Chapter

Foundation Basic Biology Booklet Bakliwal Tutorials - IIT
CHAPTER- 1 : Crop Production and Management
Lecture – 1 & 2
Introduction
All living organisms require food for their growth and survival. Food is the combination of various
organic and inorganic substances which are capable of providing energy for the various metabolic
activities. The food supplies carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals required by our
body. The two major sources of food are the plants and animals which are obtained from agriculture
and animal husbandry. In present time due to the tremendous increase of human population, demand
of food and shelter has also increased.
Higher grain output can be achieved by bringing more land under cultivation. The other possibility is
to increase production efficiency of both plants and animals. Increase in production can be brought
about by the development and use of improved varieties with high yield and better managerial
practices (both pre and post-harvest).
It is important that food production should be increased without degrading our environment and
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disturbing natural balance. This is possible through genetic improvement of crop plants (a second
green revolution) and domesticated animals and adopting sustainable agriculture.
Important points
1 "Agriculture is an applied biological science which deals with the production of plants
(agronomy) and raising of livestock (animal husbandry) for human use."
2 The introduction of high-yielding Varieties of seeds after 1965 & increased use of fertilizers
& irrigation are known collectively as green revolution. It helped in increasing the production
needed to make India self - sufficient in food grains. Father of green revolution in India is
M.S. Swaminathan.
Sources of food
crops are plants which are cultivated by humans for food, fodder, fiber, flowers, timber etc. There
are about 2000 species which are cultivated for eating purposes. Following parts of the plants are
eaten as food.
(a) Seeds : Not all seeds of plants are edible. for Example, large seeds such as those from a
lemon pose a choking hazard, whereas seeds from apples and cherries contain poison
cyanide, Edible seeds include cereals, pulses, oil seeds and nuts (dry fruits).
(i) Cereals: They include crops such as Wheat, Rice, maize, barley, sorghum etc. They
are a rich Source of carbohydrates.
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(ii) Pulses : They include legumes such as chicken pea gram (chana), pea (matar), black
gram (urad), green gram (moong), pigeon pea (arhar), cow pea (lobia) and lentil
(masoor). They are excellent source of proteins.
(iii) Oil seed crops : They include cotton seed, niger (Ramtil), sunflower, soyabean, flax
(linseed oil) rapeseed, groundnuts sesame, mustard, sunflower, olive etc. They are
source of oil fats and fatty acids.
(iv) Nuts or Dry fruits : Nuts are rich in proteins and fatty acids, so are considered
energetic food items. Examples include almond, walnut, cashew nut etc.
(b) Fruits :
They include apple, orange, mango, banana, pineapple, pomegranate, pear, peach, apricot,
grapes, dates, custard apple, etc. Essentially fruits ripened ovaries of plants and are a good
source of vitamins, minerals, roughage, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
(c) Vegetables :
They are the edible parts of the herbaceous plants. They are eaten in raw or cooked form
Vegetables are of following types:
(i) Roots : Roots of some plants such as carrot, radish, turnip, sweet potato and beet root
are eaten as vegetables
(ii) Stems : Stems of some plants such as mustard, bamboo, banana, asparagus, etc., are
used as vegetables. Certain plants have modified underground stems that are eaten,
e.g., potato, onion, garlic, ginger, etc. Stems of sugarcane are used for making of cane
juice and jaggery.
(iii) Leafy vegetables: They include leaves of spinach, lettuce, cabbage, turnip, radish,
mustard, methi, bathua (pigweed) and curry-leaf tree.
(iv) Inflorescence vegetables: They include broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Flowers of
banana, fennel, gourd and saffron are also good examples of vegetables.
(v) Fruit vegetables: They include tomato, pumpkin, brinjal (egg plant), jack fruit, bitter
gourd, bottle gourd, ridged gourd, cluster bean, cucumber, lady's finger, pumpkin
(sitaphal), etc.
(d) Spices:
Certain parts of some plants (e.g., leaves, stems, flowers, fruits and seeds) are used to
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enhance the palatability of food. They include chilly, turmeric, black pepper, cumin,
fenugreek, etc.
(e) Fodder crops:
They provide green fodder to the cattle, e.g., berseem, oat, sudan grass, sorghum, etc.
(f) Other crops :
Crop plants also yield fibres (e.g., cotton), tobacco, tea, coffee, chocolate, peppermint, etc.
CROP SEASONS
Different crop requires different climatic conditions, temperature and photoperiod for their growth
and maturity. Sunlight is required for photosynthesis - the process of manufacturing food by green
plants. Photoperiods are duration of sunlight that influences plants in their growth, flowering,
formation of storage organs, leaf fall, etc. In India, there are three main seasons of crop growth:
Kharif , Rabi and zayad crop.
S. Kharif Crop / Rainy Season Rabbi Crop / Winter Zaid / Zayad Crop /
No. Crop Season Crop Summer Season
Are grown during Are grown during winter Are grown during mainly
1.
monsoon/rainy season season in the summer season
They require warm & wet They require cold & dry They require warm day
2.
weather weather weather.
They are sown in June/ July & They are sown in
They are sown in March
3. harvested in October/November &
& harvested in June.
September/October harvested in March/April
e.g. Rice, Jowar, Bajra,
e.g. Wheat, Barley, Gram, e.g. Seasonal fruits and
4. Cotton, Groundnut, urad,
Mustard, Potato etc. Vegetables.
Moong, etc.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD RESOURCES

