Agriculture: Plant Growth and Manure

Crop Production and Management

• Plant seeds are grown in a nursery before being transplanted to the field.
• Manure is an organic substance obtained from the decomposition of plant or animal wastes.
• Microorganisms cause decomposition, and the decomposed matter is used as organic manure.
• Fertilisers are chemicals rich in a particular nutrient, produced in factories, and are different from manure.

Fertilisers vs Manure

• Fertilisers are man-made inorganic salts, whereas manure is a natural substance.
• Fertilisers are prepared in factories, whereas manure can be prepared in the fields.
• Fertilisers do not provide humus to the soil, whereas manure provides a lot of humus.
• Fertilisers are very rich in plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, whereas manure is relatively less rich.

Advantages of Manure

• Manure is considered better than fertilisers because it provides humus and protects the crop from frost and hot air currents.
• Manure helps maintain the moisture of the soil for healthy crop growth.

Seed Drill and Sowing

• A seed drill is used for sowing seeds with the help of tractors, ensuring uniform sowing at equal distance and depth.
• The seed drill saves time and labour, and protects seeds from being eaten by birds.
• Sowing by using a seed drill ensures seeds get covered by the soil after sowing.

Importance of Soil Nutrients

• Soil supplies mineral nutrients to crop plants, which are essential for growth.
• Continuous cultivation of crops in the same field makes the soil poor in nutrients.
• Farmers have to add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with nutrients, a process called manuring.

This quiz covers the process of plant growth from seedlings to transplantation, and the role of manure in agriculture.