Crop Production and Management

Agriculture

  • Branch of science for farming, cultivation for crops, and rearing animals for human use.

  • Agriculture started approximately 12,000 years ago.

Crops

  • Single type of plant grown on a large scale.

  • Examples: cereals, vegetables and fruits.

  • Classified based on growing season: Kharif and Rabi.

Kharif Crops

  • Planted during rainy season(June-September), harvested after monsoon (September-October).

  • Examples: maize, cotton, paddy, groundnut, ragi and soybean.

Rabi Crops

  • Planted during winter (October-December), harvested in March or April.

  • Examples: wheat, pea, linseed, gram and mustard.

Agricultural Practices

  • Activities by farmers to produce crops.

Steps

  1. Preparation of soil

  2. Sowing

  3. Adding manure and fertilizers

  4. Irrigation

  5. Protecting from weeds

  6. Harvesting

  7. Storage

Preparation of Soil

  • Loosening and turning of soil called tilling or ploughing.

  • Tilled soil should be levelled using leveller.

  • Tools: Plough, hoe and cultivator.

Seed Selection and Sowing

  • Select good quality, disease-free and healthy seeds.

  • Traditional seed drill: funnel shaped tool; seeds delivered down pipes.

  • Modern seed drill: tractor operated; saves time and labor.

  • Seeds sown at equal distance and appropriate depth using seed drills.

  • Healthy seeds sink in water; unhealthy seeds float.

  • Seeds can be treated with fungicide solutions before planting.

Manuring

  • Process of replenishing soil with nutrients.

Manure

  • Organic material from dead plants and animal debris.

  • Provides organic nutrients such as humus to the soil.

  • Improves soil texture.

Fertilizers

  • Chemical substances containing a high concentration of inorganic nutrients.

  • Examples: urea, potash, ammonium sulphate, and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).

  • Water-soluble and readily absorbed by plants.

  • Excessive use leads to water pollution.

Crop Rotation

  • Growing legumes in one season and another crop in the next.

  • Leguminous crops replenish nitrogen naturally.

Mixed Cropping

  • Growing more than on type of crop in the same field at the same time.

Irrigation

  • Supplying water to crops at regular intervals.

  • Sources: lakes, canals, rivers, ponds, tube well and wells.

  • Traditional irrigation systems: moat, dhekli, rahat and chain pump. Not as efficient as modern techniques.

  • Modern methods: drip irrigation, sprinkler system.

Drip Irrigation

  • Water delivered to the roots drop by drop.

  • Increases efficiency of water use; reduces wastage.

Sprinkler System

  • Water sprinkled on crops from revolving nozzles.

  • Useful on uneven terrain where there is shortage of water.

Protection of Crops

  • Maintaining and safeguarding crops from weeds, pests and diseases.

Weeding

  • Removal of weeds from the field.

  • Weeds compete for water and minerals.

  • Removed manually or using tools like trowel or harrow.

  • Weedicides or herbicides used, but care should be taken as it can harm the farmer's health.

Protection from Pests and Diseases

  • Pests damage crop. Controlled use of chemical called pesticides and insecticides.

  • Fungi, bacteria or viruses also damage plants; controlled using fungicide.

Harvesting, Threshing and Winnowing

  • Crops are cut and gathered: harvesting.

  • Grains are separated: threshing.

  • Separating grains from chaff: winnowing.

Storage

  • Harvested grains have moisture, which needs to dry in the sun before storage.

  • Stored in jute sacks or metallic bins.

  • On a large scale: silos or granaries.

Improving Crop Production

  • Boost food grain production.

  • Improvement in agricultural practices.

    • Modern agricultural implements.

    • Better irrigation facilities.

    • Proper use of fertilizers and manure.

    • Better pest control methods.

    • Training farmers on new techniques

Plant Breeding

  • Improve the quality and production of crops.

  • Selecting plants with desired characteristics for propagation.

Hybridisation

  • Developing new crop varieties by crossbreeding two different types of crops.

  • Kalyan Sona and Sonalika are the hybrid wheat varieties of India.

Nitrogen Cycle

  • Nitrogen is fixed, used by plants and animals, and returned to the atmosphere.

  • Nitrogen Fixation: N2 to NH3

  • Ammonification: Organic Nitrogen to NH_3

  • Assimilation: NO_3 absorbed by plants.

  • Denitrification: NO3 to N2

Food from Animals

  • Animal husbandry: breeding, feeding and care of animals to produce food and other products.

  • Pisciculture: breeding and rearing of fish for food.

  • Apiculture: The rearing of honeybees to obtain honey.

  • Aquaculture: raising freshwater prawns or shrimp for human consumption.