More than ten thousand years ago, people used to hunt for food and look for shelter. Finally, they learnt cultivation of land. Cultivation helped produce rice, wheat and other food crops. The science of practising farming is called agriculture. Cultivation of plants for food is called farming. We Shall Learn: Agricultural Practices Fundamentals of Crop Production © Agricultural wrplorieria AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES © Atof Sowing India is big country with different climatic conditions with reference to ellie! temperature, humidity, and rainfall, varying from region to region. Because Importance of Water in of this reason variety of rich crops are grown in different parts of the irigation country. Depending upon their growing season, crops have been grouped Getting Rid of Weeds as— ‘© Happy Moments of ae Harvesting oe = Storing Kharif Crops Rabi Crops © Food from Animals Sown in monsoon from Juneto | Grown in winter season from | September covering maize, October to March covering wheat, soyabean, groundnut, cotton etc. | | gram, pea, mustard, linseed etc. Pulses and vegetables are grown during summer at many places. Crop is the term used when similar plants are grown and cultivated at one place on alargescale. SCIENCE QUEST FUNDAMENTALS OF CROP PRODUCTION Vegetables, fruits, These include agricultural practices such as preparing of soil, sowing, flowers and adding of manure and fertilizers, water irrigation, protection from weeds, jpmamental Nong harvesting and storage. flowering plants grown on a large scale are called horticulture crops. soil which means to turn the soil and loosen it for deep penetration of roots Soil Preparation Before growing a crop, the first and important stage is the preparation of into the soil enabling the roots to breathe easily. Soil contains minerals, water, air, and some living organisms. Nutrients are absorbed by plants from the soil The process of turning and loosening the soil using a plough is— — — MY GREEN LINK A well designed crop rotation has environmental ‘benefits, They include “feduction in diseases in crops, reduction in infestation of insects that damage the crops, ‘improvement in soil fertility, reduction in soi! erosion and improved ability to manage ‘soil water. Ploughing Ploughshatt Beam oo Ploughshat ‘The Plough Grip Bent Plate |_ 404 A Hoe Tractor-driven Cultivator NG 4 ADVANTAGES OF PLOUG! * Loosens the soil, allowing deeper penetration of roots, . Improves cfculation of airin the soll thus helping root cel tora * Increases the water retention capacity of the soil. * Helps in the growth of worms and microbes, thereby increasing fertility, 7 * Undesirable plants called weeds are removed. © Helps tomixmanure and fertilizers with the soil AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS The tools used during farming are called agricultural implements, Agricultural Implements Used In Various Agricultural Practices Spade Digging of soil | Tilling of soi Plough, tractor, cultivator | Levelling Leveller Sowing seeds Seed drill | Irrigation Tube wells, sprinklers Weeding Khurpa, horrow Harvesting Sickle, harvesters Threshing Threshers or animals Wooden, metallic, clay bins Storage Plough, hoe and cultivator are the tools mainly used to break soil befot sowing the seeds to obtain optimum yield. (i) Plough: Itis made of wood drawn by a pair of bulls or other anima used for tilling the soil, adding fertilizers to the crop and removing the weeds. It consists of a triangular iron strip called ploughsha® The main is shaft a long log of wood known as ploughshaft. ith a stron (li) Hoe: tt comprises of a long rod of wood or iron with a st a an broad, bent plate of iron fixed to one of its ends. It is pulled by animal. (iil) Cultivator: In the modern era, ploughing is done by tra Cultivator for better efficiency. sctor- driver ART OF SOWING. ig carried out if Before sowing, good quality of seeds are selected. Sowing Is carrie the following ways- a (i) By traditional tool: It is shaped like a funnel in which is a a filled to pass through two or three pipes with sharp ends into the soil and place seeds there.‘Traditional method of sowing Asoo di! O22 SCIENCE HUMOUR arrested? Because he hit the hay! ee @ —_ RIDDLE CORNER ) When does a farm go round and round ? Dy ey RS Ly 6 2101 saussey (ii) By seed drill: Sowing is done with a seed drill with the help of tractors to ensure the sowing of seeds uniformly, at proper distances and depths and that seeds are covered properly with soil. This prevents damage of seeds by birds, and enhances productivity. Loar) (Galea hollow iron rod of about four feet length with a sharp end on one side. Puta plastic funnel on the top of it. Pour some seeds into it. Move it with the help of your friends piercing into the soil and placing the seeds there. Observe how the traditional sowing takes place. You would observe that after carrying out the above activity, the seeds were placed properly in the soil in a better way than when itis done with the help of animals. on ADDITION OF MANURES AND FERTILIZERS For a good yield, plants require nutrients in the form of manures and fertilizers. These nutrients supplied to the soil are consistently absorbed by the plants. Certain nutrients present in the soil get exhausted with the continuous growing of crops; to replenish the soil with nutrients, manure is added to the fields. This process is called manuring, By the decomposition of plants or animal wastes, an organic substance is obtained which is known as manure. The decomposition takes place by means of micro-organisms. ‘On the other hand, fertilizers are chemicals substances such as urea, ammonium sulphate, super phosphate, potash, NPK — Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, produced in factories. Better yield of crops is obtained with the use of fertilizers. The draw- back of fertilizers is that they make the soil less fertile with their excessive use and cause water pollution. So, to overcome these problems, organic manure is used, which improves the soil texture and has a good water retaining capacity, thereby, replenishing the soil with the all nutrients. Crop Rotation is growing of different crops on a rotational basis on the same land. A particular crop requires a specific nutrient. Growing it year after year on the same land makes the soil deficient of that nutrient. To replenish the soil with nutrients different crops should be grown alternatively. For example, leguminous plants are grown between two crops. The organic manure acts better than fertilizers, as it enhances water holding capacity of soil, makes the soil porous for the easy exchange ofRahat _P*TRADITIONALME ss renee pet of friendly microbes and overall impr soll. A fertilzer does nit provide any humus 0 the aaa pnedl organic manure provides a lot. Fertilizers are very rich a phosphorus and potassium, but manure is relatively less ich ae nutrients. a re Differences between fertilizer and manure Uae ET | 1. 1tisan inorganic salt prepared in 1. It isa natural substance obtained | by the decomposition of cattle | factories. | dung, human waste and plant residues prepared in the fields. 2. It provides a lot of humus to the | 2. A fertilizer does not provide any | humus to the soil. soil | 3. Itis rich in nitrogen, phosphorus 3. It is less rich in such nutrients. and potassium. IMPORTANCE OF WATER INIRRIGATION for the plants as for human-beings, birds, Plants do not grow or develop properly in in water pass on to every partot dry conditions. Water provides Regular watering ided to crops at wired more In ‘op, soil to sol Water is equally important animals and other creatures. ater. The nutrients dissolved i plant which ‘otherwise is not possible under: protection to crops from both frost and hot air currents. of fields is necessary for a healthy crop. Water so provi different times is called irrigation. Water is normally req summer. Water requirement keeps changing from crop tore and season to season due to the different rates of evaporation. 1s, ponds, wells, tubewells, lakes, es of irrigation. absence of wi and, Sources of irrigation: Canals, rive! dams are the common known sourc' THODS OF IRRIGATION lakes, riversis lifted up indifferent ways depending ‘elds. Earlier cattle or human labour were used Some traditional ways of irrigation were chain PUMP: moat, dheki rahe ete, These days pumps are normally used for lifting water. are operated on diesel, bio-gas, electricity orsolar enerBY: ‘i Modern methods of irrigation: Following are some common methods © irrigation that help to use water | economically. (i) Sprinkler System: Finds more utility even when en available. It consists of perpendicular pipes with rot top. Wateris allowed to flow under pressure throu! by means of a pump, it is sprinkled by the rotating nozz! asifitisraining. Water available in wells, upon the regions of the fi ough water sot tating nozzles nL h the main PIPE Jes. It looksDrip system Sickle (ii) Drip System: Here the water falls drop by drop at the base of the plants. Hence it is called as drip system. It is good for watering fruit plants, gardens etc., where availability of water is poor. GETTING RID OF WEEDS Along with the crop many a times some unwanted plants grow and such undesirable plants are called weeds. The process of removing these weeds is known as weeding. Weeding is necessary ~ as the weeds share the water, nutrients, space and light, etc., and ultimately affect the growth of the crop. Sometimes, these weeds interfere even in harvesting, proving Poisonous and harmful for animals and human beings. Spraying weedicise Farmers try various ways to remove weeds like tilling, before sowing of crops. Due to this weeds are uprooted. In such a case these may dry up and get mixed with the soil. The right time to remove weeds is before they produce flowers and seeds. With the help of khurpi, weeds can be removed manually. A seed drill is also used for removal of weeds. Certain chemicals called weedicides such as 2,4-D and MCPA are used to control weeds. The weedicides diluted with water are sprayed in the fields by means of a sprayer as shown in the figure. Weedicides are usually sprayed before flowering and seed formation. Farmers are advised to cover their nose and mouth witha cloth while spraying these chemicals. HAPPY MOMENTS OF HARVESTING Cutting of matured crop by farmers is called harvesting. These are their happy moments and they really celebrate it. In the process of harvesting, the crops are cut close to the ground. Roughly it takes around 3 to 4 months for a cereal crop to mature. In India, harvesting is normally done manually with the help of a sickle as shown in figure or by a machine called harvester. As the crop is harvested, the grain seeds are to be separated from the chaff. The process so involved is called winnowing. It is now done by means of a machine known as ‘combine’ which is actually a combined harvester and thresher. HAPPY HOURS OF HARVESTING After hard labour of about three or four _ overjoyed to see Potential fields with standing— Recut oF ActvRy Take a small round sheet of iron or plastic with its circumference corner ‘You should see the grains come to the level of say 5 to 7 inches. Make holes of size of grai ‘out of holes and chaff remains aruehnukthekh of grain apy Dias Gatsainer toot | ighout the sheet. Put the grains in this so called open container, some force with your hand on these grains. You will find