1. Crop Production and Management

Agriculture

Agriculture is the science that deals with the cultivation of plants and raising livestock for human use.

Agronomy

Study and development of techniques for improving agricultural practices.

Horticulture

Cultivation of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants.

Animal Husbandry

Rearing and Management of domesticated animals.

Crops

The same kinds of plants that are grown, cultivated and harvested in the field on a large scale for profit or livelihood.

Kharif Crops

Crops grown in the rainy season between June and September.

Examples of Kharif Crops

A few examples of Kharif Crops are paddy, cotton, soybean, jowar, bajra, groundnut, maize, etc.

Rabi Crops

Crops grown in the winter season between October and March.

Examples of Rabi Crops

A few examples of Rabi Crops are wheat, pea, gram, mustard, linseed, etc.

Zaid Crops

Crops grown in the summer season between April and June.

Examples of Zaid Crops

A few examples of Zaid Crops are watermelon, pumpkin, bottle gourd, etc.

Agricultural Practices

The various activities or tasks which a farmer performs to produce a good crop.

Agricultural Implements

A number of different tools required during the course of different agricultural practices.

Step-by-Step process of Agriculture

Preparation of Soil -> Adding Manure and Fertilizers -> Seed Selection and sowing -> Irrigation -> Protection from stray animals, birds, pests and diseases -> Harvesting, Threshing and Winnowing -> Storage.

Ploughing

The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing.

Plough

An agricultural implement made of wood, containing a plough share made of iron, attached to a wooden plough shaft.

Hoe

It is a simple tool used for removing weeds and ploughing the soil.

Cultivator

An agricultural implement equipped with shovels, blades, etc., which is used to break up soil and remove seeds.

Levelling

The process of crushing big lumps of soil present after ploughing, to ensure a flat land and prevent erosion of soil by wind or water.

Leveller

An agricultural implement used to crush big lumps of soil (called clods) that may remain in the field.

Manuring

The process of applying organic materials and adding nutrients to the soil is called manuring.

Broadcasting

The process of sowing seeds manually by sprinkling them into the soil by hand.

Seed Drill

An agricultural implement consisting of a funnel shaped opening, long tubes, attached to a plough, which ensures the proper sowing of seeds.

Nursery Bed

A place where seeds of plants like paddy, tomato and onions are sown in, to ensure disease-free growth.

Field Fallow

A method of allowing land to naturally regain the nutrients by leaving it free (or fallow) for one or more season.

Crop Rotation

A method of changing crops in each season so that the soil is not depleted of any particular nutrient.

Mixed Cropping

A method of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field, which reduces risks and gives insurance against failure of one of the crops.

Intercropping

The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field in rows.

Green Manure

Consisting of green plants, commonly leguminous plants, which are ploughed along with the ploughing of soil.

Farmyard Manure

A mixture of decomposed cattle dung (excreta and urine), left over fodder (cattle feed) and litter.

Compost

Compost is prepared by burying all available organic materials in a pit with alternating layers of soil and leaving it to rot.

Vermicompost

Vermicompost is the compost broken down by earthworms.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers are human-made chemical substances that contain one or more nutrients essential for plant growth.