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Grade VIII Science Notes

Chapter 1: Production of Crops

Textbook Questions
Keywords:
1)tilling 6) hybridisation
2) broadcasting 7) nitrification
3) leveller 8) milch
4)rodenticides 9) apiaries
5) Silos 10) pisciculture

Checkpoint
1 A.
a. Rice
b. Pea
B. a. False; Cash crops are grown for commercial purposes.
b. True
c. False; In the word ‘agriculture’, ager means ‘field’.
d. False; Soyabean is a kharif crop.
e. True
Checkpoint 2
A. a. Butachlor b. Malathion c. Harvester
d. Thresher e. Amaranthus f. Wilt
B. a. True b. True c. True d. False e. False
Checkpoint 3
a. False. Nitrobacter helps in denitrification.
b. True
c. False. Dhekli is a traditional method of irrigation.
d. True e. False. Rearing of honeybees is called apiculture.
What I Have Learnt
A. Tick the correct answer
1. a. Drip 2. c. Wheat 3. a. Pea 4. b. Broadcasting 5. b. Nitrification 6. d.
Butachlor 7. d. Pea 8. a. Silos 9. d. All of these
B. State True or False. Correct the false statements.
1. True
2. False. Fertilisers are added to improve crop yield.
3. True
4. False. Compost is a kind of manure.
5. True
6. False. Rabi crops are grown in winter season and harvested in summer season.

C. Fill in the blanks.

1. Broadcasting 2. Rabi 3. Drip 4. Apiculture
D. Choose the odd one out.
1. Barley 2. Amaranthus 3. Rahat 4. Weeding
E. Use the clues to complete the crossword.
Down 1. Crop Rotation 2. Irrigation 3. Ploughing 5. Pesticides
Across 4. Compost 6. Multiple 7. Nitrogen fixation 8. Threshing
II. Short Answer Questions.
1.
a. Ploughing: It refers to the method of loosening or tilling of soil.
b. Harvesting: Process of cutting the crop after it is mature is called as harvesting.
c. Threshing: The process of separating the crop from the chaff to make it useful is called as
threshing,
d. Irrigation: Irrigation is the process by which adequate amount of water is supplied to the
crops.
2. The two modern methods of irrigation are sprinkler system and drip irrigation:
a. Sprinkler System: In this method, water is sprinkled in the fields using sprinklers. In
sprinkler system, water is distributed in long tubes that are attached to several sprinklers on
the tubes. This kind of irrigation system is very useful to irrigate crops growing on uneven
land.
b. Drip Irrigation: In this method, water is allowed to fall drop by drop on the soil near the
roots of the crops. This method is efficiently used in areas where water is scarce.(pg-7-8)
3. Hybridised seeds are used in agriculture to obtain crop with desired qualities. This process
of hybridisation involves crossbreeding of different varieties of high quality seeds to obtain
seeds which contain the qualities of both the parent seeds. The hybrid seeds provide better
yield and are disease resistant.(pg-11)
4. Harvested crop can be stored in many ways. For small-scale storage, the seeds are dried in
the sun and then stored in gunny bags or metal bins. For largescale storage of grains,
granaries or silos are used.(pg-10)
5. The process of nitrogen being used by the plants and animals and then returning it back to
the atmosphere is called nitrogen cycle.(pg-12)
6. Crops which are grown for commercial purposes to fetch higher profit such as jute, cotton,
tea and oil are called cash crops. (pg-3)
7. (pg-13)

8. The practice of rearing and breeding of animals on a large scale is called animal
husbandry.(pg-13)
III. Long Answer Questions.
1.
Crop Rotation Multiple cropping
In this process in variety of crops 1 In this process more than one crop is
are grown alternatively. grown on the same field during the
same season
Eg- Wheat is grown in one season Wheat and musturd
and leguminous crop is grown in
other

