Category :
9th Class
Improvement in Food Resources
Synopsis
- Food supplies all the required nutrients for the development, growth and health of the body.
- Cereals like wheat, provide carbohydrates, pulses (grams) provide proteins and oil seeds provide fats.
- Hybridization is the crossing between genetically dissimilar plants.
- Improvement of agriculture is done for higher yield, biotic and abiotic resistance, improved quality grade, adaptability and other factors.
- Macronutrients are those that are required in large quantities by the plants (N, R K, Ca, Mg,S, etc.).
- Micronutrients are those that are required in small quantities (Mn, B, Zn, etc.).
- Manure contains organic matter and supplies nutrients to the soil. It is prepared by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant waste.
- The process in which waste material is decomposed is known as composting. Compost prepared by using earthworms is called vermin compost.
- Organic farming is a farming system with minimal or no use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc. and with a maximum input of organic manures, recycled farm waste and bio-agents with healthy cropping system.
- Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. For example wheat and mustard are often grown together.
- Inter cropping is growing of two or more crops in the same field but in a definite pattern. For example maize and soya bean crops are grown alternately.
- Milk producing animals are called milch animals and those that are used for farm labour are called draught animals.
- Poultry is undertaken to increase the production of meat and eggs.
- Five or six species of fish are raised (grown) in a single pond in order to reduce competition for food. This is called composite fish culture. For example catlas (surface feeders), rohas (middle zone) and mrigals (bottom feeders) are raised together.
- Rearing of honeybees for honey and wax is called bee-keeping or apiculture.
- Italian bees have high honey collection capacity.