Crop Production & Management

Q. Food Crops has to be produced on a large scale. Why?

A. In order to provide food for a large population— regular production, proper management and distribution
is necessary.

Q. What are Crops and their types?

A. When plants of the same kind are grown and cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop.
Based on life span, crops are classified as:
Annuals: Complete their life cycle in one year or one season. Examples: Wheat, pea
Biennials: Complete their life cycle in two years or two seasons. Examples: Carrot, radish
Perennials: Live for several years. Examples: Ginger, pine

Based on season of cultivation, crops are classified as:

Kharif crops: Grown in rainy (summer) season from June to September. Examples: Rice, maize
Rabi crops: Grown in winter season from October to March. Examples: Wheat, gram

Based on use, crops are classified as:

Food crops: Grown to fulfil the basic food requirements. Examples: Cereals, pulses
Cash crops: Grown for commercial purposes. Examples: Tea, rubber

Q. What is Agriculture?
A. Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating soil, producing crops, rearing animals for food and other useful
products. Cultivation of crops involves several activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time. These activities
or tasks are referred to as agricultural practices. (i) Preparation of soil
(ii) Sowing
(iii) Adding manure and fertilisers
(iv) Irrigation
(v) Protecting from weeds
(vi) Harvesting
(vii) Storage

Agricultural Implements: The tools required for agricultural practices.

• Plough
• Hoe
• Cultivator
• Seed drill

Q. Explain Preparation of Soil?

A. It is the process of breaking, loosening and turning the soil over for uprooting weeds and aerating the soil.
Ploughing: The process of loosening and turning of the soil is called tilling or ploughing. This is done by using a
plough. Ploughs are made of wood or iron. If the soil is very dry, it may need watering before ploughing.
Benefits of ploughing: • Brings fresh nutrients to the surface.
• Loosens soil so that roots can penetrate easily and aerating the soil.
• Soil is able to hold more moisture.
• Weeds are removed.

Levelling: The ploughed field may have big pieces of soil called crumbs. It is necessary to break these crumbs so
that the field is levelled for sowing as well as for irrigation purposes. Levelling is done with the help of a leveller.
Advantages of levelling: • Helps in uniform distribution of water during irrigation.
• Prevents top soil from being carried away.
• Prevents loss of moisture and nutrients.

Harrowing: It is a method to destroy upcoming weeds. It is done by using a blade harrow or spike tooth harrow.

Q. Write Short notes on:

Plough: It is a T-shaped instrument made of either wood or metal. One of the arms of the iron plough which is wedge
shaped penetrates the soil. A plough is generally drawn by a pair of bullocks or horses by using a yoke.
 Hoe: A hoe is used to remove weeds as well as loosen the soil. A strong, broad and bent plate made of iron is fixed
at one end of the hoe which acts like a blade. The hoe is also pulled by animals.

Cultivator: A cultivator is a tractor-driven agricultural implement used for ploughing. It has many ploughshares
which can dig into a considerable area of soil and at the same time, loosen it and turn it.

Q. Explain Seed Selection?

A. Before the seeds are sown; Seed selection is done to separate healthy seeds from damaged seeds. It can also be used
to maintain and improve the quality of the crop variety.

Q. Explain sowing of Seeds?

A. The process of adding or placing seeds into the soil for growing crop plants is called sowing.
The Precautions for Sowing Seeds: • Seeds should be sown at the right depth in the soil, suitable for germination.
• Seeds should be sown at right intervals or spacing in the field.
• Seeds should not be sown in dry soil or in highly wet soil.

Q. Explain the processes involved in sowing of seeds?

A. Broadcasting: It is the process of manually scattering seeds in the field. This method results in non-uniform
distribution of seeds and hence, affects productivity.
Seed Drilling: It is the process of sowing seeds at a uniform distance by using a seed drill. A seed drill is made of
iron, in which seeds are put into the funnel which is fitted at the back of the plough. As the plough moves, it
cuts a hole into the soil, and the seeds move from the funnel into the hole to be placed into the soil.
Advantages of seed drill • Seeds are sown at the correct depth and at correct intervals
• Seeds cannot be picked up and eaten by birds

Q. What is Transplantation?
A. The process of transferring seedlings from the nursery to the main field is called transplantation. To produce new
varieties, seeds are first allowed to germinate in a nursery. When young seedlings are developed, they are planted in
the field. It is done mainly in case of paddy crop.
Advantages of transplantation • Helps farmers to select better and healthy seedlings.
• Allows better penetration of roots in the soil.
• Promotes better development of roots and shoots.
• Enables farmers to plant seedlings at uniform distance.

Q. Why are Adding of Manure and Fertilisers necessary for plants?

A. Plants require minerals for growth and they continuously extract them from the soil. The deficiency of plant nutrients
and organic matter in the soil is made up by adding manure and fertilisers to the soil. Plants require macro nutrients
such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) as well as micro nutrients such as calcium (Ca), Magnesium
(Mg).