• Protects and renews soil fertility and the natural resource base
• Optimizes the management and use of farm resources
• Reduces the use of non-renewable resources and purchased production inputs.
• Provides an adequate and dependable form of income
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• Promotes opportunity in family farming and farm communities
DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the science and practice of farming, which mainly involves rearing of livestock,
cultivating land, raising crops, harvesting and marketing the produce. It is further subdivided into
many categories
• Agronomy : The branch of agricultural science dealing with production of field crops and
management of the soil. Agronomist sometimes known as crop scientist, specialize in
producing and improving food crops through conducting experiments and developing
methods of production
• Horticulture : Branch of agriculture that deal in growth and management of fruit and
flowering plants in orchards and gardens.
• Olericulture : Refers to growing and managing of vegetables.
• Aquaculture : The farming and harvesting of plants and animals in a water bodies for
economical Purpose, → ornamental plants
ORGANIC FARMING
It is the practice of raising crops which have not been polluted. Healthy cropping systems that
provide optimum nutrients to plants and keep the pests as well as weeds under control are used. In
organic farming there is little or no use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Organic
wastes are recycled in the form of manure. Bio fertilizers include the nitrogen fixing organisms
(bacteria and blue green algae) and mineral solubilizing bacteria. Bio pesticides are organisms or
their extracts which repel or kill weeds, insects and other pests, Neem leaves are often used in grain
storage as bio pesticides. Healthy cropping includes mixed cropping. Intercropping and crop
rotation. These cropping systems help in controlling insects, pests and weeds.
❖ Advantages of Organic Farming
• It prevents pollution of any component of our environment.
• Farm wastes are recycled.
• The foods obtained from organic farming are free from pesticides and toxic
chemicals.
• Organic farming maintains the soil health.
• The cropping system of organic farming keeps insect pests and weeds under check.
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(II) Agricultural Practices

(1) Soil preparation
(a) Ploughing or tilling is loosening and turning the soil.
• 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 manures and
fertilizers, and for scraping of soil.
• Ploughs are 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.
• When the cultivator is pulled by a tractor, the iron teeth assist in breaking the soil.
(b) Levelling
• 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.
• Levelling is done for better sowing and irrigation. It prevent soil erosion, ensure
uniform irrigation and mixing of manures and fertilizers.
(c) Manuring
• Manure (organic matter) are obtained from decomposition of plants and animal
wastes which improve the texture of soil.
• Manure increases the water retention capacity of soil, making it porous, and
increases soil fertility .
• Types of manure includes compost, vermi-compost, farm yard manure and green
manure (ploughing of leguminous plants into the soil).
• Fertilizers are chemicals used to add minerals mainly nitrogen (nitrates),
phosphorus and potassium (NPK) to the soil.
Crop Production Management:

India is an agriculture based country. In this country, agriculture sector engages about 70% of its
population and accounts for 40% of the Gross National Product (GNP). Farming practices being
followed depend upon size of land holding, education and financial conditions of the farmers. Crop
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production management refers to controlling the various aspects of crop production, to obtain the
maximum and best yield. It has the following three components:
I. Nutrient management
II. Agricultural practices
III. Cropping pattern.
(I) Nutrient Management : Nutrients are supplied to the plants by air, water and soil. There are
about 40 elements found in the plant ash, but only 16 of those elements are essential for plant
growth and development. Hence, these 16 elements are called essential elements or essential
plant nutrients. Out of 16 essential elements, two elements, carbon and oxygen are obtained
from air and hydrogen from water. Remaining 13 elements are supplied by the soil. These 13
elements are minerals. A mineral is a substance which is obtained by mining.
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS OF PLANTS THEIR SOURCES, TYPES AND EXAMPLES.
S. No. Source Nutrients Type
1. Air Carbon (C), Oxygen (O) Macronutrients (= 2)
2. Water Hydrogen (H) Macronutrient (= 1)
Macronutrients (= 6)
• Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K),
Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulphur (S).
3. Soil
• Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B), Zinc (Zn),
Micronutrients (= 7)
copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo), Chlorine (Cl)
❖ Types of Essential Nutrients Maze (1915) divided essential plant nutrients into two
categories, macronutrients and micronutrients.
• Macronutrients (Macroelements). They are those essential elements which are present
in plants in easily detectable quantities, more than 1ppm of plant body (1mg per gm of
dry weight). Out of 13 essential mineral elements, six are macronutrients, i.e., nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium. calcium, magnesium and sulphur
• Micronutrients (Microelements). They are those essential elements which are present in
plants in small quantities, less than 1ppm or 1mg/gram of dry matter. Out of 13
essential mineral elements, seven are micronutrients, i.e., iron, manganese, boron, zinc,
copper, molybdenum and chlorine.
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❖ Mineral Replenishment Soil is the most important reservoir of plant nutrients. Crop plants
regularly withdraw minerals (in the form of nutrients) from the soil. Unless and until
minerals are replenished at regular intervals, the crop plants will develop disorders in
structure, growth. reproduction, functioning and susceptibility to diseases. Mineral
replenishment is done through the addition of manures and fertilizers to the crop fields.
(2) Sowing:
The process of putting the seeds in the soil is known as sowing. Before sowing, good quality
seeds are selected.
Selection of seeds : Healthy seeds sink and weak or insect eaten seeds float on water.
Healthy seeds are separated and dried before sowing.
Sowing can be done by
(i) Broadcasting : Seeds are sown by hand or manually.
(ii) Traditional tool : The tool used traditionally for sowing seeds has shape like a
funnel. The seeds are filled into the funnel, passed down through two or three pipes
having sharp ends. These ends pierce into the soil and place seeds there.
Fig.5 Traditional method of sowing

(iii) Seed drill : Seeds are sown by the seed drill with the help of a tractor. It saves time
and labour. This tool sows the seeds uniformly at proper distance and depth.
Precautions during sowing seeds
(i) Use good quality, healthy and disease free seeds.
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(ii) The seeds should be sown at a particular depth under the soil. Seeds left on the
surface of the soil may be carried or destroyed by the insects and the birds. Seeds
placed deep into the soil may either fail to germinate or may fail to come out into the
air on germination.
(iii) Distance should be proper to avoid overcrowding.
(iv) Enough water should be there in the soil.
Transplantation : Firstly seeds are sown in nursery and then the seedlings are shifted to the
main field. This process is known as transplantation. It enables the farmers to select the
healthier seedlings.
e.g. Rice, Onion, Tomato, Brinjal and Chilli.
Difference between manures and fertilizers
Manures Fertilizers
These are organic substances obtained by

the decomposition of plant and animal These are artificial inorganic salts.
wastes.
They are rich in organic nutrients, not rich They are rich in Nitrogen, Phosphorus
in (NPK). and Potassium (NPK).
They are not nutrient specific. They are nutrient specific.
They are not soluble in water so absorbed They are soluble in water and absorbed
slowly by plants. quickly.
They are not harmful to the environment. They are harmful to the environment.
They have nutrients in small quantity so They have higher amount of nutrients
needed in large quantity. so required in very small quantity.
They are bulky substances so difficult to They are in concentrated form and easy
store and transport. to transport and store.
They are prepared in field. They are prepared in factories.
Methods for maintaining soil fertility without use of fertilizers

(i) Field fallow : The practice of leaving the field uncultivated for a season is called field
fallow.
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(ii) Crop rotation : The practice of growing different crops alternately in the same field is called
crop rotation. e.g. farmers use to grow legume as fodder in one season and wheat in the next
season. This helps in the replenishment of the soil with nitrogen.
(iii) Bio fertilizers : Organisms which enrich the soil nutrients due to their biological activities
are called bio fertilizers. e.g. Rhizobium (bacteria), Nostoc and Anabaena (BGA-Blue
Green Algae).
• Eutrophication- The process by which a water body acquires a high concentration of

nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates due to excessive use of fertilizers. These
typically promote excessive growth of algae. As the algae die and decompose, high levels of
organic matter and the decomposing organisms deplete available oxygen in water causing the
death of other organisms, such as fishes.
Important points
1. Green manure is a type of manure which is produced by the sowing and back ploughing of
fast growing crops. e.g. Mustard, alfalfa.
2. Compost is a type of manure which is produced from the plant and animal wastes by the
action of microbes.
3. Vermicompost is the type of manure which is produced by the degradation of organic wastes
through consumption by the earthworms. This process is known as vermicomposting.
4. Roots of leguminous plants bear root nodules. Root nodules houses Rhizobium, a nitrogen
fixing bacteria. Nitrogen fixed by the bacterium is supplied as additional nitrogenous
nutrition to the leguminous plant (host). In turn, the host plant provides shelter and food to
the bacterium.
(3) Irrigation
• The supply of water to crop is irrigation. The frequency of irrigation varies from season to
season and crop to crop.
• Plants contain nearly 90% water, which is required for proper development of flowers, fruits
and seeds.
• In dry conditions, seeds do not germinate.
• Water protects crops from hot air by evaporation and traps cold breeze.
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• Traditional methods of irrigation include moat, chain pump, dhekli and rahat, and need
animal and human labour to draw water.
• Sprinkler systems are used when the soil is sandy or uneven.
• Drip irrigation waters fruit plants and regions that have scarcity of water.
• The process of applying fertilizers through drip irrigation is fertigation.
• Water lodging is the falling down of mature crop in the field due to excessive irrigation or
untimely rains and strong wind is called water lodging.
• Standing water in the field due to excessive irrigation is called water logging due to which
roots fail to breath and results in salinization.
• Salinization is the accumulation of soluble salts of sodium, magnesium and calcium in soil to
the extent that soil fertility is severely reduced.
• Clay soil needs less irrigation while sandy soil needs more irrigation.
Advantages of irrigation
Plants contain 90% water. It is important for proper growth and development of flowers, fruits and
seeds of plants.
(i) It maintains the moisture of soil.
(ii) It helps in germination of seeds.
(iii) It helps in supply of essential nutrients.
(iv) Nutrients dissolved in water get transported to each part of plant.
(v) Water also protects the crop from both frost and hot air currents.
Other irrigation systems in India
(i) Canal system : Canals receive water from the rivers. The main canals are divided into
branches which are further divided into distributaries to cover maximum areas for irrigation.
(ii) Tanks : Tanks are water storage reservoirs which store the run-off water of small catchment
area.
(iv) River valley system : Due to heavy rainfall, many river valley are found in the Westem
Ghats and Karnataka. This results in higher run off and discharge flows in the rivers. To
prevent this coffee, rubber and coconut are cultivated on the slopes of these valleys and
single rice crop is grown at the bottom.
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(v) River lift system : Water is directly drawn from the river using pumps.
Difference between drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation system.

