CBSE - Improvement in Food Resources

→ Cereals provide us with carbohydrates. Also, they are a rich source of energy.
→ Pulses give us proteins.
→ Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. A small amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are also present in them.

Biotic factors such as pests, insects and diseases reduce the crop production. A pest causes damage to our crops by feeding. Weeds also reduce crop productivity by competing with the main crop for nutrients and light.
Similarly, abiotic factors such as temperature, wind, rain etc. affect the net crop production. For example droughts and floods have a great impact on crops sometimes, destroying the entire crop.

The desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvements are:
→ Tallness and profuse branching in any fodder crop.
→ Dwarfness in cereals.

Macro-nutrients are those nutrients which are required in large quantities for growth and development of plants. Since they are required in large quantities, they are known as macro-nutrient. The six macro-nutrients required by plants are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur.

Plants get nutrients from air, water, and soil. Soil is the major source of nutrients. Thirteen of these nutrients are available from soil. The remaining three nutrients (carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen) are obtained from air and water.

Manures increase soil fertility by enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients as it is prepared by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant wastes. On the other hand, fertilizers are mostly inorganic compounds whose excessive use is harmful to the symbiotic micro-organisms living in soil. Their excessive use also reduces soil fertility. Hence, fertilizers are considered good for only short term use.

Which of the following conditions will give the most benefits? Why?
(a) Farmers use high-quality seeds, do not adopt irrigation or use fertilizers.
(b) Farmers use ordinary seeds, adopt irrigation and use fertilizer.
(c) Farmers use quality seeds, adopt irrigation, use fertilizer and use crop protection measures.

Answer

(c)Farmers using good quality seeds, adopting irrigation, using fertilizers, and using crop protection measures will derive most benefits.
→ The use of good quality seeds increases the total crop production. If a farmer is using good quality seeds, then a majority of the seeds will germinate properly, and will grow into a healthy plant.
→ Proper irrigation methods improve the water availability to crops.
→ Fertilizers ensure healthy growth and development in plants by providing the essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.
→ Crop protection measures include various methods to control weeds, pests, and infectious agents. If all these necessary measures are taken by a farmer, then the overall production of crops will increase.

Preventive measures and biological control methods should be preferred for protecting crops because excessive use of chemicals leads to environmental problems. Biological methods cause harm neither to crop nor to the environment.

Factors causing loss of grains during storage:
→ Biotic Factors: Insects, rodents, fungi and bacteria etc.
→ Abiotic Factors: Moisture Content and Temprature etc.

Cross Breeding is commonly used for improving cattle breeds.Cross breeding between two good varieties of cattle will produce a new improved variety. For example, the cross between foreign breeds such as Jersey Brown, Swiss and Indian breeds such as Red Sindhi, Sahiwal produces a new variety having qualities of both breeds

Discuss the implications of the following statement:

"It is interesting to note that poultry is India's most efficient converter of low fibre food stuff (which is unfit for human consumption) into highly nutritious animal protein food."

Answer

Poultry in India is the most efficient converter of low fibre food stuff into highly nutritious animal protein food. In poultry farming, domestic fowls are raised to produce eggs and chicken. For this, the fowls are given animal feeds in the form of roughage, which mainly consists of fibres. Thus, by feeding animals a fibre rich diet, the poultry gives highly nutritious food in the form of eggs and chicken.

Common management practices in dairy and poultry farming are:
→ Proper shelter facilities and their regular cleaning.
→ Some basic hygienic conditions such as clean water, nutritious food, etc.
→ Animals are kept in spacious, airy, and ventilated place.
→ Prevention and cure of diseases at the right time is ensured.

Layers are meant for egg production, whereas broilers are meant for poultry meat. Nutritional, environmental, and housing conditions required by broilers are different from those required by egg layers. A broiler chicken, for their proper growth, requires vitamin rich supplements especially vitamin A and K. Also, their diet includes protein rich food and enough fat. They also require extra care and maintenance to increase their survival rate in comparison to egg layers.

Fish can be obtained by two ways:
→ Capture fishing: It is the process of obtaining fish from natural resources.
→ Culture fishery: It is the practice of farming fishes. Farming can be done in both freshwater ecosystem (which includes river water, pond water) and marine ecosystem.

Bee varieties having the following desirable characters are suitable for honey production:
→They should yield high quantity of honey.
→ They should not sting much.
→ They should stay in the beehive for long durations.
→ They should breed very well.

The advantages of composite fish culture are:

→ Fish can be grown in crop fields especially paddy.
→ Intensive Fish farming is possible because plenty of water is available during crop seasons.
→ In this system both local and imported fish species can be cultivated.

