Crop Production and Its Management

 

Social Science - Class 8

Chapter 9 : Crop Production and Its Management

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Fill in the blanks. Match the following. TIck the correct option. Brief Answers Detailed Answers

A. Fill in the blanks.

1. Ploughing results in loosening and mixing of soil.

2. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients.

3. Rhizobium bacteria, present in the root nodules of leguminous plants, help in fixing atmospheric nitrogen.

4. Harvested grains are dried to reduce moisture content.

5. Removal of anthers, from the flowers, is known as emasculation.

B. Match the following.

1.  Sickle ⟶ (d) harvesting

2.  Tractor ⟶ (c) ploughing

3.  Seed Drill ⟶ (e) sowing

4.  Combine ⟶ (a) threshing

5.  Silo ⟶ (b) storage

C. Write a technical term or an appropriate word for each of the following statements.

1. The practice of growing leguminous plants between successive cereal crops is called –

▢ agriculture

▢ crop rotation ✅

▢ cultivation

▢ transplantation

2. Which among the following is a Kharif crop?

▢ wheat

▢ gram

▢ barley

▢ rice ✅

3. The organic substance, obtained from dead plants, animals and their wastes is known as –

▢ manure ✅

▢ crumb

▢ fertilizer

▢ chaff

4. The process of separating grain from chaff is known as –

▢ threshing

▢ weeding

▢ tilling

▢ winnowing ✅

5. Crops, which are grown during the rainy season, are known as –

▢ rabi crops

▢ leguminous crops

▢ kharif crops✅

▢ cereal crops

D. Answer the following questions in brief.

1. Why is the use of a seed drill more advantageous as compared to sowing seeds by broadcasting?

Answer: A seed drill saves time and labour. It also places seeds at the right depth and distance. So, it is better than throwing seeds by hand (broadcasting).

2.  Babu wants to practice crop rotation. Help him by suggesting what kind of crops can be grown between two consecutive cereal crops? Also, provide him names of one Rabi and one Kharif crop that can be used to replenish the nitrogen content of the soil.

Answer: Babu should grow pulse crops like peas or groundnut between cereal crops. These crops add nitrogen to the soil.

– Rabi crop: Pea
– Kharif crop: Groundnut

3. If rice is sown in the month of November, how is the produce likely to be impacted? And why?

Answer: If rice is grown in November, it won’t grow well because the weather is too cold. It will not get enough heat, sunlight, and rain. So, the crop will be poor, and the farmer will get less rice.

4. What are crumbs? Why should they be broken?

Answer: After ploughing, big lumps of soil are left behind. These are called crumbs. They should be broken so that air can pass through the soil and seeds can grow easily.

5. Define the term ‘transplantation’? List any two advantages it offers to the farmer.

Answer: Transplantation means growing seeds first in a small area (nursery), and later moving the small plants to the main field.

Two advantages:

Only healthy plants are chosen for growing.

Plants can be placed equally spaced, so they get enough water, sunlight, and nutrients.

E. Answer the following questions.

1. State the advantages of ploughing the soil. State the different ways through which it is done.

Answer: Advantages of ploughing:

a)  It lets air reach plant roots.
b)  Roots grow deeper and hold the plant strongly.
c)  Soil can hold more water.
d)  It removes weeds and helps good microbes grow.

Ways of ploughing:
Ploughing is done using a wooden or iron plough pulled by oxen or tractor.

2. Both manures and fertilisers replenish soil fertility. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of using them.

Answer: 

Manures:

✅ Advantages:

• Cheap

• Improves soil’s water-holding capacity

• Increases useful microbes

• Makes soil better in texture

❌ Disadvantages:

• Hard to store and carry

• Has less nutrients than fertilisers

Fertilisers:

✅ Advantages:

• Easy to carry and use

• Quickly absorbed by plants

• Helps plants grow faster

• Increases crop yield

❌ Disadvantages:

• Costly

• Overuse can damage soil quality

3. Explain how weeds are harmful for plants. State the different ways of weed removal practiced by farmers.

Answer: 

Weeds are unwanted plants that grow with crops. They:

• Take nutrients, water, and sunlight from the crop

• Reduce crop growth and production

Weed removal methods:

1. Manual removal: Pulling weeds with tools like khurpi

2. Tilling before sowing: Ploughing the field to kill weeds

3. Weedicides: Special chemicals that kill weeds but not the crop

4. Give reasons for the following:

Answer: 

(a) Excess water supply can damage crops.
Answer: Too much water fills up air spaces in the soil. Roots can't breathe and may rot or die.

(b) Grains are not stored without sun-drying.
Answer: Grains contain extra moisture after harvesting. Drying them in the sun prevents fungus and spoilage.

(c) Overuse of pesticides should be avoided.
Answer: Pesticides can stick to food and enter the food chain, which may harm humans and animals. So, they must be used in limited amounts.

5. Bhola’s field is ready with a mature wheat crop. List and explain the steps he would have to undertake before selling the grains to the FCI (Food Corporation of India).

Answer: 

Harvesting: Cutting the ready crop.

Threshing: Separating grains from the plant, using hands or machine.

Winnowing: Using wind to separate grains from chaff.

Storage: Drying grains in the sun and keeping them in silos or granaries to protect from insects and rats.

6. Define hybridisation. List the steps to be followed for obtaining seeds of a hybrid variety.

Answer: 

Hybridisation means crossing two different plants to get a new plant with better features.

Steps:

1. Choose two plants (A and B) with good traits.

2. Remove anthers from plant A (emasculation).

3. Put pollen from plant B on stigma of plant A.

4. Cover the flower of plant A with a paper bag.

5. The seeds formed will grow into a hybrid plant.

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