is not easy to store and transport.
(ii) Manure provides less nutrient to plants in
comparison to fertilizers.
Advantage of using fertilisers:
(i) They are portable and easy to transport.
(ii) They are readily absorbed by the plants.
(iii) They are quick in providing plant nutrients
and restoring soil fertility.
(iv) Fertilisers improve and increase the
productivity of many crops such as maize,
wheat, and rice.
Disadvantages of using fertilisers
(i) Fertilisers are costly.
(ii) Overuse of fertilisers can change the
chemical nature of the soil.