Crop Production and Management Class 8 Notes Science Chapter 1 Free PDF

30/03/2024, 12:38 Crop Production and Management Class 8 Notes Science Chapter 1 Free PDF
Chapter Notes: Crop Production and Management

Many individuals are moving to urban areas with the desire for a more comfortable lifestyle filled
with modern technology and convenient food options. Unfortunately, they have neglected the
fundamental source of their existence: the land that produces the crops that sustain us. It is
crucial to educate ourselves on the cultivation of crops and their significance in order to fully
appreciate the purpose of our daily efforts, which is to provide ourselves with nourishment.
What is a Crop?
Plants of the same kind that are grown and cultivated as a source of food in a large
cultivable land is called a crop.
Examples : Wheat, Rice, Corn, Soybeans etc.
Wheat Crop
Agricultural Practices
People in the past ate raw fruits and vegetables and started hunting animals for food. Later,
they could cultivate land and produce rice, wheat and other food crops. Thus, was born
‘Agriculture’.
So, as we know that when the same kinds of plants are grown at one place on a large
scale, it is called a 'Crop'.
https://edurev.in/t/74539/Crop-Production-and-Management-Class-8-Notes-Science-Chapter-1 1/21
Different types of crops like cereals, vegetables and fruits etc., can be classified on the
basis of the season in which they grow.
Crops Grown in a Field
India is a vast country. Here climatic conditions like temperature, humidity and rainfall
vary from one region to another. Hence, a rich variety of crops can be grown in different
parts of India. So, we are lucky to be here.
Despite this diversity, two broad cropping patterns can be identified:

1. Kharif Crops: Plants that are planted during the rainy season are called Kharif crops. The rainy
season in India is generally from June to September.
Examples: Paddy, Maize, Soybean, Groundnut, Cotton, etc.
Kharif Crops
2. Rabi Crops: Crops that are grown in the winter season are called rabi crops. Their time period
is generally from October to March.
Examples: Wheat, Gram, Pea, Mustard and Linseed
Image caption
Try yourself: Which of the following is not an example of kharif crop?
a. maize
b. bajra
c. soyabean
d. wheat
View Solution
Basic Practices of Crop Production
The several activities undertaken by the farmers for the cultivation of crops over a period
of time are referred to as agricultural practices.
1. Preparation of Soil
One of the most important tasks in agriculture is to turn the soil and loosen it. The top
layer of soil supports plant growth and is rich in nutrients.
The loose soil allows the roots to penetrate and breathe easily, even when they go deep
into the soil. The loosened soil helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes present
in the soil.
Preparation of Soil
The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing. This is done by
using a plough that is made of wood or iron.
If the soil is very dry, it may need watering before ploughing. The ploughed field may have big
pieces of soil called crumbs. It is necessary to break these crumbs with a plank. The field is
levelled by a leveller for sowing as well as for irrigation purposes.
Agricultural Implements
Plough:
A plough is a device that is used by farmers for different purposes such as adding fertilizers,
tilling, and loosening the soil.
A Traditional Wooden Plough
It is also used for adding fertilizers to the soil, removing weeds, scraping of soil, etc.
The ploughshare is the triangular iron strip.
A plough shaft is the main part of the plough, which is made using a log of wood.
The other end of the shaft has a handle.
The other end is attached to a beam that is placed on the bull’s necks.
A wooden, traditional plough can be operated by a pair of an ox and a man.
Nowadays these wooden ploughs are being replaced by iron ploughs.
Hoe:
A hoe is a tool that is used to dig up soil to remove weeds and also loosen up the soil before
planting a sapling.
Cultivator:
A cultivator is attached to the tractor and helps in loosening soil.
Cultivators are used instead of ploughs since they are faster.
Try yourself: The process of loosening and turning of the soil is called
a. tilling or ploughing
b. harvesting
c. spraying
d. weeding
View Solution
2. Sowing
Sowing is the most important part of crop production. Before sowing, good-quality seeds
are selected. These are clean and healthy seeds of a good variety.
Farmers prefer to use seeds that give a high yield.

Before sowing, one of the important tasks is to know about the tools used for sowing seeds:
(a) Traditional Tool: It is the tool-shaped liked funnel used traditionally for sowing seeds. The
seeds are filled into the funnel, passed down through two or three pipes having sharp ends. These
ends pierce into the soil and place seeds there.
Traditional Tool
(b) Seed Drill: Nowadays, the seed drill is used for sowing with the help of tractors. With the help
of this tool sows the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. It ensures that seeds get
covered by the soil after sowing and prevents damage caused by birds. It saves time and labor.
Seed Drill
Point to Remember:
How to separate damaged seeds from healthy seeds?
Put the seeds in water. Damaged seeds are hollow and lighter and thus, float on water.
Good and healthy seeds sink in water and settle down.
While sowing seeds, it is essential to make sure that:

(a) Seeds are healthy and of high quality.
(b) They are planted at the correct distance from each other so that they can get proper light,
water, and nutrients from the soil.

