1.

Crop Production and Management Agriculture The term crop is used to describe
plants of the same kind that are grown and cultivated at one place in significant
quantities. Plants that are planted during the rainy season are called kharif crops.
Crops that grow during the winter season are called rabi crops. Many activities are
performed before cultivating a crop, which are termed as agricultural practices. Soil
preparation means loosening the soil or turning it. Earthworms decompose plant and
animal waste, and thereby benefit the soil by increasing the humus and nutrient level
in it. Ploughs have been in use since ancient times for tilling soil, adding manure and
fertilisers, and for scraping of soil. Depending upon the animals available o n a farm,
ploughing is done using horses and camels to pull ploughs. A plank is used to break
the crumbs into fine soil. The next step is to level the soil with the help of a leveller.
Ploughs were made from wood. Nowadays, iron ploughs have become more po pular.
Earlier, a hoe was used for tilling, but these days we use it only to remove weeds.
When the cultivator is pulled by a tractor, the teeth assist in breaking the soil.Healthy
seeds contain more nutrients.Damaged seeds are hollow, discoloured and cont ain
fewer nutrients. Seed selection is done by soaking the seeds in a beaker containing
water.Modern seed drills sow seeds at a proper depth and distance, and cover them
with a layer of soil, keeping them well out of a bird's reach. The traditional seed dr ill
contains a funnel-shaped container, from where the seeds pass and get placed into
the soil. Bananas are first sown in a nursery and the saplings are planted in the field.
The term crop is used to describe plants of the same kind that are grown and
cultivated at one place in significant quantities. A crop is a non -animal species or
variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder and fuel, or for any
other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize (corn), wheat, rice,
soyabean, potatoe and cotton. The term "crop" most commonly refers to plants.
Plants that are planted during the rainy season are called Kharif crops. The term
Kharif means "autumn" in Arabic. Crops that grow during the winter season are called
Rabi crops. The term Rabi means "spring" in Arabic. Many activities are performed
before cultivating a crop, which are termed as agricultural practices. Agricultural
practices are a collection of principles to apply for on -farm production and the post-
production process, resulting in safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural
products, while taking into account economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Soil preparation means loosening the soil or turning it. Earthworms decompose plant
and animal waste, and thereby benefit the soil by increasing the humus (topsoil
horizon that contains organic matter) and nutrient levels in it. Folk names for the
earthworm include "dew-worm," "rainworm," "night crawler" and "angleworm" (due to
its use as fishing bait). It is also called a 'friend of the farmer'. Aristotle called
earthworms the 'intestines of the earth'. Ploughs have been in use since ancient
times for tilling soil, adding manure and fertilisers, and for scraping soil. Depending
upon the animals available on a farm, ploughing is done using horses or camels to
pull ploughs. A plank is used to break crumbs into fine soil. The next step is to level
the soil with the help of a leveller. Ploughs were earlier made from wood. Nowadays,
iron ploughs have become more popular. Earlier, a hoe was used for tilling, but these
days, we use it only to remove weeds. Weeds are plants that grow where they are not
wanted. They grow in the fields where they compete with crops for water, soil
nutrients, light and space, and thus reduce crop yield. They also harbour insects,
pests and micro-organisms. Certain weeds release into the soil inhibitors or
poisonous substances that are harmful to plants, human beings and livestock. When
the cultivator is pulled by a tractor, the teeth assist in breaki ng the soil. Cultivate
means preparing the soil for growing crops, breaking the surface soil around to
destroy weeds, use the soil or land for growing crops, to grow crops from seeds,
shoots, etc., or to improve or develop plants by various horticultural t echniques.
Healthy seeds contain more nutrients. Seed health refers to the absence of disease -
causing organisms such as fungi, nematodes, bacteria, viruses and insects.
Damaged seeds are hollow and discoloured, and contain fewer nutrients. Seed
selection is done by soaking seeds in a beaker containing water. Seed selection is
aimed at obtaining healthier seeds. It can also be used to maintain and improve the
quality of the crop variety. Plants can be reserved for obtaining seeds for growing the
next crop. In this way, the farmer can slowly improve the quality of his crop. The
selection of plants may be based on characteristics such as the size of the plant, the
colour or size of the fruits, the number of grains per ear, etc. However, selection can
also be done to keep the seeds of the plants that suffered fewer attacks by insects or
disease. In this way, the farmer will select at harvest time the best seeds to be kept
aside for the next season. For sowing, only the very best seeds should be used.
Modern seed drills sow seeds at a proper depth and distance, and cover them with a
layer of soil, keeping them well out of a bird's reach. The traditional seed drill
contains a funnel-shaped container, from where seeds pass and get placed into the
soil. Bananas are first sown in a nursery, and the saplings are planted to the field
later. A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a usable size.
Crop Protection Agriculture is cultivating on large areas.Manure provides soil with
nutrients. The crop has been harvested last week and is left fallow to recover
nutrients. Decomposition occurs in pits dumped with organic waste with the help of
earthworms and bacteria. Fertilisers are chemicals used to add minerals like
potassium, phosphorus and nitrates to the soil. The supply of water to crop is
irrigation. The frequency of irrigation varies from season to season. Manure increases
the water retention capacity of soil, making it porous. Plants contain nearly 90%
water, and need water for proper development of flowers, fruits and seeds. In dry
conditions, seeds do not germinate. Water protects plants from frostbite and hot air
currents. Water protects crops from hot air by evaporation, and traps cold breeze.
Traditional methods of irrigation include moat, chain pump, dhekli and rahat, and
need animal and human labour to draw water. Wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes, rivers,
dams and canals are sources of water. Sprinklers and drip systems are used when
the soil is sandy or uneven. Pumps lift water and run on biogas or solar energy.
During summer, it is difficult for farmers to water crops. Weeds are removed manually
before they produce flowers and seeds. Weeds are controlled by chemicals such as
2, 4-D, a systemic weedicide that kills weeds. Weedicides are poisonous to humans.
Drip irrigation waters fruit plants and suits regions that have scarcity of water. Khurpi
is used to remove weeds. Farmers use weedicides in diluted form and they handle
weedicides carefully by covering their nose and mouth while spraying. This stops
their propagation in the field. Tilling the soil uproots the weeds. Harvest and Storage
Cutting the crop after it has ripened and gathering the grains is known as harvesting.
We can use the word crop ripened rather than using the word crop mature. A sickle
 has a sharp serrate-edged metal blade attached to a wooden handle. A sickle is used
for cutting the crop. A harvester is a machine that helps to cut the ripened crop from
the fields. Threshing is the process of separating the grains from the straw and chaff.
A thresher is used for threshing. A combine is a combination of a thresher and a
harvester. Winnowing is a process in which we allow natural wind to blow through the
grains, so the lighter substances fly away, whereas the heavier grains fall to the
ground. The fan in a winnowing machine blows away the chaff. Protection of crops
against microorganisms, rodents, pests and moisture is done by drying in sun and
exposing to fumes. Silos are huge, air-tight cylindrical structures used to store grains.
Granaries are large rooms built above ground level to prevent rodents and pests from
getting near the grains. In cold storage, vegetables and fruits are stored at low
temperatures. Animal husbandry means rearing and breeding livestock on a large
scale. Poultry farming means rearing hens, ducks and turkey for meat and eggs.

