CBSE Class 9 Science Improvement in Food Resources assignment Set C

KEY CONCEPTS

1. Food Resources: Cereals (Wheat, rice, maize, millets and sorghum) provide us carbohydrates; Pulses (Grams, pea and lentil) provide us proteins; Oil seeds (Soya bean, ground nut, sesame, and castor) provide us fats; Vegetables, spices and fruits provide us a range of minerals, nucleic acids and vitamins. In addition to these food crops, fodder crops like berseem, oats or sudan grass are raised as food for the livestock are called as fodder crops.

2. The Kharif crops: The crops grown in rainy season are called as Kharif crops (Paddy, Soya bean, pigeon pea and maize). They are grown from June to October.

3. The Rabi crops: The crops grown in winter season are called Rabi crops (Wheat, gram, peas, and mustard). They are grown November to April.

Compare Kharif crops and Rabi crops:

4. The Green Revolution: Food supplies are generally as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, nucleic acids and vitamins in all living organisms. Indian population is growing enormously. Green Revolution is the need of the hour to increase food-grain production.

5. Sustainable Practices: For sustained livelihood, one should undertake mixed farming, intercropping, and integrated farming practices, for example, combining agriculture with livestock/ poultry/ fisheries/bee-keeping. The major group of activities for improving crop yield can be classified as: Crop varietal improvement, Crop production improvement, Crop protection improvement

6. The Crop varietal improvement: a) Hybridization: It refers to crossing between genetically dissimilar plants;It is all to get higher yield, improved quality, biotic and abiotic resistance, change in maturity duration, wider adaptability and desirable agronomic characteristics.

7.The Crop production improvement: They include” no cost production”,” low cost production” or “high cost production” practices.

a) Nutrients( Sixteen elements are required for growth are called as essential elements Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen+ Macronutrients & Micronutrients. They increase the yield):

b)Manure & Fertilizers:

3. Irrigation: India has variety of water resources: Wells, canals, river lift system, tanks, rainwater harvesting, water shedding management to increase in ground water levels and to check the water flowing away to the sea. Planning to reduce soil erosion.

4. Cropping patterns:

8. Crop protection improvement/ management: Field crops are infested by large number of weeds, insects pests, diseases & storage of grains

Animal Husbandry: It is a scientific management of animal livestock, includes feeding, breeding and diseases control. Animal-based farming includes cattle farming, Poultry farming, fish farming, and bee Keeping.

Very Short answer Type Question

Question. In what way broilers, feed is different from layers?
Answer: Broilers, feed is protein rich with adequate fat. The level of vitamins A and K is kept high in the poultry feeds.

Question. What is Pisciculture?
Answer: The production and management of fish is called Pisciculture.

Question. Mention any two advantages of using Italian bee variety in honey production.
Answer: The Italian bees have high honey collection capacity. They sting somewhat less. They stay in a given beehive for long periods and breed very well.

Question. What are macro-nutrients?
Answer: The nutrients required by plants in larger quantity is called macro-nutrients. They are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur.

Question. Is breeding and rearing of Bombay duck part of poultry farming or a part of pisciculture?
Answer: It is a part of pisciculture as Bombay duck is fish not a duck.

Question. What type of shelter is provided to broiler and layers?
Answer: Broilers do not require much space and lighting.

Question. Define hybridisation.
Answer: Hybridisation refers to crossing between genetically dissimilar plants, to obtain better variety of crops.

Question. What are genetically modified crops?
Answer: A gene with required characters can introduce into a crop for its improvement is called genetically modified crop.

Question. Name two exotic breeds of cattle.
Answer: Jersey and Brown Swiss

Question. What are weeds? Give example.
Answer: Unwanted plants growing with main crops are called weeds. Example : Xanthium, Parthenium, Cyperinus Rotundus.

Question. State one importance of photoperiod in agriculture.
Answer: Photoperiod in agriculture provide adequate light for flowering.

Question. Which one broilers or layers mature earlier?
Answer: Broilers have fast growth rate.

Question. Define animal husbandry.
Answer: Animal husbandry is the management and care of farm animals by humans for profit.

Question. Distinguish between a mullet and a prawn.
Answer: Mullet is a type of fish while prawn is a crustacean. Both live in water and serve as a food supplement worldwide. Prawn belongs to group arthropoda whereas mullet belongs to group Pisces.

Question. Give technical term for milk producing females and farm labour animals.
Answer: Milk-producing females are called milch animals (dairy animals), while the ones used for farm labour are called draught animals.

