CBSE Class 9 Biology Improvement In Food Resources Notes

INTRODUCTION

There is a need to introduce production efficiency of crops and livestock because

1. rapid increase in population 2. No major scope of increasing area of land under cultivation.

Increase in food production without degrading our environment and disturbing the ecological balance i.e. Sustainable Practices are required in agriculture and animal husbandry.

TYPES OF CROPS

Cereals: wheat, rice, maize, millets and sorghum. Provide carbohydrates for energy requirements.

Pulses: pea, gram, black gram, green gram, pigeon pea and lentil. Provide proteins

Oilseeds: soya bean, ground nut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed and sun flower. Provide necessary fats. Vegetables, spices and fruits provide vitamins and minerals.

** Different crop require different climatic conditions, temperature and photoperiods for their growth and completion of life cycle. Crops which grown in rainy season are called kharif crops and those which grown in winter season are called rabi crops.

Kharif crops: paddy, soya bean, pigeon pea, cotton, green gram etc.

Rabi crops: wheat, gram, peas, mustard, linseed etc.

Difference between kharif and rabi crops

IMPROVING CROP YIELD

The practices involved in farming are divided into three stages. They are

(A) Choice of seeds for planting

(b) Nurturing of the crop plants

(c) Protection of the growing and harvested crops from loss.

Hence the major activities for improving crop yields can be classified as

• Crop variety improvement

•Crop production improvement

•Crop protection improvement

Crop Variety Improvement

This approach depends on finding a crop that can give a good yield. Some of the factors for which variety improvement is done are:

Higher yield: for increasing the productivity per acre.

Improved quality: quality considerations vary from crop to crop as per the requirements.

Biotic and abiotic resistance: crops should have sufficient resistance to biotic factors (diseases, insects and nematodes) and abiotic stresses (heat, cold, frost etc.)

Change in maturity duration: the shorter the duration, the more economical is the variety.

Wider adaptability: it can be grown in different climatic conditions.

Desirable agronomic characteristics: tallness and profuse branching for fodder crops. Dwarfness is desired for cereals.

This can be achieved by two methods; hybridisation and genetically modified crops.

1. Hybridisation: In genetics, hybridisation is the process of combining different varieties or species of organisms which are genetically dissimilar to create a hybri It can be inter varietal, inter specific, intergeneric.
2. Genetically modified crops: here the crop is improved by introducing a gene that would provide desired characteristics.

CROP PRODUCTION

It involves different practices carried out by farmer to achieve higher standards of crop production.

It includes the following:

1. NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT (MANURE, FERTILIZERS AND ORGANIC FARMING)
2. IRRIGATION
3. CROPPING PATTERN

1.NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT:

There are 16 nutrients which are essential for plants as deficiency of these nutrients will affect the physiological processes of plants such as growth, reproduction etc. Out of these nutrients 13 nutrients are supplied by soil; oxygen and carbon by air; hydrogen by water. Out of 13 nutrients 6 are classified as macronutrients and rest as micronutrients. 

MICRONUTRIENTS- they are needed in only very small (micro) quantities. They are also called as minor elements or trace elements. These include elements like boron, zinc etc. 

MACRONUTRIENTS: they are required by plants in relatively large amounts. The major macronutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K),Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S).

METHODS INVOLVED IN ENRICHING THE SOIL TO INCREASE THE YIELD:

A) MANURE: it is defined as the decomposition of animal excreta and plant wast

Advantages of Manure

1. Manures helps in enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients.
2. It helps in increasing the soil fertility.
3. Water holding capacity of soil is increas
4. Helps in improving soil textur
5. Save our environment from excessive use of fertilizers.

Manure is classified into two types according to the biological material used:

A) compost and vermi-compost:

Composting is the process in which farm waste material (cow dung, domestic waste, sewage waste etc) is decomposed in pits. Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic matter which is rich in nutrients.

Vermicomposting: it is the process which involve use of earthworms to hasten the process of decomposition of plant and animal refuse.

