IX SAI IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD RESOURCES: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1.      What is organic farming? List its four advantages.

Organic farming is a farming system with NO or  MINIMUM  USE OF CHEMICALS  as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc with a maximum input of organic manures.

Advantages:-

(a) Farm wastes (straw and livestock excreta) are recycled.

(b) Bio agents such as culture of blue green algae are used in the preparation of bio fertilizers.

(c)  Neem leaves or turmeric is used as a bio pesticide in storage of grains. 

(d) Various cropping systems such as mixed cropping, inter cropping and crop rotation are beneficial in controlling insect, pest and weed and in utilizing available nutrients.

(e) Promotes growth of useful microorganism and earthworms. Don’t harm ecosystem.

Some Important Terms:

[Herbicides]: A substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

[Pesticides]: A substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.

[Weedicides]: A chemical weed killer.

[Fertilizer]: A chemical substance [nutrient] in the form of NPK compound added to soil or land to to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants thus increasing its fertility

[Bio fertilizer]: A substance which contains living microorganisms which, when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil, promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant

Q2.      Mention two climatic conditions essential for different crops for growth and completion of their life cycle.

Ans: Temperature, rain and photoperiods.

Q3.      Explain the meaning of ‘milch’ and ‘draught animals. Mention the scientific name of common Indian cow and buffalo.

Ans:  Milk-producing females are called milch animals (dairy animals) like buffalow, cow, goat etc. while the animals used for farm labour are called draught animals like ox, donkey, camel.
The scientific name of common Indian cow and buffalow are Bos indicus , Bos bubalis respectively

Q4.      In what ways internal parasites like worms and flukes and external parasites cause harm to the cattle’s.

Ans: ; Internal parasites - Worms – affect stomach and intestine, Flukes – damage liver; External parasite – Skin diseases

Q5.      (a) Differentiate between mixed cropping and inter-cropping. Give one example of each. 

(b) How is crop-rotation different from the above two? 

(c) Mention the factors that are taken into consideration for deciding choice of crops for inter-cropping and crop rotation. Also mention one advantage of each of these cropping patterns. 

Ans: (a) In mixed cropping two or more crops are grown simultaneously on the same piece of land.  For eg wheat and gram, sunflower and mustard.

Inter - cropping - two or more crops are grown simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern.  For eg, soyabean +maize.

(b) In crop rotation different crops are grown on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession.  Depending upon duration of crop, rotation is done for different crop combination.
(c) Inter- Cropping - crops are selected such that their nutrient requirements are different. .

Advantage:

Mixed Croping – insurance against failure of one of the crop.

Inter cropping - This ensures maximum utilization of the nutrients supplied and prevents pests and diseases from spreading to all plants - thus better returns

Crop - rotation - Availability of moisture and irrigation facilities. Two or more crops can be grown in a year with good harvest

Q6.      Farmer A wants to grow fodder crops while farmer B wants to grow cereals. Mention the agronomic characteristics which the two farmer would desire in their respective crops.          
Ans: (a) For fodder crop – Tallness and profuse branching and Cereal crop – Dwarfness

Q7.      List any four other factors for which variety improvement is done.

Ans: Higher yield, improved quality, biotic and abiotic resistance, shortening in maturity duration, wider adaptability.

Q8.      Name and define the process of incorporating desirable characteristics into crops.
Ans: Hybridization. : It is the process of crossing between genetically dissimilar plants by transferring desired gene.

Q9.      (a)List three factors on which cultivation practices and crop yield depends.

Ans: Biotic and abiotic resistance, change in maturity duration, wider adaptability.

(b) Name three stages involved in farming practices.  

Ans: Crop variety improvement, crop production improvement, crop protection management.