Crop production and management- Notes
1. What is a crop?
Answer:
Crop is the term used to describe a plant that is grown in a field on a large
scale. For example, cereal crops, wheat crops.
2. What do you mean by produce?
Answer:
The products obtained from the crops are called produce.
3. What do you mean by the term agricultural practice?
Answer:
Agricultural practices are those practices which involve the necessary
steps to be taken during production of crops.
4. Explain the term levelling.
Answer:
Levelling is the process of breaking down the larger lumps of soil, and
then levelling them by using a leveller.
5. What are the advantages of levelling?
Answer:
Following are the advantages of levelling:
Levelling helps to prevent soil erosion caused by wind or air.
It helps in sowing the seeds uniformly, and thus helps the plants to grow
uniformly too.
It helps in proper irrigation by allowing the water to get distributed
uniformly throughout the soil.
6. What is a plough?
Answer:
A plough is an equipment for ploughing. It is mainly made of a wooden
shaft called a plough-shaft, attached to a triangular iron blade called
ploughshare.
7. What is a cultivator?
Answer:
Cultivator is a farm implement used for stirring and pulverizing the soil
for planting crops.
8. Explain the term transplantation.
Answer:
Some of the crops are first grown in the nurseries and then transferred to
the main field. This process is known as transplantation.
9. What are the advantages of manure?
Answer:
Following are some advantages of manure:
It enhances water-holding capacity of soil.
It improves soil quality.
It promotes the growth of soil friendly microbes.
It is renewable, biodegradable and eco-friendly.
10.What are weedicides? Give some examples.
Answer:
Weedicides are the chemicals that are used to remove weeds. Some
commonly used weedicides are 2, 4-D and metachlor.
Long answers-
1. What is ploughing or tilling? State its advantages.
Answer:
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.
Following are the advantages of ploughing or tilling:
Ploughing loosens the soil and makes it aerated.
It helps in mixing organic matter with the soil uniformly.
It initiates the growth of natural agents and microorganisms and thus,
keeps the soil fertile.
It increases the water holding capacity of soil.
It helps in easy penetration of root into the soil.
2. Define the term agricultural practices and also state the important steps
taken during crop production.
Answer:
Agricultural practices are those practices which involves the necessary
steps to be taken during production of crops. There are number of steps of
crop production which are to be done very carefully to ensure that crops
get produced timely.
Some of the most important steps taken during crop production are as
under:
Soil preparation
Sowing
Adding manure and fertilisers
Irrigation
Weeding
Harvesting
Threshing and winnowing
Storage of grains
3. What is irrigation? Name the two main methods of irrigation and define
them briefly.
Answer:
The artificial method of watering the plants for assisting in the growth of
the plants is called irrigation. The two main methods of irrigation are:
Traditional method: The traditional method of irrigation is very less
expensive and they often lead to wastage of water. Traditional method of
irrigation involves chain pump, dhekli, moat (the pulley system) and rahat
(lever system).
Modern method: Modern methods of irrigation are more inclined towards
the use of diesel, bio¬gas, solar energy and electricity for lifting water.
The two most important modern system of irrigation are:
Sprinkler irrigation system
Drip irrigation system
4. What do you mean by weeding? Why the process of weeding necessary?
Name the methods applied for weeding.
Answer:
The undesirable plants that grow among the crops are called weeds. The
process of removing these weeds is known as weeding. Weeds compete
with the crop plants for nutrients and space. They grow much rapidly than
the crop plant. So weeding is necessary.
Methods applied for weeding are as follows:
Manual method: Manual method of removing weeds is the most time
consuming method. In this system weeds are controlled by hand pulling,
digging, shallow tillage, etc., by using certain implements like khurpi, hoe,
etc.
Chemical method: In this method chemicals called, weedicides are used to
remove weeds. For example, metachlor and 2, 4-D.
Biological control method: This method is the most commonly used
method of weed control. It involves the use of some specific insects that
destroy the growth of some specific weeds. For example, leafy spurge, a
weed, is controlled by using flea beetles.
5. Write short note on the terms:
Storage
Harvesting
Answer:
Storage: Storage of produce is an important task. If the crop grains are to
be kept for longer time, they should be safe from moisture, insects, rats
and microorganisms. Before storing, the grains are properly dried in the
sun to reduce the moisture in them. This prevents the attack by insect
pests, bacteria and fungi. Grains are stored by farmers in jute bags or
metallic bins. However, large scale storage of grains is done in silos and
granaries to protect them from pests like rats and insects.
Harvesting: After maturation of crop, harvesting is an important task. In
harvesting, crops are pulled out or cut close to the ground. It usually takes
3 to 4 months for a cereal crop to mature. Harvesting in our country is
either done manually by sickle or by machine called harvester.
6. Why the depth at which seeds are planted is important?
Answer:
If the seed is planted too deep then it will not get enough sunlight to
germinate. If the seed is planted too shallow then it will not get enough
soil to support germination. The depth for sowing seed also depends upon
the seed size.
7. Why sowing seeds with seed drill is better than broadcasting?
Answer:
Seed drill sows the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths,
whereas broadcasting of seeds scatter them non-uniformly on the ground
surface which are susceptible to be picked up by birds.
8. Rajan felt worried about the condition of water scarcity in his village
during the cropping season. He went to Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare of his area to get the solution of this problem. There he
came to know about effective method of irrigation and drought resistant
varieties of crop.
He requested the head of department of the ministry to arrange some
workshop on this topic to educate the farmers in these methods.
Name modern methods of irrigation that help us to use water
economically.
What is drought resistant varieties of crop?
Can you name some crops that require less amount of water?
What value of Raj an is shown here?
Answer:
Drip irrigation system and sprinkler method.
Crops that need very little amount of rainfall or irrigation to grow are
called drought resistant varieties of crop.
Sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, groundnut, etc.
Rajan is concerned, aware, sensitive and intelligent.
