RAMCHAND SARAFCLASS-VIII

SUBJECT-SCIENCE TOPIC-CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

1. Agriculture is the science or practice of growing crops.

2. Crops are plants of the same kind that are grown and cultivated in large quantities in a field.

3. There are two main crop seasons.

These are grown in the winter season—from October to March.

Examples: Wheat, mustard,potato, barley and gram

These are grown in the rainy season—from June to September.

Examples: Rice, jute, maize,groundnut and cotton.

The various tasks performed by the farmer to raise a good yield of crops are called agricultural practices.

The steps involved in cultivating a crop are as follows:

Preparation of soil– sowing-- Adding manure and fertilisers -- Irrigation--Protection from weeds—Harvesting—Storage.

The sprinkler system of irrigation involves a network of pipes linked to a main pipe and rotating nozzles on the top. When water is pumped into the main pipe, it comes out of the rotating nozzles with pressure in all the directions.

In the drip irrigation system, water is released drop-by-drop near the roots of plants. This system is suitable for water-deficient regions.

Weeding is the removal of unwanted plants from the crop field. It is done manually using a khurpi or by using chemicals called weedicides.

The process of cutting a mature crop is called harvesting and is either done manually using a sickle or by using a machine called a harvester.

When the chaff is separated from grains by using a thresher, it is called threshing.

When the chaff is separated from grains by means of a current of air, it is called winnowing.

It is important to store grains safely from moisture, insects, rats and microorganisms. Grains need to be properly dried in the sun as it reduces moisture and prevents attack by insects, pests, bacteria.

Small-scale grains are stored in jute bags or metallic bins, while large-scale grains are stored in silos and granaries.