Summary
Highlights
Food is the primary source of energy for humans, obtained from both plants and animals. To meet the demands of everyone, food must be produced on a large scale. This module will discuss crop production and management, including food distribution, categorization of crops, plowing tools, advantages of manure and fertilizers, irrigation methods, weeds, harvesting, storage, and animal husbandry.
A crop is defined as the same type of plants grown on a large scale. Crops in India are broadly classified into two categories based on the season they are grown: Rabi crops (winter season, October to March, e.g., wheat, gram, peas) and Kharif crops (rainy season, June to September, e.g., paddy, maize, groundnut). Agricultural practices involve various activities performed to grow crops.
The first step in crop production is preparing the soil by turning and loosening it. This process helps earthworms and microbes, known as 'farmer's friends', to grow, adding humus and bringing nutrient-rich soil to the top. Plowing is done using tools like a traditional plow (made of wood, with a plosher and plow shaft), a hoe (for removing weeds and loosening soil), or modern tractor-driven cultivators that save labor and time.
Before sowing, farmers select good quality seeds. Damaged seeds float in water because they are hollow and lighter, a method used to separate good seeds from bad. Traditional sowing uses a funnel-shaped tool to pass seeds into the soil. Modern seed drills, powered by tractors, sow seeds uniformly at proper depths and distances, covering them with soil and saving time and labor.
Manure is an organic substance from decomposed plant and animal wastes, which replenishes soil nutrients. Its advantages include enhancing water-holding capacity, making the soil porous for gas exchange, improving texture, and increasing beneficial microbes. Fertilizers are chemicals (e.g., urea, ammonium sulfate, NPK) produced in factories that add minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrates. While increasing yield, excessive use of fertilizers can reduce soil fertility and cause water pollution.
Crop rotation is a method to replenish soil nutrients. After a cereal crop like rice depletes nitrogen, a leguminous crop (e.g., peas, beans) is grown. Leguminous plants have rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules that fix atmospheric nitrogen, forming nitrogen compounds that make the soil more fertile. This practice ensures nitrogen-rich soil, leading to increased grain production when cereals are subsequently grown.
Water is essential for crop growth, as seeds cannot germinate in dry conditions, and nutrients are absorbed with water by plant roots. Watering crops is called irrigation. The frequency and amount of irrigation vary based on soil, crop, and season. Sources of irrigation include wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, dams, and canals. Modern methods include the sprinkler system (useful for uneven land, sprinkles water like rain) and the drip system (waters drop by drop directly at roots, saving water in scarce regions).
Harvesting is the process of cutting mature crops, either manually with a sickle or by a machine called a harvester. Threshing separates grain seeds from the chaff, often done with a combine (a combined harvester and thresher). After harvesting, grains need proper storage. They must be dried in the sun to reduce moisture and prevent spoilage or pest attacks. Farmers store grains in jute bags or metallic bins, and on a large scale, in silos and granaries. Dried neem leaves are often used to protect grains from pests and microorganisms.
Just like crop production, animals are also reared at home or on farms to provide food. This practice, called animal husbandry, involves providing proper food, shelter, and care to livestock on a large scale to ensure healthy food production. For example, many coastal communities rely on fish as a major part of their diet.