Improvement in Food Resources

There is a need to introduce production efficiency of crops and livestock because

1. Rapid increase in population

2. No major scope of increasing area of land under cultivation.

Increase in food production without degrading our environment and disturbing the ecological balance i.e. Sustainable Practices are required in agriculture and animal husbandry.

Crop means plants of same origin grown together in bulk. Every crop requires different climatic conditions, while some crops grow together in one season. The climatic condition, warmth, photoperiod for growth and completion is required for different crops.

a) Kharif crops-Monsoon crops Example: paddy, soya- bean, maize, pigeon-pea, and cotton, green and black grams.

b) Rabi crops- Winter crops Example: Wheat, grams, peas, mustard, linseed and barley.

Photoperiod Photoperiod is defined as day length or 'the period of daily illumination received by an organism' and remains constant between years at any given geographic location. Based on photoperiods plants are classified into:

Long day plants - Examples: Lettuce, oat, wheat, pea etc.

Short day plants - Examples: Rice, cotton, green gram etc.

Day neutral plants – Cucumber, rose, tomatoes etc.

CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT

1. Disease resistance

2. Response to fertilizers

3. Product quality and high yield. Cultivation practices and crop yield are related to the weather, soil quality and availability of water. Varieties that can be grown in diverse climatic conditions are useful.

➢ Higher yield: For increasing the productivity per acre.

➢ Improved quality: Protein quality in pulses, oil quality in oil seeds, baking quality in wheat etc.

➢ Biotic and abiotic resistance: Biotic factors (diseases, insects and nematodes) Abiotic stresses (Drought, salinity, water logging, heat, cold and frost etc.)

➢ Change in maturity duration: The shorter the duration, the more economical is the variety. It allows multiple rounds of crops in a year. Reduce the cost of production. Enhance uniform maturity and reduces loss during harvesting.

➢ Wider adaptability: It can be grown in different climatic conditions in different areas.

➢ Desirable agronomic characteristics: Tallness and profuse branching for fodder crops. Dwarfness is desired for cereals, so that less nutrients are consumed by these crops.

Fodder crops

Fodder crops (forage crops) are specifically grown to provide food for livestock. These crops are typically grown for their leaves and stems which are used as animal feed.

Examples: Maize, corn, hay,

Crop variety improvements can be achieved by two methods:

Hybridization and genetically modified crops.

1. Hybridization In genetics, hybridization is the process of combining different varieties or species of organisms which are genetically dissimilar to creating a hybrid. It can be intervarietal, interspecific, or intergeneric. Here the crop is improved by introducing a gene that would provide desired characteristics.

CROP PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

It involves different practices carried out by farmers to achieve higher standards of crop production. It includes the following:

1. NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

2. IRRIGATION

3. CROPPING PATTERN

Nutrient management

Plants require a few nutrients for their growth and development. Plants get nutrients from air, water and soil. Nearly 16 elements are essential for plant growth and reproduction. Based on the requirement by the plants, they are further classified into macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients.

Macro-nutrients

Elements which are needed in large quantities for growth of the plants are called Macro-nutrients. They are Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulphur, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Iron.

Micro-nutrients

Elements which are needed by the plants in very small quantities are called micro-nutrients. They are Manganese, Copper, Molybdenum, Zinc, Boron and Chlorine.

• Chlorosis: Chlorosis or loss of chlorophyll leads to the yellowing of leaves. deficiencies of nitrogen, magnesium, iron, etc.

• Necrosis: Necrosis is the death of plant tissues as a result of the deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

• Delayed flowering: Delayed flowering is caused by the deficiencies of nitrogen, sulphur, and molybdenum.

• Stunted plant growth: Stunted plant growth is a result of the deficiencies of copper and sulphur. To increase the yield, the soil can be enriched by supplying these nutrients in the form of manure and fertilizers.

COMPOST AND VERMI-COMPOST

Manure is classified into two types according to the biological material used:

Composting: It is the process in which farm waste material (cow dung, domestic waste, sewage waste etc.) is decomposed in pits. Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic matter which is rich in nutrients.

Vermicomposting: It is the process which involves the use of earthworms to hasten the process of decomposition of plant and animal refuse.

GREEN MANURE

Leguminous plants like Sunn-hemp or Cluster Bean are grown and then mulched by ploughing them back into the soil. This helps in enriching the soil with Nitrogen and Phosphorous. Example: Sun hemp, guar, mustard, clover etc.

Advantages

Deep soil loosening.

Suppresses weeds and protects the soil from silting and erosion.

Strengthens the soil surface and shades it at the same time.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of microorganisms and plants like Water Hyacinth, algae, etc. that may deplete the water of oxygen level in the water.

The excess fertilizer is washed away into the ponds, lakes, canals and rivers, resulting in the growth of unwanted plants like These plants disturb the water bodies and the flow of water. Eutrophication leads to decrease in biodiversity due to death of organisms, an increase in toxicity of the water body, and a change in species dominance.

ORGANIC FARMING

It’s a farming system in which the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc. are reduced. It involves the use of the following components:

a) Organic manure

b) Recycled farm waste

c) Bio-agents such as culture of blue green algae in preparation of bio fertilizers.

d) Bio pesticides such as leaves of neem or turmeric for grain storage.

e) Healthy cropping patterns such as mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation which will also help in controlling growth of weed, pest and insects.

SOURCE OF IRRIGATION

➢ Wells

➢ Canals

➢ River Lift Systems

➢ Tanks

➢ Rainwater harvesting

➢ Watershed management