Question. How do plants get nutrients?
Answer: Nutrients are supplied to plants by air, water and soil. Air supplies carbon and oxygen, hydrogen comes from water and soil supplies the other thirteen nutrients to plants.

Question. Mention the components of food present in vegetable and fruits.
Answer: Vegetables, spices and fruits provide a range of vitamins and minerals in addition to small amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Question. What causes disease in plants?
Answer: It is caused by pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Question. What are the harmful effects of fertilizer?
Answer: Continuous use of fertilizer can cause of soil and water pollution and also destroy soil fertility.

Question. How does Bombay duck differ from common carp?
Answer: Bombay duck is a marine fish, while common carp is a freshwater fish.

Question. Name the nutrients that plant obtains from air and water.
Answer: Air – Carbon and oxygen
Water – Hydrogen and oxygen

Question. Organism which enriches the soil with nutrients is called biofertilizers.
(a) Write its advantage. (b) Give example.
Answer: (a) Biofertilizers are non-pollutant sources of plant nutrients. They are renewable.
(b) Example of biofertilizers are- Rhizobium, Blue green algae.

Question. Write four methods of weed control.
Answer: Spraying weedicide, mechanical removal, sowing of crops, intercropping and crop rotation also help in weed-control.

Question. State one demerit with composite fish culture system.
Answer: Fish breed only during monsoon and lack of availability of good quality seeds.

Question. How does deficiency of nutrients affect the crop?
Answer: Physiological processes can be affected by deficiency of any nutrient in plants including reproduction, growth and susceptibility to diseases.

Question. Why there is necessity of animal husbandry?
Answer: To fulfil growing demand for milk, eggs and meat and providing self employment livestock production is needed.

Question. Name two rabi crops.
Answer: Wheat and gram.

Question. Name two types of food required for milch animals.
Answer: Maintenance requirement – food required to keep animal healthy. Milk producing requirement – food required for increased lactation animal food includes roughage and concentrate also.

Question. A group of gardening club students prepared a  kitchen garden in the school campus and did organic farming to grow the vegetables. Then the students presented their group work in the assembly to spread the awareness and make students understand the importance of organic products.
(a) What is horticulture?
(b) What is green manure?
Answer: (a) Hotriculture is the commercial production of vegetables and fruits.
(b) The green plants like sun hemp are turned into the soil which enriches the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus and is called green manure.

Question. Name two Indian cattle.
Answer: Bos indicus – cows
Bos bubalis – buffaloes

Short answer Type Question

Question. What are the different ways/methods of hybridisation?
Answer: Hybridisation can be :
(i) Intervarietal – between different varieties of crops
(ii) Interspecific – between two species of same genus
(iii) Intergeneric – between two different genera

Question. If wheat is sown in the kharif season, what would happen? Discuss.
Answer: The crop of wheat needs mild to moderate temperature and frost free days; along with irrigation but no water logging. Winters are suitable for growing wheat. In the kharif season; which coincides with the peak summer months in India, temperature is at its peak which is not suitable for wheat. Moreover, during rainy season lot of water accumulates in fields which would be harmful for wheat crop. Hence, if wheat is sown in the kharif season; the productivity would be minuscule and would not be profitable for the farmers.

Question. What are manures? Give its classification.
Answer: Substance rich in organic matter and also supplies small quantities of nutrients to soil is called manure. Manure is classified based on the kind of biological material used to make it as :
(i) Compost, (ii) Vermi-compost, (iii) Green manure.
(i) Compost : The manure prepared by decomposing farm waste, livestock excreta, plant waste, etc. in a pit is known as compost.
(ii) Vermi-compost : When the above given matter is allowed to decompose in the pit along with some earthworms to fasten the process of decomposition is called vermi-composting.
(iii) Green manure : Some plants like sun-hemp are used to prepare manure by mulching them into oil by plough is known as green manure.

Question. What is the advantage of composite fish culture?
Answer: The composition of six species of fish in composite fish is highly advantageous because:
(i) These fishes do not compete for food among themselves
(ii) They have different food habit
(iii) Food in all parts of pond is utilized due to different food habits

Question. What factors may be responsible for losses of grains during storage?
Answer: During the storage of grains, various biotic factors such as insects, rodents, mites, fungi, bacteria, etc. and various abiotic factors such as inappropriate moisture, temperature, lack of sunlight, etc. are responsible for losses of grains. These factors act on stored grains and result in degradation, poor germ inability, discolouration, etc.

