——————_ iIture- JCTION wn as agricul INTRODUCT shthe crop production and managements KNOW 28 TET rjoroptyl in The green pants are auiotronhs whi presence of ight a Wants synthesize their food by the process O! sn inca organi fo caying outs various body fund Like other animals, we also obtain food from other sources Wh . y be easi few members of your family. WE woe Poa ease Ir localy, state or country? We wil have fo produce food on a large wou i A country ragure systematic and proper management of practices of production arid distribution of food. should be self — sufficient in food production to feed its population. and energy is utilized by losynthesis, This food se tions, like digestion, respiration, & at would you do if you have to provide food to ic re tools In this chapter, we will study different practices to obtain food from plant. These practices requiré called implements. are or it is called domestication of plants or ie Crops you ‘gricullune. The plants of same Kind grown at a place is referred to as crop (wheat, paddy) Know are of different types, like cereals(wheat, paddy, maize), vegetables (potato, tomato} and fruits (mango, oranges). These are grown on ground of in water and what is obtained from the crop is called produce. AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES Based on the seasons, crops are categorized into Kharif and Rabi crops, @ \Kharif Crops: The kharif season is based on south western monsoon, The crops grown during June —Oiober are called Kharif crops (paddy, maize). (i) Rabi Crops: The crops grown during November — April are nel based_on monsoon. The ‘crops: Si during this season are called rab crops (wheal, legumes Tke clover). Cultivation of crops involves several activities undertaken by farmers, These activities or i referred to as agricultural practices. The practices require certain tools called. implements. They are performed in @ sequence from sowing of seeds to obtaining the produce. In Modern agriculture, the step-by step methods are: we, (2) Preparation of the soil by ploughing, leveling it 7 (0) Sowing seeds or transplanting plants at the correct depth and correct distance. (c) Manuring, either by natural methods or by man-made fertilizers, (3) Irrigation, i.e. supplying the right amount of water at the Fight tim (©) Weeding, ie. removarerweeds which can a (*) Protection from pesis and diseases by spraying peal (9) Harvesting, threshing and winnowing, (h) Storage afer drying in the sun to got rid of excess ‘moisture, * Mustrationt : Define crop. Solution: — The plants of same kindExercise 1 if Name two fibre yielding o in gol. Soil provid inerals, water, air, ————— onl N OF SOIL (neat ee cop See cca TE sald eal The orop plants afe FAT oy ig te ploughing, (i) leveling, | Preparati humus and anchorage (fixing firmly), to the plants. jes of the COP: ing (or tiling) of fields the se for food production. The soil is prepared for sowing iting). Proughit and (il) manuring. , si tone | Lis called. louahing LOL ‘fon ; ening and tumina the solLis called PTE or lGeks oF by are soi The proves of loosening er thes a < Je done by using an implement calied ploug! a pair i done By were rata sl The BUTS oe rae de bultocks while 2r9® : ovat of smal elds is done with the elo metal because of he foulowind reac or ane oughing i ia the soll ~ using tractors, The loosening of sot ot fo penetra freely and deeper i i is because loose soil can hold a (i) The loose a be a iene s to breathe easily. Thi (i The loose soil allows the roots of plants to ea a a | ee sol haps inthe growth of worms and microbes oe ne 7 t ips in oO ne aa ° nna cae ‘they help in further turing and loosening the ) standing in the field and thereby (Ww) Ploughing also uproots and buries the weeds (unwanted plan its) ‘suffocates them to death. = | i to soil before ploughing ‘Sometimes, manure is added to the soil before ploughing. Addition of Sites red for the fees © te pooner ad tae wih ie aol Manure contains ae y igs on growth of crop plants. So, manuring is done to increase the fertility of the soil before seed fs sown : F Mustration 2 : What is tiling? Solution: The process of loosening and tuming the soil ip called tiling. Jy 2 SOWING ‘The process of scattering seeds (ar putting seeds) in the ground soil for growing the crop sowing. When the soil is ready, seeds are sown in it either by hand or by seed drill. Thus, methods of sowing the seeds in the soil. These are, () Sowing by hand, and (i) Sowing with a seed dail The sowing of seeds by hand (or normally) is called reopening This good because there 16 fo proper spacing Y proper depth at which seeds , The implement used for sowing is a seed drill, A : ‘The seed dri is tied to back of the plough and seeds a Plough makes furows inthe sol, the seeds from the Sail furrows made by the plough. Thus, by using a depth and atthe conect inten ale foe s ‘bullock criven seed dil has just one long iron tube with i a |. tron tubes joined tagether with a common funnel at the eu ue oe seed a the seeds are released through all the tubes