that grains What 2 Winnowing | | ofthe holes and chaffremains in the container. Such ready-made containers are also available in market. You have to | selection of the sieve keeping in view the size of grains. STORING Storage of crop grains is of vital importance. If the grains are to be stored for longer period, then they have to be dried up to remove moisture and toprotect them from insects, rats and micro-organisms. Farmers store grains in jute bags or sometimes metallic containers. t home, women put dried neem leaves while storing of food grains. Large quantities of grain are given chemical treatment before storing in silos and granaries. FOOD FROM ANIMALS beneficial for providing different Like plants, animals too are equally types of food, Most of the people from coastal areas usually consume! is as main part of their diet, The animals reared at home or on farms shoul be provided with sufficient food, proper shelter and care. Animal husbandry is the branch of science that deals with the management, breeding and care of domestic animals. Poultry animals like hens and ducks are a source of egg and meat Feu and other varieties of sea food are a source of nutritious food. Fish i source of oil, fertilizers and other useful products. Goat, sheeP are providing animals. Honey bee produce honey from nectar of flowers Cow, goat are a source of milk. MY BAG OF TERMS Agricultural practices ~ Comprises ofimplements and the practises carried in igrowingof plants, for food: Animal husbandry — Bringing up of animals for food on large scale and other requirements. ‘Crop — When similar plants are grown and cultivated at one place on large scale. aFertilizers Substances that may be natural or chemical containing one or more nutrients needed for plant growth. Harvesting The process involved in cutting and collecting of crops. igation Supplying water artificially for growth of plants ploughing — Process involving loosening as well as turning of soil Manure — It is an organic substance obtained from the decornposing of plant or animal wastes. Pesticides — Chemicals sprayed to destroy pests. Crop Rotation — Whentwo or more different crops are grown ina field one after another. Weeds — The unwanted plants which grow along with the crop Agricultural practices are to be adopted to produce food for our rising population. ¢ Similar type of plants when grown and cultivated at one place on large scaleis called a crop. © Depending upon growing season, in india crops are grouped as Rabi and Kharif. © Ploughing, levelling and putting fertilizers are involved in process of soil preparation. * Selection of healthy seeds is made before sowing the seeds at proper depths and places so as to obtain good yield. © Modern method such as sprinkler and drip irrigation are adopted to save water. © Weeding can be done manually or by machines to remove undesirable plants growing along with the crop. © Harvesting involves manual cutting of crop bya sickle or by a machine called harvester. © Bythe process called as threshing, grains are separated from the chaff. * Grains should be dried up properly before storing to remove moisture and protect them from rats and insects, etc. © Athome ladies store the grains by putting dried neem leaves. * Farmers store the grains in jute bags and sometimes metallic containers and bulk storage of grains is done in granaries and silos. © Animals are reared for food. itis called animal husbandry. LINK AND LEARN Fill in the empty boxes given below. = ay — —- aySummative and Founative Assessment CAN YOU NAME ? 4) The process of loosening and turning of the soil. 2) The process of separating the grain seeds from the chaff. 3) The process of watering the plants. 4) The process of cutting and collecting a mature crop. 5) Bulk storage of grains is done in these. (NCORRECT THE STATEMENTS BY SUBSTITUTING THE HIGHLIGHTED WorDs 1) Weeds are removed by kneeding. 2) We get milk from crow. 3) Drip irrigation is a boon to farmers in wet areas. 4) Sowing is done by sewing machine. 5) Before storing, grain are dipped in water. FILL IN THE BLANKS 1) In India there are two main crops: One is kharif and the otheris 2) Honeyis produced by 3) Harvestingis manually done by 4) Similar plants when cultivated at one place on large scale is known as 5) The implement used to sow seedsis called _ MATCH THE FOLLOWING a) Digging soil (i) Plough b) Tilling soil (iil) Khurpa ©) Breaking soil crumbs (iil) Sickle d) Weeding (iv) Soil plank (v) Spade e) Harvesting 1) Weeding involves removalof if them crops [| animals [| weeds | | algHarvestingis done when the cereal cropis cone month old washed out in monsoon one year old mature after 3 to.4 months 3) Winnowingmeans weeding by farmers | drying grains cutting crops ‘separation of grain and chaff, 4) Amodern method of irrigationis moat rahat 5) Asource ofirrigation well tube well canal WRITE THE SCIENTIFIC TERMS FOR THE FOLLOWING 4) The process of loosening and turning of the soil 2) The tool used to break the crumbs (big pieces of soils) 3) The process of supplying water to crops 4) The cutting of crop after it is mature 5) The process of separating the grain seeds from the chaff ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BRIEFLY 4) How are Rabi crops different from Kharif crops ? 2) Distinguish between manure and fertilizer. 3) What is ploughing ? List its advantages. 4) List the steps involved in agricultural practises. 5) What are weeds ? How and why should they be removed ? 6) What are the benefits of sowing seeds using a seed drill ? 7) What is crop rotation ? Give an example. - called friends of the farmers ? | put a handful of grains in a vessel containi ting and the rest of them sank. Which of sprinkler system allofthem