Class 9 Science NCERT Notes – Chapter 12: Improvement in Food Resources (PDF, MindMap, Q&A, Quizzes)

Chapter 12 (Biology): Improvement in Food Resources – Class 9 NCERT Science Detailed Study Notes.

1. The Need for Improvement in Food Resources

All living organisms require food for development, growth, and health, as it supplies essential proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. The primary sources of this food are agriculture and animal husbandry.

1.1 Population Growth and Food Demand

• Challenge: India’s population exceeds one billion and is continuously growing, necessitating a massive increase in food production. The annual grain requirement is projected to surpass a quarter of a billion tonnes.
• Land Limitation: India is already intensively cultivated, leaving no significant scope for increasing the area of land for farming.
• Solution: The focus must be on increasing the production efficiency of both crops and livestock.

1.2 Key Agricultural Revolutions

• Green Revolution: A period of significant success that contributed to increased food-grain production.
• White Revolution: Led to better and more efficient use and availability of milk.

1.3 Sustainability and Food Security

• Environmental Impact: Intensive use of natural resources during these revolutions has increased the risk of environmental damage and ecological imbalance. Therefore, sustainable practices in agriculture and animal husbandry are crucial.
• Food Security: Depends on both the availability of food and access to it. Simply storing grain is insufficient; people must have the financial means to purchase food.
• Economic Aspect: A majority of India’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Increasing the income of farmers is essential to combat hunger.
• Integrated Practices: For sustained livelihood, scientific management practices like mixed farming, intercropping, and integrated farming (combining agriculture with livestock, poultry, fisheries, or bee-keeping) are recommended.

2. Improvement in Crop Yields

Crops provide essential nutrients for human and animal consumption.

Crop Category	Nutrients Provided	Examples
Cereals	Carbohydrates (for energy)	Wheat, rice, maize, millets, sorghum
Pulses	Protein	Gram (chana), pea (matar), black gram (urad), green gram (moong), pigeon pea (arhar), lentil (masoor)
Oil Seeds	Fats	Soyabean, ground nut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed, sunflower
Vegetables, Spices, Fruits	Vitamins, minerals, small amounts of protein, carbs, fats	–
Fodder Crops	Food for livestock	Berseem, oats, sudan grass

2.1 Crop Seasons in India

• Kharif Season: Rainy season, from June to October. Crops include paddy, soyabean, pigeon pea, maize, cotton, green gram, and black gram.
• Rabi Season: Winter season, from November to April. Crops include wheat, gram, peas, mustard, and linseed.
• Influencing Factors: Crop growth is dependent on climatic conditions, temperature, and photoperiods (duration of sunlight).

2.2 Three Stages of Farming Improvement

From 1952 to 2010, India achieved a four-fold increase in food grain production with only a 25% increase in cultivable land. This was achieved by focusing on three main areas:

1. Crop Variety Improvement: Selecting and developing better seeds.
2. Crop Production Improvement: Nurturing the crop plants for optimal growth.
3. Crop Protection Management: Protecting crops from threats before and after harvest.

2.3 Detailed Strategies for Crop Improvement

2.3.1 Crop Variety Improvement

This approach focuses on developing crop varieties with desirable traits to ensure good yield.

• Methods of Improvement:
  • Hybridisation: Crossing genetically dissimilar plants. It can be:
    • Intervarietal: Between different varieties.
    • Interspecific: Between two different species of the same genus.
    • Intergeneric: Between different genera.
  • Genetic Modification: Introducing a specific gene to provide a desired characteristic, resulting in genetically modified crops (GMCs).
• Factors for Variety Improvement:
  • Higher Yield: Increasing the productivity per acre.
  • Improved Quality: Enhancing specific qualities like baking quality in wheat, protein in pulses, and oil in oilseeds.
  • Biotic and Abiotic Resistance: Developing varieties resistant to biotic stresses (diseases, insects, nematodes) and abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, water logging, heat, cold).
  • Change in Maturity Duration: Shorter crop durations are more economical, allow for multiple cropping cycles per year, and reduce production costs.
  • Wider Adaptability: Creating varieties that can be grown in diverse climatic conditions, stabilising production.
  • Desirable Agronomic Characteristics: Developing traits like dwarfness in cereals (to consume fewer nutrients) or tallness and profuse branching in fodder crops.

