Lecture- 6: CLASS VIII : SCIENCE: CHAPTER- 1 : STORAGE

VIII-SCIENCE

Prepared By Subhankar Karmakar

7. STORAGE OF FOOD GRAINS

The fresh food grains (like wheat) obtained by the harvesting of crops contain more moisture than required for their safe storage. So, the food grains (like wheat) obtained by harvesting the crops are dried in the sunshine before storing, to reduce their moisture. It is necessary to reduce the moisture content of grains before storing to prevent their spoilage during storage.

 This is because the higher moisture content in food grains promotes the growth of fungus and mould on the stored grains which damages them (and makes them lose their germination capacity). 

The farmers store the dried food grains at home in metal bins (metal drums) and jute bags (called gunny bags). Dried neem leaves are used for storing food grains at home. For example, when wheat is stored at home in iron drums, then some dried been leaves are put on it. Dry been leaves protect the stored food grains from pests such as insects and micro-organisms. 

The large scale storage of food grains ( like wheat and rice) is done in two ways:

(a) in gunny bags, and

(b) in grain silos ( bulk storage of food grains)

FOOD FROM ANIMALS:

The food provided by animals consists of Milk, Eggs and Meat.

The animals which provide us food are mainly of two types:

(a) Milk yielding animals,

(b) Meat and Egg yielding animals.

Examples of milk yielding animals:

Cow, Buffalo and Goat

Examples of meat and egg yielding animals are: Goat, Sheep, Fish and Poultry.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY:

The branch of agriculture which deals with the feeding, shelter, health and breeding of domestic animals is called animal husbandry.

The various practices necessary for raising animals for food and other purposes (or the elements of animal husbandry) are :

1. Proper feeding of animals,

2. Proper shelter for animals,

3. Prevention and cure of animal diseases, and

4. Proper breeding of animals.

FISH AS FOOD:

Fish is an important source of animal food. Many people living in the coastal areas (sea-side areas) consume fish as a major part of their diet. Fish is rich in proteins. It is a highly nutritious and easily digestible food. Fish liver oil is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D. For example, Cod liver oil (or Cod fish liver oil) is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D.

Lecture 5: CLASS VIII: SCIENCE: CHAPTER 1: HARVESTING

CLASS-VIII; SCIENCE

Prepared by Subhankar Karmakar

6. HARVESTING:

The cutting and gathering of the matured food crop is called harvesting. 

MANUAL HARVESTING:

In harvesting, the crops like wheat or rice are cut close to the ground by hand using a cutting tool called sickle and this is called manual harvesting.

MACHINE HARVESTING:

In large fields, wheat and paddy crops are cut by a motorised machine called harvester.

THRESHING:

After harvesting the crop, the grains are separated from the harvested crops. The process of beating out the grains from the harvested crops plants is called threshing. It can be done manually as well as with the help of a motorised machine called thresher.

WINNOWING: 

The process of threshing brings out grains from the cut and dried crop plants, but this grain is mixed with chaff ( outer inedible covering of grain) and hay. The process of separating grain from chaff and hay with the help of wind is called winnowing.

COMBINE: 

A combine is a large machine which cuts the standing cereal crop in the fields, threshes it, and separates the chaff from grain in one operation.

Lecture-4: CLASS VIII: SCIENCE: CHAPTER -1: WEEDS

CLASS-VIII; SCIENCE

Prepared by Subhankar Karmakar

5) REMOVING THE WEEDS OR WEEDING

Weeds: The unwanted plants or wild plants which grow along with a cultivated crop are called weeds. Like some of the common weeds found in wheat and rice fields are:

(a) Wild oat 

(b) Grass

(c) Amaranthus

(d) Chenopodium

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF WEEDS:

The growth of weeds in the fields is harmful because 

(i) they consume a lot of fertilisers, water, sunlight and space, meant for the crops plants, 

(ii) weeds reduce the crop yield and lower the quality of food grains,

(iii) some weeds are poisonous for human beings and animals,

(iv) some weeds interfere in harvesting.

WEEDING: 

The process of removing weeds from a crop field is called weeding. 

VARIOUS METHODS OF WEEDING:

(a) Removal of weeds by pulling them out with hand.

(b) Removal of weeds by using a trowel ( khurpa)

(c) Destroying the weeds by spraying special chemicals called weedicides.

WEEDICIDES: 

The poisonous chemicals which are used to kill weeds in the fields are called weedicides.  Some of the common weedicides are: 2,4-D, MCPA, Butachlor. 