Drip Irrigation Sprinkler Irrigation
Advantages
• A water saving solution • Highly efficient system given its
• Reduced pest problem and disease uniform water distribution
• Using low power pump • Does not need a specially trained person
• Good adaption, suitable to different to operate it
surface of soil • Early ripening of crop, better yield of
crop
• Uniform application of fertilizer and
pesticide
Disadvantages
• Pipe blockage • High initial cost as it need high power
• Need regular maintenance pump for the sprinkler
• Pest problem
• Efficiency of watering will decrease
with strong wind or high temperature
condition
(4) Harvesting:
The cutting of crop after its maturation is called harvesting
• 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. This process is
called threshing. This is carried out with the help of a machine called 'combine' which is a
combined harvester and thresher.
• Farmers with small holdings of land do the separation of grain and chaff by winnowing
• The period of harvest is celebrated with great joy and happiness in all parts of India
• People celebrate it with great enthusiasm.
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• Special festivals associated with the harvest season are Pongal, Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali,
Nabanya and Bihu
(5) Storage of Grain :
Most crops are harvested only once a year. Thus, they are available in plenty amount during a
selective time. For getting seasonal foods regularly throughout the year, they are stored in
safe storage. Cereals or food grains are stored at following three levels :
1. at producer (farmer) level (called rural storage);
2. at trader's level (this is done by keeping food grains in gunny bags).
3. at FCl (Food Corporation of India) level (This is done by storing grains in silos.
During storage, grains and seeds are subjected to spoilage and wastage by various
means. This loss has been estimated to be 9.3 per cent annually. During storage
damage of grains can take place by following two main types of factors :
❖ Factors Responsible for Loss of Grains during storage
(A) Biotic (living) factors : Insects, rodents, birds, mites etc.
(B) Abiotic (nonliving) factors : Temperature. Moisture, Humidity. Material of
container in which grains are stored
❖ Preventive Measures :
• Drying before storage
• Maintenance of hygiene
• Plant - product treatment
• Prophylactic treatment (example-treatment of seeds with antimicrobial agents
before sowing)
• Improved storage structures
❖ Fumigation: Those pesticides which can destroy insects by forming toxic fumes are
called fumigants and process of their use is called fumigation. Fumigants may be
solid, liquid or gaseous Ultimately, they volatilize or react with moisture of the air,
forming poisonous fumes.
(III) Cropping Pattern : These are models of raising crops which help in obtaining maximum
benefit from the same piece of land, reduce risk of crop failure, disease and infestation. Three
common types of cropping patterns are mixed cropping, inter cropping and crop rotation.
(i) Mixed Cropping In mixed cropping
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1 Seeds of two crops are mixed before sowing and there is no definite pattern
for sowing the Seeds.
2 Same fertilizers and pesticides are used for all crops.
3 Products of different crops are harvested, threshed. marketed and consumed in
mixed form
❖ Crop-combination used in mixed cropping: In India, the following
combinations of the crops are used by farmers in mixed cropping:
(i) Maize + Urad bean (ii) Cotton + Moong bean
(iii) Groundnut + Sunflower (iv) Sorghum + Pigeon pea
(v) Wheat + Chick pea (vi) Barley + Chick pea
(vii) Wheat + Mustard.
❖ Advantages of Mixed Cropping
1. The risk of total crop failure due to uncertain monsoon is reduced.
2. Fertility of the soil is improved by growing two crops simultaneously.
3. Chances of pest infestation are greatly reduced.
(ii) Intercropping : Intercropping is a practice of growing two or more crops
simultaneously in a same field in definite row patterns with the objective of
increasing productivity per unit area.
❖ Advantages of Intercropping
1. It makes better use of the natural resources of sunlight, land and water.
2. Soil erosion is effectively arrested.
3. Since the seed maturity period of these crops vary, the different crops can
be harvested and threshed separately
(iii) Crop Rotation: If we grow a crop continuously in the same field for many years, it
results into various problems such as
(i) depletion (deficiency) of same types of nutrients and (ii) build up of diseases and
insect-pests. This demands for the requirement of the practice of crop rotation. Crop
rotation can be defined as the practice of growing of different crops in a piece of land
in a preplanned succession. Depending upon the duration crop rotation may be of
following three types.
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TYPES OF CROP ROTATION COMPONENT CROPS INVOLVED IN ROTATION
Maize - Mustard
One-year rotation
Rice - Wheat
Maize - Mustard - Sugarcane-Fenugreek (Methi)
Two years rotation
Maize - Potato - Sugarcane Peas
Maize - Potato - Sugarcane Peas
Three years rotation
Cotton - Oat-Sugarcane - Peas - Maize Wheat
❖ Advantages of Crop Rotation :

1 It controls pests and weeds. Most pathogens survive on crop residue, but only for a
limited time and most pathogens do not infect multiple crops.
2 Crop rotation reduces the need of fertilizers. For example, nitrogen supply is
maintained in the crop field when leguminous crops are alternated with others.
Crop Variety improvement :

❖ Hybridisation : The crossing between genetically dissimilar plants to produce a new kind
(hybrid) is called hybridisation. Crossing may be between two different varieties
(intervarietal cross-breeding), between two different species of the same genus (interspecific
cross-breeding) and between different genera (intergeneric cross-breeding). This method
incroporates the desired (good) characteristics of both parents in one variety. The most
common type of breeding is inter varietal.
Crop protection management :

❖ Weed Control : Weeds are unwanted plants in the cultivated fields. In other words, plants
other than crops are the weeds. Weeds tend to compete with the crops for food (water and
nutrients), space and light. The process of removing the weeds from crop field is called
weeding.
1. Mechanical methods: Mechanical Weeding can be done by the following methods :

