Describe Crop production management.

1.	Describe Crop production management.
Answer» It is the protection of crops that are growing or have been harvested. Nutrient management, irrigation and cropping patterns can help improve crop production. Nutrient management: Nutrients are supplied to plants by air, water and soil. Nutrients required by the plant are classified into macronutrients and micronutrients. Air supplies carbon and oxygen. Water supplies hydrogen and oxygen. Soil supplies the remaining 13 nutrients to plants. Deficiency of these nutrients affects physiological processes in plants including reproduction, growth and susceptibility to diseases. To increase the yield the soil can be enriched by supplying these nutrients in the form of manure and fertilizers. Manure Manure is produced naturally by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant waste. It contains organic matter, and thus, improves the water-holding capacity in sandy soils, and prevents water logging in clayey soils. Compost is prepared by decomposing farm waste, vegetable waste, domestic waste and sewage waste in pits by the process of composting. Vermicompost is prepared by using earthworms to hasten the decomposition of plant and animal waste by the process of vermi-composting. Green manure is provided to the plants by ploughing plants rich in nitrogen and phosphorous into the soil before sowing seeds. Fertilizers Fertilizers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They are used to ensure good vegetative growth, giving rise to healthy plants. Fertilizers are a factor in the higher yields of high cost farming. Organic farming is a farming system with minimal or no use of chemicals as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc. and with a maximum input of organic manures, recycled farm wastes and use of bio agents. Irrigation Ensuring that the crops get water at the right stages during their growing season can increase the expected yields of any crop. Irrigation is done by both traditional methods and modern methods. Irrigation systems are adopted to supply water to agricultural lands depending on the kinds of water resources available. Different sources of water are rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, tanks, dams, ground water etc. Cropping pattern Different cropping patterns are mixed cropping, inter-cropping and crop rotation. Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. e.g. wheat and gram, or groundnut and sunflower. Inter-cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field with some rows of one crop alternating with some rows of second crop, like soya bean and maize. Crop rotation is growing two or three different crops in a year on a piece of land. e.g. cereals alternating with legumes.

Answer»

It is the protection of crops that are growing or have been harvested. Nutrient management, irrigation and cropping patterns can help improve crop production.

Nutrient management:

Nutrients are supplied to plants by air, water and soil. Nutrients required by the plant are classified into macronutrients and micronutrients. Air supplies carbon and oxygen. Water supplies hydrogen and oxygen. Soil supplies the remaining 13 nutrients to plants. Deficiency of these nutrients affects physiological processes in plants including reproduction, growth and susceptibility to diseases. To increase the yield the soil can be enriched by supplying these nutrients in the form of manure and fertilizers.

Manure

Manure is produced naturally by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant waste. It contains organic matter, and thus, improves the water-holding capacity in sandy soils, and prevents water logging in clayey soils. Compost is prepared by decomposing farm waste, vegetable waste, domestic waste and sewage waste in pits by the process of composting. Vermicompost is prepared by using earthworms to hasten the decomposition of plant and animal waste by the process of vermi-composting. Green manure is provided to the plants by ploughing plants rich in nitrogen and phosphorous into the soil before sowing seeds.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They are used to ensure good vegetative growth, giving rise to healthy plants. Fertilizers are a factor in the higher yields of high cost farming. Organic farming is a farming system with minimal or no use of chemicals as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides etc. and with a maximum input of organic manures, recycled farm wastes and use of bio agents.

Irrigation

Ensuring that the crops get water at the right stages during their growing season can increase the expected yields of any crop. Irrigation is done by both traditional methods and modern methods. Irrigation systems are adopted to supply water to agricultural lands depending on the kinds of water resources available. Different sources of water are rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, tanks, dams, ground water etc.

Cropping pattern

Different cropping patterns are mixed cropping, inter-cropping and crop rotation. Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. e.g. wheat and gram, or groundnut and sunflower. Inter-cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field with some rows of one crop alternating with some rows of second crop, like soya bean and maize. Crop rotation is growing two or three different crops in a year on a piece of land. e.g. cereals alternating with legumes.