Agricultural Practices and Food Production

Agricultural Practices

• Scattering seeds by hand is called broadcasting
• Ploughing loosens the soil, helps roots penetrate, aids aeration, and eradicates weeds
• Levelling ensures even distribution of water and fertilizer
• Irrigation provides water to crops
• Sowing is planting seeds in the field, and Transplanting is moving seedlings from nurseries to the field
• Crop rotation involves alternating different crops each season to improve soil health and reduce pollution.
• Manuring involves adding organic matter to the soil to improve fertility
• Drilling sows seeds in rows, helps improve spacing and growth
• Weeding removes unwanted plants that compete with crops

Increasing Food Production

• Efficient land management is crucial for increasing food production
• Continuous research helps to ensure sustainable development
• Optimum use of land for agriculture is key to meeting the food demands of a growing population
• Pesticides are used to control pests and can increase yields but should be used responsibly
• Synthetic hormones can be used to increase plant growth and yields but can have negative environmental impacts
• Educating and guiding consumers on sustainable food practices can help ensure food security

Crop Improvement Methods

• Crop rotation helps maintain soil fertility and reduce pollution.
• Multiple cropping involves growing two or more crops in the same field throughout the year.
• Mixed cropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously.
• Field fallow involves leaving the land uncropped for a period to allow soil recovery
• Transplanting involves moving seedlings from nurseries to the field, a method used for rice cultivation
• Selection involves identifying and choosing desired traits in crops
• Multiplication involves increasing the number of plants with desirable traits
• Development of gene variation involves using breeding techniques to introduce new traits to crops

Fertilizers and Soil Health

• Manure provides organic matter (humus) to soil but is not nutrient specific and is absorbed slowly
• Fertilizers are inorganic salts, readily soluble in water, and provide specific nutrients to the soil
• Overuse of chemical fertilizers can harm soil health, causing pollution and nutrient imbalances.
• Biofertilizers are living microorganisms that enhance soil fertility. They are environmentally friendly and improve soil health.
• Green manure is a type of crop that is grown and then ploughed back into the soil to enrich it.

Other Important Terms

• Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in spring (e.g., wheat, peas, mustard)
• Kharif crops are sown in summer and harvested in autumn (e.g., rice, maize)
• Sprinkler systems control water supply and are particularly useful for sandy soils
• Winnowing is the process of separating chaff (light debris) from grains by using wind
• Buffer stock is a reserve of food grains maintained to ensure food security during shortages
• Rodenticides are chemicals used to kill rats
• Agent Orange is a herbicide that contains 2, 4, 5-T and dioxin, which are highly carcinogenic
• Horticulture is the science and art of growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers
• Weedicides are used to control weeds in crops
• Seed-borne diseases are diseases that are transmitted through seeds. Treating seeds with fungicide can help prevent these diseases.
• Kalyan Sona is a high-yielding variety of wheat

Agricultural Practices in Sequence

• The correct order of agricultural practices is: ploughing, levelling, sowing, manuring, irrigation, and harvesting.

Integrated Cultivation System

• Integrated cultivation system involves integrating various agricultural practices to create a more sustainable and balanced farming system.
• Examples include:
  • Breeding livestock on oil palm plantations (i)
  • Breeding small fish in paddy fields (ii)
  • Planting various crops in a small area (iii)
  • Using mixed cropping and crop rotation techniques

Soil Fertility and Loss

• Shifting cultivation involves rotating crops, but it can lead to soil fertility loss if the land isn't allowed sufficient time to recover.
• Excessive use of chemical fertilizers depletes soil nutrients and degrades soil health.

Crop Improvement

• Crop Improvement encompasses methods of selecting, transferring, and combining desirable traits in crops for improved yields and quality.