Lecture 3: CLASS-VIII: SCIENCE: CHAPTER 1: MANURE & FERTILIZER

CLASS VIII   |    SCIENCE    |    CHAPTER 1

      Notes prepared by Subhankar Karmakar

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SCIENCE: CLASS VIII CBSE (CLASS NOTES)

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Lecture 3: 

ADDING MANURE AND FERTILISERS

1. NEED OF MANURE & FERTILISERS

Repeated growing of crops in the same field removes a lot of precious mineral elements, organic matter and other materials from the soil. The deficiency of plant nutrients and organic matter in the soil is made up by adding manures and fertilisers to the soil.

2. MANURES: 

Manure is a natural fertiliser. A manure is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of animal wastes like cow-dung, human wastes and plant residues, which supplies essential elements and humus to the soil and makes it more fertile.

3. PREPARATION OF MANURES: 

Manures are prepared from animal wastes, human wastes and plant residues by the action of micro- organisms. In order to prepare manure, farmer dump animal wastes and plant wastes in pits at open places and allow it to decompose slowly. The decomposition is carried out by some micro-organisms. The decomposed animal and plant matter is used as organic manure.

4. FUNCTION OF MANURES:

Manures provide a lot of organic matter like humus to the soil. A manure improves the soil texture for better retention of water and aeration. 

5. CHEMICAL FERTILISERS:

A chemical fertiliser is a salt or an organic compound containing the necessary plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, to make the soil more fertile. A chemical fertiliser is rich in a particular plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium (NPK). Some examples of chemical fertilisers are Urea, Ammonium sulphate, Superphosphate, Potash and NPK.

6. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MANURES AND FERTILISERS: 

1. A manure is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of animal wastes like cow dung, human waste and plant residue. 

But a fertilizer is a salt or an organic compound.

2. Manure is not very rich in essential plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium where as fertilizers are very rich in plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

3. A manure provides a lot of organic matter like humus to the soil but a fertilizer does not provide any humus to the soil.

4. A manure is absorbed slowly by the plants because it is not much soluble in water but being soluble in water if fertilizer is readily absorbed by the plants.

5. Menure can be prepared in the field but fertilizers are prepared in factories.

7. ADVANTAGES OF MANURE:

Organic manure is considered better than Fertilisers because of the following reasons:

1. Manure enhances the water holding capacity of the soil.

2. Manure makes the soil porous due to which the exchange of gases becomes easy.

3. Manure increases the number of useful microbes in the soil.

4. Manure improves the texture of the soil.

8. LEGUMINOUS CROPS:

The pulses, peas, beans, groundnut, gram and clover are called leguminous crops. Leguminous crops have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen to form nitrogen compounds. The planting of leguminous crops in a field has the same effect as adding nitrogenous fertiliser in the field.

9. CROP ROTATION:

The practice in which different types of crops like leguminous crops and non-leguminous crops are grown in the same field or soil is called crop rotation. In crop rotation, cereal crops like Wheat, Maize, Paddy and Millet are grown alternately with leguminous crops pulses, peas, beans, groundnut and clover etc. in the same field.

10. ADVANTAGES OF CROP ROTATION:

Rotation of crops has the following advantages:

1. Rotation of crops improves the fertility of the soil and hence increases the production.

2. Rotation of crops saves a lot of nitrogenous fertiliser.

QUESTIONS BANK:

21. Why does soil needs manuring?

22. What are manures? Why it is needed?

23. What are the advantages of manures?

24. What are chemical fertilisers? Give examples.

25. Differentiate between manures and fertilisers.

26. What are leguminous plants? What they are being planted in the field?

27. What are crop rotation? What are their advantages?

Lecture 2: CLASS - VIII: SCIENCE: CROPS -2: IRRIGATION

CLASS VIII   |    SCIENCE    |    CHAPTER 1

      Notes prepared by Subhankar Karmakar

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SCIENCE: CLASS VIII CBSE (CLASS NOTES)

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• IRRIGATION

The process of supplying water to crop plants in the fields is called irrigation. 

• Why is Irrigation Necessary: 

1. Irrigation before ploughing the fields makes the soil soft due to which ploughing of fields becomes easier.

2. Irrigation is necessary to provide moisture for the germination of seeds. This is because seeds do not grow in dry soil.

