Agricultural practices and management class 8

STEP-wise GUIDE TO AGRICULTURE : SCIENCE OF RAISING CROPS

1. PREPARATION OF SOIL Agricultural practices soil is prepared by ploughing or levelling .It ensures that all the nutrients are available to plants to grow. Ploughing Levelling ‹#›

2. 1. a- Ploughing It is the process of breaking , loosening and turning of soil. It is done with implements like plough and nowadays tractors Plough is made of wood and iron and farm animals were used to carry out ploughing with the ploughs. It was time consuming , utilising animals & not using fuel. Tractors are machines which saves on time and modern efficient method of preparation of soil ‹#›

3. Advantages of ploughing It loosens the soil so roots can penetrate deep inside the soil. It creates more space of air, for providing roots to breathe easily. It increases water holding capacity of soil It removes weeds( undesirable plants) It mixes nutrients thoroughly in the soi l It brings nutrient rich soil to the surface ‹#›

4. 1-b Levelling Big lumps of soil are called crumbs are spread in the field,so they are after crushing broken down and evenly spread in the whole field. It will be done by levellers, which can be of metal or wooden planks ‹#›

5. 2. Selection And Sowing of seeds process of planting seeds in soil is called sowing Seeds will be selected keeping in mind that they are free from infestations, disease free, they are not hollow and floating if taken in water. Just like we are following nowadays distancing, we will follow it in field also. Sow seeds at appropriate distance from each other. It will ensure that seeds will get enough space and water along with the nutrients. They should be planted at correct depth also. Not too shallow and not too deep. ‹#›

6. 2 –ii) Method of sowing seeds Sowing can be done by two ways Oldest method but does not ensure uniform & even distribution of seeds. It is also time consuming and needs lot of labour It is method of scattering of seeds by hands. broadcasting It was used earlier also and in modern times fitted with the tractor. It saves time and effort, and distributes the seed evenly at correct depth This is a funnel shaped tool with a drill from where the seeds are placed rightly. Seed drill ‹#›

7. 3.Irrigation supplying water at regular intervals to the crops is called irrigation How much water and the at what frequency it is to be given is decided by the crop , soil & season. Sources of water for irrigation are – wells ,tube wells, lakes , ponds, canals, rivers & reservoirs of dams Methods of irrigation traditional modern Cheap methods but are inefficient , time consuming & needs lot of labour. Far more efficient method It saves water but the cost of utilising it is high ‹#›

8. 3 a. Traditional methods These methods are suited to small farms . ‹#›

9. 3-b(i) Modern methods A) Sprinkler System: Network of pipes is attached to a main pipe. Each pipe has rotating sprinkler nozzle attached. Water pumped through main pipe is sprayed all over . Fertilisers & pesticides are also mixed with the water. This method is used for uneven lands. ‹#›

10. 3-b (ii) modern method- DRIP Irrigation Water is made to fall drop by drop near the roots of the plants. It is used in areas where water is very less ie, scarce It is also beneficial in todays time when we are talking and emphasising on water conservation. It saves on water ‹#›