Topic: Crop production and management The science that deals with the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals for human use is called agriculture. For 8th Standard

1. Crop Production and
Management

2. Agricultural Practices
Till 10,000 B.C.E. people were
nomadic. They were wandering
in groups from place to place
in search of food and shelter.
They ate raw fruits and
vegetables and started hunting
animals for food. Later, they
could cultivate land and
produce rice, wheat and other
food crops. Thus, was born
‘Agriculture’.
What is Agriculture?

3. What is Crop?
• 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.
• 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.
• Despite this diversity, two broad cropping patterns can be identified.
These are:
(i) Kharif Crops (ii) Rabi Crops

4. Basic Practices of Crop Production
Cultivation of crops involves several activities undertaken by farmers over a
period of time. These activities or tasks are referred to as agricultural
practices which are listed below:

5. Preparation of Soil
The preparation of soil is the first step before growing a crop. One of
the most important tasks in agriculture is to turn the soil and loosen
it. This allows the roots to penetrate deep into the soil. The loosened
soil helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes present in the
soil. These organisms are friends of the farmer since they further turn
and loosen the soil and add humus to it.
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 purpose are the plough, hoe and
cultivator.

6. A large farming implement with one
or more blades fixed in a frame, used
to turn over and cut furrows in soil, is
called plough. Plough may be made
of only wood, wood and iron, and of
iron only.
Ploughshare, the main cutting blade
of a plough.
A tool which is used for removing weeds and
for loosening the soil.
Nowadays ploughing is done by a tractor
driven cultivator. The use of cultivator saves
labour and time.

7. Sowing
Sowing is the most important part of crop production. 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. Before sowing, one of the important tasks is to know about
the tools used for sowing seeds.
Traditional method of sowing A seed drill

8. Adding Manure and Fertilisers
 Like other plants, crop plants also obtain their mineral nutrients from the
soil. Continuous growing of crop in the field causes deficiency of mineral
nutrients in the soil. So, the manure is added to the soil to make up the
deficiency of mineral nutrients. This process is called manuring. Manure is
prepared from cow dung, urine and other wastes.
Sometimes, soil becomes deficient in a particular mineral nutrients. This
happens when same crop is grown in the same field year after year.
For example, a particular crop takes more phosphate. If this crop is grown
in a field every year, the soil will become deficient in phosphorus nutrient.
This type of deficiency of a particular nutrient is made up by adding
chemical substances called fertilizers. For example: urea, super phosphate
and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium).

9. Irrigation

10. Protection from Weeds
Spraying weedicide
The unwanted plants in the fields are called
weeds. Seeds of these weeds spread through
the agencies like air, water, birds and other
animals.
Weeds share water, sunlight, space, nutrients
with the crop plants. Thus they compete with
the crop plants. Therefore, their removal is
necessary.
Otherwise, crop plants do not get sufficient
space, water, sunlight and nutrient to grow
healthier. Weeds are weeded out either by hand
or with the help of an implement called harrow.
Nowadays, for checking the growth of weeds,
certain chemicals are used. These chemicals
are called weedicides, such as 2, 4-D.

11. Harvesting
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.
Sickle
Combine
Winnowing machine

12. Storage
• Grains obtained by threshing are
dried in the open. The dried grains
are stored in gunny bags, and
placed in properly ventilated
cemented halls, known as
godowns.
• Farmers keep dried grains in jute
bags or metallic bins or mud bins.
Large scale storage of grains is
done in silos and granaries. For
storing large quantities of grains in
big godowns, specific chemical
treatments are used to protect
them from pests and micro-
organisms.
Silos for storage of grains
Storage of grains in gunny bags in granaries

13. Food from Animals
Animals are an important source of food. The rearing of animals for
food is known as animal husbandry. Some animals like cows and
buffaloes are reared for milk, others for meat like goats and
poultry. Some people consume fish as a part of their diet.
Honeybees are reared for honey. Thus, animals are an integral
source of food and food products.