(c) They must be sown deep enough to protect them from animals and birds (which might eat
them) and wind (which might blow them away) but not so deep that they may not get enough air
to germinate.
3. Adding Manure and Fertilizers

When crop after the crop is grown in the same field, the soil becomes poor in certain
nutrients.
Manure and fertilizers are added to the soil to replenish it with nutrients to ensure the
healthy growth of plants. Fertilizers are chemicals used to add minerals like potassium,
phosphorus and nitrates to the soil.
Manure can be of various types such as:

(a) Natural Organic Manure
This includes raw manure, compost, and green manure:
(i) Raw manure is a mixture of cattle and domestic waste.
(ii) Compost is well-rotted plant and animal residue.
(iii) Green Manure are crops grown in the field as the pure crop or as an intercrop between the
main crops and then, buried in the field to enrich the soil.
Organic Manure
(b) Biofertilizers: These are the nitrogen-fixing organisms that are widely used in organic
farming and make agriculture sustainable. These include Rhizobium, Azotobacter, blue-green
algae.
(c) Vermi-Compost: It is a type of compost that is made using earthworms.
Vermi-Compost
Three methods of replenishing the soil with nutrients are:

(i) Adding organic manure to the soil.
(ii) Adding chemical fertilizers to the soil.
(iii) Leaving the field uncultivated (or fallow) between two crops and Crop rotation, in which
different crops are grown alternately to allow the soil to replenish with different nutrients.
Try yourself: What is the purpose of tilling or ploughing the soil before crop cultivation?
a. To add fertilizers to the soil
b. To break big pieces of soil called crumbs
c. To level the field for sowing and irrigation
d. To remove weeds from the soil
View Solution
Pros and Cons of using Fertilizers

Pros: They are chemicals, rich in particular nutrients and help farmers get a better yield of crops
like wheat, paddy and maize.
Cons: They make the soil less fertile and also cause water pollution.
Ques. Why is Manure better than Fertilizers?
Ans. Organic Manure is better than Fertilizers because:
It adds humus to the soil and increases its water holding capacity.
Improves soil texture.
Makes soil porous which makes the exchange of gases easier.
Increases the number of friendly microbes.
Table: Difference between Manure and Fertilizers:
4. Irrigation
Water is important for the proper growth and development of plants.
Water is essential because the germination of seeds does not take place under dry
conditions. Nutrients dissolved in the water get transported to each part of the plant.
Water also protects the crop from both frost and hot air currents. The supply of water to
crops at different intervals is called irrigation.
It’s not a good idea to depend on rain for water as it is not fully reliable. A proper
irrigation system will ensure timely and adequate water for crops. This will lead to more
yield.
Try yourself: What is the disadvantage of using Fertilisers?
a. It makes the soil porous
b. It is very costly
c. They increase the water holding capacity of the soil.
d. They improve soil texture.
View Solution
Sources of Irrigation: Wells, Tube wells, Ponds, Lakes, Rivers, Dams, and Canals.
Tube Well
Traditional Methods of Irrigation

The water available in wells, lakes, and canals is lifted up by different methods in different
regions, for taking it to the fields. Here various traditional methods are:
Modern Methods of Irrigation

Sprinkler System: In this system, perpendicular pipes, having rotating nozzles on top, are
joined to the main pipeline at regular intervals. When water is allowed to flow through the
main pipe under pressure with the help of a pump, it sprinkles from the rotating nozzles.
It gets sprinkled on the crop as if it is raining.
Sprinkler System
Drip system: In this system, the water falls drop by drop just at the position of the roots. So
it is called the drip system.
Drip System
Try yourself: In today’s world, where water is a scarce resource, which among the
following irrigation methods is most feasible and sustainable?
a. Sprinkler system
b. Drip system
c. Tube well
d. Chain pump
View Solution
5. Protection from Weeds

Weeds are undesirable plants that may grow naturally along with the crop in the field.
The removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeding is necessary because they affect the
growth of the crop by competing with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space and
light.
Weed Control
Farmers use many ways to remove weeds and control their growth. Tilling before
sowing of crops helps in uprooting and killing of weeds, which may then dry up and get
mixed with the soil.
Removal of Weeds
The best time for the removal of weeds is before they produce flowers and seeds. The
manual removal includes the physical removal of weeds by uprooting or cutting them
close to the ground, from time to time with the help of a khurpi.
Weeds are also controlled by spraying certain chemicals called weedicides, in the fields
to kill the weeds. They do not damage the crops.
6. Harvesting
Cutting down a crop once it has reached maturity or once the crop has ripened is called
Harvesting.
A sickle has a sharp serrated-edged metal blade attached to a wooden handle. A sickle is
used for cutting the crop. A harvester is a machine that helps to cut the ripened crop
from the fields.
Harvesting
Threshing is the process of separating the grains from the straw and chaff. A thresher is
used for threshing.
A combine is a combination of a thresher and a harvester.
Winnowing is a process in which we allow natural wind to blow through the grains, so
the lighter substances fly away, whereas the heavier grains fall to the ground. The fan in
a winnowing machine blows away the chaff.
Winnowing
Try yourself: The process of separation of grain from the chaff after harvesting is known as
a. tilling
b. threshing
c. spraying
d. weeding
View Solution
7. Storage
Precautions to be taken during storage of food grains are:
Grains should be dried properly, or they might rot easily.
They should be stored in completely dry gunny bags.
The bags should be kept in a place that is completely moisture-free.
Storage areas should be well-ventilated.
In larger godowns, care should be taken that chemicals used to repel or kill insects and
rats do not contaminate food grains.
Ques. How are grains protected from pests, bacteria, and fungi?
Grains (seeds) are dried in the sun to reduce their moisture.