Pasturage is the availability of flowers from which bees collect nectar and pollen. It is related to the production of honey as it determines the taste and quantity of honey.

Inter cropping is a method of crop production which ensures high yield. It is a practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously. in the same field in rows. In inter cropping definite row patterns are followed such as one row of main crop of is followed by two row of intercrop.
In inter cropping there is greater utilisation of the interspaced area, light, nutrients, water and air. As a result productivity per unit area increased.

Manures and fertilizers are used in fields to enrich the soil with the required nutrients. Manure helps in enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients. This improves the fertility and structure of the soil. On the other hand, fertilizers ensure a healthy growth and development in plants. They are a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. To get an optimum yield, it is instructed to use a balanced combination of manures and fertilizers in the soil.

Inter-cropping and crop rotation both are used to get maximum benefit on limited land. Inter-cropping helps in preventing pests and diseases to spread throughout the field. It also increases soil fertility, whereas crop rotation prevents soil depletion, increases soil fertility, and reduces soil erosion. Both these methods reduce the need for fertilizers. It also helps in controlling weeds and controls the growth of pathogens and pests in crops.

Genetic manipulationis a process where the gene for a particular character is introduced inside the chromosome of a cell. When the gene for a particular character is introduced in a plant cell, a transgenic plant is produced. These transgenic plants exhibit characters governed by the newly introduced gene.
Genetic manipulation is useful in developing varities with Higher yield, Good Quality, Biotic and Abiotic resistance, short maturity period, wider adaptability and desirable agronomic characteristics

There are various biotic and abiotic factors that act on stored grains and result in degradation, poor germinability, discolouration, etc.

Biotic factors include insects or pests that cause direct damage by feeding on seeds. They also deteriorate and contaminate the grain, making it unfit for further consumption.

Abiotic factors such as temperature, light, moisture, etc., also affect the seed. They decrease the germinating ability of the seeds and make them unfit for future use by farmers. Unpredictable occurrence of natural calamities such as droughts and floods also causes destruction of crops.

Cattle farming is one of the methods of animal husbandry that is most beneficial for farmers. Using this method, better breeds of draught animals can be produced. Such draught animals are engaged in agricultural fields for labour work such as carting, irrigation, tilling, etc.

Benefits of cattle farming:
→ Good quality and quantity of milk can be produced.
→ Draught labour animals can be produced for agricultural work.
→ New variety that are resistant to diseases can be produced by crossing two varieties with the desired traits.

The common factor for increasing production in poultry, fisheries, and bee keeping is the proper management techniques that are to be followed. Regular cleaning of farms is of utmost importance. Maintenance of temperature and prevention and cure of diseases is also required to increase the number of animals.

→ Capture fishing the method of obtaining fishes from natural resources

→ Mariculture is the culture of marine fishes for commercial use.

→ Aquaculture involves the production of aquatic animals that are of high economic value such as prawns, lobsters, fishes, crabs, etc.

1. Which one is an oil yielding plant among the following?
(a) Lentil
(b) Sunflower
(c) Cauliflower
(d) Hibiscus
Ans. (b) Sunflower
Explanation: Lentils are pulse-yielding. Cauliflower is a vegetable and hibiscus is a flower. Seeds of sunflower are used for extracting oil. 

2. Which one is not a source of carbohydrate?
(a) Rice
(b) Millets
(c) Sorghum
(d) Gram
Ans. (d) Gram
Explanation: Gram is a source of protein.

3. Find out the wrong statement from the following
(a) White revolution is meant for increase in milk production
(b) Blue revolution is meant for increase in fish production
(c) Increasing food production without compromising with environmental quality is called as sustainable agriculture
(d) None of the above
Ans. (d) None of the above
Explanation: All the three statements are correct.

4. To solve the food problem of the country, which among the following is necessary?
(a) Increased production and storage of food grains
(b) Easy access of people to the food grain
(c) People should have money to purchase the grains
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d) All of the above
Explanation: Production of food, access to food and affordability are the three main criteria for ensuring food security.

5. Find out the correct sentence
(i) Hybridisation means crossing between genetically dissimilar plants
(ii) Cross between two varieties is called as inter specific hybridisation
(iii) Introducing genes of desired character into a plant gives genetically modified crop
(iv) Cross between plants of two species is called as inter varietal hybridisation
(a) (i) and (iii) 
(b) (ii) and (iv)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv)
Ans. (a) (i) and (iii)
Explanation: Definition in option (ii) is of inter varietal hybridisation and definition in (iv) is of inter specific hybridistion.