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1. Introduction
The science that deals with the growth of plants and animals for human use is
called agriculture.
Agriculture includes-

Soil management- the cultivation of soil

Crop farming- growing and harvesting of crops.
Horticulture- growing and harvesting of fruits, vegetables, flowers and decorative
plants
Animal husbandry- the breeding and raising of livestock including poultry
The land where plants are cultivated is known as fields.
Plants grown in large quantities in field are known as crop plants or crops.
Based upon the seasons, the crops are divided into two types- summer crops
called kharif crops and winter crops called rabi crops.
Kharif crops are grown during summer between june/july and harvested by
september/october. Rice, groundnut, maize, cotton , pulses are some common kharif
crps.
Rabi crops are grown in the winter between october/november and harvestedv by
march or april. Wheat, barley, mustard, potato and peas are some common rabi crops.
The recent progress in agriculture has taught farmers to cultivate crops in a systematic
way. The tasks that a farmer follows are called agricultural practices. The major steps
involved in this process are-

Preparation of soil
Selection and sowing of seeds
Addition of manure and fertilizers
 Irrigation
Protection from weeds and pests
Harvesting
Storage

Preparation of soil:
Ploughing or tilling involves loosening and turning of soil using a tool or an implement
called the plough. Then the soil is leveled.
Loosening of the soil-
1. Allows the roots to breath easily
2. Helps the roots to penetrate deeper into the soil.
3. Enables fertilizers to mix uniformly with the soil.
4. Aids the growth of organisms such as earthworms, millipedes, bacteria and fungi.