 B) Green Manure:

Plants like sun hemp or guar are grown and mulched by ploughing them into soil which is turned into green manure. It helps in enriching the soil in nitrogen and phosphorus.

FERTILIZERS:

These are produced commercially from chemicals rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Advantage: they help in good vegetative growth and produce healthy plants.

Disadvantage :

a) Excessive use of fertilizer leads to pollution of water.

b) Continuous use of fertilizer lead to decrease in soil fertility because organic matter of the soil cannot be replenished as microorganisms present in soil get harmed due to fertilizer.

ORGANIC FARMING:

It’s a farming system in which use of chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc are reduced

It involves the use of following components:

a) Organic manure
b) Recycled farm waste
c) Bio-agents such as culture of blue green algae in preparation of bio fertilizers d) Bio pesticides such as leaves of neem or turmeric for grain storage
e) Healthy cropping patterns such as mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation which will also help in controlling growth of weed, pest and insects.

2.IRRIGATION-

Irrigation is necessary for crops to get water during their growing season.

source of irrigation:

a) Wells- dug wells carry water from the main sourc Tube wells collect water from the underground. Pumps then lift water to irrigate fields.

b) Canals- water from the main river or reservoir is carried by canal into the field which may be again divided into the small canals providing water to the field efficiently.

c) River lift system: from the nearby river areas water is directly taken to irrigate fields. It is used where insufficient flow from canals occur.

d) Tanks: these are small water storage reservoir

e) Rain water harvesting

f ) Watershed management: building of small check dams which helps in increasing ground water level and helps in reducing soil erosion.

CROPPING PATTERNS:

Mixed Cropping

:It is growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. It is also known as multiple cropping. This type of cropping leads to an improvement in the fertility of the soil and hence increase in crop yield because when thetwo crops are properly chosen,the products and refuse from one crop help in the growth of the other crop plant and vice-versa.Mixed cropping is an insurance against  crop failure due to abnormal weather and plant pests.

Soyabean + pigeon pea ,Maize + urad dal (black gram),Ground nut+ sunflower, Wheat + Chick Pea

AdvantagesofMixed cropping:No risk of crop failure , Increase in yield, Improvement in soil fertility and Minimizing Pest Damage.

Inter Cropping

Inter cropping is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same  space at the same time in a definite pattern.Row-type intercropping cropping involves the component crops arranged in alternate rows.This may also be called alley cropping.A variation of row cropping is strip cropping,where multiple rows( or a strip) of one crop are alternated with multiple rows of another crop. Inter cropping also uses the practice of sowing a fast growing crop witha slow growing crop,so that the fast growing crop is harvested before the slow growing crop starts to mature.

Selection of crops for Mixed cropping and intercropping:

Crops are chosen whose nutrient requirements are different so that maximum utilisation of the soil nutrient stakes place.Also , their water needs,rooting pattern set c are different.Besides the advantages mentioned for mixed cropping,

Intercropping has the following additional advantages:

•  Application of pesticides and fertilizers is more convenient due to well defined patterns of crops.
• Harvesting of crops is also easier.

Crop rotation

is the practice of growing a series of dis similar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons for various benefits such as to avoid the buildup of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is continuously cropped.Crop rotation also seeks to balance the fertility demands of various crops to avoid excessive depletion of soil nutrients. A traditional component of crop rotation is the replenishmentofnitrogenthrough theuseofgreen manureinsequencewith cereals andothercrops.Croprotationcanalsoimprovesoil structureand fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants.

Advantages:

Crop rotation avoids a decrease in soil fertility, as growing the same crop repeatedly in the same place eventually depletes the soilof various nutrients. A crop that leaches the soil of one kindof nutrientis followed during the next growing season by a dissimila rcrop that returns that nutrient to the soil or draws a differen tratio of nutrients, for example,rices followed bycottons.By crop rotation farmers can keep their fields under continuous production, without the need to let them lay fallow, and reducing the need for artificial fertilizers, both of which can be expensive. Rotating crops adds nutrients to the soil.

