CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

Crop

When plants of the same kind is grown and cultivated at one place on a large scale , it is known as a crop.

TYPES OF CROPS The crops which are sown in the rainy season

are called kharif crops. It is generally from June to September. Examples are paddy , maize , soyabean , groundnut , cotton etc.

The crops sown in the winter season are called rabi crops. It is generally from October to March. Examples are wheat , gram , pea , mustard, linseed.

Agricultural Practices

i. Preparation of soilii. Sowingiii. Adding manure and fertilizersiv. Irrigationv. Protection from weedsvi. Harvestingvii. Storage

Preparation of Soil

It is the first step before growing a crop. It is done to turn and loosen the soil. This allows the root to penetrate deep into the soil. This allows the roots to breathe easily when they go to deep in the soil.

The earthworms and microbes present in soil are friends of farmers since they turn and loosen the soil and add humus to it.

A few centimeters of the top layer of the soil supports plant growth , turning and loosening of soil brings the nutrient rich soil to the top so that plants can use this nutrients .Thus it is important to prepare the soil.

The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing. This is done by using a plough. They are 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 leveled for sowing as well as for irrigation purposes. The leveling is done with help of a leveler.

The main tools used for the purpose of tilling are plough , hoe and cultivator.

Agricultural ImplementsPlough

This is being used since ancient times for tilling the soil , adding fertilizers to crop , removing the weeds , scraping of soil etc. This implement is made of wood and is drawn by a pair of bulls or other animals (horse, camels). It contains a strong triangular iron strip called ploughshare. The main part of the plough is a long log of wood which is called plough shaft. One pair of bulls can easily operate the plough .

Cultivator Hoe

Nowadays ploughing is done by tractor-driven cultivator. The use of cultivator saves labour and time.

It is a simple tool which is used for removing weeds and for loosening the soil. It has a long rod of wood or iron. A strong, board and bent plate of iron is fixed to one of its bit ends and works like a blade. It is pulled by animals.

Sowing

Sowing is the most important part of crop production. Before sowing , good quality seeds are clean and healthy seeds of a good variety . Farmers prefer to use seeds which give a high yield.

Damaged seeds become hollow and are thus lighter. Therefore , they float on water.

Before sowing seeds one of the important tasks is to know about the tools used to sowing seeds.

Appropriate distance between the seeds is important to avoid overcrowding of plants. This allows the plants to get proper sunlight , nutrients and water.

Tools used for SowingTRADITIONAL TOOLS : The tool used

traditionally for sowing seeds is shaped like a funnel. The seeds are filled into the funnel, passed through two or three pipes having sharp ends . These ends pierce into the soil and places seed there.

SEED DRILL : The seed drill is used for sowing with the help of tractors. It sows the seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. It ensures that seeds gets covered by the soil after sowing. Sowing by using it saves labour and time.

Adding Manures and Fertilizers

The substances which are added to the soil in the form of nutrients for the healthy growth of plants is called manure or fertilizers.

Continuous growing of crops makes the soil poorer in certain nutrients . Therefore , farmers have to add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients this process is called manuring.

It is important because farmers grow crop after crop in same field. The field is never uncultivated or fallow. So it is important to do manuring.

Manure Manure is an inorganic substance obtained by

the decomposition of plant or animal wastes. Farmers dump plant or animal wastes and allow it to decompose. The decomposition is caused by some microorganisms . The decomposed matter is used as organic manure.

Advantages of Manure : 1. It enhances the water holding capacity of soil.2. It improves the texture of the soil.3. It increases the number of friendly microbes.4. It makes the soil porous due to which

exchange of gases becomes easy.

Fertilizers Fertilizers are chemical substances

which are rich in particular nutrient. They are produced in factories. Some examples of it are urea , ammonium sulphate , potash , super phosphate , NPK. The use of it has helped farmers to get better yield of crops. But excessive use of it has made soil less fertile. It has also became a source of water pollution. It also does not provide any to the soil. It is costlier in rate.

Replenishment of Soil There are many ways to replenish

( enrich ) the soil , that are:1. The use of manure of fertilizers.2. By leaving the land uncultivated or fallow

for one season.3. It can be done by crop rotation. It is done

by growing crops alternately. The crops can be grown one time leguminous and another time non-leguminous. Rhizobium bacteria are present in nodules of roots of leguminous plants. They fix atmospheric nitrogen.

