CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
CROP:
Growing & cultivation of plants of the same kind at one place on large scale is called a crop. For example, crop of wheat means that all the plants grown in a field are that of wheat.
KHARIP CROP:
The crops which are sown in the rainy season and harvested during autumn are called Kharif crops.
RABI CROP:
The crops which are sown in the winter and harvested in spring season are called Rabi crops.
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES:
The activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time are referred to as agricultural practices.
TILLING/PLOUGHING:
This process of turning and loosening the soil is called tilling or ploughing.
CRUMBS:
The big pieces of soil present in the ploughed land are called crumbs.
PULVERISATION: The breaking down of crumbs with the help of plank is called pulverization.
PLOUGH:
A traditional agricultural implement used for tilling the soil, adding fertilizers to the crops, removing the weeds, scraping of soil etc.
PLOUGHSHARE:
The strong triangular iron strip contained in a plough is called ploughshare.
PLOUGHSHAFT:
A long log of wood, attached to a beam which is placed on the bulls’ necks is called plough shaft.
HOE:
A simple tool which is used for removing weeds and for loosening the soil.
CULTIVATOR:
An agricultural tool which is driven by the tractor for ploughing is called a cultivator.
COMBINE:
An agricultural machine which is the combination of both a thresher and a harvester.
SEED DRILL:
A sowing machine which shows the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths.
MANURE & FERTILISERS:
The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for the healthy growth of plants are called Manure and fertilizers.
MANURING:
The process of adding manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients is called manuring.
RHIZOBIUM:
Bacteria which are present in the nodules of the roots of leguminous plants and fix the atmospheric nitrogen.
IRRIGATION:
The supply of water to the crop at different intervals is called irrigation.
WEEDS:
The undesirable plants which may grow naturally along with the crop are called weeds.
WEEDING:
The removal of weeds is called weeding.
WEEDICIDES:
Certain chemicals like 2,3-D etc. which are used for the killing or controlling of weeds are called weedicides.
HARVESTING:
The cutting of crops after it is mature is called harvesting.
THRESHING:
The process of separation of grain seeds from the chaff is referred to as threshing.
WINNOWING:
The process of separation of grain from husk and hay with the help of wind is called winnowing.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY:
The study of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and service is called animal husbandry. Four factors of animal husbandry are feeding, heeding, breeding and weeding.
NURSERY: For transplantation, seeds are first sown in a smaller seed bed called nursery.
TRANSPLANTATION: The process of removing the seedlings from the nursery bed and planting them in the field is called transplantation.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER
Q.1. Why do we need food?
A. We need foods because it contains nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that our body needs to perform various life processes like respiration, growth, repair and replacement of damaged body cells or tissues, excretion, reproduction and response to stimuli etc. Our body requires a continuous supply of energy and materials which are obtained from these nutrients. Hence, we are in great need of food.
Q.2. How can food be provided to a large population?
A. Food can be provided to a large population by regular production, proper management and distribution of food.
Q.3. What is a crop?
A. When a large number of plants of the same kind are grown at one place on large scale it is called a crop. For example, if wheat is grown at one place on large scale it is called crop.
Q.4. How crops are classified?
A. Factors or climatic conditions like temperature, humidity and rainfall and types of soil etc, determine which crops can be grown in a particular area. The sequence in which crops are grown in an area within a year is called cropping pattern. On the basis of season in which the crops grow in an area, cropping patterns are divided into to categories. They are
1. Kharif Crop: In Arabic ‘Kharif’ means autumn. The crops which are sown in the rainy season with the beginning of monsoon and harvested during autumn are called Kharif crops. Rainy season in India is generally from June to September. Kharif crops are also known as summer or Monsoon crops. Paddy, maize, soyabean, groundnut, cotton, millets (bajra and jowar) and sugar cane etc are Kharif crops. These crops require plenty of water and hence are grown only in rainy season. If these crops are grown in winter season, they may not survive because of want of water.
2. Rabi Crops: In Arabic ‘Rabi’ means spring. The crops which are sown in the winter season and harvested during the spring are called Rabi crops. These are also known as winter crops. Winter season in India is generally from October to March. Wheat, gram, pea, mustard, barley and linseed etc are Rabi crops. These crops require less water and hence are grown only in winter season. If these crops are grown in rainy season, they may not survive because of excessive water.
Q.5. What are agricultural practices?
