Improvement in food resources

Answer the following questions

*****1.What is photoperiodism?
Ans: Photoperiodism is the effect of duration of sunlight in the day and night cycle on
seed germination and flowering in plants.
*****2. What are kharif crops?
Kharif season crops are summer season crops. Sowing is done at the beginning of the
monsoon season in june to july and the crops are harvested at the end of the monsoon
season, during September or October.
Eg-Rice, maize , soybean
*******3. What are rabi crops?
Rabi season crops are winter season crops. Sowing is done at the beginning of the
winter season in October to November and the crops are harvested by March or April.
Eg-Wheat , barley, gram
********4. What do we get from cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables?
(i) Cereals provide us with carbohydrates. Also, they are a rich source of energy.
(ii) Pulses give us proteins.
(iii) Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. A small amount of
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are also present in them.
5.What are the different approaches practiced in agriculture?
i)Crop production management
ii)Crop protection management
iii)Crop variety improvement
5.What are nutrients?
The inorganic chemical substances which the plant absorb from their surroundings are
called nutrients.
********6. Prepare a table showing the plant nutrient and their sources
Soil

Nitrogen, phospherus, pottassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, Iron, Manganese,

Boron, Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum, Chlorine

Air

Carbon, Oxygen

Water Hydrogen

**********7.What are the differences between manures and fertilizers?

Manures

Fertilizers

They are organic substance obtained through

decomposition

Fertilizers are inorganic or organic

sunstances

It contain large quantities of organic matter

Organic matter is not present

They contain nutrients in small quantities

Fertilizers contain much higher

amount of nutrients, and are required
in very small quantities

They are not nutrient specific

They are nutrient specific

Manures are bulky. So it is inconvenient to store and

transport

These are available in concentrated

form. So these are easy to store , use
and transport.

Manures are recycled and do not cause pollution

Water pollution occurs
8.Mention the name of some biofertilizers.
Legume-Rhizobium (symbiosis)
Azolla- Anabaena (symbiosis)
Free-living bacteria Azatobacter living in soil symbiotically.
Cyanobacteria (Anabaena, Nostoc)
Mycorrhiza (symbiotic association of fungi with roots of higher plants)
9.Give the role of manures.
They enrich the soil with nutrients
They improve the soil texture and soil aeration
They provide food for micro organisms
********10. Explain the 3 types of manures.
#Green manures:
Farmers grow quickly growing plants in the field and plough these plants along with the
soil. Once these plants are in the soil they act as manures.
#Farmyard Manure
This is a decomposed mixture of cattle dung, urine and crop residues. This mixture
after decomposition in a pit in heaps leads to the formation of a dark coloured manure
by the action of microbes.
#Compost:

Compost is just like manure. It is formed by collecting natural wastes and putting Itin a
pit. After 2-3 months it will decay and forms compost. Sometimes worms are also put
inside this pit to increase nutrients.
**********11.Define organic farming. Mention the advantages .
It is a system with minimal use of chemicals and maximum use of organic manure,
recycled farm wastes, biodegradable wastes, biofertilizers, biopesticides and healthy
cropping systems.
Natural ecosystem is not disturbed.
Soil fertility is preserved.
Harmful effects of chemicals on the living organisms are avoided.
Pollution of air, water and soil does not take place
12.What is irrigation?
The process of supplying water to the crop fields is called irrigation.
13. Give a brief account of irrigation systems.
i)Wells- Dug wells and tube wells , water lifted by various means such as manually,
animal operated devices or electric pumps.
ii)Tanks-these are small storage reservoirs which intercept and store the run off water
from the catchment areas in additional rainfall.
iii)Canals- This is an elaborate and extensive irrigation system. The main canal is
divided into branch canals and branch canals are further divided into distributaries.
iv)Rivers- The river diverted by constructing dams and bunds which are provided with
valves to regulate the flow.
*********14. What are the different types of cropping patterns. Give a brief
description on each.
Mixed cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the
same field.
Inter-cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same
field in rows.
Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops in the same field alternately, in a
pre- planned succession.
*********15. Compare Mixed cropping with intercropping.
Mixed cropping
Intercropping
Aim is to minimize risk of crop failure
Aim is to increase productivity per unit area
Seeds of component crops are mixed before Seeds of component crops are not mixed
sowing
Sowing is not done in rows
Sowing is done in rows in a precise pattern
*********16.What are the advantages of crop rotation?
Advantages of crop rotation
Waste material of one crop may be useful for the next crop
Soil fertility is increased
Balance of nutrients is maintained
More income can be obtained