On small scale, grains are stored in jute bags or metallic bins.
On large scale, they are kept in silos and granaries.
Dried neem leaves are used at home to protect food grains.
In big godowns, chemical treatments are done to protect the large quantities of
grain.
Granaries
Granaries are the place where freshly obtained food grains are stored.
Granary
Food from Animals

Animal husbandry is the management and care of farm animals for milk, egg, or meat.
Animal Husbandry
Animal husbandry has been practised for thousands of years since the first
domestication of animals.
Humans are dependent on animals in innumerable ways. The animals are domesticated
by humans for many purposes.
Try yourself: What is the purpose of the sprinkler system in irrigation?
a. To remove weeds from the fields.
b. To harvest the crops.
c. To provide water to the crops as if it is raining.
d. To store food grains properly.
View Solution
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1. What do you mean by the term crop? Explain briefly the types of crops.
Ans: Crop is the term used to describe a plant that is grown in a field on a large scale. For
example, cereal crops, pulses, and fruit crops.
The crops grown in India can be classified as kharif and rabi.
Kharif crops are sown in the rainy season by June/July and are harvested by
September/October.
Thus, they are also known as summer season crops. For example, rice, maize, etc.
Rabi crops are sown in the winter season in October or November and are harvested by
March/April. Thus, they are also called winter season crops. For example, mustard, wheat,
potato, etc.
Q.2. What is irrigation? Name the two main methods of irrigation and define them briefly.
Ans: The artificial method of watering the plants for assisting in the growth of the plants is called
irrigation. The two main methods of irrigation are:
Traditional method: The traditional method of irrigation is very less expensive and they
often lead to wastage of water. The traditional method of irrigation involves a chain pump,
dhekli, moat (the pulley system), and rahat (lever system).
Modern method: Modern methods of irrigation are more inclined towards the use of diesel,
bio¬gas, solar energy, and electricity for lifting water.
The two most important modern systems of irrigation are: Sprinkler irrigation system & Drip
irrigation system
Q.3. Write a short note on the terms:

Ans:
Storage: Storage of produce is an important task. If the crop grains are to be kept for a
longer time, they should be safe from moisture, insects, rats, and microorganisms. Before
storing, the grains are properly dried in the sun to reduce the moisture in them. This prevents
the attack by insect pests, bacteria, and fungi. Grains are stored by farmers in jute bags or
metallic bins. However, large-scale storage of grains is done in silos and granaries to protect
them from pests like rats and insects.
Harvesting: After the maturation of crop, harvesting is an important task. In harvesting,

crops are pulled out or cut close to the ground. It usually takes 3 to 4 months for a cereal crop
to mature. Harvesting in our country is either done manually by sickle or by a machine called
harvester.

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30/03/2024, 12:38 Crop Production and Management Class 8 Notes Science Chapter 1 Free PDF

Chapter Notes: Crop Production and Management

Examples : Wheat, Rice, Corn, Soybeans etc.

Crops Grown in a Field

Despite this diversity, two broad cropping patterns can be identified:

Try yourself: Which of the following is not an example of kharif crop?

Basic Practices of Crop Production

A Traditional Wooden Plough

Cultivators are used instead of ploughs since they are faster.

Farmers prefer to use seeds that give a high yield.

While sowing seeds, it is essential to make sure that:

water, and nutrients from the soil.

3. Adding Manure and Fertilizers

Manure can be of various types such as:

(c) Vermi-Compost: It is a type of compost that is made using earthworms.

Three methods of replenishing the soil with nutrients are:

a. To add fertilizers to the soil

b. To break big pieces of soil called crumbs

c. To level the field for sowing and irrigation

d. To remove weeds from the soil

Pros and Cons of using Fertilizers

Table: Difference between Manure and Fertilizers:

Try yourself: What is the disadvantage of using Fertilisers?

a. It makes the soil porous

c. They increase the water holding capacity of the soil.

d. They improve soil texture.

Traditional Methods of Irrigation

Modern Methods of Irrigation

5. Protection from Weeds

Grains (seeds) are dried in the sun to reduce their moisture.

Food from Animals

Try yourself: What is the purpose of the sprinkler system in irrigation?

a. To remove weeds from the fields.

b. To harvest the crops.

c. To provide water to the crops as if it is raining.

d. To store food grains properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.3. Write a short note on the terms:

Harvesting: After the maturation of crop, harvesting is an important task. In harvesting,

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