3. Irrigation is necessary to maintain the moisture of soil for healthy crop growth so as to get good yield.

4. Irrigation is necessary for the absorption of nutrient elements by the plants from the soil.

5. Water supplied to the crops during irrigation protects the crop plants from hot air currents as well as frost.

• Factors Affecting Irrigation Requirements of Crops:

The irrigation requirements of crops depend on three factors:

• 1) Nature of the crop
• 2) Nature of the soil, and 
• 3) Season.

• NATURE OF THE CROP: 

Paddy crop is transplanted in standing water and requires continuous irrigation where as other other crops like wheat, gram, cotton etc. do not require so much water. Hence irrigation depends upon the nature of the crops.

• NATURE OF THE SOIL: 

There are two types of soil on which the crops are grown, (a) Sandy soil and (b) Clayey soil. The crops grown in a Sandy soil need irrigation more frequently where as the frequency of irrigation for the crops grown in a Clayey soil is comparatively less.

• SEASON: 

The frequency of irrigation of the crops is higher in summer season.

• SOURCES OF IRRIGATION:

Crops are supplied water for irrigation from different sources like: Rivers, Canals, Wells, Tube-wells, Dams, Ponds and Lakes.

• TRADITIONAL METHODS OF IRRIGATION:

The various traditional methods of irrigation are:

i) Most (Pulley system),

ii) Chain pump,

iii) Dhekli, and

iv) Rahat ( Lever system)

• MODERN METHODS OF IRRIGATION:

The two main modern methods of irrigation are:

(a) Sprinkler system, and

(b) Drip System.

• SPRINKLER SYSTEM:

In the sprinkler system of irrigation, a main pipeline is laid in the fields. Perpendicular pipes having rotating nozzles at the top are joined to the main pipeline at regular intervals. When water from a tube- well is allowed to flow through the main pipeline under pressure with the help of a pump, it escapes from the rotating nozzles. This water gets sprinkled on the crop plants. It is more useful for the uneven land where sufficient water is not available. It is also useful for Sandy soil.

• DRIP SYSTEM:

In the drip irrigation system, there is a network of narrow pipes with small holes, in the fields. When water flows through the narrow pipes, it falls drop by drop at the position of roots of the plants. This water is absorbed by the soil in the root zone of the plants and utilised by the plants. There is no wastage of water in this type of Irrigation. Drip system is the best technique for watering fruit plants, trees and gardens.

• ADVANTAGES OF DRIP SYSTEM:

Drip Irrigation system has the following advantages:

(a) Drip system provides water to plants drop by drop. So, water is not wasted.

(b) Drip system minimises the use of water in agriculture. So, drip system of irrigation is very useful in those regions where the availability of water is poor.

Lecture 1: Class VIII: SCIENCE: CROPS AND ITS MANAGEMENT (CBSE)- 1

CLASS VIII   |    SCIENCE    |    CHAPTER 1

      Notes prepared by Subhankar Karmakar

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SCIENCE: CLASS VIII CBSE (CLASS NOTES)

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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:

1. 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.
2.  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:

(i) PLOUGH: 

It is a large agricultural implement which is used for ploughing the soil and it is made of wood.

                       

 

.                             A wooden plough

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

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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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SCIENCE: CLASS VIII CBSE (CLASS NOTES)

NATURE OF PLASTIC DEFORMATION

NATURE OF PLASTIC DEFORMATION

The change of any dimension or shape of an object under the action of external forces is generally considered as a deformation.

When external forces are applied on an object, then the deformation along the direction of the applied force is called longitudinal deformation where as any deformation along its transverse directions are called as lateral deformations.

When external forces are applied in an object, the object will be deformed first. Due to this deformation crystal structure is also deformed and thus creating an unbalanced internal resisting force, which neutralizes the external force and a condition of equilibrium is achieved as deformation stopped.

When the deformation per unit length is small, the material shows a remarkable ability to recover its original shape and size as the external forces are removed.

Hence, as the external force is withdrawn, the deformation will be vanished.

This type of deformation is called elastic deformation and this property of the material is known as Elasticity.

During the elastic phase of deformation, no permanent change in crystal structure happens, but as the magnitude of the applied force increases, resistance due to the change or distortion of the crystal structure becomes insufficient and as a result crystal dislocation occurs.

Plastic deformation is the deformation which is permanent and beyond the elastic range of the material. Very often, metals are worked by plastic deformation because of the beneficial effect that is imparted to the mechanical properties by it.

The necessary deformation in a metal can be achieved by application of large amount of mechanical force only or by heating the metal and then applying a small force.