A. The basic activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time are referred to as agricultural practices. These activities are
1. Preparation of soil
2. Sowing
3. Adding manure and fertilizers
4. Irrigation
5. Protecting from weeds
6. Harvesting
7. Storage
Q.6. Preparation of soil.
A. The preparation of soil is the first step before growing a crop. One of the most important activities in agriculture is to turn the soil and loosen it. This process of turning and loosening the soil is called tilling or ploughing. This is done by using agricultural implements like plough or hoe or tractor driven cultivator.
The usefulness of tilling or ploughing
1. Tilling or ploughing allows the roots not only to penetrate deep inside the soil but also to breathe easily even deep inside the soil because loosened soil has enough space in which air is trapped.
2. It also increases the water retaining capacity of the soil.
3. It also helps the growth of the earth worms and microbes which further turn and loosen the soil and add humus.
4. It gives a good texture to the soil and allows more air to circulate through the soil by increasing the air space
5. The nutrients present in the dead plants and animals are released back into soil by decomposition by these soil organisms and are again absorbed by plants.
6. As only a few centimeters of the top soil support plant growth, turning and loosening of the soil brings the nutrient-rich soil to the top so that plants can use these nutrients.
7. The manure gets mixed properly with the soil.
The big pieces of soil called crumbs are required to be broken with the help of plank. This process is called pulverization. Then the soil is leveled with the help of leveler and made ready for sowing. Hence, preparation of soil plays a great role for cultivation. The yield becomes less if the preparation of soil is not proper. So there is a great need of good preparation of soil as “well begun is half done”.
Q.7. Sowing.
A. Sowing is the most important part of cultivation. Before sowing, selection of clean and healthy high-breed or high yield seeds is important. Healthy seeds are separated from damaged seeds by floatation method. The healthy seeds which sink in water are separated from the damaged ones which float on water. The separated healthy seeds are then treated with fungicides. Then they are sown uniformly at proper distances and depths. An appropriate distance between the seeds is important to avoid overcrowding of plants. It allows plants to get sufficient sunlight, nutrients and water from the soil otherwise there will be a competition among the seedlings for space, water, nutrients and sunlight. Sometimes a few plants have to be removed to prevent overcrowding. Hence, now-a-days traditional sowing tools are replaced with seed drills which sow the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. After sowing, the seeds need to be covered by the soil to prevent damage caused by the birds.
Some of the methods of sowing are:
a) Broadcasting: This is traditional method of sowing seeds. In this method, the seeds are thrown (scattered) with force in a particular direction by hand.
b) Drilling: In this method seeds are sown uniformly at proper distances and depths with the help of a machine called Seed Drill.
c) Planting: Generally, crops which need a wide spacing and whose seeds are big are sown manually. This method is called planting. Maize, Kidney beans, potato, sugar cane are sown in this method.
d) Transplantation: The process of removing the seedlings from the nursery bed and planting them in the field is called transplantation. The seedlings which have healthy leaves are transplanted.
Q.8. Adding manure and fertilizers.
A. The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for the healthy growth of plants are called Manure and fertilizers. Soil supplies mineral nutrients to the crop. These nutrients are essential for the growth of plants. Continuous growing of crops in the same field without leaving it uncultivated or fallow, makes the soil deficient in certain nutrients. Therefore, farmers have to add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients. This process is called manuring.
Manure is an organic substance obtained from the decomposition of cattle dung, plant or animal wastes (residues, excreta). The use of manure improves not only the soil texture but also the water retaining capacity of the soil. It makes the soil porous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy. It replenishes the soil with all the nutrients. It provides lot of humus to the soil. It also increases the number of friendly microbes in the soil. It is relatively less rich in plant nutrients. Some of the commonly used manure are compost, vermin-compost and farmyard manure.
On the other hand, fertilizers are inorganic substances (salt), which are rich in a particular nutrient. Some fertilizers are very rich in Nitrogen while some others are very rich in Phosphorous or Potassium. The most commonly used fertilizers are NPK, urea, ammonium phosphate, super phosphate and potash.
Though the use of fertilizers has helped the farmers to enhance the yield, but excessive use of fertilizers has lessened the fertility of the soil. Fertilizers have also become a source of water pollution.
Therefore, in order to maintain the fertility of the soil, the farmers have to substitute fertilizers by organic manures or leave the field uncultivated or fallow in between the crops.