Crop Pro tection Management

When the crop is in the field, it needs protection against:

a)Weedse.g.– Xanthium, Parthenium (weeds are considered to be harmful as they compete for food, space and light with the desired crop. They reduce crop production taking up the nutrients meant for the crops.

b)Insect Pests - attack the plant in three ways ( cut root, stem and leaf, suck cell sap from various parts & bore into stem & fruits)

c)Pathogens- Microbes like bacteria, fungi and viruses cause diseases. Spores of these pathogens may be transmitted through soil, water and air.

To control these:

Herbicides, Pesticides, fungicides should be used.

For Weed control

- the methods used are :mechanical removal, use of herbicides, summer ploughing (fields are ploughed deep in summers to destroy weeds and pests.)

Prevention- for preventing the growth of weeds,

• Proper seed bed preparation,
• timely growing of crops,
• intercropping , crop rotation,
• use of resistant varieties and
• summer ploughing is done.

Sto rage of grains

: Factors responsible for grain loss-Biotic (Insects, Rodents (members of rat family), Fungi, mites,bacteria- Abiotic (inappropriate moisture and temperature)

Negative Effects of these factors on grains:

• Degradation in quality,
• loss in weight,
• poor germinabilty,
• discoloration of produce- Leadsto poor marketability

Prevention and control methods used before grains are stored:

• Cleaning of produce before storage
• Drying of produce first in sunlight and then in shade to reduce moisture content
• Fumigation using chemicals (fumigants) to kill pests

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY-it is the scientific management of livetocks.It includes feeding,breeding and disease control.

NEED FOR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY-

1. To increase milk production.
2. To increase milk production. 
3. To increase egg production.
4. To increase meat production
5. To increase fish production

CATTLE FARMING-It is the raising of cattle for yield of milk by females and draught labour for agriculture work.

MILCH ANIMALS-are milk producing animals

DRAUGHT ANIMALS-are used for agriculture work.

BREEDS OF COW-

1.indegenous breeds(local or desi breeds)-RED SINDHI and SAHIWAL(selected for long lactation period)

2. EXOTIC BREEDS-(Foreign breeds)-eg-JERSEY and BROWN SWISS(shows resistance to diseases

3. HYBRID BREEDS-are the offsprings of cross between indigenous and exotic breeds to get desirable character.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY-has 4 components-

1 shelter of cattle  2 feeding 3 grooming 4 protection from diseases 

 Shelter of cattle -

FEATURES OF GOOD ANIMAL SHELTER -

1 It should be spaciousenough to provide proper space for each animal.

2 It should br clean ,dry and ventilated.

3 Proper arrangement for the disposal of animal waste.

FEEDING-The food requirement of the animal is of two types- a)ROUGHAGE and CONCENTRATE

ROUGHAGE-IRT CONSIST OPF COARSE AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCE having low nutrient content.eg fodder,hay ,straw.

CONCENTRATE- is low in fibres but contain relatively high proteins and other nutrients.eg oil seed cake,gram husk.

Protection from diseases-Cattle suffer from various diseases. External parasites live on skin and cause skin disease. Internal parasites like worm affect stomach and fluke damages liver.

POULTRY-is the rearing of domesticated fowl, ducks ,geese, turkey. It is the cheap source of protein.

It is done for egg production and meat production. Breeds of poultry

I Indegenous breeds eg Aseel

2 EXOTIC BREEDS eg Leghorn

LAYERS- 1) are egg laying birds. 

2)They are fed with high fibre content.eg grit of stones for calcium and grains for fibre.

BROILERS-1) are the birds raised for meat production.

2 )They require high protein and fat and vitamin A and K rich diet. The following practices are needed to take care of for birds-

1 Hygenic conditions in housing.-proper sanitation and spraying of disinfectants.

2 Protection form diseases-they suffer from diseases caused by virus,bacteria,fungi.

3 Management of temperature.

COMMON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN DAIRY AND POULTRY FARMING-

1 Proper shelter ,its hygiene ,temperature

2 Proper Feed.

3 Prevention of control and diseases.

FISH PRODUCTION

Fish is a natural source of proteins for us.

