self learning material on crop production

2
After reading this unit you will be able to describeBasic practices of crop
production.
After going through this unit you will be able to list and illustrate different
steps involved in agricultural practices.
Radha and Kishan went to their uncle’s houseduring the summer vacation.
Their uncle is a farmer. Oneday they saw sometools like khurpi, sickle, shovel,
plough, etc., in the field.
You already know that All living organisms requirefood. Plants can maketheir
food themselves but Animals including humans can not make their own food.
The energy fromfood is utilized by organisms for carrying outtheir various
body functions, such as digestion, respiration and excretion. We get our food
fromplants, or animals, or both.
I want to know where
and how we use these
tools.

3
In order to providefood for a large population— regular production, proper
management and distribution of food is necessary.
When plants of the same kind are grown and 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.
You already know that Crops are of different types like cereals,
vegetables and fruits. These can be classified on the basis of the
season in which they grow. India is a vast country and the climatic
conditions like temperature, humidity and rainfall vary from one
region to another.
Since we all need food, how can
we provide food to a large
number of people in our country?
Food has to be
produced on a
large scale.

4
Accordingly, there is a rich variety of crops grown in different parts of
the country. Despite this diversity, two broad cropping patterns can
be identified. These are:
(i) Kharif Crops:- The crops which are sown in the rainy season are
called kharif crops. The rainy season in India is generally from June to
September. Paddy, maize, soyabean, groundnut, cotton, etc., are
kharif crops.
(ii) Rabi Crops:- The crops grown in the winter season are called rabi
crops. Their time period is generally from October to March.
Examples of rabi crops are wheat, gram, pea, mustard and linseed.
Besides these, pulses and vegetables are grown during summer at
many places.
Why can paddy not
be grown in the
winter season?
Paddy requires a lot of water.
Therefore, it is grown only in
the rainy season

5
Cultivation of crops involves severalactivities undertaken by farmers over a
period of time. You may find that these activities are similar to those carried
out by a gardener or even by you when you grow ornamental plants in your
house. These activities or tasks are referred to as agriculturalpractices. These
activities are listed below.
(i) Preparation of soil
(ii) Sowing
(iii) Adding manureand fertilisers
(iv) Irrigation
(v) Protecting fromweeds
(vi) Harvesting
(vii) Storage
 The preparation of soil is the firststep before growing a crop.
 One of the most importanttasks in agriculture is to turn the soil and
loosen it. This allows the roots to penetrate deep into the soil. The loose
soil allows the roots to breathe easily even when they go deep into the
soil.
 Why doesthe loosening of soil allow the rootsto breathe easily?
The loosened soil helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes
present in the soil. These organisms arefriends of the farmer since they
further turn and loosen the soil and add humus to it.
 But why doesthe soil need to be turned and loosened?
You have learnt that soil contains minerals, water, air and some living
organisms. In addition, dead plants and animals get decomposed by soil

6
organisms. In this way, various nutrients held in the dead organisms are
released back into the soil. These nutrients are again absorbed by plants.
 Since only a few centimetres of the top layer of soil supports plant
growth, turning and loosening of soil brings the nutrient-rich soil to the
top so that plants can usethese nutrients. Thus, turning and loosening of
soil is very important for cultivation of crops.
 The process of loosening and turning of the soilis called tilling or
ploughing.
 This is done by using a plough. Ploughs are made of wood or iron. If the
soil is very dry, it may need watering beforeploughing. The ploughed
field may have big pieces of soil called crumbs. Itis necessary to break
these crumbs with a plank. The field is levelled for sowing as well as for
irrigation purposes.
 The levelling of soil is done with the help of a leveller. Sometimes,
manure is added to the soil before tilling. This helps in proper mixing of
manure with soil. The soilis watered before sowing.
Agricultural Implements
Before sowing the seeds, it is necessary to break soil to the size of grains to
get better yield. This is done with the help of various tools. The main tools
used for this purposearethe plough, hoe and cultivator.
Plough : This is being used since ancient times for tilling the soil, adding
fertilisers to the crop, removing the weeds, scraping of soil, etc. This
implement is made of wood and is drawn by a pair of bulls or other animals
(horses, camels, etc.). Itcontains a strong triangular iron strip called
ploughshare. The main part of the plough is a long log of wood which is
called a ploughshaft. Thereis a handle at one end of the shaft. The other

7
end is attached to a beam which is placed on the bulls’ necks. One pair of
bulls and a man can easily operate the plough [Fig. 1.1 (a)]. The indigenous
wooden plough is increasingly being replaced by iron ploughs nowadays.
Hoe : Itis a simple tool which is used for removing weeds and for loosening
the soil. Ithas a long rod of wood or iron. A strong, broad and bent plate of
iron is fixed to one of its ends and works like a blade. It is pulled by animals
[Fig. 1.1 (b)].
Cultivator:Nowadays ploughing is doneby tractor driven cultivator. The use
of cultivator saves labour and time. [Fig. 1.1 (c)].