Q. Differentiate Manure & fertilizers?

Manure Fertiliser
Natural substance obtained from organic matter Inorganic substances or compounds
Less rich in plant nutrients Rich in plant nutrients such as N, P, K
Can be prepared in fields Manufactured in factories

Q. Write short notes on:

Manure: Dead and decaying vegetable matter, waste from farms, household waste, excreta of animals, form manure.
Manure mainly contains nitrogenous compounds.
Compost: It is formed by decomposition of vegetable and animal wastes. Organic substances are decomposed by
bacteria and are converted into humus. Sometimes worms such as earthworms are employed to hasten the process
of composting, known as vermi-composting.
Green Manure: Farmers grow certain crops which are ploughed back into the soil. In the soil, the plants or the plant
remains decompose and hence increase the soil humus content, increasing their fertility.
Crop Rotation: Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops each season in a particular field. For example,
when a cereal crop such as maize is grown first, it takes away a lot of nitrogen from the soil for its growth and
makes the soil nitrogen deficient. When leguminous crops such as pulses are grown in the same field, the crops
with nitrogen-fixing bacteria enrich the soil with nitrogen compounds and increase its fertility.
Organic Farming: Organic farming is a kind of farming in which crops are grown without using chemical fertilisers
and pesticides. Food grown by organic farming is called organic food.
Q. Give advantages & Disadvantages of using natural manure & chemical fertilizers?
A. Advantages of Natural Manure: • Increase the water-holding capacity of soil.
• Make the soil porous.
• Improve soil texture.
• Increase the number of useful microbes in the soil.
Disadvantages of Natural Manure: • Inconvenient to store and transport
• Not nutrient-specific

Advantages of Chemical Fertilisers: • They are used to fertilise a larger area at a time
• Nutrient-specific such as ammonia, urea or phosphates
• Have plant nutrients in concentrated form, thus provide quick
replenishment of soil nutrients
• Highly soluble in water & Easily absorbed by plants
• Easy to store, transport and handle
Disadvantages of Chemical Fertilisers: • Reduces fertility of the soil in the prolonged use
• Changes the chemical nature of the soil
• May cause water pollution through runoff

Q. Explain Irrigation and its need?

A. Irrigation is the process of supplying water to crop fields through canals, wells, reservoirs, tube wells etc.
Need for Irrigation: • To make the soil soft due to which ploughing of fields can become easier
• To provide moisture for germination of seeds
• To maintain the moisture of soil for healthy crop growth

Q. Explain the Methods of Irrigation?

A. Traditional methods of Irrigation
Canal Irrigation: In India, irrigation of extensive areas is carried out by canals. The main canal receives water from
different sources such as reservoirs or rivers and branches further for irrigation.
Pulley System: The pulley system along with a rope and a bucket is known as a moat. Water is lifted out from the
well by using a bucket attached to a rope which passes over the pulley. The rope is either pulled by man or by
animals.
Persian wheel (Rahat system): A Persian wheel consists of a large wooden wheel with several buckets arranged on
its outer rim. The whole arrangement is submerged in an open well.
Swing basket method: The swing basket is an ancient water lifting device. Two people stand facing each other and
swing the basket to fill in water. The basket is raised and water is discharged in the crop field.

Modern Methods of Irrigation

Sprinkler System: This system is more useful on the uneven land where sufficient water is not available. The
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 escapes from the rotating
nozzles. It gets sprinkled on the crop as if it is raining. Sprinkler is very useful for sandy soil.
Drip system: In this system, the water falls drop by drop just at the position of the roots. So it is called drip system.
It is the best technique for watering fruit plants, gardens and trees.

Q. What are Weeds? How are they Removed?

A. Wild and undesirable plants which grow in crop fields and compete with crops for space, soil, nutrients, water and
sunlight are called weeds. Amaranthus (Chaulai), Chenopodium (Bathua), wild oat (Javi) and grass are examples of
weeds. Weeds are harmful as they compete with crops for availability of resources and can be responsible for
spreading diseases.
Weeding is the process of removal of weeds.
✓ Weeds can be removed from crop fields by pulling them out with hands.
✓ Weeds can be removed by digging or cutting them from close to the ground from time to time with
implements such as a trowel, harrow and hoe.
✓ Weeding is also done by Spraying weedicides such as MCPA and Butachlor on the standing crops.

Q. What is Harvesting?
A. HARVESTING is the cutting and gathering of mature crops. THRESHING is the process of beating grains from stems.
WINNOWING is the process of separating grains from the chaff.
A combine harvester is a machine/tool used in commercial farming where the processes of harvesting, threshing
and winnowing all occur in a sequence.
Special festivals associated with the harvest seasons are: • Pongal,
• Baishakhi
• Nabanya
• Bihu.

Q. Explain storage of Crops?

A. Protection of crops against microorganisms, rodents, pests and moisture is done by drying in sun and exposing to
fumes. Harvested grains should be protected from moisture as moisture promotes microbial growth.
➢ Silos are huge, air-tight cylindrical structures used to store grains.
➢ Granaries are large rooms built above ground level to prevent rodents and pests from getting near the grains.
➢ Buffer stocks are stored in godowns to meet emergency needs in natural calamities etc.

Q. What is animal Husbandry?

A. Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture which deals with feeding, shelter, caring and breeding of domesticated
animals. It includes dairy farming, poultry farming, pisciculture, sericulture, apiculture, piggery etc.

Q. Why paddy cannot be grown in the winter season?

A. Paddy requires a lot of water. Therefore, it is grown only in the rainy season.

Q. What are weedicides?

A. Weeds are also controlled by using certain chemicals, called weedicides [eg: 2,4-D]. These are sprayed in the fields
to kill the weeds. They do not damage the crops. The weedicides are diluted with water to the extent required and
sprayed in the fields. The weedicides are sprayed during the vegetative growth of weeds before flowering and seed
formation. Spraying of weedicides may affect the health of farmers. So, they should use these chemicals very
carefully.