Chapter 15 Improvement in Food Resources Part - I

There is a need to introduce production efficiency of crops and livestock

because rapid increase in population No major scope of increasing area of land under cultivation.
Success in efforts to meet food demand increase in food grain production Increase in Food Grain production - Green Revolution

Increase in milk production White Revolution Effects of these revolutions on Environment excessive use of natural resources thereby disturbing the ecological balance Solution: Increase in food production without degrading our environment and disturbing the ecological balance i.e. Sustainable Practices Sustainable practices are those which involve the use of natural resources in such a manner that their availability is ensured for the future generations too. Sustainable practices are not harmful to the environment.

Types of Food Plants CropsCereals- Wheat, Rice, Maize, Millets, Sorghum (provide carbohydrates for energy) Pulses- Gram, Pea, Black gram, green gram, pigeon pea, lentils(provide proteins) Oil Seeds- Soyabean, groundnut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed, sunflower (provide fats) Vegetables, spices and fruits provide mainly vitamins & minerals Fodder crops- Berseem, Oat, sudan grass

Rabi and Kharif Crops Crops grown in Rainy season (June to October) are called Kharif Crops. eg. Paddy, Soyabean, pigeon pea, Maize, cotton, green gram, black gram. Crops grown in winter season (November to April ) are called Rabi Crops. e.g. Wheat, gram, peas, mustard, linseed

Questions 1. Why do we need an increase in food production? Ans. Because of the increasing human population. 2. Describe some successful efforts by the government to increase production of food. 3. How is Green and White revolution harming the environment

Improvement in Crop Yields:

Major activities for increasing crop yield Crop variety Improvement Crop Production improvement Crop protection management Crop Variety Improvement The variety of crop selected for growing in the field should be such that it gives a favourable produce in the given conditions. Factor for which variety improvement is done are: a) Higher yield- this will increase the produce obtained from crop. b) Improved quality- quality depends on the type of crop, for e.g. baking quality of wheat, quality of protein in pulses, quality (colour, taste) of oil from oil seeds. c) Biotic and abiotic resistance- Biotic (living factors) like pathogens, insects and nematodes and abiotic factiors (non-living factors) like water logging salinity, drought, heat, cold and frost have a negative impact on crop production. A crop resistant to these factors gives a better produce. d) Change in maturity duration- Short duration crops reduce cost of crop production -Uniform maturity makes harvesting easy e) Wider adaptability- Such a trait is desirable as the same crop variety can be grown in different conditions f) Desirable agronomic characters Depends on crops For fodder crops- Tallness & profuse branching are desirable For cereal crops- dwarf variety is desirable since fewer nutrients would be consumed. How to improve crop variety: 1) Hybridization 2) Making GMOs Hybridisation:It is a natural or artificial process that results in the formation of a hybrid. Two genetically dissimilar* plants are taken. These plants have a set of desirable characters. These plants have a set of desirable characters. These plants are crossbred (means pollen of one plant used to fertilize ovule of another plant.

The resultant plant i.e. the hybrid may have favourable characters from both parent plants.
*Genetically dissimilar plants are those that do not have the same genes. For eg. A variety of wheat that is growing in the wild and is low yielding and disease resistant will be genetically dissimilar to a variety of wheat that is being grown in the field and is high yielding but not resistant to diseases.

Crossing may be
a) Intervarietal: Between different varieties e.g. Two varieties of wheat one

is disease resistant and the other is high yielding. Crossing/hybridization may result in a variety that is both high yielding and disease resistant. b) Inter specific: Plants belonging to two different species of the same genus are crossed. c) Intergeneric: Plants belonging to two different genera (singular genus) are crossed. Making GMOs GMO is a genetically modified crop (organism) A gene for a desirable character is introduced in a plant using scientific technique. The resultant plant is a GMO. For New varieties of crops to be accepted, it is necessary that:a) Variety produces high yield under different conditions b) Farmers to be provided with good quality seeds of a variety Q. When new varieties of crops are made by scientists, the main features kept in mind are: a)Crop should give high yield in different climatic conditions. b) The seeds provided should be of the same variety and should germinate under same conditions. Crop Production Management

Many times production is related to inputs. These inputs require money. Based on this, the production practices can be: -no cost Low cost High cost (i) Nutrient Management:
A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment.