8
Fig. 1.1 (c) : Cultivator driven by a tractor
 Before sowing, good quality seeds are selected.
 Good quality seeds are clean and healthy seeds of a good variety.
 Farmers prefer to use seeds which give a high yield.
Selectionof Seeds
Activity 1.1
Take a beaker and fill half of it with water. Put a handful of wheat seeds and
stir well. Wait for some time.
Are there seeds which floaton water?
Would those be lighter or heavier than those which sink?
Why would they be lighter?
One day I saw my mother put some gram seeds
in a vessel and pour some water on them. After a
few minutes some seeds started to float on top. I
wonder why some seeds float on water!

9
Damaged seeds become hollow and are thus lighter. Therefore, they float on
water. This is a good method for separating good, healthy seeds fromthe
damaged ones.
Before sowing, oneof the important tasks is to know about the tools used for
sowing seeds [Fig. 1.2 (a), (b)].
Traditional tool : The tool used traditionally for sowing seeds is shaped like a
funnel [Fig. 1.2 (a)]. The seeds are filled into the funnel, passed down through
two or three pipes having sharp ends. Theseends pierce into the soil and place
seeds there.
Fig. 1.2 (a) : Traditional method of sowing
Seeddrill : Nowadays theseed drill [Fig. 1.2 (b)] is used for sowing with the
help of tractors. This tool sows theseeds uniformly at proper distances and
depths. Itensures that seeds get covered by the soil after sowing. This
prevents damage caused by birds. Sowing by using a seed drill saves time and
labour.

10
Fig. 1.2 (b) : A seed drill
The substances which are added to the soilin the form of nutrients for the
healthy growth of plants are called manure and fertiliser.
There is a nursery near my
school. I found that little plants
were kept in small bags. Why
are they kept like this?
Seeds of a few plants such as paddy are
first grown in a nursery. When they grow
into plantlets, they are transplanted in the
field manually. Some forest plants and
flowering plants are also grown in the
nursery.

11
Soil supplies mineral nutrients to the crop. These nutrients are essential for the
growth of plants. In certain areas, farmers grow crop after crop in the same
field. The field is never left uncultivated or fallow. Imaginewhathappens to
the nutrients?
Continuous growing of crops makes the soil poorer in certain nutrients.
Therefore, farmers haveto add manure to the fields to replenish the soil with
nutrients. This process is called manuring. Improper or insufficientmanuring
results in weak plants.
Manure is an organic substanceobtained fromthe decomposition of plant or
animal wastes. Farmers dump plant and animal waste in pits at open places
and allow it to decompose. The decomposition is caused by some
microorganisms. Thedecomposed matter is used as organic manure.
Activity 1.2
Take moong or gramseeds and germinate them. Select three equal sized
seedlings out of these. Now take three empty glasses or similar vessels. Mark
them A, B and C. To glass A add little amount of soil mixed with a little cow
dung manure. In glass B put the same amount of soil mixed with a little urea.
Take the sameamount of soil in glass C without adding anything [Fig. 1.3(a)].
Now pour the same amount of water in each glass and plant the seedlings in
them. Keep them in a safeplace and water them daily. After 7 to 10 days
observetheir growth.
I saw a healthy crop growing in a
farm. In the neighbouring farm,
the plants were weak. Why do
some plants grow better than
others?