17. What are weeds? Give some examples.

The unwanted plants growing in fields are weeds.
Eg: Amaranthus, Xanthium, Parthenium
***********18.What are the methods of weed control?
Mechanical methods- Weeds are removed by pulling out by hand or by using trowel in
small fields. But in large fields mechanical weeding is done by operations like ploughing,
harrowing , intercultivation or burning. This method is time consumingand involves a lot
of labour and is expensive.
Cultural methods-It include proper bed preparation, timely sowing of seeds,
intercropping along with suitable crop rotation.
Chemical methods- Weeds can be controlled by 2,4-D. Chemicals which kill the plants
or inhibit their growth are called weedicides or herbicides.
Biological methods- In this method, a natural enemy or predator of the weed plants is
used to attack the weeds and reduce their number. The method of controlling living
organisms by the use of other organisms is called biological control.
*********19. How do insect- pests damage the crops?
i)They cut root, stem and leaf.
ii)they suck the cell sap from various plant parts.
iii)They bore into stems and fruits
iv)They eat stored grains
20.Mention the name of some chemicals used to control the insect-pests
Malathion, Lindane, Thiodan etc
*******21) How do biotic and abiotic factors affect crop production?
i)infestation of food grains by insects and micro organisms
ii)degradation in quality
iii)loss in weight
iv)poor germination potential of grains
v)discolouration of the product
vi)poor marketability and lower profit.
22)How can we the control the attack of pests?
i)It can be controlled by the use of chemicals called pests
ii)Fumigation is the convenient and effective method
********23. What is hybridization? What are the different types?
It is the process of crossing between two genetically dissimilar plants. The
different types are: Inter varietal hybridization
Inter specific hybridization
Inter generic hybridization
24. List out the factors for which variety improvement is done.
Using good quality seeds
Use plants of high yielding variety

 Using new varieties of plants

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
1.What do you mean by Plant breeding?
Ans: The science of improving the genetic make up of crop plants in relation to their
economic use.
******2.Define hybridization.
The crossing between genetically dissimilar plants. It is the best method of crop
improvement.
3.What is genetic manipulation? How is it useful in agricultural practices?
Ans: Genetic manipulation is a process where the gene for a particular character is
introduced inside the chromosome of a cell. When the gene for a particular character
is introduced in a plant cell, a transgenic plant is produced. These transgenic plants
exhibit characters governed by the newly introduced gene. For example, let us assume
there is a wild plant that produces small fruits. If the gene responsible for a larger fruit
size is introduced in this plant, this plant becomes transgenic, and starts producing
larger fruits. Similarly, genes for higher yield, disease resistance, etc. can be introduced
in any desired plant. Therefore, gene manipulation plays an important role in agricultural
practices. It helps in improving crop variety. It ensures food security and insect resistant
crops. It also improves the quality and yield of crops.
*****4.Define animal husbandry.
It is the scientific management of farm animals dealing with their feeding, shelter, health
and breeding.
*****5.Mention the scientific name of two dairy animals.
Ans: Bos indicus(cow), Bos bubalis(buffaloes)
******6.Prepare a table showing indigenous, exotic and cross breeds of cattles
Indigenous
Exotic
Gir, Sahiwal, Red
Jersey, Brown Swiss,HolsteinSindhi
Friesian
*******7. What do you mean by lactation period?

Cross breeds
Friesian-sahiwal or Frieswal,
karan- Fries

Lactation period is the period during which dairy animals produce milk; this is between
birth of a young one and the next pregnancy.
*******8.Give a brief explanation on the food requirement of dairy animals.
Food requirement is of two types:
a)Maintenance requirement: consisting of food required to support the basic functions
of animal life.
b)Milk producing requirement: consisting of food required during lactation period.
Feed of dairy animals generally contains of two types of substances- roughage and
concentrates
Roughage consists of coarse and fibrous substances having low nutrient content,
mainly from hay, and fodders like barseem, maize, bajra etc
Concentrate food: Food rich in one or more nutrient( like carbohydrates, fats, proteins
minerals and vitamins) and low in fibres are provided by cotton seeds, oil seeds, oil
cakes and cereal grains like gram and bajra.
Additive feeds: Special feeds given to dairy animals they help increase milk
productions and protect against diseases. Example hormones, antibiotics.
9. What are the major symptoms of cattle diseases? Mention the name of any three
diseases.
i)the animal stops eating and become lethargic
ii)the animal shivers with high temperature
iii)the animal passes loose dung and coloured urine
iv)the lips and ears of the animal droops
v)the animal shows excessive formation of saliva
Foot and mouth diseases(virus), Anthrax(bacteria), Ringworm(fungi)
10.What are the preventive measures of cattle diseases?
Ans:i)Providing proper shelter
ii)Ensure animal hygiene and propel disposal of dead animals and animal waste.
iii)Providing proper diet and suitable medicines
iv)Compulsory vaccination
******11.Prepare a table showing indigenous, exotic and cross breeds of fowls.
Indigenous
Exotic
Aseel, Burssa, Kadaknath,Brahma
Leghorn,Rhode Island Red, Plymouth
******12.What management practices are common in dairy and poultry farming?
Answer: Common management practices in dairy and poultry farming are:

(i) Proper shelter facilities and their regular cleaning.

(ii) Some basic hygienic conditions such as clean water, nutritious food, etc.
(iii) Animals are kept in spacious, airy, and ventilated place.
(iv) Prevention and cure of diseases at the right time is ensured.
*****13.What are the differences between broilers and layers and in their
management?
Answer: Layers are meant for egg production, whereas broilers are meant for poultry
meat.Nutritional, environmental, and housing conditions required by broilers are
different from those required by egg layers. A broiler chicken, for their proper growth,
requires vitamin rich supplements especially vitamin A and K. Also, their diet
includes protein rich food and enough fat. They also require extra care and
maintenance to increase their survival rate in comparison to egg layers.
******14. What desirable traits are focused to develop by cross breeding
indigenous and exotic breeds of fowls?
i)good quantity and quality of chicks
ii)low maintenance requirement
iii)dwarf broiler parent for commercial chick production for summer adaptation
capacity(tolerance to high temperature)
iv)improvement in hen housed for egg production and ability of egg layer to utilize more
fibrous cheap diet consisting of agricultural by products.
15.Discuss the implications of the following statement:
It is interesting to note that poultry is Indias most efficient converter of low fibre
food stuff (which is unfit for human consumption) into highly nutritious animal
protein food.
Ans: Poultry in India is the most efficient converter of low fibre food stuff into highly
nutritious animal protein food. In poultry farming, domestic fowls are raised to
produce eggs and chicken. For this, the fowls are given animal feeds in the form of
roughage, which mainly consists of fibres. Thus, by feeding animals a fibre rich diet,
the poultry gives highly nutritious food in the form of eggs and chicken.
******16. How can we control the diseases in fowls?

Diseases can be controlled by preventive measures like proper cleaning, sanitation,

spraying of disinfectant at regular intervals, proper feed and timely vaccination.
Appropriate vaccination can prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases and reduce
loss of poultry during an outbreak of disease.
17.Name few Indian and exotic varieties of fresh water fish
Indian Fresh water fish-Catla, Rohu, Mrigal
Exotic Fresh water fish-Silver carp, Common carp, Grass carp
*****18.How are fish obtained?
Ans: Fish can be obtained by two ways:
(i) Capture fishing: It is the process of obtaining fish from natural resources.
(ii) Culture fishery: It is the practice of farming fishes. Farming can be done in both
freshwater ecosystem (which includes river water, pond water) and marine
ecosystem.
******19. What are the advantages of composite fish culture
Ans: An advantage of composite fish culture is that it increases the yield of fish. In a
composite fish culture, five or six different species are grown together in a single fish
pond. Fishes with different food habitats are chosen so that they do not compete for
food among themselves. Also, this ensures a complete utilization of food resources in
the pond. As a result, the survival rate of fish increases and their yield also
increases.
*******20. What are the desirable characters of bee varieties suitable for honey
production?
Answer: Bee varieties having the following desirable characters are suitable for honey
production:
(i) They should yield high quantity of honey.
(ii) They should not sting much.
(iii) They should stay in the beehive for long durations.
(iv) They should breed very well.
******21What is pasturage and how is it related to honey production?
Answer: Pasturage is the availability of flowers from which bees collect nectar and
pollen. It is related to the production of honey as it determines the taste and quantity of
honey.
******22.Prepare a table showing indigenous, exotic and cross breeds of honey
bees
Indigenous
Exotic
Apis cerana indica, Apis dorsata, Apis florae
Apis mellifera(Italian bee)
*******23.What are the advantages of Italian bee?
i)Has high honey collection capacity
ii)Stings less
iii)Stays in given beehive for longer periods and breeds well.