Chapter 12: Improvement in Food Resources

Explain any one method of crop production which ensures high yield.

Ans:

Plant breeding is one of the methods adopted for high-yield plant breeding and is implemented to improve the varieties of crops by breeding plants. Plants from various places/areas are picked up with preferred traits, and then the process of hybridisation or cross-breeding is done among these diversities to get a crop/plant of anticipated characteristics.

Q2. Why are manure and fertilisers used in fields?

Ans:

Manures and fertilisers are used to enrich the soil quality and improve the yield. They also help in controlling diseases. Manure and fertilisers replenish the soil by supplying nutrients to the soil. They are excellent sources of potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen which assist in the healthy development of plants. Manures and fertilisers mainly improve the fertility of the soil.

Q3. What are the advantages of inter-cropping and crop rotation?

Ans:

Inter-cropping

• Checks pests and rodents and hence decreases the chances of the spoiling of whole crops
• Decreased chances of soil erosion
• Reduced loss of crops with high yield
• Less water requirement

Crop rotation

• Farmers can grow two or three crops annually
• Pulses take nitrogen directly from the atmosphere and hence require a minimal amount of fertilisers
• Both fruits and vegetables can be grown easily
• Best use of land with a proper supply of nutrients

Q4. What is genetic manipulation? How is it useful in agricultural practices?

Ans:

Genetic manipulation is a process in which the transfer of genes takes place from one organism to another. Here, a gene of a particular character is introduced inside the chromosome cell, resulting in a transgenic plant.

Example: BT Cotton is a genetically modified crop which carries bacterial genes that protect this plant from insects. These are used in plants like brinjal, cabbage, rice, cauliflower, and maize crops to get protection from insects.

Q5. How do storage grain losses occur?

Ans:

Storage grain losses occur due to various abiotic and biotic factors.

Abiotic factors

• Humidity
• Air
• Temperature
• Flood
• Wind

Biotic factors

• Insects
• Rodents
• Pesticides
• Bacteria
• Mites
• Birds

Q6. How do good animal husbandry practices benefit farmers?

Ans:

Good practice of animal husbandry benefits farmers in the following ways:

• Yields in good quality cattle
• Better quality of milk production
• Use in agriculture for carting, irrigation and tilling

Q7. What are the benefits of cattle farming?

Ans:

The benefits of cattle farming are

• Cattle are used for agricultural purposes
• Generation of good quality cattle
• Milking and meat purpose
• The skin of cattle is used for the leather and wool industry

Q8. For increasing production, what is common in poultry, fisheries and bee-keeping?

Ans:

For increasing production, cross-breeding techniques are used adopted in poultry, fisheries and bee-keeping. Along with these techniques, regular and proper maintenance methods are useful in improving production.

Q9. How do you differentiate between capture fishing, mariculture and aquaculture?

Ans:

Capture fishing: It is a technique in which fish are captured from various sources of natural resources like sea, rivers, lakes and ponds.

Mariculture: Culturing of fish in marine fishes like prawns, oysters, bhetki and mullets in marine water for commercial use.

Aquaculture: Involved in culturing of fish in both marine and freshwater.