question_answer 4)

Write a paragraph in your own words on each of the following: (a) Preparation of soil   (b) Sowing (c) Weeding             (d) Threshing  

Answer:

(a) Preparation of soil: Preparation of the soil involves loosening and turning it. This has the following advantages: (i) Loose soil has a lot of air trapped in it, which is used by the roots to breathe easily. (ii) Loose soil helps the growth of earthworms and microbes in the soil. They provide nutrients to the soil and aid in further loosening of the soil. (iii) Turning and loosening of soil brings nutrient-rich soil to the top. Plants can then absorb these nutrients more efficiently. The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing. It is carried out by using a wooden or iron plough which is pulled either by animals or by tractor. (b) Sowing: Putting seeds in soil is called sowing. While sowing seeds, following points should be kept in mind: (i) Seeds should be of good quality, healthy and free from diseases. (ii) They must be planted at the proper depth in the soil. (iii) Seeds require water for germination. The soil should, therefore, have water in it (iv) Seeds should be sown at proper distances. Seeds can be sown manually or with the help of seed drill. (c) Weeding: The unwanted plants in the crops are called weeds. These weeds absorb the nutrients from the soil. So it is necessary to remove them. Weeds are either removed manually or by mechanical tools. The process of removal of weeds is called weeding. Some chemicals like 2, 4-D are also used to kill the weeds. (d) Threshing: Process of separation of grains from the crop is called threshing. It can be done manually by making oxen or buffaloes trample over the cut crop or it can be done by a machine called thresher.