Source of nutrient Plants get nutrients from air, water and soil 16 nutrients essential to plants Air supplies carbon and oxygen, Hydrogen and oxygen by water, rest by soil. Type of nutrient: Macronutrients (6) required in large quantities (C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Micronutrients (7) required in less quantities (Fe, Mn, B, Zn, Cu, Mo, Cl)

S)
A nutrient is essential to an organism if it cannot be synthesized by the organism in sufficient quantities and must be obtained from an external source. Nutrients needed in relatively large quantities are called macronutrients and those needed in relatively small quantities are called micronutrients. The chemical elements consumed in the greatest quantities by plants are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These are present in the environment in the form of water and carbon dioxide; energy is provided by sunlight. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur are also needed in relatively large quantities. Together, these are the elemental macronutrients for plants, often represented by the acronym CHNOPS. The acronym C. HOPKiN'S CaFe Mg (to be used as C. Hopkins coffee mug) is used by some students to remember the list as: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Potassium (K), Nitrogen, Sulphur, Calcium, Iron (Fe), and Magnesium (Mg). (Please note that iron is a micro nutrient) Silicon, chloride, sodium, copper, zinc, and molybdenum are considered micronutrients.

Manure is Organic material that is used to fertilize land, usually consisting of the feces and urine of domestic livestock, with or without litter such as straw, hay, or bedding. Some countries also use human excrement ("night soil"). Though livestock manure is less rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash than synthetic fertilizers and therefore must be applied in much greater quantities, it is rich in organic matter, or humus, and thus improves the capacity of the soil to absorb and store water, thereby preventing erosion. Fertilizers are chemical compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either through the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. Fertilizers can be organic (composed of organic matter), or inorganic (made of simple, inorganic chemicals or minerals).

How to enrich soil in nutrients: by using manures and fertilizers

Manures

Fertilizers

1. Not nutrient specific-Supply 1. Nutrient Specific: Supply specific nutrients to soil (specific amount nutrients in specific quantities. of nutrients or type of nutrient is difficult to determine) 2. Bulky and voluminous, therefore 2. Compact, use less space, so easy to difficult to store. store 3. Manures increase organic matter 3. Fertilizers have no such effects on soil content of soil and improve soil texture and water holding capacity of texture and water holding capacity soil of soil 4. Manures are prepared in open spaces/ 4. Fertilizers are usually prepared in fields industries. 5. Preparing Manures is a good 5. No such advantage in preparing method of recycling farm waste fertilizers 6. Excessive use of manures is usually 6. Excessive use of fertilizers cause soil not harmful to the plants. and water pollution especially in the near-by water bodies. I t may also increase soil salinity. 7. Manures do not affect the soil 7. Fertilizers are harmful for the useful organisms like earthworm. soil organisms like earthworm. 8. Usually, manures are cheaper than 8. Usually, fertilizers are more expensive fertilizers than manures. Based on the kind of biological material used, manures can be classified as Compost Vermicompost Green manure Compost is a finely divided, loose material consisting of decomposed organic matter. It is primarily used as a plant nutrient and soil conditioner to stimulate crop growth. Vermicompost: The method of composting becomes faster by using certain species of earthworms. Vermicompost is an organic manure (bio-fertilizer) produced as the vermicast by earth worm feeding on biological waste material; plant residues. This compost is an odourless, clean, organic material containing adequate quantities of N, P, K and several micronutrients essential for plant growth. Advantages: Vermicompost is a preferred nutrient source for organic farming. It is ecofriendly, non-toxic, consumes low energy input for composting and is a recycled biological product. Organic Farming: Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides and plant growth regulators. In organic farming, the following are used and considered important: 1. Bio-agents to increase fertility- eg. Blue green algae 2. Biopesticides: neem leaves and turmeric 3. Biological method of pest control: Certain insects/animals are introduced in the farmland that selectively feed on the pests but do not harm the soil or the crops.

4. Healthy cropping systems: Mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation are also use to get better production. Advantages of Organic Farming: Most organic farms use fewer pesticides than most conventional farms.The farm waste is effectively recycled and crops are grown in a manner that is environment Friendly. Green Manure: green manure is a type of cover crop grown primarily to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Typically, a green manure crop is grown for a specific period, and then plowed under and incorporated into the soil. Green manures usually perform multiple functions, that include soil improvement and soil protection: Leguminous green manures contain nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria in root nodules that fix atmospheric nitrogen in a form that plants can use. Green manures increase the percentage of organic matter (biomass) in the soil, thereby improving water retention, aeration, and other soil characteristics.