FERTILIZERS MANURE

1) A fertilizer is an inorganic salt.

2) A fertilizer is prepared in factories.

3) A fertilizer dose not provide any humus to the soil.

4) Fertilizer are very rich in plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

1) Manure is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of cattle dung, human waste and plant residues.

2) Manure can be prepared in the fields.

3) Manure provides a lot of humus to the soil.

4) Manure is relatively less rich in plant nutrients.

Water

Water is important for proper growth of flowers , fruits and seed of plants. It is absorbed by the plant roots. Along with it , minerals and fertilizers are also absorbed. Plants contains nearly 90 % of it. It is essential because germination of seeds does not take place under dry conditions. Nutrients dissolved in it get transported to each part of the plant . It also protects crop from both frost and air currents. To maintain the moisture of the soil for healthy crop , fields have to be watered regularly.

Irrigation

The supply of water to the crops at different intervals is called irrigation. The time and frequency of it varies from crop to crop , soil to soil and season to season. In summer , the frequency of watering is higher.

Sources of irrigation : Wells, tube wells , ponds , lakes , rivers , dams and canals.

Traditional Method of Irrigation

Cattle or human labour is used in the methods are cheaper but less efficient . The traditional ways are :

1. Moat ( Pulley system )2. Chain Pump3. Dhekli 4. Rahat ( Lever System )Pumps are commonly used for lifting water.

Sprinkler System This 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 help of a pump , it escapes from the rotating nozzles. It gets sprinkled on the crop as if it is raining. It is very useful for sandy soil.

Drip System In this , the water falls drop by drop just at

position of roots. It is best technique for watering fruit plants , gardens and trees. Water is not wasted at all. It is boon in regions where availability of water is poor.

Protection from Weeds In a field many other undesirable plants may grow

naturally along with the crop. These undesirable plants are called weeds. The removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeding is necessary since weeds compete with the crop plants for water , nutrients , space and light. Thus , they affect the growth of crop. Some weeds interfere even in harvesting and may be poisonous for animals and human beings.

Farmers adopt many ways to remove weeds and control their growth. Tilling before sowing of crops helps in uprooting and killing of weeds , which may dry up and get mixed with the soil. The best time for removal of weeds is before they produce flowers and seeds . The manual removal includes physical removal of weeds by uprooting or cutting them close to the ground, from time to time . This is done with the help of a khurpi. A seed drill is also used to uproot weeds.

Weedicides

Weeds are controlled by using certain chemicals called weedicides like 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 with a sprayer .

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 . They should cover their nose and mouth with a piece of cloth during spraying of these chemicals .

Harvesting Harvesting of crop is an important task . The

cutting of crop after it is mature is called harvesting. 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. In our country it is either done manually by sickle or by a machine called harvester.

In the harvested crop , the grain seeds need to be separated from the chaff which is called as threshing. This is carried out with help of a machine called combine which is an in fact a combined harvester and thresher.

Winnowing Farmers with small holdings of land do the

separation of grain and chaff by winnowing.

Harvest Festivals After 3 or 4 months of hard works there comes the day

of harvest. The sight of golden fields of standing crop , laden with grain, fills the hearts of farmers with joy and a sense of well-being. The efforts of the past season have borne fruit and it is time to relax and enjoy a little. The period of harvest is, thus, of great enthusiasm. Special festival associated with the harvest season are Pongal, Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali, Nabanya and Bihu.

Storage Storage of produce is an important task. If

the crop grains are kept for longer time , they should be safe from moisture , insects , rats and microorganisms. The fresh crop has more moisture. If freshly harvested grain ( seeds ) are stored without 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 in them. It prevents the attack by insect pests , bacteria and fungi. Farmers store grains in jute bags or metallic bins. The large storage of grains is done in silos and granaries to protect them from pests like rats and insects.

Silos and Granaries

Animal Husbandry

Animals are reared at home or in farms , have to be provided with proper food , shelter , and care . When this is done on a large scale , it is called animal husbandry .

THANK YOUMADE BY : AYUSH SINGH

VIII / A