UDGAM SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN

Std. VIII– Science (2024-25)

Ch.1: Crop Production and Management Notes
Name: ___________________________ Sec: ______ Roll No. _____ Date___________

1.D Define the term ‘Crop’. How crops can be classified (in India) based on seasons.
b
The term crop is used to describe the plants that are grown in larger quantities
especially as food or fodder for livestock, for example, wheat, maize, cereals, fruits
and vegetables.

Crop Sowing season Harvesting season Examples

Kharif June September Maize, Paddy, Cotton,
(rainy season) Pulses, Groundnut,etc.
Rabi October March Wheat, Gram, Mustard,
(winter season) Linseed, etc,

2. What is meant by ploughing or tilling? What is its importance?

i. i. Ploughing or tilling:
The process of turning and loosening the soil is called ploughing or tilling.
ii. Importance of ploughing or tilling:
a) It helps in easy penetration of the roots deep into the soil.
b) It aerates the soil so that the roots can breathe easily.
c) The loosened soil helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes. These
microbes further turn and loosen the soil & add humus to the soil.
d) Turning and loosening of soil brings the nutrient-rich soil to the top so that plants
can use these nutrients.
e) It uproots the weeds.
3. What are the advantages of sowing seeds with a seed drill?
By seed drills, seeds are sown uniformly at proper distances and depths.
It ensures that seeds get covered by the soil after sowing.
It protects the seeds from birds.
It saves time and labour.
4. Differentiate between fertiliser and manure.

Fertiliser Manure
A fertiliser is an inorganic salt. Manure is a natural substance obtained
by the decomposition of cattle dung,
human waste, and plant residues.
A fertiliser is prepared in factories Manure can be prepared in fields.
A fertiliser does not provide any Manure provides a lot of humus to the
humus to the soil. soil.
Fertilisers are very rich in plant Manure is relatively less rich in plant
nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus nutrients.
and potassium.

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 Fertiliser does not help in the water Manure restores the water-retention
retention of the soil. capacity of the soil.

Fertilisers can be transported easily Manure is bulky and cannot be

In bags. transported easily.

5. Write the advantages of using manure.

The organic manure is considered better than fertiliser due to following reasons.
a) It enhances the water holding capacity of the soil.
b) It makes the soil porous due to which exchange of gases becomes easy.
c) It increases the number of friendly microbes.
d) It improves the texture of the soil.
6.H How is the soil replenished with nutrients?
The soil can be replenished with nutrients by adopting the following measures:
i. By using manures and fertilizers
ii. Leaving the field uncultivated for a season (between two crops), helps in
maintaining the fertility of the soil. This method is called fallowing.
iii. Through crop rotation i.e. growing legumes alternately with cereals help in adding
N2 in the soil because Rhizobium bacteria found in the root nodules of the legumes
fix the atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into nitrates.

7. What is irrigation? Name the traditional methods of irrigation.

i. i. Irrigation:
The supply of water to the crops at different intervals is called irrigation.
The type and frequency of irrigation varies from soil to soil, crop to crop and season
to season.
ii. Traditional methods of irrigation:
The traditional methods of irrigation are:
a) Moat (Pulley system)
b) Chain pump
c) Rahat (Lever system)
d) Dhekli
8. Write a note on modern methods of irrigation.
The sprinkler system and the drip system are the two modern methods of irrigation
which use the water economically.
i. Sprinkler System:
In this system, perpendicular pipes having rotating nozzles on the top are joined to
the main pipeline.
When water is allowed to flow through the pipeline under pressure with the help of a
pump, it comes out through the nozzles and is sprinkled in the field.
ii. Drip System:
In this system, thin pipes are laid in the field having small holes at regular intervals.
When water is allowed to flow through the pipeline, it falls drop by drop through the
hole at the position of the roots.

9. What are weeds? Why should they be removed?

i. Weeds: The undesirable plants growing naturally along with the crops are called weeds.
ii. Reasons for removal:
They compete with the crop for water, nutrients and space.
Some of them are poisonous for humans and animals and hence they should be
removed.

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10. What is weeding?
. i. Weeding: The process of removal of weeds is called weeding.
ii. Ways of weeding:
a) Tilling the field before sowing of crops, helps in uprooting the weeds.
b) Weeds can be removed manually by uprooting or cutting them using a trowel
(khurpi) or a harrow driven by a tractor.
c) Weeds can be controlled by using certain chemicals called weedicides.
They are sprayed in the fields after diluting with water during the vegetative
growth of the weeds before flowering and seed formation. 2, 4-D is a common
weedicide.
11.. Explain harvesting of crop and storage of grains.
Harvesting:
The cutting of the matured crop is called harvesting.
The standing crop is cut 3-4 inches above the ground using a sickle or a harvester.
From the harvested crop, the grains are separated from the chaff. This process is
called threshing.
A combine is used for it which is a harvester as well as a thresher.
After threshing, seeds are separated from chaff by winnowing.
Storage:
Farmers store the grains in jute bags or metallic bins. However, on a large scale
this is done in silos and granaries to protect them from pests like rats and
Insects. Dried neem leaves are used for storing food grains at home. For storing large
quantity of grains in big godowns, specific chemical treatments are required to protect them
from pests and microorganisms.

12. How will you separate healthy seeds from damaged seeds?
Take a glass having water in it. Put the seeds into the glass and stir well. Leave the
setup for sometime. Some of the seeds float on water, whereas most of them settle at
the bottom. The seeds floating on water are damaged as they are eaten by insects,
they become hollow. Healthy seeds are settled at the bottom.

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