True /finned fish are the ones that include marine & freshwater fish such as pomphret, tuna ,cod, catla, prawns, rohu, mrigal,etc 

Shellfish include unio, lobster, crabs, etc

CAPTURE FISHERY- Done from natural resources both marine & freshwater with the help of boats &nets.

CULTURE FISHERY- Fish farming of economically valuable varieties of finned & shell fish.

MARINE FISHERIES:-

The practice of rearing & culturing marine fish, ie:- fish found in seas & oceans is called

MARICULTURE

Tuna ,cod, sardines, Bombay duck, pomphret, mackerel ,etc are common marine fish. They are caught with the help of fishing nets from fishing boats in areas where there are large schools of fish. This can be determined using satellites & echo sounders.

Fish farming is also done for some marine shelled & finned fish based on their economic value:-

Finned fish :- Bhetki, mullets& pearl spot. Shellfish:- Oysters (for pearls), mussels (mollusc) INLAND FISHERIES:-

Fresh water sources include rivers, ponds, streams, canals, reservoirs, brackish water.

Brackish water is found in estuaries & lagoons where sea & fresh water mix. Fish farming , both capture & culture , done in such water bodies is called AQUACULTURE.

COMPOSITE FISH CULTURE:-

Sometimes fish culture is done in combination with rice crops so that fish grow along with paddy in the standing water. Both local & imported varieties of fish can be used in such systems.

In such a system, 5/6 species of fish are selected & reared in a single fish pond. The species are selected on the basis of their feeding habits, ie, they should not compete for food & should not kill each other in the pond. Fishes are at three levels-

1)Surface feeders- Catla

2)Middle zone- Rohu

3)Bottom feeders- Mrigals & carps

Advantages:-

1. Fish do not compete for food
2. Food available in different zones is utilized
3. Carps consume only aquatic weeds
4. Very high yield is obtained

Disadvantages:-

1. Many fish breed only in the rainy season so hormonal stimulation has to be giv
2. Good quality seeds (ie- organisms used for reproduction) are not available

BEE KEEPING/APICULTURE

It is the practice of rearing /keeping, caring & management of honeybees on a large scale for obtaining honey & wax. Honey is widely used & other products of bee-keeping are bee wax, bee venom, jelly.

APIARIES /BEE FARMS are places where the bees are raised for commercial honey production.

Common species of indigenous honey bee-

1. Apis cerana indica- Indian bee
2. Apis dorsata- Rock bee
3. Apis florae- Little bee

An exotic (foreign ) Italian variety domesticated in India is- Apis mellifera.as it has benefits like-

They are gentle in nature, sting less, high honey collecting capacity & stay in the beehive for longer periods.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR GOOD QUALITY & YIELD OF HONEY-

1. Quality of Pasturage (flowers available to bees for nectar)
2. Quantity of pasturage
3. Location of apiary is within 1-2km radius of pasturage.

Points to remember

Key learning:

1) Agriculture and animal husbandry provide us with all our animal and plant food.

2) For feeding the ever increasing Indian population, our capacity of manufacturing crop plants and livestock should be increased through various efforts like green revolution and white revolution. But this should be done in a sustainable manner without destroying our environment.

3) Improving the financial status of people, especially those involved in agricultural practices is essential to provide food security to everyone.

4) Different crops provide us with different types of nutrients. 

5) The optimum requirement of temperature, water, light and other conditions vary for different crops.

6) Kharif crops like paddy and cotton are grown in rainy season whereas rabbi crops like wheat and mustard are grown in winter season.

7) Crop variety improvement, crop production improvement and crop protection management helps to increase the crop yields.

8) A crop variety possessing several desirable characteristics should be selected to produce a good yield.

9) Hybridisation and genetic modification techniques introduce the useful characters into crop plants.

10) It is desirable to develop crops that can survive and give good yields in different climatic conditions and areas.