2.3.2 Crop Production Management

This involves managing the various aspects of crop production from sowing to harvesting, which can vary based on a farmer’s financial capacity (‘no cost’, ‘low cost’, and ‘high cost’ production).

• Nutrient Management:
  • Essential Nutrients: Plants require 16 essential nutrients, which they obtain from air (carbon, oxygen), water (hydrogen, oxygen), and soil (the remaining 13 nutrients).
  • Macro-nutrients: Nutrients required in large quantities (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur).
  • Micro-nutrients: Nutrients required in small quantities (Iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, chlorine).
  • Manure: Decomposed animal excreta and plant waste. It enriches the soil with nutrients and organic matter, improves soil structure, and increases water-holding capacity.
    • Compost: Decomposition of farm waste (livestock excreta, vegetable waste) in pits.
    • Vermi-compost: Composting hastened by the use of earthworms.
    • Green Manure: Growing plants like sun hemp or guar and ploughing them into the soil to enrich it with nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • Fertilizers: Commercially produced plant nutrients that supply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. While they lead to high yields, their excessive or improper use can cause water pollution and destroy long-term soil fertility by harming microorganisms.
  • Organic Farming: A system with minimal or no use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. It relies on organic manures, recycled farm waste, bio-agents (like blue-green algae), and healthy cropping systems.
• Irrigation:
  • Importance: Crucial for agriculture in India, as most farming is rain-fed and vulnerable to poor monsoons. Proper irrigation at critical stages increases crop yields.
  • Irrigation Systems:
    • Wells: Dug wells and tube wells that tap into underground water strata.
    • Canals: Extensive systems that receive water from rivers or reservoirs.
    • River Lift Systems: Water is drawn directly from rivers, useful where canal flow is insufficient.
    • Tanks: Small storage reservoirs that store runoff water.
  • Water Conservation: Rainwater harvesting and watershed management (using small check-dams) are initiatives to increase groundwater levels and reduce soil erosion.
• Cropping Patterns:
  • Mixed Cropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same land (e.g., wheat + gram). This reduces the risk of total crop failure.
  • Intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously in a definite pattern (e.g., alternating rows of soyabean and maize). This ensures maximum nutrient utilization and prevents the spread of pests and diseases.
  • Crop Rotation: Growing different crops on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession. This helps maintain soil fertility and can allow for two or three successful crops in a year.

2.3.3 Crop Protection Management

Protecting crops from weeds, pests, and diseases is vital to prevent significant losses.

• Threats to Crops:
  • Weeds: Unwanted plants that compete for food, space, and light (e.g., Xanthium, Parthenium).
  • Insect Pests: Attack plants by cutting roots/stems, sucking cell sap, or boring into stems/fruits.
  • Diseases: Caused by pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses, transmitted through soil, water, and air.
• Control Methods:
  • Pesticides: Chemical control using herbicides (for weeds), insecticides (for insects), and fungicides (for diseases). Excessive use can be toxic and cause environmental pollution.
  • Preventive & Biological Methods: These are often preferred. They include:
    • Mechanical weed removal.
    • Proper seed bed preparation and timely sowing.
    • Use of resistant crop varieties.
    • Intercropping and crop rotation.
    • Summer Ploughing: Deep ploughing in summer to destroy weeds and pests.

2.3.4 Storage of Grains

Proper storage is essential to prevent high post-harvest losses.

• Factors Causing Storage Loss:
  • Biotic Factors: Insects, rodents, fungi, mites, bacteria.
  • Abiotic Factors: Inappropriate moisture and temperature.
• Consequences of Poor Storage: Degradation in quality, loss in weight, poor germinability, discolouration, and poor marketability.
• Preventive Measures:
  • Strict cleaning of the produce before storage.
  • Proper drying of the produce (first in sunlight, then in shade).
  • Fumigation: Using chemicals to kill pests in storage areas.

3. Animal Husbandry

Animal husbandry is the scientific management of animal livestock, covering feeding, breeding, and disease control to improve production.