(i) Weeds may be pulled out with hand. Ploughing helps in removing large number of
the weeds because it uproots majority of them.
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(ii) The weeds which appear during the growth of crop plants are removed manually by
using a trowel (khurpa).
2. Cultural methods: They include the following methods : proper bed preparation, timely
sowing of crops, intercropping and crop rotation.
3. Chemical methods: Chemical weed killers, called herbicides or weedicides, are sprayed
on weeds to destroy (kill) them. This is called chemical control of weeds. Some common
examples of weedicides are the following :
(i) 2, 4-D (2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid);
(ii) Atrazine; (iii) Fluchioralin; (iv) Isoproturon.
4. Biological control: Biological control of weeds involves the deliberate use of insects or
some other organisms which consume and specifically destroy the weed plants. The best
Indian example of biological control is eradication of prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia) by
using the cochineal insects in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Generally, a combination of
one or more of these weed control methods are employed to get good results. Aquatic
weeds are controlled by the fish grass carp.
DISEASES OF CROP PLANTS
Our environment contains a variety of pathogens. When they get favourable conditions for their
growth and propagation, they spread and infest the crop plants causing diseases. Depending upon
their mode of occurrence, crop diseases are of following four main types:
(a) Seed-borne diseases :
These diseases spread through seeds, e.g., "ergot of bajra" or of pearl millet; "leaf spot of
rice": "loose smut of wheat"; red rot of sugarcane; - all are caused by fungi.
(b) Soil-borne diseases :
These diseases spread through the soil and mostly affect roots and stems of crop plants, e.g.,
"smut of bajra," "tikka disease of groundnut".
(c) Air-borne diseases :
These crop diseases are transmitted by the air, e.g., "rust of wheat", "blast of rice", etc. Air-
borne diseases attack all aerial parts of the plants, e.g., leaf, flower, and fruits.
(d) Water-borne diseases :
Pathogens of these crop diseases are transmitted by the water, e.g., "bacterial blight of rice".
Control of crop diseases. All the seed-borne and soil-borne diseases can be controlled by
treating the seed or soil. Air-borne diseases are controlled by spraying fungicide solution on
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infested parts. Diseases of the major crops and their control measures have been given in
Table.
Sustainable Agriculture :
Sustainable agriculture can be defined as the adoption of various farming and production
management techniques to maximize agricultural yield. Implementing such practices would help in
(i) conserving natural resources, (ii) maintaining environmental balance and (iii) coping with
changing human needs Hence, to assure sustained livelihood of Indian farmers and related persons, it
is necessary to adopt sustainable agricultural practices such as mixed farming, crop rotation,
intercropping and integrated farming (also known as integrated agriculture).
Assignment
Excercise - 1
1. If there is low rainfall in a village throughout the year, what measures will you suggest to the
farmers for better cropping.
2. If the soil is very dry, what should be done by farmer before ploughing?
3. Can you explain why most crops have a particular season in which they grow?
4. A farmer grow moong during the rainy season, will he get a good crop?
5. Why does loosening of soil allow roots to breathe easily?
6. Why should weeds be removed?
7. Why crop rotation is useful for farmers?
8. Why should excessive supply of water be avoided?
9. Why legumes are desirable in crop rotation?
10 Explain what will happen if in a cultivated field only manures are supplied and in another
field only fertilizers are supplied & keeping all other Conditions similar.
Excercise-2
1. Which of the following statement is not true for organic manure?

(A) It enhances water holding capacity of soil. (B) It has a balance of all plant nutrients.
(C) It provides humus to soil. (D) It improves texture of soil.
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2. The term used for the process of separation of grains from chaff is
(A) sieving (B) threshing (C) winnowing (D) hand picking
3. Which of the following tools would a farmer use to remove weeds from the field?
(A) Hoe (B) Plough (C) Axe (D) Cultivator
4. Which of the following is not true for fertilizers?
(A) They increase the yield.
(B) Their excessive use disturbs the balance of nutrients in soil.
(C) They are generally used in small quantity.
(D) They are environment friendly.
5. Given below are statements about the harmful effects of weeds on crop plants.
(i) They interfere in harvesting.
(ii) They help crop plants to grow healthily.
(iii) They compete with crop plants for water, nutrients, space and light.
(iv) They affect plant growth.
Choose the correct combination of statements.
(A) i, iii, iv (B) iii only (C) iii, iv (D) i, ii, iii, iv
6. The process of loosening and turning of soil is called
(A) irrigation and manuring (B) digging and winnowing
(C) tiling and ploughing (D) harvesting and storage
7. The monsoon season in our country is during the months
(A) April to December (B) June to September
(C) November to March (D) January to May
8. The system of irrigation where in water is supplied drop by drop near the roots of plants, is
called
(A) Pully system (B) drip system (C) sprinkler system (D) lever system
9. What is considered modern technology in agriculture?
I. Genetic engineering to produce high quality traits in livestock and poultry
II. Application of synthetic chemicals to improve soil fertility
III. Using agro machinery for planting, harvesting and collecting agriculture produce
(A) I and II only (B) I and III only (C) II and III only (D) I, II and III
10. Rabi and Kharif crops are the major crops of India. Given below is a list of crops. Categorize
them as Rabi and Kharif crops.
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(Paddy, Wheat, Soyabean, Mustard, Maize, Cotton, Barley, Sugarcane)
(A) Rabi crops : Paddy, Wheat, Cotton, Sugarcane
Kharif crops : Soyabean, Mustard, Maize, Barley
(B) Rabr crops : Wheat, Mustard, Barley
Kharif crops : Paddy, Soyabean, Maize, Cotton, Sugarcane
(C) Rabi crops : Wheat, Mustard, Barley, Cotton
Kharif crops : Paddy, Soyabean, Maize, Sugarcane
(D) Rabi crops : Paddy, Soyabean, Maize, Cotton, Sugarcane.
Kharif crops : Wheat, Mustard, Barley
11. Which of the following is explained in the given information?
I. It is the science of growing crops
II. It covers all the activities connected with cultivation
III. It covers all the activities of animals for food and for doing useful work
(A) Animal husbandry (B) Horticulture (C) Agriculture (D) Nurseries
12. Sprinkler system of irrigation is very advantageous because it
(A) Helps the fields to get water logged
(B) Controls the water supply and useful for uneven land
(C) Increases the evaporation of water
(D) Decrease the fertility of soil
13. Complete the given statements by selecting the correct words from the options given below.
(1) _ (i) _ is a traditional method of irrigation.
(2) _ (ii)_ is a common weedicide.
(3) In_ (iii)_ water escapes from revolving nozzle and falls like rain on the crops.
(4) _ (iv)_ is a technique for developing new varieties of crops by cross-breeding two different
varieties.
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
(1) Dhekli Agent orange Drip Broadcasting
(2) Dhekli DDT Chain pump Crop rotation
(3) Rahat Siniazine Moat Mixed cropping
(4) Rahat Butachlor Sprinkler system Hybridization
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14. Eutrophication means
(A) Toxication of water by fertilisers (B) Decrease the growth of algae
(C) Increase in the fertility of the soil (D) All of the above
15. Removing chaff from the grains is with the help of wind
(A) Weeding (B) Threshing (C) Harvesting (D) Winnowing
16. The weed chaulai is commonly known as
(A) Chenopodium (B) Amaranthus (C) Convolvulus (D) Wild oat
17. Transferring and combination of desirable characteristic features into plants and multiplying
them is called
(A) Plant breeding (B) Genetic engineering
(C) Crop improvement (D) None of the above
18. The use of machinery in agriculture helps to
I. increase the quantity of crop yield
II. get the job done faster
III. reduce the dependency on human and animal labour
(A) I and II only (B) I and III only (C) II and III only (D) I, II and III
19. Match the following with correct answers.
(a) Kharif crops (I) Wheat
(b) Rabi crops (II) Ploughing
(c) Tilling (III) Harvesting
(d) Combine (IV) Paddy
(A) a - I, b - II, c - III, d – IV (B) a - IV, b - I, c - II, d - III