11) The characteristics desirable in crop plants are

i) Increased yield

ii) Improved quality (particular to the crop plant

iii) Resistance to biotic and abiotic factors, especially those harming the plant.

iv) Reduction in duration of plant maturity.

v) Broad range adaptability of the crop plant under various environmental conditions.

vi) Desired agronomic characteristics particular to a plant. Variety improvement may be done for one or several of these characteristics.

12) In India, the land holding, financial conditions and use of modern technologies varies among different farmers. Hence the inputs of farmers are also different, leading to differing production practices and yields.

13) The sixteen nutrients required by plants are obtained through air, water and soil. 

14) Manures and fertilizers supplement the soil with the required nutrients and thus increase crop yield.

15) Manures contain decomposed animal and plant wastes and increases soil nutrition and fertility.

16) The bulk organic matter present in manure improves soil structure.

17) In composting, the biological waste material is decomposed in pits. Composting done using earthworms is called vermi-composting.

18) In green manuring, green crops are grown, mulched by ploughing and mixed with soil to improve soil structure and fertility.

19) The commercially produced fertilizers provide macronutrients like N, K and P and ensure healthy growth of plants.

20) Excessive use of fertilizers causes water pollution and loss of soil fertility.

21) Best crop yields is obtained by a balance between the use of fertilizers and manures.

22) In organic farming, use of chemicals is discouraged whereas use of organic manures, bio-agents and healthy cropping systems is encouraged.

23) Irrigation is essential to ensure agricultural success in India since our agriculture is mainly rain-fed.

24) Wells, canals, rivers and tanks are some important irrigation systems in our country.

25) The source of wells is underground water whereas canals get water from rivers or reservoirs. River lift systems draw water directly from rivers.

26) Rainwater harvesting and watershed management increases storage of rain water for later use in agriculture.

27) Risk of crop failure is reduced in mixed cropping wherein two or more crops are grown together on the same field.

28) Two or more crops with different nutritional requirements are grown on the same farm in inter-cropping so as to utilize maximum nutrients and prevent spread of diseases and pests.

29) In crop rotation, different crop combinations are grown on the same field in a pre-planned succession so as to get maximum returns.

30) Weeds, pests and diseases can destroy large amounts of crop plants.

31) Weed removal from crop fields is essential since they use up the requirements of crop plants like food, space, light etc.

32) Insect pests and plant pathogens attack different parts of the plant and thus reduce crop yields.

33) Pesticides are used to control weeds, insects and diseases, but they should be used only as much as needed to avoid environmental pollution and health hazards.

34) Several preventive methods can be adopted to carry out pest and weed control.

35) Biotic and abiotic factors can cause huge storage losses of food grains and can be taken care of by proper treatment.

36) It is better to use preventive and control methods for protecting crops such as proper cleaning and drying of the crops followed by fumigation, rather than treatment measures.

37) Due to the food needs of the ever increasing human population, animal husbandry, especially of cattle, goat, sheep, poultry and fish, is gaining a lot of importance.

38) In India, cows and buffaloes are used for draught labour and producing milk and are called draught animals and milch animals respectively.

39) Long lactation period is a desirable quality in milch animals.

40) Exotic breeds showing long lactation is cross bred with local breeds showing resistance to diseases to obtain high quality breeds.

41) For good health and milk production, proper cattle management is required such as shelter, feeding, breeding and disease control.

42) The cattle shelter should be well-ventilated, hygienic and dry.

43) Cattle food should include roughage and concentrates in balanced amounts and are required for the healthy maintenance as well as milk production of the cattle.

44) Cattle diseases are caused by external and internal parasites as well as by bacteria and viruses. These affect the health as well as milk production of the animals and can be largely controlled through vaccinations.

45) Poultry farming targets egg production and broiler production for chicken meat.

46) Cross-breeding is done between the Indian and foreign breeds of poultry to obtain improved varieties containing desirable traits such as tolerance to high temperature, dwarf broiler parent, low maintenance requirements and reduction in size of the layers.

47) The shelter, feeding and other requirements of broilers and layers differ from each other.

48) The diet of broilers is planned with the aim of achieving good growth rate and quality of carcass whereas the diet of layers is aimed to achieve large number and high quality of eggs.