6. Weeds affect the crop plants by
(a) killing of plants in field before they grow
(b) dominating the plants to grow
(c) competing for various resources of crops (plants) causing low availability of
nutrients
(d) all of the above.
Ans. (c) competing for various resources of crops (plants) causing low availability of nutrients 
Explanation: Some weeds may be poisonous for animals but they do not harm crops in direct way. Weeds create problems because they compete for various resources; like sunlight, air, water and nutrients.

7. Which one of the following species of honey bee is an Italian species?
(a) Apis dorsata
(b) Apis florae
(c) Apis cerana indica
(d) Apis mellifera
Ans. (d) Apis mellifera

8. Find out the correct sentence about manure
(i) Manure contains large quantities of organic matter and small quantities of nutrients.
(ii) It increases the water holding capacity of sandy soil.
(iii) It helps in draining out of excess of water from clayey soil.
(iv) Its excessive use pollutes environment because it is made of animal excretory waste.
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv)
Ans. (b) (i) and (ii)
Explanation: Manure improves water holding capacity of soil and thus option ‘iii’ is incorrect. Manure is environment friendly and hence option ‘iv’ is incorrect.

9. Cattle husbandry is done for the following purposes
(i) Milk Production
(ii) Agricultural work
(iii) Meat production
(iv) Egg production
(a) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(b) (ii), (iii) and (iv) 
(c) (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (iv)
Ans. (a) (i), (ii) and (iii)
Explanation: Cattle do not give eggs and hence (iv) is wrong.

10. Which of the following are Indian cattle?
(i) Bos indicus
(ii) Bos domestica
(iii) Bos bubalis
(iv) Bos vulgaris
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv)
Ans. (a) (i) and (iii)
Explanation: Domestica or vulgaris are not among the species of Genus Bos.

11. Which of the following are exotic breeds?
(i) Brawn
(ii) Jersey
(iii) Brown Swiss
(iv) Jersey Swiss
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (i) and (iv)
(d) (ii) and (iv)
Ans. (b) (ii) and (iii)

12. Poultry farming is undertaken to raise following
(i) Egg production
(ii) Feather production
(iii) Chicken meat
(iv) Milk production
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv)
Ans. (a) (i) and (iii)
Explanation: Chickens do not give milk, so (iv) is wrong. Feather of many birds are used for different purpose and hence (ii) is wrong.

13. Poultry fowl are susceptible to the following pathogens
(a) Viruses
(b) Bacteria
(c) Fungi 
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d) All of the above
Explanation: Viruses, bacteria and fungi; all are agents of infectious diseases.

14. Which one of the following fishes is a surface feeder?
(a) Rohus
(b) Mrigals
(c) Common carps
(d) Catlas
Ans. (d) Catlas

15. Animal husbandry is the scientific management of
(i) animal breeding
(ii) culture of animals
(iii) animal livestock
(iv) rearing of animals
(a) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(b) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(c) (i), (ii) and (iv)
(d) (i), (iii) and (iv)
Ans. (d) (i), (iii) and (iv)
Explanation: Tissue culture does not come under breeding programme, so (ii) wrong.

16. Which one of the following nutrients is not available in fertilizers?
(a) Nitrogen
(b) Phosphorus
(c) Iron
(d) Potassium
Ans. (c) Iron
Explanation: Iron is taken by plants from soil only and no fertilizer is available to supply iron to plants.

17. Preventive and control measures adopted for the storage of grains include
(a) strict cleaning
(b) proper disjoining
(c) fumigation
(d) all of the above
Ans. (d) all of the above
 

Column A	Column B
a. Catla	i . Bottom Feeders
b. Rohu	ii. surface feeders
c. Mrigal	iii. Middle zone feeders
d. Fish farming	iv . culture fishery

Ans. (a)� (ii) (b)� (iii) (c)� (i) (d)� (iv)

(a) Pigeon pea is a good source of __________.
Ans. protein
(b) Berseem is an important __________ crop.
Ans. fodder
(c) The crops which are grown in rainy season are called __________ crops.
Ans. Kharif
(d) __________ are rich in vitamins.
Ans. vegetables
(f) __________ crop grows in winter season.
Ans. Rabi

Crop which has been developed by introducing a new gene from any other source, to obtain the desired character, is called as genetically modified (GM) crop. But Cotton is an example of GM crop which is made insect resistant by introducing a new gene from a bacteria

Useful traits of improved crops are
(a) higher yield
(b) improved nutritional quality
(c) resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses
(d) change in maturity
(e) wide range of adaptability
(f) desired agronomic characteristics. 