3.1 Cattle Farming

• Purposes:
  • Milk Production: From milch animals or dairy animals (e.g., cows, buffaloes).
  • Draught Labour: For farm work like tilling and irrigation, from draught animals.
• Species: Bos indicus (cows) and Bos bubalis (buffaloes).
• Improving Milk Production:
  • The goal is to extend the lactation period (the period of milk production after a calf’s birth).
  • Cross-breeding: Local breeds like Red Sindhi and Sahiwal (known for disease resistance) are crossed with exotic breeds like Jersey and Brown Swiss (known for long lactation periods) to combine both desired qualities.
• Management Practices:
  • Shelter: Well-ventilated, roofed sheds with sloping floors for dryness and easy cleaning.
  • Hygiene: Regular brushing to remove dirt and loose hair.
  • Feeding:
    • Roughage: High-fibre food.
    • Concentrates: Low-fibre, high-protein food.
    • A balanced ration with all nutrients is required.
  • Disease Control:
    • Cattle suffer from external parasites (causing skin diseases) and internal parasites (worms, flukes).
    • Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria and viruses.
    • Vaccinations are crucial for preventing major viral and bacterial diseases.

3.2 Poultry Farming

This involves raising domestic fowl for eggs and meat.

• Types of Poultry:
  • Layers: Raised for egg production.
  • Broilers: Raised for meat production.
• Variety Improvement: Cross-breeding between indigenous breeds (e.g., Aseel) and exotic breeds (e.g., Leghorn) to develop varieties with traits like summer adaptation, low maintenance, and improved chick quality.
• Management Practices:
  • Broiler Feed: Protein-rich with adequate fat and high levels of vitamins A and K for good growth.
  • Housing: Maintaining proper temperature and hygienic conditions.
  • Disease Control: Proper sanitation, spraying of disinfectants, and vaccination are necessary to prevent diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nutritional deficiencies.

3.3 Fish Production

Fish is a cheap source of animal protein.

• Methods of Obtaining Fish:
  • Capture Fishing: Sourcing fish from natural resources (marine or inland).
  • Culture Fishery (Aquaculture): Farming of fish.
• Marine Fisheries:
  • Resources: India’s 7500 km coastline and deep seas.
  • Popular Varieties: Pomphret, mackerel, tuna, sardines, Bombay duck.
  • Technology: Fishing boats use nets, and large schools of fish are located using satellites and echo-sounders.
  • Mariculture: Farming of marine fish (e.g., mullets, prawns, oysters) in seawater, which is becoming more important as wild stocks are depleted.
• Inland Fisheries:
  • Resources: Freshwater (canals, ponds, rivers) and brackish water (estuaries, lagoons).
  • Composite Fish Culture: A system where 5-6 species of fish are cultured together in a single pond. The species are selected based on their different food habits so they don’t compete, ensuring all food in the pond is utilized.
    • Example Species: Catla (surface feeders), Rohu (middle-zone feeders), Mrigal and Common Carp (bottom feeders), Grass Carp (weed feeders).
  • Breeding: A major challenge is the lack of good-quality fish seed. Hormonal stimulation is now used to induce breeding in ponds, ensuring a supply of pure fish seed.

3.4 Bee-Keeping (Apiculture)

An agricultural enterprise for producing honey and beeswax, often used as an additional income source for farmers due to low investment needs.

• Bee Varieties:
  • Local: Apis cerana indica (Indian bee), A. dorsata (rock bee), A. florae (little bee).
  • Exotic (for commercial use): Apis mellifera (Italian bee).
• Advantages of Italian Bee (A. mellifera):
  • High honey collection capacity.
  • Stings less.
  • Stays in the beehive for long periods and breeds well.
• Pasturage: The availability and type of flowers for bees to collect nectar and pollen. The quality, quantity, and kind of pasturage determine the taste and quality of the honey.

