Energy from food is utilised by organisms for carrying out various body functions such as digestion, respiration and excretion.Where do humans get food from?
Humans get food from plants, animals or both
How can regular suppply of food for a large population be done?
In order to provide food for a large population- regular production, proper management and distribution of food is necessary.
What is a crop?
When plants of same kind are grown and cultivated at one place on a large scale it is called crop. For example, a crop of wheat means all plants are grown in field are that of wheat.
What are cropping patterns in India?
There are two broad cropping patterns –
1. Kharif Crop – : Crops which are grown in the rainy season are called kharif crops. The rainy season in India is from June to Septembter. Example – paddy, maize, soyabean, groundnut etc.
2. Rabi Crop -: Crops that are grown in the winter season are called rabi crops. Their time period is from October to March. Examples are wheat, gram, pea, mustard and lineseed.
Pulses and vegetables are grown during summer season.
What are agricultural practices?
Cultivation of crops involve several activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time. These activities include –
- Preparation of soil
- Sowing
- Adding manure and fertilizers
- Irrigation
- Processing from weeds
- Harvesting
- Storage
Soil contains minerals, water, air and other living organisms. In addition, dead plants and organisms get decomposed by soil organisms. In this way, various nutrients held in the dead organisms are released in the soil. These nutrients are again absorbed by plants.
Since only a few centimeters of the top layer of soil supports plant growth, turning and loosening of soil brings the nutrient rich soil to the top so that plants can use the nutrients. Thus, turning and loosening of soil is important for plant growth.
What is tilling or ploughing?
The ploughing of loosening and turning of soil is called tilling or ploughing.
How is tilling or ploughing done?
IT is done by using plough. The plough is made of wood or iron. If the soil is very dry, it may need watering before ploughing. The ploughed field may have big pieces of soil called crumbs. It is necessary to break these crumbs with a plank. The field is leveled for sowing as well ass irrigation purposes. The leveling of soil is done with the help of leveller.
Sometimes, manure is added to the soil before tilling. This helps in proper mixing of manure with the soil. The soil is watered before sowing.
Why do we need to break the soil before planting?
Before sowing the seeds, it is necessary to break soil to the size of grains to get better yield.
What main tools are used for breaking the soil?
The main tools used for breaking the soil are plough, hoe and cultivator.
What is the use of plough?
Plough has been used since ancient times for tilling the soil, adding fertilizers to the crop, removing the weeds, scraping the soil etc.
What is the mechanics/architecture of plough?
Plough is made of wood and is drawn by a pair of bulls or other animals like(horses, camels etc). It contains a strong triangular iron strip called ploughshare. The main part of the plough is a long log of wood called ploughshaft. There is a handle at one end of the shaft and the other is attached to a beam which is placed on bulls neck. One pair of bulls and a man can easily operate the plough.
What is hoe?
Hoe is a simple tool which is used for removing weeds and loosening the soil.
Explain the mechanics/architecture of hoe?
It has a long rod of wood or iron. A strong, broad and bent plate of iron is fixed to one of its ends and works like a blade, It is pulled by animals.
What is cultivator?
Cultivator is a piece of machinery used to til the soil. Nowadays, we use the tractor driven cultivators.
What is sowing?
Sowing is the process of planting seed on earth by scattering them.
What needs to be done before sowing?
Before sowing, good quality seeds need to be selected.
What are good quality seeds?
Good quality seeds are clean and healthy seeds of good variety.
Explain a method using which we can differentiate between good quality seed and the bad ones.
One way of differentiating between the seeds is to dip them in water. Damaged seeds become hollow and are therefore lighter. They hence, float in water.
Which traditional tool is used for sowing?
The tool used traditionally for sowing seeds is shaped like funnel. The seeds are filled into the funnel passed down through two or three pipes having sharp ends. These ends pierce into the soil and place seeds there.
What is seed drill?
Seed drill is used for sowing with the help of tractors. This tools sows seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. It ensures that seeds get covered by soil after sowing. This prevents damage caused by birds. It also saves time and labor.