2. Nitrogen cycle involves five steps.(pg-12)

a. Nitrogen Fixation: It is the process in which atmospheric nitrogen is converted to
usable nitrogen compounds called nitrates by bacteria such as Rhizobium. These
bacteria are present in the root nodules of the leguminous plants such as pea and
beans. This process is called biological nitrogen fixation. Atmospheric nitrogen
 can also be fixed by lightning. Lightning in the atmosphere results in the high
temperature. Due to increase in temperature, oxygen and nitrogen react to form
oxides of nitrogen. This process is called atmospheric nitrogen fixation. These
oxides combine with rainwater and form nitric acid. The nitric acid comes in
contact with soil and forms nitrates. The chemical reactions that take place in the
process of atmospheric nitrogen fixation are:
N2 + O2 → 2NO
2NO + O2 → 2NO2
4NO2 + 2H2O + O2 → 4HNO3
CaCO3 + 2HNO3 → Ca (NO3 )2 + H2O + CO2
b. Nitrogen Assimilation: Plants absorb these nitrates from the soil and convert
them into organic compounds like proteins which are later used by the plants. This
process of converting inorganic nitrates into organic compounds by the plants is
called nitrogen assimilation.
c. Ammonification: As discussed earlier, nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere from
plants and animals. This happens when plants and animals die. The dead remains
of plants get converted to ammonia and other ammonium compounds. This
process is called ammonification.
d. Nitrification: Some ammonium compounds are absorbed by the plants and get
converted to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria. The nitrification process requires the
mediation of two distinct groups: bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites
(Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira, Nitrosococcus and Nitrosolobus) and bacteria that
convert nitrites (toxic to plants) to nitrates (Nitrobacter, Nitrospina and
Nitrococcus).
e. Denitrification: The unused nitrates obtained from nitrogen fixation, get converted
to nitrogen gas by bacteria called denitrifying bacteria, in the absence of oxygen.
This process of conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas is called denitrification.
Pseudomonas is an example of a denitrifying bacteria. (For diagram, see page 12
of the textbook.)
3. Based on the season in which crops are grown, crops can be classified into rabi crops
and kharif crops(pg-3)
a. Rabi Crops: These are the crops that are grown in the winter season during the
months of October–December. These crops are harvested during March–April.
Wheat, mustard, gram, barley and pea are some examples of rabi crops.
b. Kharif Crops: These are the crops that are grown during the summer season from
June–July and harvested during September–October. These crops need more water
to grow; hence, they are grown in monsoon. Therefore, they are also called
monsoon crops. Rice, jute, paddy, maize, cotton, soyabean, sugar cane, bajra,
jowar, millets and groundnuts are some examples of kharif crops.
4. Preparation of soil before sowing seeds is the most important step, as soil anchors the
plants, provides oxygen and nutrients to the plants. Hence, it is important that soil is
properly turned and loosened. Preparation of soil has many benefits. Some of them
are discussed here. (pg-5)
• Loosened and well-aerated soil provides airto the roots of the plants to grow.
• Loose soil helps the roots to penetrate deep in the soil.
• It also aids the growth of earthworms and other useful microorganisms in the soil.
 • Loosening and turning of soil provides fresh soil which is rich in nutrients to the
plants. • It also enables the soil to mix uniformly with the fertilisers.
5. To increase crop production, better seeds, better irrigation facilities and improved
implements are needed. It is also important to use manures and fertilisers in adequate
amount to increase the crop yield. These days, hybridised seeds are used to obtain