Another method of replenishing the soil with nutrients is through crop rotation. While rotating the crops, in one season, leguminous plants (legumes) should be grown as Rhizobium bacteria present in the nodules of their ( of leguminous plants) roots, fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Q.9. Irrigation
A. Like animals, plants also need water for various purposes. Water is essential for photosynthesis. Water is important for proper growth and development of flowers, fruits and seeds of the plants.
The supply of water to the crop at different intervals is called irrigation. The time and frequency of irrigation varies from crop to crop, soil to soil and season to season. The rate of evaporation of water from the soil and the leaves being higher in summer, the frequency of watering is also higher.
The sources of irrigation are wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and canals.
The traditional methods of irrigation are:
i) Moat ( pulley system)
ii) Chain pump
iii) Dhekli
iv) Rahat ( liver system)
Though the traditional methods of irrigation are cheaper, they are less efficient.
The modern methods of irrigation are
i) Sprinkler system
ii) Drip system
Modern methods of irrigation help us to use water economically.
Sprinkler system: It is composed of a network of pipes and multiple sprinkler nozzles. This system is more useful on the uneven land and where sufficient water is not available. The perpendicular pipes, having rotating nozzles on the 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: It is composed of pipes, valves and drippers which allow water to drip ( fall ) 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. The system provides water to plants drop by drop. Water is not wasted at all. It is a boon in regions where availability of water is poor.
Q.10. Protection from weeds.
A. The undesirable plants which may grow naturally along with the crop are called weeds.
The removal of weeds is called weeding. It is necessary since weeds compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space and light. Thus, the weeds affect the growth of the crop. Some weeds interfere even in the harvesting and may be poisonous for animal and human being. Some common weeds are Amarthhus ( Chaulai), Chenopodium ( Bathua), Convolvulus ( Shankhpushpi) and Cynodon ( Doob grass).
Many ways are adopted by the farmers to remove weeds and to control their growth. Tilling before sowing of crops helps in uprooting and killing of weeds. The best time for the removal of weeds is before they produce flowers and seeds. The removal of weeds is done manually by uprooting or cutting them close to the ground from time to time with the help of khurupi or seed drill.
The weeds are also controlled by the use of certain chemicals called weedicides, like 2,3-D etc. These weedicides are sprayed in the fields which kill the weeds without damaging the crops. The weedicides are sprayed during the vegetative growth of weeds before flowering and seed formation. The weedicides being poisonous, the farmers should be careful enough to cover their nose and mouth etc while spraying.
Organisms which attack and damage crops are called pests. Insect pests can be controlled by use of pesticides such as BHC, malathion, parathion and dimecron.
Q.11. Harvesting.
A. The cutting of crops after it is mature is called harvesting. In harvesting, crops are either pulled out or cut close to the ground. It is either done manually by sickle, scythe or by machines like harvester and combine.
After the harvest, the grain seeds need to be separated from the straw ( stalk) and chaff. This process of separation of grain seeds from the chaff is referred to as threshing. Traditionally, grain seeds are separated manually, and is very laborious and time consuming. Now a days this is carried out with the help of a machine called ‘combine’ which is actually a combination of harvester and thresher.
After the threshing, winnowing is done. The process of separation of grain from husk and hay with the help of wind is called winnowing. This method is based on the property that grains are heavier than husk and hay. The farmers drop the mixture of wheat and husk and hay from a height. The lighter husk and hay is carried by the wind and from a heap at a small distance away. The grains being heavier fall almost vertically to form a separate heap nearby. Now a days winnowing machine is used.
Q.12. Storage.
A. Storage of produce is an important task. They should be safe from moisture, and pests such as insects, rats and microorganisms. Before storing, the freshly grains are properly dried in sun to reduce the moisture in them. This prevents the attack by insect pests, bacteria and fungi. Some small scale storage devices are earthen pots, jute bags (gunny bags) and especially designed metallic bins. Large scale storage of grains is done in silos and granaries and godowns. While storing large quantities of grains in big godowns, specific chemical treatments are required to protect them from pests and microorganisms.
Q.13. Animal Husbandry: The study of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and services is known as animal husbandry. Or in other words rearing of animals at home or in farms, providing proper food, shelter and care is referred to as animal husbandry.
Q.14 Harvest festivals: Baisakhi
Bihu
Pongal
Nabanya
Q.15. Cow, buffalo and goat etc are milk giving or milch animals.
Pig, cattle, goat etc are meat giving animals.
Hens, ducks etc are egg giving animals.
Bullocks, horses, elephants etc used for their muscular power are draught or draft animals.