imultaneously. By using such seed-dhil pS ke wheat, gram (cha SeeTRANSPLANTATION —————— in some caves goods are not directly When they row into tiny plan they to main field. This process |s called ra vegetables such Lom ‘sown in Nursery Advantages of Transplantation (0) Only heaithy seedlings are used, It gives the better salection. (b) Proper distance between plants and rows is maintained. (c) Roots grow upto a proper depth and get opportunity to grow well, (8) Weeds are rejected, ~~ v MANURING The crop plants need a number of mineral elements for their growth which they absorb from the soil through their roots. In certain areas, farmers grow crop after crop in the same field. It is never left uncultivated or fallow. Fallowing is the process of leaving the field uncultivated. Farmers add manure to the field to replenish soll with nutrients which benefits the crop. This process is called manuring. ‘Manure is @ natural substance obtained by the decomposition of animal wastes Ii E ‘wastes, and plant residues, which supplies essential elements {othe soll and makes it morefertle. ‘The decomposition is facilitated by organisms like bacteria and fungi. The decomposed matler is used as manure. Crops, especially vegetables and fruits, grown by using manure are. compared to crop grown by using chemical fertilizers. These days, emphasis is again organic farming in which only organic manure is used ‘A chemical ferilizer is @ salt or an arganic compound containing loSphorous, to make the soil more fertile. Urea, ammonitim sulphate, NPK (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), EON c us ‘They provide specific nutrients, like nitrogen and potassium, to. deficient « same field. season after season results in the deficiency of a particular The over use of fertlizers damages the soll by reducing natural absorbed by crop roots and enter the food chain. = the soil with nutrients after year or season afer season, Fae eae er season Fertilizers are nutrient ~ spe potassium respectively), They hav ‘Their proper (barseem) and : Rhizobium |‘compound: ee natn substance oblained by | (i) Afert risa salt oran orga! (i) A manure the decomposition of animal wastes like COW dung and plant residues ee ry ich in essential plant | (i) Forllbars are very ‘ich in plant nutrients: tke nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. {iy A manure is not ver phosphorus and “any humus to the nutrients like nitrogen, Sein Meal ca OE |i — a Tliy A manure provides a Tot of organic matter iiy A fertiizer does not provide any humus to the soil soil en {yA manure is absorbed slowly by the plants | (fv) Being soluble in water, 2 Ferilizer is readily because it is not much soluble in water. absorbed by the plants. Ti) A manure is not nutrient spec. Tony |W) A ferilizer is nutrient specific. Tt can provide removes the general deficiency of soil. specifically nitrogen or | phosphenis or potassium to the soil. 2s desired Exercise 2: (a) Whatis compost? (b)__Give one harmful effect of fertilizer OFF manure. = iitustration 3 : What is mean by mixed cropping? id. The crops are chosen in ‘grown together in same fiel help in the growth of the ‘Some times {wo or more crops are from one crop Solution: such a way that products and waste material f another. ‘ IRRIGATION OF CROPS “The process of supplying water To crop plants in te fields is called irigation. Fide are supplied with water from diferent sources like canals, waterways, wells and rains. The frequency of inigation varies from crop to CfOP ‘and also from soil to soll. Seasons 2l80 influence requirement of water by crops. as syater to the crop reduces air in the soll spaces. As a result of this, the rs its in a condition called water logging. 2 alli the crop. To prevent the damage to soll * the preparation of the next crop. wirements) of 2 Excessive supply of damaged. It also resu ‘Water logging damages field. Itis also necessary fo The irrigation requirements (or water red (i) Nature of crop, and (i) Nature of the soll There are soe types |Irrigation 's, takes and canals | ad ee mathone : als Is lifted above by different Methods. Cattle of human labour rt Mom (puter stony than these methods, the Various traditional ‘Ways are: < (ii) Chain pum, (i) Brent, (¥) Rahat (Lever System) Modetn Methods or Irrigation The main methods o: Seq are as followe: yg i 4 nen ee ate nae ee Wied, Sal) This system is more usetut on the fang Seine one ee raining, Ve" water is allowed to tow, through main pipe, it gets Wy Drip sy stem: Int oon sylt tNs system, the Waterfalls drop by drop just atthe positon of ‘the roots. So itis a mportance of lrrigation @ Irrigation befor Te ploughing the fields makes the soi i i oe 9 Is makes © Sell Soft due to Which the ploughing of fields (i) Irrigation is Necessary to provide moisture for the ‘Germination of seeds, This is because seeds do Not grow in dry soil, (it) Irrigation is essential for the growth and elongation of the ro ots of the crop plants. This is because ToOKS of the crop plants do not grow wellin dry sol (7) Irrigation is necessary