12
Did all the plants in all the glasses grow atthe same pace?
Which glass showed better growth of plants?
In which glass wasthe growth fastest?
Fertilisers arechemical substances which arerich in a particular nutrient.
How are these differentfrom manure?
Fertilisers are produced in factories. Some examples of fertilisers are— urea,
ammonium sulphate, super phosphate, potash, NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Potassium).
The useof fertilisers has helped farmers to get better yield of crops such as
wheat, paddy and maize. But excessiveuse of fertilisers has made the soil less
fertile. Fertilisers have also become a sourceof water pollution. Therefore, in
order to maintain the fertility of the soil, we have to substitute fertilisers by
organic manure or leave the field uncultivated (fallow) in between two crops.
The use of manureimproves soil texture as well as its water retaining capacity.
Itreplenishes the soil with all the nutrients. Another method of replenishing
the soil with nutrients is through crop rotation. This can be done by growing
different crops alternately.
Earlier, farmers in northern India used to grow legumes as fodder in one
season and wheatin the next season. This helped in the replenishmentof the

13
soil with nitrogen. Farmers are being encouraged to adopt this practice. In the
previous classes, you havelearnt about Rhizobium bacteria. Thesearepresent
in the nodules of the roots of leguminous plants. They fix atmospheric
nitrogen.
Table 1.1 : Differences between Fertiliser and Manure
S.
No.
Fertiliser MANURE
1. A fertiliser is an inorganic salt.
Manure is a natural substance obtained by the
decomposition of cattle dung, human waste and plant
residues.
2. A fertiliser is prepared in factories. Manure can be prepared in the fields.
3.
A fertiliser does not provide any humus
to the soil.
Manure provides a lot of humus to the soil.
4.
Fertilisers are very rich in plant nutrients
like nitrogen phosphorus and
potassium.
Manure is relatively less rich in plant nutrients.
Advantages of Manure : The organic manure is considered better than
fertilisers. This is because
 it enhances the water holding capacity of the soil.
 it makes the soilporous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy.
 it increases the number of friendly microbes.
 it improves the texture of the soil.
All living beings need water to live. Water is important for proper growth and
development of flowers, fruits and seeds of plants. Water is absorbed by the
plant roots. Along with water, minerals and fertilisers are also absorbed. Plants
contain nearly 90% water.

14
Water is essential becausegermination of seeds does not take place under dry
conditions. Nutrients dissolved in water get transported to each part of the
plant. Water also protects the crop fromboth frost and hot air currents. To
maintain the moisture of the soil for healthy crop growth, fields have to be
watered regularly. The supply of water to crops at different intervals is called
irrigation.
The time and frequency of irrigation varies fromcrop to crop, soil to soil and
season to season. In summer, thefrequency of watering is higher. Why is it so?
Could it be due to the increased rate of evaporation of water from the soil and
the leaves?
Sources of irrigation: The sources of irrigation are— wells, tubewells, ponds,
lakes, rivers, dams and canals.
Traditional Methods of Irrigation
The water available in wells, lakes and canals is lifted up by different methods
in different regions, for taking it to the fields.
Cattle or human labour is used in these methods. So these methods are
cheaper, but less efficient.
The various traditional ways are:
(i) moat (pulley-system)
(ii) chain pump
I am very careful this year about
watering the plants. Last
summer my plants dried up and
died

15
(iii) dhekli, and
(iv) rahat (Lever system) [Figs. 1.4 (a)- (d)].
Pumps are commonly used for lifting water. Diesel, biogas, electricity and solar
energy is used to run these pumps.
Fig. 1.4 (a) : Moat
Fig. 1.4 (b) : Chain pump

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Fig. 1.4 (c) : Dhekli
Fig. 1.4 (d) : Rahat
Modern Methods of Irrigation
Modern methods of irrigation help us to usewater economically. The main
methods used are as follows:
(i) Sprinkler System: This systemis moreuseful on the uneven land
wheresufficient water is not available. The perpendicular pipes,
having rotating nozzles on top, are joined to the main pipeline at
regular intervals. When water is allowed to flow through the main
pipe under pressurewith the help of a pump, it escapes from the

17
rotating nozzles. Itgets sprinkled on the crop as if it is raining.
Sprinkler is very usefulfor sandy soil [Fig. 1.5 (a)].
Fig. 1.5 (a) : Sprinkler system
(ii) Dripsystem : In this system, the water falls drop by drop justat the position
of the roots. So it is called drip system. Itis the best technique for watering
fruit plants, gardens and trees. The systemprovides water to plants drop by
drop [Fig. 1.5(b)]. Water is not wasted at all. Itis a boon in regions where
availability of water is poor.
Fig. 1.5 (b) : Drip System