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Q&A Section

Short-Answer Questions

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

1. Why is it necessary to improve food production efficiency in India rather than just farming on more land?
2. What is the difference between the Green Revolution and the White Revolution?
3. Define food security and explain its two main components.
4. Distinguish between Kharif and Rabi crops, providing one example for each.
5. What are the three major groups of activities for improving crop yields?
6. Explain hybridisation as a method for crop variety improvement and list its three types.
7. What are abiotic and biotic stresses that affect crops? Give an example of each.
8. Why is developing crop varieties with a shorter maturity duration considered economical?
9. Differentiate between macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients required by plants.
10. What is vermi-composting, and how does it differ from standard composting?
11. Explain two negative environmental impacts of the continuous use of chemical fertilizers.
12. Describe the purpose of a River Lift System in irrigation.
13. How does intercropping help in preventing the spread of pests and diseases?
14. Define crop rotation and state its primary benefit.
15. Name two preventive methods, other than using chemicals, for controlling weeds and pests.
16. List two biotic and two abiotic factors responsible for the loss of grains during storage.
17. What are the two main purposes of cattle farming?
18. Why are exotic cattle breeds like Jersey often cross-bred with local Indian breeds like Sahiwal?
19. What is the difference between roughage and concentrates in animal feed?
20. In poultry farming, what is the primary difference between broilers and layers?
21. What is mariculture and why is it becoming increasingly important?
22. Explain the principle behind the Composite Fish Culture system.
23. What problem in fish farming is solved by using hormonal stimulation?
24. Name the Italian bee variety commonly used for commercial honey production and state two of its desirable characteristics.
25. What is pasturage and how is it related to honey production?

Quiz: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which of the following is a primary source of protein?
   • a) Wheat b) Maize c) Gram (chana) d) Sunflower
2. Paddy, maize, and soyabean are examples of:
   • a) Rabi crops b) Kharif crops c) Zaid crops d) Fodder crops
3. Crossing between two different species of the same genus is known as:
   • a) Intervarietal hybridisation b) Intergeneric hybridisation c) Interspecific hybridisation d) Genetic modification
4. Dwarfness in cereals is a desirable agronomic characteristic because:
   • a) It makes the plant look better b) Taller plants are harder to harvest c) Less nutrients are consumed by the crop d) It helps the plant resist diseases
5. Which of the following is a micro-nutrient for plants?
   • a) Nitrogen b) Potassium c) Calcium d) Zinc
6. Growing sun hemp and ploughing it into the soil is a method of preparing:
   • a) Vermi-compost b) Green manure c) Chemical fertilizer d) Compost
7. The practice of growing two or more crops in a definite row pattern is called:
   • a) Mixed cropping b) Crop rotation c) Intercropping d) Mixed farming
8. Xanthium and Parthenium are examples of:
   • a) Insect pests b) Fungal diseases c) Weeds d) Pathogens
9. Fumigation is a process used for:
   • a) Irrigating fields b) Killing pests in stored grains c) Preparing green manure d) Breeding fish
10. Bos indicus and Bos bubalis are species of:
    • a) Poultry b) Fish c) Cattle d) Bees
11. The period of milk production after the birth of a calf is called the:
    • a) Gestation period b) Lactation period c) Incubation period d) Milking period
12. Aseel is an indigenous breed of:
    • a) Cow b) Buffalo c) Poultry d) Fish
13. For good growth rate, the feed for broiler chickens is rich in:
    • a) Fibre and water b) Protein and vitamins A & K c) Carbohydrates and fats d) Calcium and phosphorus
14. The practice of farming fish is known as:
    • a) Apiculture b) Mariculture c) Sericulture d) Culture fishery (Aquaculture)
15. Locating large schools of marine fish using satellites and echo-sounders is a method used in:
    • a) Culture fishery b) Capture fishing c) Inland fishery d) Composite fish culture
16. Which of these fish is a surface feeder in a composite fish culture pond?
    • a) Rohu b) Mrigal c) Common Carp d) Catla
17. The primary products obtained from bee-keeping are:
    • a) Silk and wax b) Honey and propolis c) Honey and wax d) Pollen and royal jelly
18. Apis mellifera is a variety of:
    • a) Rock bee b) Indian bee c) Little bee d) Italian bee
19. A farming system with minimal or no use of chemicals is called:
    • a) Integrated farming b) Organic farming c) Mixed farming d) High-cost farming
20. The White Revolution is associated with an increase in the production of:
    • a) Grains b) Fish c) Eggs d) Milk