(C) a - IV, b - III, c - II, d – I (D) a - III, b - IV, c - I, d - II
20. Which of the following is NOT a Rabi crop?
(A) Rice (B) Wheat (C) Mustard (D) Potato
21. The advantage of ploughing is
(A) It allows the penetration of roots of plants
(B) It helps in proper aeration and eradicates weeds
(C) It promotes the growth of useful soil bacteria
(D) Ail of the above
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22. Ploughing help in
(A) Loosening of soil (B) Removal of nutrients
(C) Removal of microorganisms (D) Removal of pests
23. Which of the following agricultural tools is/are used in weeding?
(A) (ii) & (iii) (B) (iv) only (C) (i), (iii) & (iv) (D) (i) only
24. Grain stocked for emergencies is called
(A) Surplus stock (B) Storage (C) Buffer stock (D) Regular
25. Arrange the following agricultural practices in the correct order.
Sowing, manuring, irrigation, harvesting, ploughing and levelling.
(A) Ploughing, sowing, levelling, harvesting, manuring and irrigation
(B) Ploughing, levelling, irrigation, sowing, manuring and harvesting
(C) Ploughing, irrigation, sowing, manuring, harvesting and levelling
(D) Ploughing, levelling, manuring, sowing, irrigation and harvesting
26. Which of the following should come in the box ' X ' in the given sequence?
(A) Broadcasting (B) Transplanting (C) Irrigation (D) Drilling