The deformation of metals which is caused by the displacement of the atoms is achieved by one or both of the processes called slip and twinning. These two are the prominent  mechanisms  of  plastic  deformation,  namely  slip  and  twinning.

SLIP AND TWINNING

Slip is the prominent mechanism of plastic  deformation in metals. It involves sliding of blocks of crystal over one other along definite  crystallographic planes, called slip planes.

It is analogous to a deck of cards when it is pushed from one end. Slip occurs when shear stress  applied exceeds a critical value. 

During  slip  each  atom  usually  moves  same  integral  number  of  atomic  distances  along  the  slip  plane  producing a  step  but  the  orientation  of  the  crystal remains the same.

 Generally  slip  plane  is  the  plane  of  greatest  atomic  density, and  the  slip  direction  is  the   close  packed  direction  within  the  slip  plane.

Twining : Portion  of  crystal  takes  up  an  orientation  that  is  related  to  the  orientation  of  the  rest  of  the  untwined  lattice  in  a  definite, symmetrical  way.

The  twinned  portion  of  the  crystal  is  a  mirror  image  of  the  parent  crystal.

The plane of symmetry is called twinning plane.

The  important role of twinning in plastic deformation is that it causes changes in plane orientation so that further slip can occur.

On the macroscopic scale when plastic deformation occurs, the metal appears to flow in the solid state along specific directions which are dependent on the type of processing and the direction of applied force.

The crystals or grains of the metal get elongated in the direction of metal flow. This flow of metal can be seen under microscope after polishing and suitable etching of the metal surface. These visible lines are called as “fibre flow lines".

Since the grains are elongated in the direction of flow, they would be able to offer more resistance to stresses acting across them. As a result, the mechanically worked metals called wrought products would be able to achieve better mechanical strength in specific orientation, that of the flow direction.

Since it is possible to control these flow lines in any specific direction by careful manipulation of the applied fibres. It is possible to achieve optimum mechanical properties.

The metal of course, would be weak along the flow lines. The wastage of material in metal working processes is either negligible or very small and the production rate is in general very high. These two factors give rise to the economy in production.

HOT WORKING AND COLD WORKING

The metal working processes are traditionally divided into hot working and cold working processes.

The division is on the basis of the amount of heating applied to the metal before applying the mechanical force. Those processes, working above the recrystallisation temperature, are termed as hot working processes whereas those below are termed as cold working processes.

Under the action of heat and the force, when the atoms reach a certain higher energy level, the new crystals start forming which is termed as recrystallisation.

Recrystallisation destroys the old grain structure deformed by the mechanical working, and entirely new crystals which are strain free are formed.

The grains in fact start nucleating at the points of severest deformation.

Recrystallisation temperature as defined by American Society of Metals is "the approximate minimum temperature at which complete recrystallisation of a cold worked metal occurs within a specified time".

The recrystallisation temperature is generally between one-third to half the melting point of most of the metals. The recrystallisation temperature also depends on the amount of cold work a material has already received. Higher the cold work, lower would be the recrystallisation temperature as shown in Fig. given below.

Though cold work affects the recrystallisation temperature to a great extent, there are other variables which also affect the recrystallisation temperature

In hot working, the process may be carried above the recrystallisation temperature with or without actual heating.

For example, for lead and tin the recrystallisation temperature is below the room temperature and hence working of these metals at room temperature is always hot working. Similarly for steels, the recrystallisation temperature is of the order of 1000^oC, and therefore working below that temperature is still cold working only.

In hot working, the temperature at which the working is completed is important since any extra heat left after working will aid in the grain growth, thus giving poor mechanical properties.

The effect of temperature of completion of hot working is profound. A simple heating where the grain start growing after the metal crosses the recrystallisation temperature. But, if it is cooled without any hot working, the final grain size would be larger than the grain size in the initial stage of heating.

Again, after heating, if the metal is worked before cooling the result is the reduction in size. It is due to the process of recrystallisation, that new grain will be started to form and the final grain size is reduced. This phenomena rises due to working of metal at recrystallisation, that gives rise to a large number of nucleation sites for the new crystals to form.

But if the hot working is completed much above the recrystallisation temperature the grain size start increasing and finally may end up with coarse grain size.

This increase the size of the grains occurs by a process of coalescence of adjoining grains and is a function of time and temperature.

This is not generally desirable. If the hot working is completed just above the recrystallisation temperature, then the resultant grain size would be fine. The same is schematically shown for hot rolling operation.