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Essay Questions

1. Discuss the three major approaches to improving crop yields: crop variety improvement, crop production improvement, and crop protection management. Provide specific examples and methods for each approach as described in the source text.
2. Compare and contrast the use of manure and chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Elaborate on the benefits and drawbacks of each, and explain how organic farming offers a sustainable alternative.
3. Explain the different cropping patterns—mixed cropping, intercropping, and crop rotation. Describe how each pattern contributes to higher yields, risk reduction, and maintaining soil fertility.
4. What is animal husbandry? Using cattle farming as a detailed example, explain the key management practices related to breeding, shelter, feeding, and disease control for improving livestock production.
5. Describe the key differences and similarities between dairy farming and poultry farming. Discuss the management practices common to both, as well as the specific requirements for broilers versus layers in poultry.
6. Explain the concept of food security and its importance for a populous country like India. How do sustainable agricultural practices and increasing farmers’ incomes contribute to achieving food security?
7. Detail the various irrigation systems used in India. Why is irrigation so critical for Indian agriculture, and what modern initiatives are being taken to increase water availability for crops?
8. Describe the two main ways of obtaining fish: capture fishing and culture fishery. Differentiate between marine fisheries and inland fisheries, providing details on techniques like mariculture and composite fish culture.
9. Pests, weeds, and diseases pose a significant threat to crop production. Describe the various methods used for crop protection, weighing the pros and cons of chemical methods versus preventive and biological control methods.
10. Why is bee-keeping considered an important agricultural enterprise? Discuss the different bee varieties used for honey production, the desirable characteristics of commercial bees, and the role of pasturage in determining honey quality.

Answer Key for Short-Answer Questions

1. It is necessary to improve production efficiency because India is already intensively cultivated and has no major scope for increasing the area of land under cultivation. Therefore, to feed the growing population, higher yields must be obtained from the existing farmland.
2. The Green Revolution contributed to a massive increase in food-grain production. The White Revolution led to better and more efficient use and availability of milk.
3. Food security depends on both the availability of food and access to it. This means that not only must there be enough food produced, but people should also have the money to purchase it.
4. Kharif crops are grown in the rainy season (June-October), such as paddy. Rabi crops are grown in the winter season (November-April), such as wheat.
5. The three major groups of activities are crop variety improvement, crop production improvement, and crop protection management.
6. Hybridisation is the crossing between genetically dissimilar plants to incorporate desirable characters. Its three types are intervarietal (between varieties), interspecific (between species), and intergeneric (between genera).
7. Biotic stresses are caused by living organisms like diseases, insects, and nematodes. Abiotic stresses are caused by non-living environmental factors like drought, salinity, and heat.
8. Shorter maturity duration allows farmers to grow multiple rounds of crops in a single year. It also reduces the overall cost of crop production, making the variety more economical.
9. Macro-nutrients are essential nutrients required by plants in large quantities, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Micro-nutrients are nutrients required by plants in small quantities, such as iron and zinc.
10. Vermi-composting is a process where earthworms are used to hasten the decomposition of plant and animal refuse. It is faster than standard composting, which relies on the natural decomposition of farm waste in pits.
11. Continuous use of fertilizers can destroy soil fertility by harming microorganisms and not replenishing organic matter. Excess fertilizer can also get washed away by irrigation, leading to water pollution.
12. In areas where canal flow is insufficient or irregular, a River Lift System is used to draw water directly from rivers. This is done to supplement irrigation in areas close to the rivers.
13. In intercropping, different crops are grown in alternating rows. This pattern helps prevent pests and diseases from spreading easily to all the plants of a single crop in a field.
14. Crop rotation is the growing of different crops on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession. Its primary benefit is that if done properly, it helps maintain soil fertility and allows for multiple good harvests in a year.
15. Two preventive methods are the use of resistant crop varieties and summer ploughing. Summer ploughing involves ploughing fields deep in the summer to destroy weeds and pests.
16. Two biotic factors are insects and fungi. Two abiotic factors are inappropriate moisture and high temperatures in the storage place.
17. The two main purposes of cattle farming are milk production from milch animals and draught labour for agricultural work from draught animals.
18. Exotic breeds like Jersey have long lactation periods, while local breeds like Sahiwal have excellent disease resistance. Cross-breeding them produces an animal with both desired qualities: high milk yield and resilience to disease.
19. Roughage is animal feed that is largely fibre. Concentrates are low in fibre and contain high levels of proteins and other nutrients.
20. Broilers are raised for their meat and are fed a protein-rich diet for fast growth. Layers are raised for egg production, and their management focuses on maximizing egg output.
21. Mariculture is the farming of marine fish (like mullets and prawns) and shellfish in seawater. It is becoming important because as marine fish stocks get depleted, the demand for more fish can only be met by culture fisheries.
22. The system uses a combination of 5-6 fish species with different food habits in a single pond. Since the species do not compete for food (e.g., surface feeders, bottom feeders), all the available food in the pond is utilized, increasing the total fish yield.
23. Many fish used in composite culture breed only during the monsoon, leading to a lack of good-quality seed. Hormonal stimulation allows these fish to be bred in ponds, ensuring a supply of pure fish seed in desired quantities.
24. The Italian bee, Apis mellifera, is used for commercial honey production. Two desirable characteristics are its high honey collection capacity and the fact that it stings less.
25. Pasturage refers to the flowers available to bees for collecting nectar and pollen. The quality and type of pasturage directly determine the taste and quality of the honey produced.