for the absorption of nutrient elements by the plants from the soll The irrigation water dissolves the nutrients present in ‘the soil to form a solution. This solution of nutrients is then absorbed by the roots for the development of plants, ‘ = Iifustration4 : What does water logging do to a field? Solution: water logging damages the crop. Due to excessive water supply, the air in the spaces is reduced and the roots get damaged. Exercise 3:4 Elaborate on canal system of irrigation, _ WEEDING ‘i ; ther plants grow along with the crop. You know ' i neat Neo Suite annual All undesirable plants other than ‘eeding is I of weeds is. called weeding, We My af conies for water and light, thus, affecting the «produce flowers ‘from time to time. should know the o hefps in controll The best time for the removal of weeds is before they Weeds Includes uprooting, cutting close to the ground Weeding operation since it may also uproot the crop. We ‘and maturation), Since weeds are crop specific, rotation of crops. Weds ar ssn conto by using cet chanical Ale ee eae ater and sprayed in the fieid with a sprayer. The weedicides 2 £5 weeds before flowering and seed formation. The weedicides are harmful for te eLgpcliey bese human beings. These are being replaced wih chemicals called herbicides ws ae and are not harmful = illustration 5 : What is the importance of weeding? Solution: — Weeding /s important to remove weeds, ————e PROTECTION OF CROPS Pest is mages crop, The comman pests are insects, rats and birds. _Pest is an organism which damages crop. tised to protect crops from pests, These chemicals are known as pesticides. They are used to kill eggs and larval stages of insects. ike weedicides, pesticides are also sprayed on the crops, These chemicals are more effective at particular stage of life cycle of pests. Chemicals are. ere attack of pests. ‘Small aircrafts are used to spray pesticides over large areas or during epidemic or sev This is done during attack by pests like locusts and grasshopper. The spray of chemicals directly affects the health of farmers. These chemicals generally get washed down to soil and are absorbed by plants and enter the food chain. The various methods of controling the pests and save the crops from destruction are (i) By setting up scare crows in crop fields and beating of drums to scare away the birds, (i) By spraying solutions of pesticides on standing crops, and (ii) By kiling rodents (rats) inthe fields by using pesticides called rocenticides, ‘Some of the common s are (i) B.D. (Dichioto Dipheny! Trichioroethane) (i) BH.C. (Benzene Hexa Chloride) (ii) Malathion (Cova Op Sz) (iv) Copper oxychloride (%) Sulphur (wi) Zine phosphide (wi) WarfarinPUDAYA-Oue Vent-1920-11 al WOCEMT Sn Exercise 4 What is the full form of 0.0.7 and B.H.C.? a HARVESTING Fhe cutting and gathering of the matured food crop is called harvesting, The harvested graine called produce represents crop yield ‘The harvesting is done manually with the help of ordinary slokle In crops like wheat, paddy and maize or by a machine called harvester. It causes pollution as wall as damage to crops ying In the fields through i Race are advised to avord buring of crop remains, Farmers with small holding of ands 49 the Tres ftom of rain rom chaff by winnowing, In ths process, chaff being hghter to Blown away byt wind to some distance while grains fall straight on the ground due to gravity. The process of beating out the grains from the harver crop plants is called threshing. This is carried ‘out with the help of a machine called ‘combine’ which Is infact a combined harvester and thresher. In larger farms, a motorized machine called thresher | also used for the threshing proces => IMlustration7 : What is threshing? Solution: _ Itis the process of separating the grain from the cut crop. Ss Exercise 5 What is harvesting? SEES SSS STORAGE a4 should be safe from moisture, insects, rats and Storage of produce is an important task. Grains microorganisms. The farmers store both grains and chaff as fodder for their own use. However, part of the .géncies. These grains are to be transported and stored produce is sold to government as well as private a properly. These are usually stored in godowns by agencies like Food Corporation of india (FCI), and State Warehousing Corporations. Farmers store their grains in jute bags or metallic bins. However, large-scale storing of grains is done in granaries and silos to protect grain from pest like rats and insects. Humidity in these storage places is controlled to prevent growth of fungus which damages the grains, Dried Neem leaves are used for storing food grains at home. For storing large quantities of grains, specific chemical treatments are required. The total output of grains is called crop yield. = Ilustration 8 : ‘Name the government organization where crops are stored? Solution: — Food Corporation of India (FC!), and State Warehousing Corporations. ‘Megacosm Cognitions Pi. id, 67, Kalu Sora, Sorvapriya Vihar, New Deihi-110016, Email: website : www.megacosmcogniions.com