Why do we need distance between plants?
Distance between seeds is important to avoid overcrowding of plants. This allows plants to get sufficient sunlight, nutrients and water from soil.
What is manure/fertilizers?
The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for healthy growth of plants are called manure or fertilizers.
Who provides nutrients to the crop?
Soil provides nutrients to the crop. These nutrients are essential for the growth of the plants.
What is manuring?
Continuous growing of crops makes the soil poorer in certain nutrients. Therefore, farmers have to add manure to the field to replenish the soil with nutrients. This process is called manuring. Improper or insufficient manuring results in weak plants.
What is manure?
Manure is an organic substance obtained from the decomposition of plants or animal wastes. Farmers dump plants and animals wastes in pits in open places and allow it to decompose. The decomposition is caused by some microorganisms, The decomposed matter is used as organic manure.
What are fertilizers?
Fertilizers are chemical substances which are rich in a particular nutrient.
Where are fertilizers produced? Give examples.
Fertilizers are produced in factories. Some examples of fertilizers are, urea, ammonia sulphate, super phosphate, potash, NPK(Nitrogen, phosphorus, Potassium).
What is the advantage of using fertilizers?
Fertilizers have helped farmers to get better yield of crops such as wheat, paddy and maize.
What are the disadvantage of using fertilizers? What can be done to curb the situation?
Excessive use of fertilizers make the soil less fertile. Fertilizers have also become a source of water pollution. Therefore, in order to maintain the fertility of soil, we have to substitute fertilizers by organic manure or leave the field uncultivated in between two crops.
What is the advantage of using manure?
Manure improves soil texture as well as its water retaining capacity. It replenishes the soil with all the nutrients.
What methods are adopted to ensure that the fertility of soil is maintained?
- To leave the field uncultivated in between two crops.
- Crop Rotation
| Fertilizer | Manure |
|---|---|
| A fertilizer is an inorganic salt. | Manure is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of cattle dung, human waste and plant residues. |
| A fertilizer is prepared in factories. | A manure can be prepared in fields. |
| A fertilizer does not provide any humus to the soil. | A manure provide lots of humus to the soil. |
| Fertilizers are very rich in plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. | Manure is relatively rich in plant nutrients. |
Why is manure considered better than fertilizers?
Manure is considered better than fertilizers because –
- It enhances the water holding capacity of the soil.
- It makes the soil porous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy.
- It increases the number of friendly microbes.
- It improves the texture of the soil.
- Water is important for proper growth and development of flowers, fruits and seeds of plants.
- Water is absorbed by plant roots. Along with water, minerals and fertilizers are also absorbed by plants.
- Plants contain nearly 90% of water.
- Water is essential because germination of seeds does not take place under dry conditions.
- Nutrients dissolved in water get transported to all parts of the plant.
- Water protects the crop from both frost and hot air currents.
- Water is necessary to maintain the moisture of the soil and healthy growth of the crop.
- moat(pulley system)
- chain pump
- dhekli
- rahat (Lever system)
Pumps are commonly used for lifting water. Diesel, biogas, electricity and solar energy is used to run the pump.
- Sprinkler system
- Drip system
What are some of the harvest festivals?
Festivals associated with harvest are holi, pongal, baisakhi, diwali, nabanya and bihu.
Why is it important for the freshly harvested crops to be dried before storing them?
If freshly harvested grains are stored before drying, they may get spoilt or attacked by organisms losing their germination capacity. Hence, before storing them. the grains are properly dried in the sun to reduce the moisture in them. This prevents the attacks by insect pest, bacteria and fungi.
How are grains stored?
Farmers store grains in jute bags and metallic bins. However, large scale storage of grains is done in silos and grainaries to protect them from pests and insects.
Dried neem leaves are used for storing grains at home. For storing large quantity of grains in big godowns, specific chemical treatments are required to protect them from pests and micro organisms.
What is animal husbandary?
When animals are reared at home or in farms, provided proper food, shelter and home at large scale, it is called animal husbandary.
Happy Learning 🙂
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