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Answer Key for MCQs

1. c) Gram (chana)
2. b) Kharif crops
3. c) Interspecific hybridisation
4. c) Less nutrients are consumed by the crop
5. d) Zinc
6. b) Green manure
7. c) Intercropping
8. c) Weeds
9. b) Killing pests in stored grains
10. c) Cattle
11. b) Lactation period
12. c) Poultry
13. b) Protein and vitamins A & K
14. d) Culture fishery (Aquaculture)
15. b) Capture fishing
16. d) Catla
17. c) Honey and wax
18. d) Italian bee
19. b) Organic farming
20. d) Milk

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Answer Key for Essay Questions

(Note: These are summary answers. A full essay answer should be more detailed.)

1. The three approaches are: (1) Crop Variety Improvement, which uses techniques like hybridisation and genetic modification to develop varieties with higher yield, better quality, biotic/abiotic resistance, and desirable agronomic traits. (2) Crop Production Improvement, which involves managing nutrients (manure, fertilizers, organic farming), irrigation (wells, canals, water harvesting), and cropping patterns (mixed cropping, intercropping, crop rotation). (3) Crop Protection Management, which focuses on controlling weeds, pests, and diseases through pesticides, mechanical removal, and preventive methods like crop rotation and summer ploughing, as well as proper post-harvest storage.
2. Manures are organic, improve soil structure and fertility long-term, and recycle farm waste, but supply nutrients in small quantities. Fertilizers are chemical, provide specific nutrients (N, P, K) for high yields, but their overuse leads to water pollution and destroys soil fertility by harming microorganisms. Organic farming is a sustainable alternative that avoids chemicals, relying on manures, bio-agents, and healthy cropping systems to maintain soil health and produce food.
3. Mixed Cropping: Growing 2+ crops simultaneously without a pattern (e.g., wheat + gram). It reduces the risk of total crop failure. Intercropping: Growing 2+ crops in a definite pattern (e.g., rows of soyabean + maize). It maximizes nutrient use and prevents pest/disease spread. Crop Rotation: Growing different crops in pre-planned succession. This practice helps replenish soil nutrients and breaks pest cycles, maintaining long-term soil fertility and allowing for multiple good harvests per year.
4. Animal husbandry is the scientific management of livestock. In cattle farming, management includes: (1) Breeding: Cross-breeding local (disease-resistant) and exotic (high-yield) breeds to get animals with both desired traits. (2) Shelter: Providing clean, well-ventilated sheds with sloping floors. (3) Feeding: Supplying a balanced ration of roughage (fibre) and concentrates (protein/nutrients). (4) Disease Control: Managing internal and external parasites and preventing bacterial/viral diseases through regular cleaning, hygiene, and vaccinations.
5. Similarities: Both require good management practices in housing, hygiene, feeding, and disease control (vaccination). Both use cross-breeding (indigenous with exotic breeds) for variety improvement. Differences: Dairy farming is for milk, focusing on extending the lactation period. Poultry is for eggs (layers) and meat (broilers). Broilers need protein-rich feed for rapid growth, while layers have different nutritional needs for egg production. Their housing and environmental requirements also differ based on their purpose.
6. Food security means ensuring both availability of and access to food, which is vital for a large population to prevent malnutrition and hunger. Sustainable practices (like organic farming, crop rotation) ensure long-term food production without degrading the environment. Increasing farmers’ incomes is crucial because the majority of the population depends on agriculture; with more money, they have better access to food, thus directly combating hunger and improving food security.
7. Irrigation is critical because most Indian agriculture is rain-fed and vulnerable to unpredictable monsoons. Systems include Wells (dug/tube), Canals, River Lift Systems, and Tanks. Modern initiatives to increase water availability focus on conservation, such as rainwater harvesting and watershed management, which involves building check-dams to raise groundwater levels and reduce soil erosion.
8. Capture fishing involves harvesting fish from natural marine or inland resources using nets and boats, often guided by satellites. Culture fishery (aquaculture) is the controlled farming of fish. Marine fisheries operate in seas and oceans, including mariculture (farming marine species). Inland fisheries operate in freshwater (rivers, ponds) and brackish water, often using composite fish culture where multiple non-competing species are raised together to maximize yield from a single pond.
9. Threats include weeds (compete for nutrients), insect pests (damage plants), and diseases (caused by pathogens). Chemical methods (pesticides, herbicides) are common but can be toxic, cause pollution, and harm non-target species. Preventive and biological methods are preferred for sustainability. They include mechanical removal of weeds, using pest-resistant varieties, proper seed bed preparation, and using cropping patterns like intercropping and crop rotation to disrupt pest and weed cycles.
10. Bee-keeping is an important agricultural enterprise as it provides honey and beeswax with low investment, serving as an additional income source for farmers. Varieties include local bees (Apis cerana indica) and the commercially preferred Italian bee (Apis mellifera). Desirable traits of A. mellifera include high honey collection, less aggressive stinging, and good breeding capacity. The pasturage, or the flowers available for nectar collection, is crucial as it determines the taste, quality, and quantity of the honey produced.

