1. CHAPTER 15 IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD RESOURCES PART -1 CLASS 9

2. 5 WHAT WE ARE GOING TO LEARN 1.WHY IMPROVEMENT? 2.WHAT TO BE DONE? 3.WHAT HAS BEEN DONE 4.WHATNEEDS TO BE DONE 5.CROPS AND CROPPING SEASONS 4 3 2 1

4. WHAT IS THE NEED FOR IMPROVING OUR FOOD RESOURCES? THERE IS A NEED TO INTRODUCE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF CROPS AND LIVESTOCK BECAUSE- RAPID INCREASE IN POPULATION (4 TIMES SINCE INDEPENDENCE) NO MAJOR SCOPE OF INCREASING AREA OF LAND UNDER CULTIVATION(ONLY 25% INCREASE IN CULTIVABLE LAND AREA)

5. NEED TO IMPROVE

6. MAJOR ADVANCEMENTS FOR INCREASE IN FOOD PRODUCTION IN OUR COUNTRY THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ADVANCEMENTS IN OUR COUNTRY TO INCREASING OUR FOOD PRODUCTION. GREEN REVOLUTION – INCREASE IN CROP YIELD, VARIETY AND QUALITY. WHITE REVOLUTION – INCREASE IN MILK PRODUCTION (OPERATION FLOOD) BLUE REVOLUTION – INCREASE IN FISH PRODUCTION YELLOW REVOLUTION – INCREASE IN OIL SEED PRODUCTION

7. TYPES OF CROPS GROWN IN OUR COUNTRY (CROPS THAT ARE SOURCES FOR VARIOUS IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS) 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 FOR BODY DEVELOPMENT OILSEEDS: SOYA BEAN, GROUND NUT, SESAME, CASTOR, MUSTARD, LINSEED AND SUN FLOWER. PROVIDE NECESSARY FATS. VEGETABLES, SPICES AND FRUITS PROVIDE VITAMINS AND MINERALS FOR BODY FUNCTIONING. FODDER CROPS LIKE BERSEEM, OATS OR SUDAN GRASS ARE RAISED AS FOOD FOR THE LIVESTOCK(CATTLE AND POUTRY)

8. CROPPING SEASONS IN INDIA 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. KHARIF CROPS: PADDY, SOYA BEAN, PIGEON PEA, COTTON, GREEN GRAM ETC. CROPS WHICH GROWN IN WINTER SEASON ARE CALLED RABI CROPS. RABI CROPS: WHEAT, GRAM, PEAS, MUSTARD, LINSEED ETC.

9. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KHARIF-RABI CROPS Kharif cropRabi crop 1. Sown in the months of june- july.1. Sown in the months of October- November. 2. Crops grow in hot and wet conditions2. Crops grow in cold and dry conditions. 3. Crops are harvested during September- October. 3. Crops are harvested during march april

10. HOW CAN IT BE DONE? – BY EMPLOYING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES! Q: WHAT ARE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES? INCREASE IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT QUALITY, WITHOUT DEGRADING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND DISTURBING THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IS REQUIRED IN AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY.

12. STRATEGIES OR PRACTICES WE USE TO IMPROVE OUR EXISTING FOOD RESOURCES IMPROVING CROP YIELD THE PRACTICES INVOLVED IN FARMING TO IMPROVE OUR YIELD ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE STAGES. THEY ARE a)APPROPRIATE CHOICE OF SEEDS FOR PLANTING. b)IMPROVING 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

13. REVIEW QUESTIONS  WHY IS IMPROVEMENT IN OUR FOOD RESOURCES ESSENTIAL?  DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN KHARIF AND RABI CROPS, GIVING EXAMPLES.  WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NUTRIENTS REQUIRED IN OUR DIET?

14. Do you know ? Operation Flood is a project of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) which was the world's biggest dairy development program which made India, a milk-sufficient nation, the largest milk producer in the world, surpassing the USA in 1998.National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Verghese Kurien ( Known as the Milkman of India) created a Co-operative society where he employed Rural Women. He created the Brand Amul!

15. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO LEARN? HOW CROP VARIETIES CAN BE IMPROVED? WHAT ARE THE FACTORS AGAINST WHICH VARIETY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED? WHAT ARE THE TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE CROP VARIETY? – HYBRIDIZATION AND GENE MANIPULATION HOW THE CROPS ARE PROVIDED WITH NUTRITION TO GIVE A BETTER YIELD? MANURE AND FERTILIZERS. 1 4 2 3

16. CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT Q: WHAT IS CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE OUR CROP YIELD AND QUALITY? CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT DEPENDS ON FINDING A CROP THAT CAN GIVE A GOOD YIELD. SUCH VARIETIES ARE SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN TO GIVE BETTER YIELD EVEN IN MANY ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. SOME OF THE FACTORS FOR WHICH VARIETY IMPROVEMENT IS DONE ARE: a)HIGHER YIELD: FOR INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY PER ACRE OF LAND. b)IMPROVED QUALITY: QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS VARY FROM CROP TO CROP AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS. c)BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC RESISTANCE: CROPS SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT RESISTANCE TO BIOTIC FACTORS (LIVING -DISEASES, INSECTS AND NEMATODES) AND ABIOTIC STRESSES (NON-LIVING - HEAT, COLD, FROST ETC.) d)CHANGE IN MATURITY DURATION: THE SHORTER THE DURATION, THE MORE ECONOMICAL IS THE VARIETY. e)WIDER ADAPTABILITY: IT CAN BE GROWN IN DIFFERENT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. f)DESIRABLE AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS: SPECIAL TRAITS THAT ARE DESIRED. TALLNESS AND PROFUSE BRANCHING FOR FODDER CROPS. DWARFNESS IS DESIRED FOR CEREALS.

17. TECHNIQUES OF CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT CAN BE ACHIEVED BY TWO METHODS; HYBRIDISATION AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS. HYBRIDISATION: IN GENETICS, HYBRIDISATION IS THE PROCESS OF COMBINING DIFFERENT VARIETIES OR SPECIES OF ORGANISMS WHICH ARE GENETICALLY DISSIMILAR TO CREATE A HYBRID. THE HYBRID SO OBTAINED, WILL HAVE DESIRED QUALITIES OF BOTH THE PARENT VARIETIES. IT CAN BE INTER VARIETAL(BETWEEN DIFFERENT VARIETIES), INTER SPECIFIC, (BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPECIES), INTERGENERIC (BETWEEN DIFFERENT GENUS) GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS: THE CROP IS IMPROVED BY INTRODUCING A GENE THAT WOULD PROVIDE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS. BT GENE OBTAINED FROM BACTERIA, INTRODUCED INTO COTTON PLANT, PROVIDES PEST RESISTANCE AGAINST BALL WORM. THIS SAVES THE COTTON CROP FROM DAMAGE. THE COTTON SO OBTAINED IS CALLED “BT COTTON”

18. CROP PRODUCTION (PROVIDING NUTRITION TO THE IMPROVED VARIETY) IT INVOLVES DIFFERENT PRACTICES CARRIED OUT BY FARMER TO ACHIEVE HIGHER STANDARDS OF CROP PRODUCTION. ALSO TO OBTAIN HIGHER YIELD AND QUALITY, APPROPRIATE NUTRITION MUST BE PROVIDED. IT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING: a)NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT (MANURE, FERTILIZERS AND ORGANIC FARMING) b)IRRIGATION c)CROPPING PATTERN

19. 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).

20. METHODS INVOLVED IN ENRICHING THE SOIL TO INCREASE THE YIELD MANURE: IT IS DEFINED AS THE DECOMPOSITION OF ANIMAL EXCRETA AND PLANT WASTE. 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 INCREASED. 4. HELPS IN IMPROVING SOIL TEXTURE. 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 REMAINS 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.

21. FERTILIZERS: THESE ARE PRODUCED COMMERCIALLY FROM CHEMICALS RICH IN NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM. ADVANTAGE: THEY HELP IN GOOD VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND PRODUCE HEALTHY AND COMMERCIALLY VIABLE PLANTS. DISADVANTAGES OF FERTILIZERS: 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 FERTILIZERS. 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.

24. REVIEW QUESTIONS  WHAT ARE THE FACTORS AGAINST WHICH CROP VARIETIES NEED TO BE IMPROVED?  WHAT IS HYBRIDISATION? WHAT ARE ITS ADVANTAGES?  HOW IS GENE MANIPULATION BENEFICIAL TO THE CROP? SUGGEST SUITABLE EXAMPLE.  WHY IS THE USE OF FERTILIZERS DISCOURAGED?  WHAT ARE THE PRACTICES UTILIZED BY A FARMER THAT ARE COLLECTIVELY CALLED “ORGANIC FARMING”?

25. The BT Brinjal Controvery in India