Crop Production and Magement

CROP PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT Types of Crops Soil Preparation Sowing Harvesting Fertilisers Insecticides All living organisms require food. Plants can make their food themselves. Animals including humans can not make their own food. The energy from food is utilized by organisms for carrying out their various body functions, such as digestion, respiration and excretion. We get our food from plants, or animals, or both. In order to provide food for a large population— regular production, proper management and distribution of food is necessary. Agricultural Practices 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. Crops are of different types like cereals, vegetables and fruits. These can be classified on the basis of the season in which they grow. 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: (i) 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. (ii) 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. Besides these, pulses and vegetables are grown during summer at many places. Basic Practices of Crop Production Cultivation of crops involves several activities undertaken by farmers over a period of time. These activities or tasks are referred to as agricultural practices. These activities are listed below. (i)