Improvement in Food Resources and Crop Seasons

Improvement in Food Resources

• All living organisms require food for survival, development, and health.
• The need for food is increasing due to rapid population growth.
• Sustainable agricultural practices and animal husbandry are important for increasing food production without harming the environment.

Crop Season

• Carbohydrates: Wheat, rice, maize, millets, and sorghum.
• Proteins: Gram, pea, black gram, green gram, pigeon pea, and lentils.
• Fats: Soyabean, ground nut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed, and sunflower.
• Vitamins and Minerals: Vegetables, spices, and fruits.
• Livestock Feed: Berseem, oats, and sudan grass.
• Different crops need different climate conditions and photoperiods for growth.
• Kharif crops are grown during the rainy season (June-October). Examples include paddy, soybean, pigeon pea, maize, cotton, and green gram.
• Rabi crops are grown during the winter season (November-April). Examples include wheat, barley, mustard, gram (chickpea), and peas.

Practice of Farming

• Choosing seeds for planting
• Different methods of nutrition for crops
• Protection of crops from loss

Crop Improvement

• Crop variety improvement involves factors like good/healthy seeds, hybridization of different plants, and improved properties of both crops.
• Factors for variety improvement: higher yield, improved quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic factors (diseases, insects, drought, etc.).
• Crop production improvement involves various practices to achieve higher standards. These include no cost, low cost, or high cost production methods.

Nutrient Management

• Plants need nutrients for growth, like those from air (carbon, oxygen), water (hydrogen, oxygen), and soil (macro/micro nutrients).
• Macro-nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur.
• Micro-nutrients include iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine.

Manure

• Manure is a source of organic matter and provides nutrients to the soil.
• It is prepared by decomposing animal excreta and plant waste.
• Forms of manure include compost, vermicompost, and green manure.

Irrigation

• Ensuring adequate water for crops during their growing season is crucial for increasing yield.
• Sources of water for irrigation include wells, canals, rivers, and tanks.

Cropping Patterns

• Mixed cropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land, reducing disease risk. Examples include wheat+gram, wheat+mustard, and groundnut+sunflower.
• Inter-cropping: Growing two or more crops in a definite pattern on the same field. Examples include soybean+maize.

Pest Control

• Weed control is crucial to prevent reduced crop growth.
• Insects and pathogens can harm crops by cutting, eating, or infecting plant parts.
• Effective pest control during crop growth prevents major losses.

Storage of Grains

• Biotic and abiotic problems can cause grain loss during storage.
• Biotic issues come from insects, birds, mites, bacteria, and fungi.
• Abiotic issues come from moisture and temperature.

Organic Farming

• Organic farming minimizes the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
• It prioritizes using organic manures and recycled farm waste.

Animal Husbandry

• Scientific management of animals to obtain food products.
• Cattle farming aims to produce milk, plow fields, or transport goods.
• Types of cattle include cows (Bos indicus) and buffaloes (Bubalus).
• Lactation periods are the time between a young animal's birth and the next pregnancy, during which milk production occurs.
• Care of cattle includes proper shelter, clean conditions, and a balanced diet.
• Cattle diseases can reduce production.
• Poultry farming is for egg and meat production.
• Types include broilers (meat) and layers (eggs).
• Reasons for cross-breeding include better quality chicks and low maintenance.
• Management practices for poultry involve temperature control, hygienic conditions, disease control, and proper diet.

Fish Production

• Fish production is an important source of protein.
• Finfish production includes cartilaginous and bony fishes.
• Shellfish production includes prawns and mollusks.
• Capture fishing involves catching fish in natural water bodies.
• Culture fishing (aquaculture) involves cultivating fish in confined areas.
• Marine fishing includes fish production in ponds, rivers, and reservoirs.
• Inland fishing includes fish production in freshwater bodies.
• Composite fish culture uses 5-6 fish varieties in a single pond, reducing competition for food.

Bee-Keeping

• Practice of managing and caring for honeybees on a large scale
• Offers additional income
• Uses varieties like apis carana indica (Indian bee), dorsata (rock bee), and floral (little bee)
• Italian bee is preferred for commercial production due to high honey yield, less stinging, fast reproduction, and long hive stay.

This quiz covers the importance of food resources for survival and health, emphasizing sustainable agricultural practices. It also explains various crop types, their nutrient contributions, and the seasonal growing patterns of kharif and rabi crops.