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Glossary of Key Terms

• Abiotic Factors: Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems (e.g., moisture, temperature, salinity).
• Animal Husbandry: The scientific management of animal livestock, which includes aspects like feeding, breeding, and disease control.
• Apiary: A place where beehives of honey bees are kept; also known as a bee farm.
• Aquaculture: The farming of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms in marine or freshwater ecosystems.
• Biotic Factors: Living components of an ecosystem that affect other organisms (e.g., insects, rodents, fungi, bacteria).
• Broilers: Poultry birds raised specifically for meat production.
• Composite Fish Culture: A system of fish farming where a combination of five or six different fish species are grown together in a single fishpond.
• Compost: A nutrient-rich mixture of decomposed organic matter, such as farm waste and livestock excreta, used to fertilize and condition soil.
• Crop Rotation: The practice of growing different crops in a pre-planned succession on the same piece of land.
• Draught Animals: Animals used for farm labour, such as tilling, irrigation, and carting.
• Fertilizers: Commercially produced chemical substances containing plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Fumigation: A method of pest control that completely fills an area with gaseous pesticides—or fumigants—to suffocate or poison the pests within.
• Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs): Plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods.
• Green Manure: A type of cover crop grown primarily to be ploughed into the soil to enrich it with organic matter and nutrients.
• Green Revolution: A period of increased food-grain production through the use of high-yield crop varieties, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Hybridisation: The process of crossing between genetically dissimilar plants to produce offspring with desirable characteristics from both parents.
• Intercropping: The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern, such as in alternate rows.
• Kharif Crops: Crops that are sown in the rainy season, typically from June to October in India.
• Lactation Period: The period of milk production in a female mammal after giving birth.
• Layers: Poultry birds raised for the purpose of egg production.
• Macro-nutrients: Essential nutrients that plants require in relatively large quantities for their growth and development.
• Manure: Organic matter, derived from animal excreta and plant waste, used as agricultural fertilizer.
• Mariculture: A specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean or in tanks/ponds filled with seawater.
• Micro-nutrients: Essential nutrients that plants require in very small quantities (trace amounts) for their growth.
• Milch Animals: Milk-producing female animals, also known as dairy animals.
• Mixed Cropping: The practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land without a distinct row pattern.
• Organic Farming: A farming system that uses ecological principles and avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals.
• Pasturage: The flowers or plants available for bees to collect nectar and pollen, which determines the quality and taste of honey.
• Photoperiod: The duration of sunlight in a 24-hour period, which influences the growth and flowering of plants.
• Rabi Crops: Crops that are sown in the winter season, typically from November to April in India.
• Vermi-compost: The product of the composting process using various species of worms to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste.
• Weeds: Unwanted plants that grow in cultivated fields, competing with the main crop for resources.
• White Revolution: A program that led to a significant increase in milk production and availability in India.