18
Radha and kishan wentto a nearby wheat field and saw that there were some
other plants in the field.
In a field many other undesirableplants may grow naturally along with the
crop. These undesirableplants are called weeds.
The removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeding is necessary sinceweeds
compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, spaceand light. Thus, they
affect the growth of the crop. Some weeds interfere even in harvesting and
may be poisonous for animals and human beings.
Farmers adoptmany ways to remove weeds and controltheir growth. Tilling
before sowing of crops helps in uprooting and killing of weeds, which may then
dry up and get mixed with the soil. The best time for the removal of weeds is
before they produceflowers and seeds. The manual removalincludes physical
removalof weeds by uprooting or cutting them closeto the ground, fromtime
to time. This is done with the help of a khurpi. A seed drill [Fig. 1.2(b)] is also
used to uprootweeds.
Weeds are also controlled by using certain chemicals, called weedicides, like
2,4-D. Theseare sprayed in the fields to kill the weeds. They do not damage
the crops. Theweedicides are diluted with water to the extent required and
sprayed in the fields with a sprayer.
Have these other plants
been planted purposely?

19
As already mentioned, the weedicides are sprayed during the
vegetative growth of weeds before flowering and seed formation.
Spraying of weedicides may affect the health of farmers. So they
should use these chemicals very carefully. They should cover their
nose and mouth with a piece of cloth during spraying of these
chemicals.
Harvesting of a crop is an important task. The cutting of crop after it
is mature is called harvesting. In harvesting, crops are pulled out or
cut close to the ground. It usually takes 3 to 4 months for a cereal
crop to mature. Harvesting in our country is either done manually by
sickle (Fig. 1.7) or by a machine called harvester. In the harvested
crop, the grain seeds need to be separated from the chaff. This
process is called threshing. This is carried out with the help of a
machine called ‘combine’ which is in fact a combined harvester and
thresher (Fig. 1.8)
Do weedicides have any effect on the
person handling the weedicide sprayer?

20
Fig. 1.7 : Sickle Fig. 1.8 : Combine
Farmers with small holdings of land do the separation of grain and chaff by
winnowing (Fig. 1.9)
Fig. 1.9 : Winnowing machine
After harvesting, sometimes stubs are
left in the field, which are burnt by
farmers. Radha is worried. She knows
that it causes pollution. It may also catch
fire and damage the crops lying in the
fields.

21
Storageof produceis an important task. If the crop grains areto be kept for
longer time, they should be safefrom moisture, insects, rats and
microorganisms. Thefresh crop has more moisture. If freshly harvested grains
(seeds) are stored without drying, they may get spoilt or attacked by
organisms, losing their germination capacity. Hence, beforestoring them, the
grains are properly dried in the sun to reduce the moisture in them. This
prevents the attack by insect pests, bacteria and fungi.
Dried neem leaves are used for storing food grains at home. For storing large
quantities of grains in big godowns, specific chemical treatments are required
to protect them frompests and microorganisms.
Farmers storegrains in jute bags or metallic bins. However, largescale storage
of grains is done in silos and granaries to protect them from pests like rats and
insects [Fig. 1.10 (a) and (b)].
I saw my mother putting some dried
neem leaves in an iron drum containing
wheat. I wonder why?

22
Fig. 1.10 (a) : Silos for storage of grains
Fig. 1.10 (b) : Storage of grains in granaries
Activity 1.3
Make the following Table in your note book and complete it.

23
S. No. Food Sources
1. Milk Cow, Buffalo, Shegoat,She-camel . . .
2.
3.
4.
After completing this Table, you musthave seen that, like plants, animals also
provideus with different kinds of food. Many people living in the coastal areas
consumefish as a major part of their diet. In the previous classes you have
learnt about the food that we obtain fromplants. We have justseen that the
process of crop production involves a number of steps like selection of seeds,
sowing, etc. Similarly, animals reared at home or in farms, haveto be provided
with proper food, shelter and care. When this is done on a large scale, it is
called animal husbandry.
 In order to providefood to our growing population, we need to adopt
certain agricultural practices.
 Same kind of plants grown and cultivated at a place constitute a crop.
 In India, crops can be broadly categorised into two types based on
seasons - rabi and kharif crops.
Fish is good for health. We get
cod liver oil from fish which is
rich in vitamin D.

