Crop Production and Management

What is crop?
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.
Cropping Pattern
India is a vast country. The climatic
conditions like temperature,
humidity and rainfall vary from one
region to another. 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:
1)Kharif Crops
2)Rabi Crops
 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.
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.
Other Varieties
The pulses and vegetables
are grown during summer
at many places.
 Agricultural Practices
Cultivation of crops involves several activities
undertaken by farmers over a period of time. These
activities or tasks are referred to as Agricultural
Practices. They are : (if) Preparation of soil
(ii) Sowing
(iii) Adding manure and fertilizers
(iv) Irrigation
(v) Protecting from weeds
(vi) Harvesting
(vii) Storage
 2)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 loose 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 are friends of the farmer since they further
turn and loosen the soil and add humus to it. classes
that soil contains minerals, water, air and some living
organisms. In addition, dead plants and animals get
decomposed by soil organisms. In this way, various
nutrients held in the dead organisms are released back
into the soil. These nutrients are again absorbed by
plants. The process of loosening and turning of the soil
 Tilling or Ploughing
The process of loosening and turning of the soil is
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 before
ploughing. The ploughed field may have big pieces
of soil called crumbs. It is necessary to break
these crumbs with a plank. The field is leveled for
sowing as well as for irrigation purposes. The
levelling of soil is done with the help of a leveler.
Sometimes, manure is added to the soil before
tilling. This helps in proper mixing of manure with
soil. The soil is 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 process are :
if)Plough
ii)Hoe
iii)Cultivator
 Plough
Plough is being used since ancient
times for tilling the soil, adding fertilizers
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.). It contains a strong triangular iron
strip called ploughshare. The main part
of the plough is a long log of wood
which is called a plough shaft. There is
a handle at one end of the shaft. The
other 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..
Hoe
It is a simple tool which is used
for removing weeds and for
loosening the soil. It has 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.
 Cultivator
Nowadays ploughing is done by tractor
driven cultivator. The use of cultivator saves
labor and time.
 2)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.].
 Tools Used for Sowing
Traditional tool : The
tool used traditionally for
sowing seeds is shaped
like a funnel. The seeds
are filled into the funnel
passed down through two
or three pipes having
sharp ends. These ends
pierce into the soil and
place seeds there.
Seed drill : Nowadays the seed drill] is used for
sowing with the help of tractors. This tool sows the
seeds uniformly at proper distances and depths. It
ensures that seeds get covered by the soil after
sowing. This prevents damage caused by birds.
Sowing by using a seed drill saves time and labor.
Adding Manure
The substances which are added to theand
soil in the Fertilizers
form of nutrients for
the healthy growth of plants are called manure and fertilizers.
Fertilizers :Fertilizers are chemical substances which are rich in a
particular nutrient. Fertilizers are produced in factories. Some examples
of fertilizers are— urea, ammonium sulphate, super phosphate, potash,
NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium).
Manure : It enhances the water holding capacity of the soil. It makes the
soil porous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy. It increases
the number of friendly microbes. It improves the texture of the soil .

Manur
e
 3)Irrigation
The supply of water to crops at different
intervals is called irrigation. The time and
frequency of irrigation varies from crop to crop,
soil to soil and season to season. Sources of
irrigation are— wells, tube wells, ponds,
lakes, rivers, dams and canals.
 Traditional Methods ofIrrigation
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 labor 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
(iii) deli, and
(iv) rah at (Lever system)
 Pictures

Rahat
Moat

Dhekli Chain Pump

Modern Methods of Irrigation
Sprinkler System: This system is more useful
on the uneven land where sufficient 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 pressure with the help
of a pump, it escapes from the rotating nozzles. It
gets sprinkled on the crop as if it is raining. Sprinkler
is very useful for sandy soil..
Drip System :In this system, the water falls drop
by drop just at the position of the roots. So it is
called drip system. It is the best technique for
watering fruit plants, gardens and trees. The
system provides water to plants drop by drop.
Water is not wasted at all. It is a boon in regions
where availability of water is poor.
 4)Pictures

Sprinkler System Drip System

 Protection from Weeds
In a field many other undesirable plants may grow naturally along
with the crop. These undesirable plants are called weeds. The
removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeding is necessary since
weeds compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space
and light. Thus, they affect the growth of the crop. Some weeds
interfere even in harvesting and may be poisonous for animals
and human beings. and seeds. The manual removal includes
physical removal of weeds by uprooting or cutting them close to
the ground, from time to time. This is done with the help of a
khurpi. A seed drill is also used to uproot weeds. Weeds are also
controlled by using certain chemicals, called weedicides, like
2,4-D. These are sprayed in fields to kill the weeds. They do
damage the crops. The weedicides diluted with water to the
extent required and sprayed in the fields with a sprayer.
 Picture

A farmer spraying a
 6)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. Harvesting in
our country is either done manually by sickle 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 .
 Pictures

Sickle

Combine
 Harvest Festivals
After three or four months of hard work there
comes the day of the harvest. The sight of
golden fields of standing crop, laden with
grain, fills the hearts of farmers with joy and a
sense of well-being. The efforts of the past
season have borne fruit and it is time to relax
and enjoy a little. The period of harvest is,
thus, of great joy and happiness in all parts of
India. Men and women celebrate it with great
enthusiasm. Special festivals associated with
the harvest season are Pongal, Baisakhi,
Holi, Diwali, Nabanya and Bihu.
 7)Storage
Storage of produce is an important task. If the crop
grains are to be kept for longer time, they should be
safe from moisture, insects, rats and microorganisms.
The fresh 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, before storing
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. Farmers store
grains in jute bags or metallic bins. However, large
scale storage of grains is done in silos and
granaries to protect them from pests like rats and
insects. Dried need 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 from pests and
microorganisms.
 Storage of
grains in
granaries

Silos for
storage of
grains
 Food from Animals
Animals also provide us with different kinds of
food. Many people living in the coastal areas
consume fish as a major part of their diet. Food is
obtained from plants. We have just seen 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,
have to be provided with proper food, shelter and
care. When this is done on a large scale, it is
called animal husbandry.
 Domestic Animals

Buffalo
Cow Goat
 Facts about crops

One medium potato contains 45 percent of the daily

recommended amount of vitamin C
A corn plant can be anywhere from 5 to 12 feet tall, on
average 8 ft tall by midsummer and a healthy corn’s roots
can reach 6 ½ feet into the ground!
Soybeans are the world's foremost provider of protein and
oil.
Soybeans are a legume plant related to clover, peas and
alfalfa.
Six classes bring order to about 30 thousand varieties of
wheat. They are: Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft
Red Winter, Durum, Hard White and Soft White.
THE
END
Ak
shi
t
Ka
ns
wa