IRRIGATION: Irrigation is application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. Agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed farming. Ensuring that crops get water at the right stages during their life cycle can improve crop production. Various types of irrigation systems are adopted to supply water to the fields depending upon the type of water resources. These water resources are: WELLS: A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access water in underground aquifers .Wells help to tap ground water. There are two types of wells: Dug wells and tube wells. Dug wells tap water from water bearing strata in lower levels of soil. Tube wells, however, tap water from deeper strata. Water from these lower layers is lifted by pumps to the surface for irrigation. CANALS: are a network of channels that connect the field to a water body/ water source that may be a river, a water reservoir or a dam. River Lift Systems: this is required in areas where canal flow is insufficient. Water is directly drawn from the rivers to irrigate the fields in close vicinity. Tanks: Tanks are small water reservoirs that store run-off from small catchment areas.(A catchment area acts like a funnel, collecting all the water within the area covered by the basin and channeling it into a waterway.) Fresh initiatives to improve irrigation facilities: Rain water harvesting Drip irrigation Water shed management: here, small check dams are built that increase ground water levels and also prevent soil erosion and prevent wastage of rain water.

CROPPING PATTERNS:

Mixed Cropping: is growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same

piece of land. It is also known as multiple cropping. This type of cropping leads to an improvement in the fertility of the soil and hence increase in crop yield because when the two crops are properly chosen, the products and refuse (Waste matter such as dry leaves)from one crop help in the growth of the other crop plant and vice-versa.

Mixed cropping is an insurance against crop failure due to abnormal weather conditions. Some successful mixed cropping practices are: Soyabean + pigeon pea Maize + urad dal (black gram) Groundnut + sunflower Wheat + Chick Pea Advantages of Mixed cropping: No risk of crop failure Variety of produce Increase in yield Improvement in soil fertility Minimising Pest Damage Inter Cropping: Intercropping is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time in a definite pattern.

Row- type intercropping cropping involves the component crops arranged in alternate rows. This may also be called alley cropping. A variation of row cropping is strip cropping, where multiple rows (or a strip) of one crop are alternated with multiple rows of another crop. Intercropping also uses the practice of sowing a fast growing crop with a slow growing crop, so that the fast growing crop is harvested before the slow growing crop starts to mature. Selection of crops for Mixed cropping and intercropping: Crops are chosen whose nutrient requirements are different so that maximum utilisation of the soil nutrients takes place. Also , their water needs, rooting patterns etc are different. Besides the advantages mentioned for mixed cropping, Intercropping has the following additional advantages: Application of pesticides and fertilizers is more convenient due to well defined patterns of crops. Harvesting of crops is also easier.

Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons for various benefits such as to avoid the build up of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is continuously cropped. Crop rotation also seeks to balance the fertility demands of various crops to avoid excessive depletion of soil nutrients. A traditional component of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals and other crops. Crop rotation can also improve soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants.

Advantages: Crop rotation avoids a decrease in soil fertility, as growing the same crop repeatedly in the same place eventually depletes the soil of various nutrients. A crop that leaches the soil of one kind of nutrient is followed during the next growing season by a dissimilar crop that returns that nutrient to the soil or draws a different ratio of nutrients, for example, rices followed by cottons. By crop rotation farmers can keep their fields under continuous production, without the need to let them lay fallow, and reducing the need for artificial fertilizers, both of which can be expensive. Rotating crops adds nutrients to the soil.

Key: Crop -1 Crop-2

Crop Protection Management:

When the crop is in the field, it needs protection against:

a) Weeds e.g. Xanthium, Parthenium (weeds are considered to be harmful as

they compete for food, space and light with the desired crop. They reduce crop production taking up the nutrients meant for the crops. b) Insect Pests- attack the plant in three ways ( cut root, stem and leaf, suck cell sap from various parts & bore into stem & fruits) c) Pathogens- Microbes like bacteria, fungi and viruses cause diseases. Spores of these pathogens may be transmitted through soil, water and air. To control these : Herbicides, Pesticides, fungicides should be used. For Weed control- the methods used are : mechanical removal, use of herbicides, summer ploughing (fields are ploughed deep in summers to destroy weeds and pests.) Prevention- for preventing the growth of weeds, Proper seed bed preparation, timely growing of crops, intercropping , crop rotation, use of resistant varieties and summer ploughing is done.

Storage of grains: Factors responsible for grain loss -Biotic (Insects, Rodents (members of rat family), Fungi, mites, bacteria - Abiotic (inappropriate moisture and temperature) Negative Effects of these factors on grains: Degradation in quality, loss in weight, poor germinabilty, discoloration of produce Leads to poor marketability Prevention and control methods used before grains are stored: Cleaning of produce before storage Drying of produce first in sunlight and then in shade to reduce moisture content Fumigation using chemicals (fumigants) to kill pests