CLASS VIII | SCIENCE | CHAPTER 1
Notes prepared by Subhankar Karmakar
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Chapter: 1
- CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
CROP: When the same kind of plants are grown in the fields on a large scale to obtain foods like cereals (wheat, rice, maize), pulses, vegetables and fruits, etc., it is called a crop.
(i) Cereals: Wheat, Paddy, Maize, Millet
(ii) Pulses: Gram, Peas, Beans
(iii) Oil Seeds: Mustard, Groundnut
(iv) Vegetables: Tomato, Cabbage, Spinach
(v) Fruits: Banana, Grapes, Guava, Mango
- TYPES OF CROPS:
All the crops are categorised into two main groups:
- KHARIF CROPS: The crops are sown in the rainy season (from June to September) are called Kharif crops. Some of the examples of Kharif crops are: Paddy, Maize, Millet, Soyabean, Groundnut, and Cotton.
- RABI CROPS: The crops grown in the winter season (from October to March) are called Rabi crops. Some of the examples of Rabi crops are: Wheat, Gram, peas, Mustard and Linseed.
- AGRICULTURE:
The growing of plants or crops in the fields for obtaining food ( like wheat, rice etc) is called agriculture.
- BASIC PRACTICES OF CROP PRODUCTION
The various tasks performed by a farmer to produce a good crop are called agricultural practices.
- 1. Preparation of soil,
- 2. Sowing,
- 3. Adding manure and fertilisers,
- 4. Irrigation,
- 5. Removal of weeds,
- 6. Harvesting and
- 7. Storage of food grains.
Sometimes another practice called Rotation of crops is also undertaken to improve soil fertility and to increase crop yield.
- 1. PREPARATION OF SOIL:
The soil is prepared for sowing the seeds of the crop by
(i) ploughing (ii) levelling and (iii) manuring.
- (i) PLOUGHING:
The process of loosening and turning the soil is called ploughing or tilling.
- (ii) LEVELLING:
The ploughed soil is levelled by pressing it with a wooden leveller so that the top soil is not blown away by wind or drained off by water and thus soil erosion is prevented.
- (iii) MANURING:
Manuring means adding manure to the soil. It is done to increase the fertility of the soil before seeds are sown into it.
Prepared by: Subhankar Karmakar
- AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS:
It is a large agricultural implement which is used for ploughing the soil and it is made of wood.
The wooden plough consists of a long log of wood which is called plough shaft. There is a handle at one end of the ploughshaft. Below the handle is a strong triangular iron strip called ploughshare. The other end of ploughshaft can be attached to a wooden beam which is fixed at right angles to the ploughshaft.
(ii) HOE:
Hoe is an agricultural implement or tool which is used for removing weeds, and loosening and turning the soil. It consists of a long rod of wood or iron. There is a handle at one end of the hoe. A strong, broad and bent plate of iron is fixed below the handle and acts like a blade. The other end of hoe has a beam which is put on the neck of bullocks.
Prepared by: Subhankar Karmakar
(iii) CULTIVATOR:
The cultivator is a tractor driven agricultural implement which is used for loosening and turning the soil in the fields quickly. A cultivator has many ploughshares which can dig into a considerable area of soil at the same time, loosen it and turn it. Due to this, many fields can be ploughed in a short time by using a cultivator.
- 2. SOWING:
The process of scattering seeds or putting seeds in the ground soil for growing the crop plants is called sowing. It is the most important part of crop production.
(i) SELECTION OF SEEDS: Good quality seeds are clean and healthy seeds free from infection and diseases and which will give him yield of food grains.
(ii) METHODS OF SOWING SEEDS: There are two methods of sowing the seeds in the soil. These are
(a) Sowing by hand, and
(b) Sowing with a seed drill.
Prepared by: Subhankar Karmakar
(iii) PRECAUTIONS FOR SOWING SEEDS:
a) The seeds should be sown at right depth in the soil suitable for germination.
b) The seeds should be sown at right intervals or spacings.
c) The seeds should not be sown is dry soil.
d) The seeds should not be sown in a highly wet soil.
(iv) ADVANTAGES OF SOWING WITH A SEED DRILL:
a) By using a seed drill for sowing, the seeds are sown at correct depth and correct intervals.
b) The seeds sown with a seed drill are in regular rows.
c) When the seeds are sown in furrows by a seed drill, the seeds get covered by soil and hence these seeds can not be picked up and eaten by birds. This prevents damaged by birds.
d) Sowing by using a tractor driven seed drill saves time and labour.
Prepared by: Subhankar Karmakar
(v) TRANSPLANTATION:
The process of transferring the seedlings from the nursery to the main field by hand is called transplantation or transplanting.
The Advantages of Transplantation:
a) It helps us to select the better and healthy seedlings for the cultivation by rejecting the damaged seedlings.
b) It allows better penetration of the roots in the soil.
c) It promotes better development of the shoot system of plants.
The practice of transplantation is used in the cultivation of Paddy (rice) crop and in the cultivation of many vegetables like tomatoes and chillies.
Prepared by: Subhankar Karmakar
HOME TASKS:
1. What are crops? Give some examples.
2. Classify crops with suitable examples.
3. What are Kharif crops? Give examples.
4. What are Rabi crops? Give examples.
5. Which types of crops are also known as summer crops?
6. What are the basic practices of crop production?
7. What are agricultural practices?
8. What are steps to prepare the soil for cultivation?
9. What are ploughing or tilling?
10. What do you understand by the term "manuring"?
11. Describe a plough with a neat sketch.
12. Describe a hoe with a neat sketch.
13. What are agricultural implements?
14. What is a cultivator?
15. What do you understand by " sowing"?
16. What type of seeds are selected for sowing?
17. What are the methods of sowing?
18. Describe the precautions taken for sowing seeds.
19. Describe the Advantages of sowing with a seed drill.
20. What is transplantation? Describe its advantages.
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