49) Broiler diet is rich in proteins and vitamins, along with the required amount of fat.

50) The poultry shelter should be hygienic, well-lighted and maintained at appropriate temperatures.

51) Poultry need to be protected from various diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and nutritional deficiencies, through proper treatment, sanitation and vaccination.

52) In fish production, both the finned true fish as well as shellfish are obtained from marine or fresh water through capture fishing or culture fishery.

53) India’s marine fishery resources are the vast coastlines and extensive seas; the freshwater resources are canals, ponds, reservoirs and rivers whereas the brackish water fishery resources are estuaries and lagoons.

54) In India, marine fishes such as pomphret, tuna, mackerel and sardines are located through satellites and echo sounders and captured using fishing nets.

55) Marine fish farming of high economic value fishes like mullets, oysters and prawns are done in sea water.

56) Fresh water fish production is mainly carried out through aquaculture.

57) Composite fish culture system is used commonly for fresh water fish farming. In this system, five or six fish species with different food habits are farmed together in a single pond, so as to increase the yield of fish.

58) Since high quality fish seed is not always available, fish are nowadays bred using hormonal stimulation, thus ensuring continuous supply of the seed.

59) Bee-keeping is a low investment activity carried out by farmers to obtain honey and wax.

60) Apis cerana indica, Apis dorsata and Apis florae are the Indian bee varieties whereas Apis mellifera is an Italian variety used for commercially producing honey.

61) The availability of sufficient amount of pasturage as well as the type of flowers decides the quality of honey.

Top definitions

1) Hybridisation – Crossing between genetically dissimilar plants.

2) Intervarietal hybridization – Hybridisation between different varieties of plants.

3) Interspecific hybridization – Hybridisation between plants belonging to two different species of the same genus.

4) Intergeneric hybridization - Hybridisation between plants of different genera.

5) Macronutrients – Nutrients required by plants in large quantities.

6) Micronutrients – Nutrients required by plants in small quantities.

7) Composting – The process in which farm waste material like livestock excreta, vegetable waste, animal refuse, domestic waste, sewage waste etc is decomposed in pits.

8) Vermi-compost – Compost prepared by using earthworms to hasten the decomposition process of plant and animal refuse.

9) Manure - Organic substances of animal or plant origin that is added to the soil to increase its fertility and structure.

10) Fertiliser – Commercially produced plant nutrients that enriches the soil fertility and increases the crop yield.

11) Organic farming – A farming system with minimal or no use of chemicals as fertilizers, pesticides etc. and with a maximum input of organic manures, recycled farm-wastes, along with use of bio-agents and healthy cropping systems.

12) Mixed cropping – The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field.

13) Inter-cropping – The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern.

14) Crop rotation – The growing of different crops on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession.

15) Weeds – Unwanted plants in the cultivated field.

16) Animal husbandry – The scientific management of animal livestock.

17) Milch cattle – Milk-producing females of cattle.

18) Draught cattle – Cattle used for farm labour.

19) Layer – Egg laying poultry.

20) Broiler – Poultry reared for obtaining meat.

21) Capture fishing – Obtaining fish from natural resources

22) Culture fishery – Obtaining fish by fish farming.

23) Mariculture - The farming of finfish or shellfish in marine water.

24) Aquaculture - The farming of freshwater or marine organisms for human use, by proper utilization of available waters in the country.

25) Beekeeping – The cultivation of bees on a commercial scale for the production of honey and beeswax.

Top diagrams

Q1 Name the following:

1. Pigeon pea is a good source of ________.(protein)

2. Berseem is an important _________. (fodder)

3. _________ are rich in vitamins.(vegetable/fruits)

4. _________ Crops are grown in winters. (rabi)

Q2 List some important traits in improved crops.

Ans. Some of the important traits in improved crops are:

1. high yield

2. improved quality

3. high resistance

4. wider adaptability

5. desirable agronomic traits

Q3 Why is excess use of fertilizers detrimental for environment?