Organic matter is important for crops because
(a) it helps in improving soil structure.
(b) it helps in increasing water holding capacity of sandy soil.
(c) in clayey soil large quantity of organic matter helps in drainage and in avoiding water logging

Excess use of fertilizers causes environmental pollution as their residual and unused amounts will become pollutants for air, water and soil.

(a) Farming without the use of chemicals as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is
known as __________.
Ans. organic farming.
(b) Growing of wheat and groundnut on the same field is called as __________.
Ans. mixed cropping.
(c) Planting soyabean and maize in alternate rows in the same field is called as __________.
Ans. inter cropping.
(d) Growing different crops on a piece of land in pre-planned succession is known as
__________.
Ans. crop rotation.
(e) Xanthium and Parthenium are commonly known as __________.
Ans. weeds.
(f) Causal organism of any disease is called as __________.
Ans. pathogen

Column A	Column B
a. Cattle used for tiling and carting	i . Milk Producing Female
b. Indian breed of chickens	ii. Broilers
c. Sahiwal , Red Sindhi	iii. Drought Animals
d. Milch	iv . Local breed of cattles
e. chicken better fed for obtaining meat	v. aseel

Ans. (a)�(iii) (b)�(v) (c)�(iv) (d)�(i) (e)�(ii)

Farmers of low rainfall area will be suggested to
(a) practice farming with drought resistant and early maturing varieties of crops.
(b) to enrich the soil with more humus content as it increases the water holding capacity and retains water for longer duration.

Wheat, rice, berseem, maize, gram, oat, pigeon gram, sudan grass, lentil, soyabean, groundnut, castor and mustard.
(1) Energy yielding— wheat, rice, maize
(2) Protein yielding— gram, pigeon gram, lentil, soybean
(3) Oil yielding— groundnut, castor, mustard, soybean
(4) Fodder crops— barseem, oat, sudan grass

Hybridization— Hybridization refers to crossing between genetically dissimilar organisms.

Photoperiod— Duration of sunlight available to the plant is called as photoperiod. It affects the growth, flowering and maturation of crops.

(a) Photoperiod affect the __________.
Ans. Flowering of plants
(b) Kharif crops are cultivated from __________ to __________.
Ans. June to October
(c) Rabi crops are cultivated from __________ to __________.
Ans. November to April
(d) Paddy, maize, green gram and black gram are __________ crops.
Ans. Kharif
(e) Wheat, gram, pea, mustard are __________ crops.
Ans. Rabi

Different crops and cultivation practices require different climatic conditions, temperature, photoperiod for their growth and completion of life cycle. There are some crops which are grown in rainy season (Kharif crops) while some others are grown during winter season (Rabi crops).

(a) A total of __________ nutrients are essential to plants.
Ans. 16.
(b) __________ and __________ are supplied by air to plants.
Ans. Carbon and Oxygen.
(c) __________ is supplied by water to plants.
Ans. Hydrogen.
(d) Soil supply __________ nutrients to plants.
Ans. 13.
(e) __________ nutrients are required in large quantity and called as __________.
Ans. Six, macronutrients.
(f) __________ nutrients are needed in small quantity for plants and are called __________.
Ans. seven, micronutrients

Compost— Compost formation is the process in which farm waste materials like livestock excreta, vegetable wastes, animal refuse, domestic waste, straw, eradicated weeds are decomposed and used as manure.

Vermicompost— The compost prepared from organic matter by using earthworm which hastens the process of decomposition.

(a) Green plants are decomposed in soil.
(b) Green plants are cultivated for preparing manure or crop plant parts are used.
(c) Plants are ploughed and mixed into the soil.
(d) After decomposition it becomes green manure.

Ans. (b) →(c) →(a) →(d)

Merits of Italian bee variety A. mellifera are—
(a) It stings less.
(b) It has high honey collection capacity.
(c) It stays in given bee-hive for long periods and breeds very well.

In agricultural practices, higher input gives higher yield. This means higher money input to raise the yield. Financial conditions of the farmers allows them to take up different farming practices and technologies. The farmer’s purchasing capacity for input decides cropping system and production practices.

Hybridisation refers to crossing between genetically dissimilar plants. It may be inter varietel, inter specific and inter generic. Two crops of good characters (desired character) are selected and crossed to obtain a new crop having desired characters of parental crops. This method of hybridisation improves crops with respect to yield, disease resistance, pest resistance etc.

(a) Vermicompost— Compost is a kind of manure which is rich in organic matter and nutrients. The compost prepared by using earthworms to hasten the process of decomposition of plants and animals refuse is called as Vermicompost.