24
 Itis necessary to prepare soil by tilling and levelling. Ploughs and
levellers are used for this purpose.
 Sowing of seeds at appropriate depths and distances gives good yield.
Good variety of seeds are sown after selection of healthy seeds. Sowing
is done by seed drills.
 Soil needs replenishment and enrichment through the use of organic
manure and fertilisers. Use of chemical fertilisers has increased
tremendously with the introduction of new crop varieties.
 Supply of water to crops at appropriateintervals is called irrigation.
 Weeding involves removal of unwanted and uncultivated plants called
weeds.
 Harvesting is the cutting of the mature crop manually or by machines.
 Separation of the grains fromthe chaff is called threshing.
 Proper storageof grains is necessary to protect them from pests and
microorganisms.
 Food is also obtained fromanimals for which animals are reared. This is
called animal husbandry.
1. Select the correct word from the following list and fill in the blanks.
float, water, crop, nutrients, preparation
o The same kind of plants grown and cultivated on a large scale at a place is
called .
o The first step before growing crops is of the soil.
o Damaged seeds would on top of water.
o For growing a crop, sufficient sunlight and and from
the soil are essential.
2. Match items in column A with those in column B.
Al Answers A to B
(i) Kharif crops 1. (a) Food for cattle
(ii) Rabi crops 2. (b) Urea and super phosphate
(iii) Chemical
fertilizers 3.
(c) Animal excreta, cow dung urine and
plant waste

25
(iv) Organic
manure 4. (d) Wheat, gram, pea
(e) Paddy and maize
3. Give two examples of each.
(a) Kharif crop
(b) Rabi crop
4. Write a paragraph in your own words on each of the following.
(a) Preparation of soil (b) Sowing
(c) Weeding (d) Threshing
5. Explain how fertilisers are different from manure.
6. What is irrigation? Describe two methods of irrigation which conserve water.
7. If wheat is sown in the kharif season, what would happen? Discuss.
8. Explain how soil gets affected by the continuous plantation of crops in a field.
9. What are weeds? How can we control them?
10. Arrange the following boxes in proper order to make a flow chart of sugarcane
crop production.
11. 11. Complete the following word puzzle with the help of clues given below.
Down
1. Providing water to the crops.
2. Keeping crop grains for a long time under proper conditions.
5. Certain plants of the same kind grown on a large scale.
Across
3. A machine used for cutting the matured crop.
4. A rabi crop that is also one of the pulses.
6. A process of separating the grain from chaff.

26
Extended Learning — Activities and Projects
1. Sow some seeds in the soil and arrange to water them by drip irrigation.
Observe daily. (i) Do you think it can save water? (ii) Note the changes in the
seed.
2. Collect different types of seeds and put them in small bags. Attach these
bags in a herbarium file and label them.
3. Collect new agricultural machine pictures and paste in a file with their
names and uses.
4. Project Work
Visit a farm, nursery or a garden nearby. Gather information about
1. importance of seedselection.
2. method of irrigation.
3. effect of extreme cold and extreme hot weather on the plants.
4. effect of continuous rain on the plants.
5. fertilisers/manure used.
For more information, visit : z www.krishiworld.com/html/balanced fertiliser. htm. z
www.ikis.com/links/ap.cultivation.html

27
An Example for FieldTripWork
Himanshu and his friends were very anxious and curious to go to Thikri village.
They went to Shri Jiwan Patel’s farmhouse. They had taken bags to collect
some seeds and other things. Himanshu: Sir namaskar, I amHimanshu. Here
are my friends Mohan, David and Sabiha. We want someinformation about
crops. Pleaseguide us. ShriPatel : Namaskar and welcome all of you. Whatare
your queries? Sabiha : When did you start this work and whatare the main
crops that you grow? ShriPatel : About 75 years ago, my grandfather started
this work. Themain crops that we grow arewheat, gram, soyabean and
moong. David : Sir, can you tell us the difference between traditional and
modern agricultural practices? ShriPatel : Earlier weused traditional tools like
sickle, bullock plough, trowel, etc., and depended on rain water for irrigation.
But now we usemodern methods of irrigation. We use implements like
tractors, cultivators, seed drill and harvester. We get good quality seeds. We
carry out soil testing and usemanure and fertilisers. New information about
agriculture is obtained through radio, T.V. and other sources. As a resultwe are
able to get good crops on a large scale. This year we got 9 to 11 quintals of
gramcrop/acre and 20 to 25 quintals of wheat/acre. In my opinion awareness
of new technology is important for better crop yield. Mohan : Sabiha, come
here and see some earthworms. Arethey helpful to the farmers? Sabiha : Oh
Mohan! we learnt about it in Class VI. ShriPatel : Earthworms turn the soil and
loosen it for proper aeration, so they help the farmer. David : Can we have
some seeds of the crops you grow here? [They put some seeds, fertilisers and
soil sample in the bags.] Himanshu: Sir, weare thankfulto you for making this
visit pleasant and for providing usefulinformation.

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