crop with desired qualities. The process of hybridisation involves crossbreeding of
different varieties of high-quality seeds to obtain seeds which contain the qualities of
both the parent seeds. The hybrid seeds provide better yield and are disease resistant.
Green revolution was introduced in India in which high-yielding seeds of wheat and
rice were introduced. These varieties of seeds resulted in high yields of crops when
provided with adequate supply of water, pesticides and fertilisers.(pg-11)
6. Farmers normally use a mixture of manures and fertilizers in their fields to increase
the yield and production of crops.
Manure is good for plants as it provides them with organic nutrients but it lacks some
important nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium,
Along with manure, farmers also use fertilizers such as NPK fertilizers that provide
nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
So manure fulfils the organic nutrient and fertilizers fulfil the requirement of other
nutrients,
7. After growing wheat for a season, farmers prefer to grow a crop of legume family
such as peas, grams and groundnuts to replenish nitrogen in the soil. They practise
crop rotation which involves the systematic growing of different crops in succession
on a piece of land to avoid exhausting the soil. Crop rotation makes soil more fertile,
as legumes fix nitrogen in the soil. It helps to control weeds, diseases and pests by
breaking their life cycles. It also reduces the risk of crop failure in case of drought or
disease.
8. a. Some crops are harvested in summers, others in winters, depending upon their
weather and water requirements.
b. Manures are added to the soil to improve the crop yield and productivity of the soil.
c. The ploughing of soil is called tilling. The tilling of soil before sowing seeds is the
most important step, as soil anchors the plants, provides oxygen and nutrients to the
plants. Hence, it is important that soil is properly turned and loosened.
d. Drip irrigation is an economical method as water is allowed to fall drop by drop to
the soil near the roots of the crops. This method avoids wastage of water. This method
is also efficiently used in areas where water is scarce.
e. Growing leguminous crops is good for soil as these crops help in biological
nitrogen fixation.
9. Differences between manures and fertilisers:
Write in tabular form
Manures:
• Manures are organic substances made from plant and animal waste.
• These are rich in organic nutrients.
 • These are biodegradable.
• These are heavier and bulky to transport.
• These are environment-friendly and do not harm water bodies.
Fertilisers:
• Fertilisers are human-made inorganic substances obtained artificially using
chemicals.
• These are made inorganically or artificially to fulfil the plant’s requirements of
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
• These are non-biodegradable.
• These are compact and easier to transport.
• These cause soil pollution and water pollution.
9. The chemical reactions that take place in the process of atmospheric nitrogen fixation
are:
10. N2 + O2 → 2NO
11. 2NO + O2 → 2NO2
12. 4NO2 + 2H2O + O2 → 4HNO3
13. CaCO3 + 2HNO3 → Ca (NO3 )2 + H2O + CO2
Enrichment Activities
I. HOTS
1. In slash and burn method, plants are cut and burned to create fields in
agriculture. In many northeastern states of India such as Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, such type of agriculture methods are
used.
2. Mantra should use both farm manures and chemical fertilisers in adequate
amount to increase the vegetable yield.
Portfolio: To draw nitrogen cycle on A4 size chart paper
Kindly write along with drawing of nitrogen cycle of portfolio:
Lab Manual: Activity 1 of text book (pg no-6) to be written in lab manual.
Questions to be written in notepad:
Short answer questions: 1, 3 and 7
Long answer questions: 2,6 and 8
 WORKBOOK