27. Identify the correct sequence in farming
(A) Sowing → tilling → irrigation → manuring (B) Sowing → tilling → manuring → irrigation
(C) Tilling → sowing → irrigation → manuring (D) Tilling → manuring → sowing → irrigation
28. A harrow is used to remove
(A) Weeds (B) Crop plants (C) Stones (D) Rocks
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29. The agricultural tool used to level the field is
(A) Harrow (B) Leveller (C) Seed drill (D) Plough
30. The agricultural tool used to sow seeds is
(A) Wooden plank (B) Drill (C) Leveller (D) Plough
31. Which of the following terms on reshuffling gives the term that refers to the process of sowing
seeds manually by sprinkling them on soil by hand?
(A) inlgtil (B) glnopuihg (C) atnbrdocaigs (D) giownwin
32. Which of the following seedlings of crop need to be transplanted?
(A) Wheat (B) Potato (C) Mustard (D) Rice
33. The method which enables us to select better and healthy seedlings for cultivation of rice is
(A) Transplantation (B) Broadcasting (C) Spacing (D) All of the above
34. Which of the following is NOT true for chemical fertilizers?
(A) They are nutrient specific.
(B) They are readily soluble in water.
(C) They provide organic matter (humus).
(D) Over use of chemical fertilisers pollute the soil.
35. Which of the following methods of cultivation causes salinisation of soil?
(A) Transplantation (B) Crop rotation
(C) Excessive irrigation (D) Crop improvement
36. The crop that requires more irrigation is
(A) Wheat (B) Rice (C) Maize (D) Jowar
37. N2 fixing micro-organisms can be found in
(I) the soil
(II) root nodules
(III) Azolla leaves
(A) I only (B) I & II only (C) II & III only (D) I, II & III
38. Which of the following crops would enrich the soil with nitrogen?
(A) Apple (B) Pea (C) Paddy (D) Potato
39. Which of the following is a free - living nitrogen fixing bacteria?
(A) Rhizobium (B) Azotobacter (C) Blue green algae (D) Both (2) & (3)
40. Which of the following parts have bacteria in the figure given below?
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(A) K (B) L (C) M (D) N

41. Which of the following classes of microorganisms play an important role in the nitrogen-cycle?
I. Bacteria
II. Blue green algae
III. Amoeba
(A) I only (B) I and II only (C) II and III only (D) I, II and III
42. The nitrogen cycle is important because it
I. maintains the concentration of nitrogen in the air.
II. ensures a continuous source of protein.
III. increase water pollution.
(A) I only (B) I and III only (C) I and II only (D) I, II and III
43. Read the given statements
(i) Bee wax obtained from beehive is deposition of excretory products of honeybee.
(ii) Fish culture is sometimes done in combination with rice crop so that fish are grown in the
water accumulated in the paddy field.
(iii) Fish feed in different zones of pond to make most efficient use of available food.
(iv) Sahiwal and Murrah are exotic breeds used extensively in cattle farming.
(v) Inter-cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite
pattern.
Which of the given statements are incorrect?
(A) (i), (ii) and (iii) (B) (ii), (iii) and (iv) (C) (i) and (iv) (D) (i), (iv) and (v)
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44. Match Column I with Column II and select the correct option from the codes given below.
Column I Column II
(a) Rhizobium (i) Nitrogen fixation
(b) Organic manure (ii) Separation of grains from chaff
(c) Threshing (iii) Sowing of seeds
(d) Seed drill (iv) Animal excreta, cow dung and plant wastes
(e) Leguminous plants (v) Root nodules
(A) a-(i), b-(iv), c-(iii), d-(ii), e-(v) (B) a-(iv), b-(i), c-(iii), d-(ii), e-(v)
(C) a-(v), b-(iv), c-(ii), d-(iii), e-(i) (D) a-(i), b-(v), c-(ii), d-(iii), e-(iv)
45. Crops which are first sown in nursery and then planted in the field include
(A) Paddy (B) Chillies (C) Tomatoes (D) All-of the above
Excercise-2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
B C A D A C B B D B
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
C B D A D B A C B A
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
D A C C D C D A B B
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
C D A C C B D B D C
41 42 43 44 45
B C C C D
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Foundation Basic Biology Booklet Bakliwal Tutorials - IIT

CHAPTER- 1 : Crop Production and Management

IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD RESOURCES

DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

(II) Agricultural Practices

Crop Production Management:

Fig.5 Traditional method of sowing

These are organic substances obtained by

They are not nutrient specific. They are nutrient specific.

They are prepared in field. They are prepared in factories.

Methods for maintaining soil fertility without use of fertilizers

• Eutrophication- The process by which a water body acquires a high concentration of

Difference between drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation system.

❖ Advantages of Crop Rotation :

Crop Variety improvement :

Crop protection management :

1. Mechanical methods: Mechanical Weeding can be done by the following methods :

1. Which of the following statement is not true for organic manure?

(a) Kharif crops (I) Wheat

(b) Rabi crops (II) Ploughing

(c) Tilling (III) Harvesting

(d) Combine (IV) Paddy

(A) a - I, b - II, c - III, d – IV (B) a - IV, b - I, c - II, d - III

(A) Broadcasting (B) Transplanting (C) Irrigation (D) Drilling

(A) K (B) L (C) M (D) N

(a) Rhizobium (i) Nitrogen fixation

(b) Organic manure (ii) Separation of grains from chaff

(c) Threshing (iii) Sowing of seeds

(e) Leguminous plants (v) Root nodules

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