Growing & cultivation of plants of the same kind at one place on large scale is called a crop. For example, crop of wheat means that all the plants grown in a field are that of wheat.
KHARIP CROP:
The crops which are sown in the rainy season and harvested during autumn are called Kharif crops.
RABI CROP:
The crops which are sown in the winter and harvested in spring season are called Rabi crops.
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES:
The activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time are referred to as agricultural practices.
TILLING/PLOUGHING:
This process of turning and loosening the soil is called tilling or ploughing.
CRUMBS:
The big pieces of soil present in the ploughed land are called crumbs.
PULVERISATION: The breaking down of crumbs with the help of plank is called pulverization.
PLOUGH:
A traditional agricultural implement used for tilling the soil, adding fertilizers to the crops, removing the weeds, scraping of soil etc.
PLOUGHSHARE:
The strong triangular iron strip contained in a plough is called ploughshare.
PLOUGHSHAFT:
A long log of wood, attached to a beam which is placed on the bulls’ necks is called plough shaft.
HOE:
A simple tool which is used for removing weeds and for loosening the soil.
CULTIVATOR:
An agricultural tool which is driven by the tractor for ploughing is called a cultivator.
COMBINE:
An agricultural machine which is the combination of both a thresher and a harvester.
SEED DRILL:
A sowing machine which shows the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths.
MANURE & FERTILISERS:
The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for the healthy growth of plants are called Manure and fertilizers.
MANURING:
The process of adding manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients is called manuring.
RHIZOBIUM:
Bacteria which are present in the nodules of the roots of leguminous plants and fix the atmospheric nitrogen.
IRRIGATION:
The supply of water to the crop at different intervals is called irrigation.
WEEDS:
The undesirable plants which may grow naturally along with the crop are called weeds.
WEEDING:
The removal of weeds is called weeding.
WEEDICIDES:
Certain chemicals like 2,3-D etc. which are used for the killing or controlling of weeds are called weedicides.
HARVESTING:
The cutting of crops after it is mature is called harvesting.
THRESHING:
The process of separation of grain seeds from the chaff is referred to as threshing.
WINNOWING:
The process of separation of grain from husk and hay with the help of wind is called winnowing.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY:
The study of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and service is called animal husbandry. Four factors of animal husbandry are feeding, heeding, breeding and weeding.
NURSERY: For transplantation, seeds are first sown in a smaller seed bed called nursery.
TRANSPLANTATION: The process of removing the seedlings from the nursery bed and planting them in the field is called transplantation.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER
Q.1. Why do we need food?
A. We need foods because it contains nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that our body needs to perform various life processes like respiration, growth, repair and replacement of damaged body cells or tissues, excretion, reproduction and response to stimuli etc. Our body requires a continuous supply of energy and materials which are obtained from these nutrients. Hence, we are in great need of food.
Q.2. How can food be provided to a large population?
A. Food can be provided to a large population by regular production, proper management and distribution of food.
Q.3. What is a crop?
A. When a large number of plants of the same kind are grown at one place on large scale it is called a crop. For example, if wheat is grown at one place on large scale it is called crop.
Q.4. How crops are classified?
A. Factors or climatic conditions like temperature, humidity and rainfall and types of soil etc, determine which crops can be grown in a particular area. The sequence in which crops are grown in an area within a year is called cropping pattern. On the basis of season in which the crops grow in an area, cropping patterns are divided into to categories. They are
1. Kharif Crop: In Arabic ‘Kharif’ means autumn. The crops which are sown in the rainy season with the beginning of monsoon and harvested during autumn are called Kharif crops. Rainy season in India is generally from June to September. Kharif crops are also known as summer or Monsoon crops. Paddy, maize, soyabean, groundnut, cotton, millets (bajra and jowar) and sugar cane etc are Kharif crops. These crops require plenty of water and hence are grown only in rainy season. If these crops are grown in winter season, they may not survive because of want of water.
2. Rabi Crops: In Arabic ‘Rabi’ means spring. The crops which are sown in the winter season and harvested during the spring are called Rabi crops. These are also known as winter crops. Winter season in India is generally from October to March. Wheat, gram, pea, mustard, barley and linseed etc are Rabi crops. These crops require less water and hence are grown only in winter season. If these crops are grown in rainy season, they may not survive because of excessive water.
Q.5. What are agricultural practices?