Sowing of seeds:
Seeds used for sowing should be of good quality, healthy, viable and free of infections.
Seeds are sown manually by broadcasting or by seed drills. Broadcasting is the
scattering of seeds over the soil surface by hand.

Addition of manure and fertilizers:

Plants require nutrients for growth. They get these nutrients from the soil. This can be
done either by natural methods or by adding manures and fertilizers to the soil.

Natural methods:

Field fallow: The method of leaving the field without cultivating any crops to replenish
nutrients in the soil.
Crop rotation: It involves growing two or more crops alternatively on the same land in
the same growing season so that the soil is not depleted of any particular nutrients.

Differences between manures and fertilizers:

Differences between manures and fertilizers:

Manures Fertilizers
These are natural organic substances that are These are inorganic salts made by
derived from animal wastes and plant residues. humans.
 Differences between manures and fertilizers:
Manures Fertilizers
These are rich in humus but not in inorganic These are rich in inorganic
nutrients. nutrients but do not contain humus.
They are less bulky and easy to
They are quite bulky and difficult to transfer.
handle.

Irrigation:
Irrigation is the artificial supply of water to farms when needed.
Some of the modern irrigation methods are as follows:
Sprinkler system
Drip irrigation

Protection from weed and pests:

Weeding:

Weeds are unwanted plants that grow along with the crops. They compete with
the crops for water, minerals and sunlight and, therefore reduce crop yield.
Amaranthus is very common weed which grow with almost every crop.
Weeding can be done manully using a trowel or a harrow or by using a seed drill
using certain chemicals called weedicides for example- 2,4-D. some common
weedicides are Dalapon, Siniazine and Picloram.

Pests:

Insects that attack crops and damage them are called pests.
Pests can be controlled by pesticides which are poisonous chemicals. Pesticides
kill pests as well as their eggs and larvae but do not affect the plants.

Harvesting:
Harvesting is the cutting and gathering of the mature crop from the fields.
Threshing is the process of removal of the edible part of grain from the scaly,
inedible chaff that surrounds it.
 Combine harvester is a farm machine which does both harvesting as well as
threshing.
Wind winnowing is a method of separating grain from chaff by throwing the
mixture into the air with a winnowing fan.

Storage:
Large scale storage of grains is done in granaries or silos to protect them from pests
like rodents, microbes or insects.

Increasing crop produce:

Crop produce can be increased by increasing the land under cultivation, by
improvement in the methods of agriculture, and by developing better varieties of crops
by plant breeding.
Hybridization is a technique used for plant breeding in which new varieties with desired
characteristics of high yield and resistance to disease, are developed.

Nitrogen cycle:
Air contains about 78% nitrogen. Nitrogen is used by life forms for the formation of
protein, amino acids and nucleic acids.

The cyclic process of nitrogen being fixed, used by plants and animals and later
returned to the atmosphere is referred to as the nitrogen cycle.
Nitrogen cycle involves the following steps:

Nitrogen fixation: fixing free nitrogen gas of the atmosphere into inorganic
compounds by organism such as Rhizobium.
Nitrogen assimilation: converting inorganic nitrogen into usable organic
compounds in organisms.
Ammonification: Conversion of organic nitrogen into ammonia.
Nitrification: Ammonia is converted into nitrates in the soil with the help of
bacteria.
Denitrification: Conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria.

Animal husbandry:
 The breeding, feeding and caring of domestic animals for food and other
purposes is called animal husbandry.
Meat or egg yielding animals such as goat, poultry animals (e.g. chicken, duck
and trkey), fish, sheep.
Milch or (milk yielding) animals such as cow, buffalo, goat and camel.
Large scale rearing of fish for food is known as pisciculture.
Large scale rearing of honeybee is known as apiculture.