Ans.Excess use of fertilizers has many bad effects like:

1. salination of soil

2. eutrophication

3. excess minerals in crop plants

Q4 Give one word:

1. growing of wheat and groundnut in the same field .(mixed cropping)

2. xanthium and parthenium are called.(weeds)

3. causal organism of any disease is called.(pathogen)

4. Farming without the use of chemicals. (organic farming)

5. planting of soyabean and maize in alternate rows in the same field .(intercropping)

Q5 Define hybridization.

Ans.Crossing of two individuals with different useful traits in order to bring them together in a progeny.The new organism thus obtained is called a hybrid and has better characters as compared to either of the parents.

Q6 What is vermicompost?

Ans.It is a manure rich in pulverized organic matter and worm castings.It is prepared using earthworms. It is a quicker method of composting. Earth worms are seperarted and the Compost is ready for use.

Q7 Explain the term biofertilizers.

Ans.Living organisms like nitrogen fixing bacteria, blue green algae and minerals solubilising bacteria are called biofertilizers. Eg. Blue green bacteria,( nostoc, anabaena etc.)

Q8 Name 2 varieties of Indian fish

Ans.Fresh water: catla, rohu

Marine fish: hilsa , sardine

Q9 Name 2 indigenous and 2 exotic breeds of poultry.

Ans. Indigenous: aseel, basra

Exotic: rhode Island Red, white leghorn

Q10 What are advantages of composite fish culture?

Ans.Composite fish culture is the practice of growing 5 to 6 species of fish in the same Fish tank. It includes the use of surface feeders, middle zone feeder and bottom Feeder. It has the following advantages:

1. no competition for food or space.

2. proper utilization of food

3. fish yield is high.

Q11 Name 2 exotic breeds of cows

1. holstein- friesian

2. brown swiss

Q12 Define broiler

Ans.Chickens which are about 7-8 weeks of age and are raised for meat.

Q13 What is roughage?

Ans. It’s a course and fibrous substance which has low nutrient content .e.g. fodder,hay and straw.

Q14 Name some symptoms of sick animals:

Ans, If an animal is sick, it shows following symptoms:

1. inactive

2. look tired

3. remain isolated

4. low yield

Q15 Define animal husbandry.

Ans Branch of agriculture which deals with the feeding, shelter, health and breeding domestic animals is called animal husbandry.

Q16. Define Mixed cropping

Ans. The technique of growing two or more different crops together in same field is Called mixed cropping. Eg. Ragi and gram, maize and urad bean etc.

Q17. Define intercropping.

Ans. Growing 2 or more crops simultaneously in different strips in a same field in definite row pattern is called intercropping. Eg. Soyabean,maize, cow pea.

Q18. Define crop rotation

Ans. Growing different crops on the same piece of land in a pre planned succession Is called crop rotation. Eg rice- wheat.

Q19. What is biological pest control?

Ans. In this method, some birds, insects etc are deliberately put in the affected field. They destoy the pests in the field.

Q20. What are weeds and why are they unwanted?

Ans. The plants which grow along with the cultivated crop are called weeds. They are Unwanted as they compete with the main crop for nutrient, space, sunlight etc.

Q21. What are layers?

Ans. Hens raised for egg production are called layers. They start laying eggs at the age of 20 weeks.

Q22. What is mariculture?

Ans. Culture of marine fin fish,shell fish and sea weeds is called mariculture. Mariculture is growing rapidly as the demand for fish is increasing while the Stock is declining due to excessive exploitation from sea.

Q23. Why are Italian bee varieties preferred? 

Ans.They are preferred as:

a)They are gentle in nature.

b) They have good honey collection capacity.

c) They have less swarming activity.

Q24. What are concentrates?

Ans. The concentrates are rich in nutrients with very little fibrous or cellulose matter. They are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. Eg oil cakes, grains etc.

Q25. What is culture fishery?

Ans. It is cultivating , rearing and harvesting of fish. It is also called fish farming. Or pisciculture. The growing of various types of aquatic organisms in water bodies Is called aquaculture.

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