CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 1 BIOLOGY
The person who cultivates land or raises animals is called a farmer
When the same type of plant is grown in an area on a large scale, it is known as a crop.
There are 2 types of crops
a. Kharif crops –
1. They are cultivated in rainy season
2. They are sown in June and harvested in September.
3. Rice, sorghum, pearl millet, maize etc. are examples of this crop
b. Rabi crops –
1. They are cultivated in winter season
2. They are sown in October and harvested in March.
3. Wheat, barley

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
PREPARATION OF SOIL a. It helps in aeration of soil
1. Process of loosening and turning of soil is b. It helps to mix fertilizers with the top soil.
called tilling or ploughing. c. It allows root to penetrate deeply
2. Plough, cultivator, hoe and leveler are tools d. It increases water holding capacity of soil
used for this practice e. It helps in growth of microbes and
3. Advantages of soil preparation earthworms which add humus to the soil.
 f. It brings nutrients to the top soil.
g. It exposes pests to sunlight – kills them.
SOWING
1. Sowing is the process of planting seeds in the
prepared soil.
2. Farmers prefer to use high yielding seeds.
3. Broadcasting, traditional tool, seed drill,
transplantation.
IMPROVING SOIL FERTILITY
1. Manure is an organic material that is used to
increase the fertility of the soil.
2. Advantages of using manure
a. It improves the quality of soil
b. It increases the capacity of soil to hold
water and nutrients.
c. It reduces the risk of damage to plants due
to overuse.
d. It enhances the growth of friendly
microbes
e. It adds humus to the soil
3. Fertilizers are chemicals which are prepared in
the factories.
4. They are rich in specific nutrients such as
nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
5. Crop rotation – method of successive
cultivation of different crops in an orderly
manner on the same field.
6. Multiple cropping – the practice of growing 2
or more crops on the same piece of land.
7. Fallowing – leaving the field for a long time.
IRRIGATION
1. Supply of water to crops at appropriate intervals
for cultivation is called irrigation.
2. Use of water –
a. Water helps in germination
b. Plant uses water for photosynthesis
c. It helps minerals and manure to be absorbed
d. It helps for transportation of nutrients.
3. Sources of water – wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes,
rivers and canals.
4. Traditional methods – moat, dhekli, chain pump,
rahat
5. Modern methods of irrigation – sprinkler and drip
system
6. Advantages of drip irrigation
a. Water conservation
b. Target areas
c. Less diseases
d. Reduced erosions
 7. 10-20 tones of water must be passed through 2. The process of removing weeds is called
corn weeding
WEEDING 3. Methods of weeding – manual, mechanical
1. The unwanted plants that grow with the crops weeding
are called weeds.

4. Weedicides should be sprayed during the vegetative phase of the weeds, before flowering and seed
formation.
HARVESTING
1. Harvesting refers to the cutting of the crop after it matures. It is done by cutting the crop close to the ground
or by pulling them out.
2. It can be done by – sickle or a harvester.
3. After harvesting, grains are separated from the crop. This process is called threshing.
4. A combine harvester can be used for both threshing and harvesting.
5. After threshing, winnowing is done. It is the process of separating seed from the chaff with help of wind
STORAGE
1. The grains are stored to keep them safe.
2. They are dried before storing
3. Small farmers store it in jute bags or metal containers
4. Large scale storage is done in silos and granaries.
5. Costa Rica tops in world in per capita export of banana, cassava, melon, and pineapple to USA
6. It also tops the list of pesticide users