BIOLOGY IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD RESOURCES

Crop Production Management

 India has a large area under cultivation.
 The production practices in India depend on land size, access to information and financial
conditions of farmers.
 Crop production management refers to controlling different aspects of crop production to obtain
maximum and best yield.

Irrigation

Nutrient Cropping
Management Patterns

Crop
Production
Managem
ent

Nutrient Management

 Plants require 16 different nutrients which are obtained by air, water and soil.

Air Carbon, oxygen

Water Hydrogen, oxygen
Soil Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur,
iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, chlorine

•Nutrients required by plants in large quantities.

Macronutrients •The six macronutrients are nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium
and sulphur.

•Nutrients required by plants in small

quantities.
Micronutrients •The seven micronutrients are iron,
manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum
and chlorine.

 Deficiency of these nutrients retards the growth of plants.

 The soil is replenished by these nutrients by adding manures and fertilisers.

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Manures and Fertilisers

Manure
 It is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of dead and decaying
vegetable matter, waste from farms, household waste and excreta of animals.
 Contains large quantities of organic compounds.
 Contains small quantities of nutrients.
 It is cheap and can be prepared in home or fields.

Compost  It is formed by the decomposition of vegetable and animal wastes,

(Vermicompost) domestic waste and eradicated weeds.
 The waste matter is decomposed in pits. This process is called
composting.
 Sometimes, organic substances are decomposed by earthworms
and are converted into humus. This is called vermicompost.
Green Manure  Farmers grow leguminous plants (e.g. groundnuts, soya beans,
pulses) in between two crops.
 Leguminous plants help to replenish the nitrogen content in the
soil.
 Sometimes, before sowing seeds, plants such as sun hemp or
guar are grown and mulched by ploughing them into the soil.
Advantages of Manures
 Increase the water-holding capacity of the soil.
 Make the soil porous which facilitates the exchange of gases.
 Improve the texture of the soil.
 Replenish the general deficiency of nutrients.
Disadvantages of Manures
 It is not nutrient-specific, thus it removes general deficiency of the soil.
 It is inconvenient to transport or store the manure.
 Nutrients are released into the soil slowly. Thus, they are unable to suffice the urgent
demand of nutrients by plants.
Fertilisers
 Fertilisers are human-made substances.
 They contain inorganic salts or organic compounds.
 They are used to fertilise a larger area at a time.
 Fertilisers are nutrient-specific so that they can fulfil the specific requirement of nutrients.
 They are soluble in water; thus, they are readily absorbed by plants.
 They are easy to store, transport and apply to crops.
 Fertilisers are costly and prepared in factories.
 Overuse of artificial fertilisers may reduce the fertility of soil. The soil may become
infertile over a period of time.

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Organic Farming
 Organic farming is the kind of farming in which crops are grown without using chemical fertilisers and
pesticides.
 There is a maximum input of organic manure or recycled farm wastes.
 Different cropping systems such as mixed cropping, inter-cropping and crop rotation are used to
maintain the composition of nutrients in the soil.
 Bio-agents such as blue-green algae are used in the preparation of biofertilisers.
 Neem leaves or turmeric is used as pesticides in grain storage.
 Food grown by organic farming is called organic food.
 In recent years, organic farming has increased. This is because of the increased awareness in people
about the safety related to the environment and food.

Irrigation

 In most parts of India, the success of crop yield depends on monsoons and sufficient rainfall during the
growing season. Hence, a poor monsoon causes crop failure.
 It is the artificial method of supplying water to crops in a field.
 Different kinds of irrigation systems are adopted depending on the kinds of water resources available.

1. Wells  The two types of wells are dug well and tube well.
 In a dug well, water is collected from water-bearing strata.
 Tube wells trap water present in deeper strata.
 Water is lifted from wells by using a pump.
2. Canals  Canals receive water from water reservoirs especially from rivers.
 The main canal is divided into several branches which irrigate the
field.
3. River Lift  This type of irrigation is used in areas where canal flow is
System insufficient.
 Water is directly drawn from the rivers to provide irrigation for
fields which are close to rivers.
4. Tanks  They are small storage reservoirs.
 Tanks store runoff water in smaller catchment areas.
5. Rain water harvesting and watershed management are also used. Check dams are built
to increase groundwater levels.

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Traditional Methods of Irrigation

Moat Water is directly taken out of the wells and used to irrigate fields.

Rahat Water is drawn out by using the single wheel moved by animals.

Canals

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Tube wells

Rain water harvest

reservoirs

Modern Methods of Irrigation

Basin Irrigation  It is a kind of surface irrigation.
 The land is surrounded with embankments in the form of a basin.
 Basins are flooded with water.
 It is used for crops which require large amounts of water for
growth.

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Furrow Irrigation  It is a kind of surface irrigation.

 Small channels or furrows are created along the field length
between crop rows.
 It used for crops which do not require much water.

Drip Irrigation  Water is supplied through pipes with drippers.

 Pipes are placed in rows between the plants, close to the roots.
 Water is saved.
 It is the best method in water scarce regions.
 It is used for fruit orchards, gardens and trees.