Section 1: Objective Questions

A. Choose the most appropriate answer.
1. a 2. a 3. c 4. c 5. d 6. b 7. d 8. a 9. d 10. d
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. agricultural 2. tilling, ploughing 3. manures, fertilizers 4. irrigation 5. weeds 6. weedicides
7. harvested 8. harvester 9. husbandry 10. silos, granaries
C. Write True or False. Rewrite the false statements correctly.
1. True
2. False. Activities necessary for cultivation of crops are not similar to activities carried out
by a gardener to grow ornamental plants in houses.
3. False. A few centimetres of the top soil supports plant growth.
4. True
5. True
6. False. Continuous cultivation of crops makes the soil poor in nutrients.
7. False. Microorganisms help to make manures.
8. False. Excessive use of fertilizers can make the soil less fertile.
9. False. Weedicides are harmful to humans.
10. True
D. Answer in one or two words only.
1. Paddy, maize
2. Wheat, linseed
3. Crumbs/lumps
4. Tractor-driven cultivator
5. Seed drill
6. Crop rotation
7. Rhizobium
8. Drip irrigation system
9. Weeding
10. 3 to 4 months
Section 2: Subjective Questions
A. Answer in one word or one sentence.
1. Green plants make their own food by using sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and minerals,
by the process called as photosynthesis.
2. Animals including humans get their food from plants, animals, or both.
3. We need to eat food to get energy for carrying out various body functions, to grow.
4. We can provide food to the large number of people in our country by regular production of
crops, proper management, and distribution.
5. Paddy needs a lot of water to grow. So, paddy cannot be grown in the winter season.
6. Loosening of soil allows the roots to breathe easily as the air enters easily through the
loose soil.
7. Turning and loosening allow the roots to penetrate deep into the soil. The loosened soil
allows the roots to breathe easily even when they go deep into the soil. The loosened soil
helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes present in the soil. These organisms further
turn and loosen the soil and add humus to it.
8. Seeds that float on water are damaged seeds. Damaged seeds become hollow and are thus
lighter.
9. In a nursery, small plants are kept in small bags so that they can be easily carried and
planted in a garden.
10. Plants that grow in soil that has been sufficiently manured grow better than the ones
growing in soil that has not been sufficiently manured.
11. Fertilizers are man-made inorganic salts. Manures are natural substances obtained by the
decomposition of cattle dung and plant wastes. Fertilizers are prepared in factories but
manures are prepared in fields.
12. The frequency of watering of plants is higher in summer than in other seasons, due to the
intense heat of the sun, the rate of evaporation of water from the soil and the leaves increases
during summer.
13. Yes, spraying of weedicides may affect the health of the person handling the weedicide
sprayer. So she/he should cover the nose and mouth with a piece of cloth during spraying of
these chemicals.
14. Sometimes dried neem leaves are put into iron drums containing wheat to protect them
from pests and microorganisms.
B. Answer in one or two sentences only.
1. The name of the implement is hoe. It is a simple tool which is used for removing weeds
and for loosening the soil.
2. A farmer separates healthy seeds from damaged ones by keeping the seeds in water.
Damaged seeds become hollow and are thus lighter. Therefore, they float on water.
3. The seed drill sows the seeds uniformly at equal distance and depth. It ensures that seeds
get covered by the soil after sowing. This protects seeds from being eaten by birds. Sowing
by using a seed drill saves time and labour.
4. Appropriate distance between the seeds is necessary to avoid overcrowding of plants. This
allows plants to get sufficient sunlight, nutrients and water from the soil.
5. Excessive use of fertilizers harm the soil by making it porous. Excess fertilizers get
washed into water bodies and harm aquatic animals.
6. a. In a drip irrigation system, the water falls drop by drop directly near the roots. It is the
best technique for watering fruit plants, gardens and trees.
b. Water is not wasted at all. It is a boon in regions where availability of water is poor.
7. a. Weeds are unwanted plants that grow along with the crops.
b. Weeding is necessary since weeds compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space
and sunlight. Thus, they affect the growth of the crop.
8. Harvested grains have moisture in them. If freshly harvested grains (seeds) are stored
without drying, they may get spoilt or attacked by microorganisms, making them unfit for use
or for germination.
9. The breeding, feeding and caring of domestic animals for food and other purposes is
called animal husbandry.
Section 3: Reflective, Logical and Critical Thinking
Think and answer.
1. Manures are rich in organic nutrients but not in some inorganic nutrients like nitrogen,
phosphorous and potassium. Fertilizers are rich in these inorganic nutrients, but not in organic
nutrients. Also, the use of manures improves soil texture and its water retaining capacity. That
is why farmers use a mixture of manures and fertilizers.
2. When plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop.
For example, crop of wheat means that all the plants grown in a field are that of wheat. I have
grown a few wheat plants in my garden. So I am not growing a wheat crop.
3. Freshly harvested wheat grains have more moisture than that we buy from the market.
These wheat grains are stored after drying in the sun to reduce the moisture in them. This
prevents the attack by insects, pests, bacteria and fungi.