Chapter 12 - Improvement in Food Resource PDF

# Chapter 12 - Improvement in Food Resource ## 1. What do we get from cereals, pulses, fruits, and vegetables? **Ans:** Cereals give carbohydrates, pulses offer proteins, fruits supply vitamins and minerals, and vegetables contribute essential nutrients like vitamin and fiber. ## 2. How do biotic...

# Chapter 12 - Improvement in Food Resource ## 1. What do we get from cereals, pulses, fruits, and vegetables? **Ans:** Cereals give carbohydrates, pulses offer proteins, fruits supply vitamins and minerals, and vegetables contribute essential nutrients like vitamin and fiber. ## 2. How do biotic and abiotic factors affect crop production? **Ans:** Biotic factors, such as pests and disease, can negatively impact crop production by causing damage. Abiotic factors like temperature and soil quality, also influence crops, for example, extreme temperatures or poor soil conditions can hinder growth. Proper management of both biotic and abiotic factors is crucial for optimizing crop yields. ## 3. What are the desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvements? **Ans:** Desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvement include high yield, resistance to pests and diseases, adaptability to various climates, efficient use of water and nutrients, tolerance to environmental stresses (such as drought or extreme temperatures), and improved nutritional content. These traits aim to enhance overall crop performance and sustainability. ## 4. What are macronutrients and why are they called macro nutrients? **Ans:** Macronutrients are vital plant nutrients needed in large quantities for growth. They include quantities for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and are called "macronutrients" due to their requirement in substantial amounts by plants. ## 5. How do plants get nutrients? **Ans:** Plants obtain nutrients through their roots from the soil. Water containing dissolved minerals is absorbed by the roots, and essential nutrients are taken up by the plant. Additionally, some nutrients can be absorbed through leaves. ## 6. Compare the use of manure and fertilizers in maintaining soil fertility. **Ans:** Manure improves soil structure and provides slow nutrient release, while fertilizers deliver nutrients quickly for rapid plant growth. Combining both can be effective in maintaining the soil fertility. ## 7. Why should preventive measures and biological control methods be preferred for protecting crops? **Ans:** Preventive measures and biological control are preferred for crop protection due to their eco-friendly nature, sustainability, cost effectiveness, preservation of beneficial organisms, and reduced chemical residues on crops. ## 8. What factors may be responsible for losses of grains during storage? **Ans:** Grain losses during storage can occur due to pests, fungi, and mold infestations, influenced by factors like inadequate temperature and moisture control, poor ventilation, suboptimal storage structures, prolonged storage duration, insufficient pest control measures, and physical damage during handling. Effective storage practices and monitoring are crucial for minimizing losses. ## 9. Which method is commonly used for improving cattle breeds? And why? **Ans:** Selective breeding is commonly used for improving cattle breeds by choosing animals with desirable traits for reproduction, leading to enhanced genetic characteristics over time. ## 10. What management practices are common in dairy and poultry farming? **a. Dairy Farming** * Nutrition: Balanced feed for milk production. * Healthcare: Veterinary care and disease prevention. * Milking Hygiene: Clean milking practices. * Breeding: Selective breeding for improved genetics. * Housing: Comfortable shelters. **b. Poultry Farming** * Biosecurity: Disease prevention and hygiene. * Nutrition: Balanced diet for egg production. * Housing: Well-ventilated environments. * Disease control: Health checks and vaccinations. * Breeding: Selective breeding for desired traits. ## 11. What are the desirable characters of bee varieties suitable for honey production? **Ans:** Desirable bee traits for honey production include high yield, docility, disease resistance, winter hardiness, efficient foraging, good wax production, low swarming tendency, and longevity. ## 12. What is pasturage and how it is related to honey production? **Ans:** Pasturage is the availability of flowering plants in an area, crucial for honey production as it determines the quantity and quality of nectar collected by bees. ## Exercise **1. Explain any one method of crop production which ensures high yield.** **Ans:** One method that ensures high crop yield is precision farming. Precision farming involves using technology such as GPS-guided tractors and sensors, which optimizes irrigation inputs such as irrigation and fertilization, ensuring efficient resource use and ultimately leading to high crop yields. **2. Why are manure and fertilizers used in fields?** **Ans:** In fields, manure and fertilizers are utilized to provide essential plant nutrients to the soil, enhancing soil fertility and ensuring strong vegetative growth, which leads to high crop output. It aids in the enrichment of the soil with nutrients and organic matter, as well as increases soil fertility. **3. What are the advantages of intercropping and crop rotation?** **Ans:** Intercropping helps in preventing pests and diseases to spread throughout the field. It also increases soil fertility, whereas crop rotation prevents soil depletion, increases soil fertility, and reduces soil erosion. **4. What is genetic manipulation? How is it useful in agricultural practices?** **Ans:** Genetic manipulation is a process of transferring genes (characters) that are desirable from one plant to another plant. **5. How do storage grain losses occur?** **Ans:** During the storage of grains, both biotic and abiotic factors cause losses to the grain. **6. How do good animal husbandry practices benefit farmers?** **Ans:** Other advantages include increased fuel, fertilizer, clothing, drought power and transportation. Good animal husbandry practices also result in increased offspring survival, better growth, better production, better reproduction, and higher profits. **7. What are the benefits of cattle farming?** **Ans:** Good quality and quantity of milk can be produced. Drought resistant animals can be produced for farm work. Disease resistant varieties can be produced by cross breeding. **8. For increasing production, what is common in poultry, fisheries and bee keeping?** **Ans:** The common factor for increasing production in poultry, fisheries, and bee keeping is the proper management techniques that are to be followed. Regular cleaning of farms is of utmost importance. Maintenance of temperature and prevention, and cure of disease is also required to increase the number of animals. **9. How do you differentiate between capture fishing, mariculture and aquaculture?** **Ans:** * **Capture fishing:** It is the method of obtaining fish from natural resources. * **Mariculture:** It is the culturing of marine fishes for commercial use. * **Aquaculture:** It involves the production of aquatic animals that are of high economic value, such as prawns, lobsters, fishes, crabs, etc.