Sprinkle Irrigation  Spray guns are attached to a large hosepipe at regular intervals to
spray water.
 It is suitable for all types of crops.

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Advantages of Irrigation

Provides moisture to germinating seeds.

Facilitates the absorption of nutrients by minerals.

Disadvantages of Irrigation

Excess of water in the soil leads to water logging.

Sometimes, it inhibits the process of germination.

Roots do not grow properly in a standing water field.

Excess irrigation destroys standing crops.

It increases the amount of salt on the surface soil as water gets evaporated.

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Cropping Patterns

Mixed Cropping Inter-cropping Crop Rotation

• Growing two or more • Growing two or more • Growing of different crops

crops simultaneously on crops simultaneously in on the same land in pre-
the same piece of land. the same field in a definite planned succession.
pattern. • Allows soil to recover its
• Minimises the risk of crop • increases the productivity lost nutrients.
failure. per unit area. • Helps to control pests,
• Seeds of two crops are • Pesticides can be easily weeds and diseases.
mixed before sowing. applied to individual crop. • Helps to reduce the use of
• Pest control of individual • Both crops can be easily chemical fertilisers.
crop is difficult. harvested and threshed. • Maize-Mustard
• Separate harvesting and • Soil erosion is reduced. • Rice-Wheat
threshing of individual • Allows better use of • Maize-Mustard-
crops is not possible. natural resources such as Sugarcane-Fenugreek
• Crops yield can be light, soil air and water. • Maize-Potato-Sugarcane-
increased. • Soyabean + Maize Peas
• Wheat + Gram • Finger millet (Bajra) +
• Wheat + Mustard Cowpea (lobia)
• Groundnut + Sunflower

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Crop Protection Management

1. Weeding
 Wild and undesirable plants which grow in crop fields and compete with the crops for space, soil,
nutrients, water and sunlight are called weeds.
 Some examples of weeds are Xanthium (gokhroo), Parthenium (gaja ghas) and Cyperinus
rotundus (motha).

Xanthium Parthenium

Cyperinus rotundus
 Weeding is the process of removal of weeds.
 Weeds are removed by various methods:

 Weeds can be pulled out by hand.

 A trowel or small arrow can be used to remove weeds.
 Chemicals generally called weedicides can be used to kill weeds. Examples: 2,4-D,
MCPA
 Releasing certain insects which destroy weeds. Example: Cochineal insect

Disadvantages of Weeds

 Compete with crops for all the possible resources.

 Can be responsible for spreading diseases.
 Provide hideouts for rats and snakes.

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2. Pest Control
 Almost all crops are affected by insects, mites, small animals, birds and rats. Such harmful
organisms are called pests.
 Pests reduce crop production.
 Some pests are

Worms and insects Aphids, larvae of weevil, earworms, bollworms, borers, mites
Locusts Grasshopper
Microorganisms Bacteria, fungi, virus

Common diseases related to pests

Late blight of potato

Rust and smut of wheat
Blast of rice
Root rot
Canker
Gall or tumour
Mildew

Ways to Control Pests

Chemical  Chemicals which control pests such as insects and mites are called
Control pesticides.
 Pesticides used to kill insects are called insecticides.
 They may be stomach poisons. Examples: Lead arsenate, sodium arsenate
 They may be contact poisons. Examples: DDT (dichloro-diphenyl trichloro
ethane), BHC (benzene hexachloride)
 Bordeaux mixture can be spread on plants to kill fungal diseases.
 Bordeaux mixture is a mixture of copper sulphate and lime dissolved
separately in water and then mixed together in equal proportions.
 A natural insecticide extracted from neem is useful in controlling pests
without any harm to crops and soil.
Biological  Animals which control pests are reared and released in the farm.
Control  Adults and larvae of ladybird beetles feed on aphids and their eggs.
 Syrphid fly larvae feed on aphids.
 Ground beetle larvae feed on caterpillars of gypsy moth.
 Adult ground beetles feed on the pupae of gypsy moth.

Disadvantages of Pesticides
 Destroy friendly insects along with pests.
 Causes environmental pollution.
 Affects nutritional quality of crops.
 Animals eating such crops also get affected.

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Storage of Grain
 Harvested crops are stored until they are sold in the market.

 Harvested grains contain a lot of moisture in them. Hence, grains are first dried.
 Dried grains are stored in granaries. Granaries are large metal or earthen pots.
 Grains are also stored in gunny bags.
 Government stores grains in large containers or storage towers called silos.
 Buffer stocks are stored in godowns to meet emergency needs such as natural calamities.
 Precautions to be taken while storing grains
o Grains must be dried thoroughly; otherwise, there are chances of rotting.
o Need to be stored in a room free from moisture.
o Tin boxes should be preferred as they are mice-proof.
o In godowns, chemicals used to prevent rats and insects must be used carefully in such
as way that grains are not contaminated.
o Old gunny bags should be sun-dried.
o Storage places should be well-ventilated.
o During transportation of grains, gunny bags must be covered properly so that no
wastage occurs.

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