Crop Production and Management

Crop Production and Management

Definition of Crops

• Crops are plants grown on a large scale in fields to obtain food like cereals, pulses, vegetables, and fruits.
• Examples of crops include wheat, rice, and maize.

Agricultural Implements

Levelling

• The levelling of ploughed fields helps in uniform distribution of water during irrigation.
• A leveller is a heavy wooden or iron plank pulled by bullocks or a tractor.

Manuring

• Manuring means adding manure to the soil before ploughing.
• Manure contains nutrients required for plant growth.

Plough

• A plough is a large agricultural implement used for loosening and turning soil in fields.
• Traditionally, a plough is made of wood with a strong triangular iron strip called a ploughshaft.
• The plough is pulled by animals like bullocks.

Hoe

• A hoe is an agricultural implement used for removing weeds and loosening and turning soil.
• A hoe consists of a long rod of wood or iron with a handle and a bent plate of iron below.

Cultivator

• A cultivator is a tractor-driven agricultural implement used for loosening and turning soil quickly.
• A cultivator has many ploughshares that can dig into a considerable area of soil at a time.

Sowing

Process of Sowing

• Sowing is the process of scattering seeds in the cultivated soil to grow plants.
• Good quality seeds are selected before sowing.

Methods of Sowing Seeds

• There are two methods of sowing seeds: by hand and by using a seed drill.
• Sowing by hand is not recommended as seeds may not be spaced properly and may be eaten by birds.
• A seed drill is a long iron tube with a funnel at the top that helps in sowing seeds at correct depth and intervals.

Advantages of Sowing with a Seed Drill

• Seeds are sown at correct depth and intervals.
• Seeds are sown in regular rows.
• Seeds get covered by soil, preventing damage by birds.
• Sowing with a seed drill saves time and labour.

Precautions for Sowing Seeds

• Seeds should be sown at the right depth in the soil suitable for germination.
• Seeds should be sown at the right intervals to prevent overcrowding or under-crowding.
• Seeds should not be sown in dry or highly wet soil.

Transplanting

Process of Transplanting

• Transplanting is the process of transferring seedlings from a nursery to a main field.
• Seedlings are grown in a nursery and then picked out and transferred to the main field.

Advantages of Transplanting

• Transplanting helps in selecting healthy seedlings.
• Transplanting allows for better root penetration and plant growth.
• Transplanting is used for crops like paddy and vegetables like tomatoes and chillies.

Adding Manure and Fertilizers

Manure

• Manure is a natural substance obtained from the decomposition of animal and plant residues.
• Manure provides essential plant nutrients and helps to make up the general deficiency in the soil.

Advantages of Manure

• Manure enhances the water holding capacity of the soil.
• Manure makes the soil porous, allowing for easy exchange of gases.
• Manure increases the number of useful microbes in the soil.
• Manure improves the texture of the soil.

Crop Rotation

Definition of Crop Rotation

• Crop rotation is the practice of growing different types of crops alternately in the same field.
• Leguminous crops like pulses, peas, and beans are grown alternately with cereal crops like wheat, maize, and paddy.

Advantages of Crop Rotation

• Crop rotation improves the fertility of the soil by replenishing it with nitrogen.
• Crop rotation saves nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Crop rotation brings about an increase in crop production.

Irrigation

Importance of Irrigation

• Irrigation is necessary to supply water to crop plants in fields.
• Water from the soil is lost constantly by evaporation and percolation.

Sources of Irrigation

• Rivers
• Canals
• Wells
• Tube-wells
• Ponds
• Lakes
• Rainwater

Traditional Methods of Irrigation

Moat (Pulley System)

• Moat is a traditional method of irrigation that uses a big container tied to a rope and pulled by animals like bullocks.
• The container is filled with water and then poured into the fields.

Chain Pump

• Chain pump is a traditional method of irrigation that uses a chain with small buckets to lift water from a source like a stream, pond, or lake.
• The buckets are filled with water and then emptied into the fields.

Dhekli

• Dhekli is a traditional method of irrigation that uses a simple lever system to lift water from shallow wells.
• A long wooden beam is supported over a forked support fixed in the ground near the well.
• A bucket is tied to the end of the longer lever arm, and a weight is tied to the end of the shorter lever arm.
• The bucket is filled with water, and then the weight is released, lifting the bucket out of the well.

Rahat (Lever System)

• Rahat is a traditional method of irrigation that uses a lever system to lift water from wells.
• A large wheel is fixed on an axle above the mouth of a well.
• A long belt with many small pots is put over the wheel, and the wheel is turned by a lever using the force of bullocks or other animals.
• The pots are filled with water and then emptied into a channel.