(b) Green manure— The manure which is prepared by decomposing green plants in field itself is called green manure. For example — sun hemp is grown in fields, mulched by ploughing and allowed to decompose in field for the preparation of green manure.

(c) Bio fertilizer— Living organisms which are used as fertilizer to supply the nutrients to plants, are called as biofertilizers. For example, blue green algae, which fix nitrogen in soil, rice fields, are called as biofertilizer

Various modes of weed control are
(a) mechanical removal
(b) proper seed bed preparation to avoid the weed growth
(c) timely sowing of crop to avoid the growth of weed.
(d) intercropping and crop rotation also help in weed control.

Differentiate between the following
(i) Capture fishery and Culture fishery
(ii) Mixed cropping and Inter cropping
(iii) Bee keeping and Poultry farming

Ans. (a) Capture fishery is the method of obtaining fish from natural resources while culture fishery is the method of obtaining fish by fish farming.
(b) Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land; while intercropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern. i.e., in different rows.
(c) Bee keeping is the practice to rear the honey bee for obtaining honey; while poultry farming is the practice to raise the domestic fowl for egg and meat production. 

Demerits (i) threat to bio-diversity (ii) only economically important and valued fishes will be cultured.

Merits (i) large amount of desired fishes can be obtained in small area (ii) improvement can be done.

Composite fish culture is the method to culture five or six species, both indegenous and exotic, together in a single fish pond. These species are selected so that they do not compete for food among themselves having different types of food habits. As a result food available in all the parts of the pond is used. For example— Catlas are surface feeders, Rohu is middle zone feeder and Mrigals and common carps are bottom feeders.

Bees need nectar to make honey. A good pasturage con provided plenty of flowers with good quality nectar. This will help the bees in making good quality honey; in larger quantity. Thus, a good pasturage will help in improving honey yield. Moreover, if bees are confined in order to utilize nectar only from a particular variety of flower, the taste, colour and consistency of honey will be entirely unique. Many beekeepers make honey prepared from nectar from a particular variety of flower only

Following are the different modes by which insect pests affect the crop yield.
(i) Cutting: Some insect pests cut different plant parts; like leaves, fruits and flowers. Thus, they damage the plant. Damaged leaves would result in lower rate of photosynthesis. Damaged flowers will result in less production of seeds.

(ii) Borers: Some pests make a burrow in a plant part and live inside. There can be stem borers or fruit borers. These pests utilize resources from plants.
(iii) Suckers: Some pests use their proboscis to suck cell sap from plant parts.

Pesticides are used in very accurate concentration and in a very appropriate manner, because if used in excess it
(a) harms the soil and causes loss of fertility
(b) checks the replenishment of organic matter
(c) kills the micro-organism of soil
(d) causes air, water and soil pollution

Two types of animal feed are as follows:

Roughage: Roughage makes the bulk of animal feed. Roughage helps the animal in getting satiated. Roughage also helps in proper digestion of food. Roughage is provided by husk and hay and also by grass and chopped leaves.

Concentrates: Concentrates are rich in proteins and minerals. Concentrate are specially prepared according to the requirement of a particular cattle. Concentrates are also available in market.

Maintenance of temperature is needed for better egg production by poultry birds. Therefore, larger size (increase in surface area of body) and no adaptability of summer may cause decline in egg production. To obtain the smaller size and higher summer adaptability, cross breeding of poultry birds are done. Small size is also needed for better housing and low feed.

Some preventive measures of poultry bird diseases are
(a) cleaning of poultry farms
(b) proper sanitation of poultry farms
(c) spraying of disinfectants at regular intervals
(d) appropriate vaccination of birds.

(i) Why does plot B show sudden increase and then gradual decrease in yield?
Ans. With addition of chemical fertilizer there is sudden increase in yield due to release of nutrients N,P,K etc in high quantity. The gradual decline in the graph may be due to continuous use and high quantity of chemicals which kills microbes useful for replenishing the organic matter in the soil. This decreases the soil fertility.

(ii) Why is the highest peak in plot A graph slightly delayed?
Ans. Manures supply small quantities of nutrients to the soil slowly as it contains large amounts of organic matter [Hint: importance of organic matter can be included]. It enriches soil with nutrients thereby increasing soil fertility continuously.

(iii) What is the reason for the different pattern of the two graphs?

Ans. The difference in the two graphs indicate that use of manure is beneficial for long duration in cropping as the yield tends to remain high when the quantity of manure increases.
In case of Plot B the chemical fertilizers may cause various problems when used continuously for long time. Loss of microbial activity reduces decomposition of organic matter and as a result soil fertility is lost that affects the yield.