A. The basic activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time are referred to as agricultural practices. These activities are
1. Preparation of soil
2. Sowing
3. Adding manure and fertilizers
4. Irrigation
5. Protecting from weeds
6. Harvesting
7. Storage
Q.6. Preparation of soil.
A. The preparation of soil is the first step before growing a crop. One of the most important activities in agriculture is to turn the soil and loosen it. This process of turning and loosening the soil is called tilling or ploughing. This is done by using agricultural implements like plough or hoe or tractor driven cultivator.
The usefulness of tilling or ploughing
1. Tilling or ploughing allows the roots not only to penetrate deep inside the soil but also to breathe easily even deep inside the soil because loosened soil has enough space in which air is trapped.
2. It also increases the water retaining capacity of the soil.
3. It also helps the growth of the earth worms and microbes which further turn and loosen the soil and add humus.
4. It gives a good texture to the soil and allows more air to circulate through the soil by increasing the air space
5. The nutrients present in the dead plants and animals are released back into soil by decomposition by these soil organisms and are again absorbed by plants.
6. As only a few centimeters of the top soil support plant growth, turning and loosening of the soil brings the nutrient-rich soil to the top so that plants can use these nutrients.
7. The manure gets mixed properly with the soil.
The big pieces of soil called crumbs are required to be broken with the help of plank. This process is called pulverization. Then the soil is leveled with the help of leveler and made ready for sowing. Hence, preparation of soil plays a great role for cultivation. The yield becomes less if the preparation of soil is not proper. So there is a great need of good preparation of soil as “well begun is half done”.
Q.7. Sowing.
A. Sowing is the most important part of cultivation. Before sowing, selection of clean and healthy high-breed or high yield seeds is important. Healthy seeds are separated from damaged seeds by floatation method. The healthy seeds which sink in water are separated from the damaged ones which float on water. The separated healthy seeds are then treated with fungicides. Then they are sown uniformly at proper distances and depths. An appropriate distance between the seeds is important to avoid overcrowding of plants. It allows plants to get sufficient sunlight, nutrients and water from the soil otherwise there will be a competition among the seedlings for space, water, nutrients and sunlight. Sometimes a few plants have to be removed to prevent overcrowding. Hence, now-a-days traditional sowing tools are replaced with seed drills which sow the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. After sowing, the seeds need to be covered by the soil to prevent damage caused by the birds.
Some of the methods of sowing are:
a) Broadcasting: This is traditional method of sowing seeds. In this method, the seeds are thrown (scattered) with force in a particular direction by hand.
b) Drilling: In this method seeds are sown uniformly at proper distances and depths with the help of a machine called Seed Drill.
c) Planting: Generally, crops which need a wide spacing and whose seeds are big are sown manually. This method is called planting. Maize, Kidney beans, potato, sugar cane are sown in this method.
d) Transplantation: The process of removing the seedlings from the nursery bed and planting them in the field is called transplantation. The seedlings which have healthy leaves are transplanted.
Q.8. Adding manure and fertilizers.
A. The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for the healthy growth of plants are called Manure and fertilizers. Soil supplies mineral nutrients to the crop. These nutrients are essential for the growth of plants. Continuous growing of crops in the same field without leaving it uncultivated or fallow, makes the soil deficient in certain nutrients. Therefore, farmers have to add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients. This process is called manuring.
Manure is an organic substance obtained from the decomposition of cattle dung, plant or animal wastes (residues, excreta). The use of manure improves not only the soil texture but also the water retaining capacity of the soil. It makes the soil porous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy. It replenishes the soil with all the nutrients. It provides lot of humus to the soil. It also increases the number of friendly microbes in the soil. It is relatively less rich in plant nutrients. Some of the commonly used manure are compost, vermin-compost and farmyard manure.
On the other hand, fertilizers are inorganic substances (salt), which are rich in a particular nutrient. Some fertilizers are very rich in Nitrogen while some others are very rich in Phosphorous or Potassium. The most commonly used fertilizers are NPK, urea, ammonium phosphate, super phosphate and potash.
Though the use of fertilizers has helped the farmers to enhance the yield, but excessive use of fertilizers has lessened the fertility of the soil. Fertilizers have also become a source of water pollution.
Therefore, in order to maintain the fertility of the soil, the farmers have to substitute fertilizers by organic manures or leave the field uncultivated or fallow in between the crops.
