Crop Pests and Diseases Management

Crop Production and Management

• The Green Revolution was a significant agricultural transformation that addressed food security issues by increasing crop yields and food production.
• D.M.S. Swaminathan, an Indian agricultural scientist, played a pivotal role in the Green Revolution, developing high-yielding crop varieties and advocating for stable farming practices to improve agricultural productivity and alleviate poverty.

Plant Breeding

• Hybridisation is a technique of developing new crop varieties by crossbreeding two different types of crops to get a new variety having the desired traits of both crops.
• High-yielding crops resistant to diseases are developed by crossbreeding two crops, one with a high yield and the other with disease resistance.
• Examples of hybrid wheat varieties in India include Kalyan Sona and Sonalika.

Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen is essential for plants and is required for the formation of proteins and to carry out many life functions.
• Nitrogen present in the air is converted into a usable form by specialized bacteria in the soil, which is then used by plants.
• The process of converting nitrogen from the air to a usable form is called nitrogen fixation.

Protection from Pests and Diseases

• Pests, such as rats, termites, locusts, and weevils, feed on crops and damage them, and can be controlled by using pesticides and insecticides.
• Pesticides should be sprayed in the correct dosage and at an appropriate time to avoid harm to human health and the environment.
• Fungi, bacteria, or viruses can also damage plants, and can be controlled by using fungicides and other chemicals.
• Pesticides should be used with caution, as they can harm human health and contaminate soil and water.

Harvesting, Threshing, and Winnowing

• Crops are harvested by cutting them with a sickle or a machine called a harvester.
• Threshing is the process of separating grains from the rest of the crop, which can be done by a thresher machine or a combine.
• Winnowing is the process of separating grains from the chaff using wind, and can also be done by a machine.

Storage

• Harvested grains have moisture, so they need to be dried in the sun before storage to prevent attacks by insects, fungi, and bacteria.
• If stored without drying, microorganisms may damage or ruin the crops