Another method of replenishing the soil with nutrients is through crop rotation. While rotating the crops, in one season, leguminous plants (legumes) should be grown as Rhizobium bacteria present in the nodules of their ( of leguminous plants) roots, fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Q.9. Irrigation
A. Like animals, plants also need water for various purposes. Water is essential for photosynthesis. Water is important for proper growth and development of flowers, fruits and seeds of the plants.
The supply of water to the crop at different intervals is called irrigation. The time and frequency of irrigation varies from crop to crop, soil to soil and season to season. The rate of evaporation of water from the soil and the leaves being higher in summer, the frequency of watering is also higher.
The sources of irrigation are wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and canals.
The traditional methods of irrigation are:
i) Moat ( pulley system)
ii) Chain pump
iii) Dhekli
iv) Rahat ( liver system)
Though the traditional methods of irrigation are cheaper, they are less efficient.
The modern methods of irrigation are
i) Sprinkler system
ii) Drip system
Modern methods of irrigation help us to use water economically.
Sprinkler system: It is composed of a network of pipes and multiple sprinkler nozzles. This system is more useful on the uneven land and where sufficient water is not available. The perpendicular pipes, having rotating nozzles on the 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: It is composed of pipes, valves and drippers which allow water to drip ( fall ) 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. The system provides water to plants drop by drop. Water is not wasted at all. It is a boon in regions where availability of water is poor.
Q.10. Protection from weeds.
A. The undesirable plants which may grow naturally along with the crop are called weeds.
The removal of weeds is called weeding. It is necessary since weeds compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space and light. Thus, the weeds affect the growth of the crop. Some weeds interfere even in the harvesting and may be poisonous for animal and human being. Some common weeds are Amarthhus ( Chaulai), Chenopodium ( Bathua), Convolvulus ( Shankhpushpi) and Cynodon ( Doob grass).
Many ways are adopted by the farmers to remove weeds and to control their growth. Tilling before sowing of crops helps in uprooting and killing of weeds. The best time for the removal of weeds is before they produce flowers and seeds. The removal of weeds is done manually by uprooting or cutting them close to the ground from time to time with the help of khurupi or seed drill.
The weeds are also controlled by the use of certain chemicals called weedicides, like 2,3-D etc. These weedicides are sprayed in the fields which kill the weeds without damaging the crops. The weedicides are sprayed during the vegetative growth of weeds before flowering and seed formation. The weedicides being poisonous, the farmers should be careful enough to cover their nose and mouth etc while spraying.
Organisms which attack and damage crops are called pests. Insect pests can be controlled by use of pesticides such as BHC, malathion, parathion and dimecron.
Q.11. Harvesting.
A. The cutting of crops after it is mature is called harvesting. In harvesting, crops are either pulled out or cut close to the ground. It is either done manually by sickle, scythe or by machines like harvester and combine.
After the harvest, the grain seeds need to be separated from the straw ( stalk) and chaff. This process of separation of grain seeds from the chaff is referred to as threshing. Traditionally, grain seeds are separated manually, and is very laborious and time consuming. Now a days this is carried out with the help of a machine called ‘combine’ which is actually a combination of harvester and thresher.
After the threshing, winnowing is done. The process of separation of grain from husk and hay with the help of wind is called winnowing. This method is based on the property that grains are heavier than husk and hay. The farmers drop the mixture of wheat and husk and hay from a height. The lighter husk and hay is carried by the wind and from a heap at a small distance away. The grains being heavier fall almost vertically to form a separate heap nearby. Now a days winnowing machine is used.
Q.12. Storage.
A. Storage of produce is an important task. They should be safe from moisture, and pests such as insects, rats and microorganisms. Before storing, the freshly grains are properly dried in sun to reduce the moisture in them. This prevents the attack by insect pests, bacteria and fungi. Some small scale storage devices are earthen pots, jute bags (gunny bags) and especially designed metallic bins. Large scale storage of grains is done in silos and granaries and godowns. While storing large quantities of grains in big godowns, specific chemical treatments are required to protect them from pests and microorganisms.
Q.13. Animal Husbandry: The study of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and services is known as animal husbandry. Or in other words rearing of animals at home or in farms, providing proper food, shelter and care is referred to as animal husbandry.
Q.14 Harvest festivals: Baisakhi
Bihu
Pongal
Nabanya
Q.15. Cow, buffalo and goat etc are milk giving or milch animals.
Pig, cattle, goat etc are meat giving animals.
Hens, ducks etc are egg giving animals.
Bullocks, horses, elephants etc used for their muscular power are draught or draft animals.