Question. What factors may be responsible for losses of grains during storage? Also mention any two preventive measures to control loss of grains during storage.
Answer: Factors responsible for losses are :
Biotic : Insects, rodents, fungi, mites and bacteria.
Abiotic : Inappropriate moisture and temperatures in the place of storage. Cleaning of the produce before storage, proper drying of the produce first in sunlight and then in shade, and fumigation are preventive measures to control loss of grains during storage.

Question. Name two fresh initiatives taken to increase the water availability for agriculture.
Answer: Two new irrigation systems have been developed to save water and increase the availability of water to the crops. These are :
(1) Drip irrigation system : Here, water is supplied to the roots of the plants directly in a drop wise manner. This prevents unnecessary wastage of water.
(2) Sprinkler system : Here water is sprinkled over the crops like it happens in rain. So, water is absorbed by the soil in a better way.

Question. Explain how fertilisers are different from manure.
Answer: Fertilisers are synthesized in factories from inorganic materials. On the other hand, manure is made from organic materials; through the process of decomposition. Excessive use of fertilisers is not good for soil and may lead to soil pollution. Use of manure is beneficial for soil.

Question. What are the main characters required in a crop during its improvement practices?
Answer: The useful characters that are required in a crop during its improvement :
(i) Disease resistance
(ii) Response to fertilizer
(iii) Product quality
(iv) High yield

Question. What are the factors for which variety improvement of crop is done?
Answer: (a) Higher yield : It increases production of crop.
(b) Biotic and abiotic resistance : Crop should be resistant to biotic factors like diseases, insects, pests and abiotic factors like drought, salinity, heat, etc.
(c) Change in maturity duration : Short-duration maturity allows farmer to grow more crops in a year with short duration maturity and reduces the crop production cost.
(d) Wider adaptability : Crop should be able to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
(e) Desirable agronomic characteristics : Crop should have tallness and dwarfness as per need. Dwarfness is required for cereals, so that few nutrients are consumed.

Question. What are the different patterns of cropping?
                               or
What are the different cropping systems?
Answer: Different systems of growing crop :
(a) Mixed cropping : Two or more crops grow simultaneously on the same piece of land, is called mixed cropping.
Example : Wheat + grain, wheat + mustard.
(ii) Inter-cropping : It is a method of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern. A few row of one crop alternate with a few rows of second crop.
Example : Soyabean + Maize or Bajra + Lobia.
(iii) Crop rotation : The growing of different crops on a piece of land in a succession is known as crop rotation.

Question. What are weeds? How can we control them? Give different methods of weed control.
Answer: Unwanted plants which grow along with crops are called weeds. Weeds compete with crops for natural resources; like sunlight, water and nutrients. Thus, weeds hamper the growth of crops. Weeds are usually removed manually by hands and by sickles. This process is called weeding. Sometimes, weedicides are also sprayed to kills weeds. Weeds can be controlled by different methods :
(a) Weedicides : These are the chemicals sprayed on the weeds to kill them. Excessive use is poisonous and causes environmental pollution.
(b) Mechanical removal : In this method weeds are uprooted by removing manually or by machines.
(c) Preventive methods : Proper seed bed preparation, timely sowing of crops, intercropping and crop rotation helps in weed control.

Question. What is composite fish culture system? Mention one merit and one demerit of this system.
Answer: The composite fish culture system is a technology to grow both local and imported fish species in the water in the paddy field. One problem with such composite fish culture is that many of these fish breed only during monsoon mixed with other species, one of the advantages is that fish do not compete for food.

Question. What are the various methods of irrigation in India?
Answer: Most of agriculture in India is rain-fed, several different kinds of irrigation system are adopted to supply water to agricultural lands. The resources are-wells, canals,rivers and tanks.
(i) Wells : Dug wells and tube wells. In dug wells water is collected from water— bearing strata.
(ii) Tubewells : Water from deeper strata.
(iii) Canals : Most extensive irrigation system. Canals receive water from reservoirs or rivers. The main canal is divided into branch canals having further distributaries to irrigate fields.
(iv) River lift system : Water is directly drawn from the river for supplementing irrigation in areas close to rivers.
(v) Tanks : These are small storage reservoirs, which intercept and store the run-off of smaller catchment areas.

Question. Large amount of food grains get spoiled every year in India due to improper storage of food grains. How can this be avoided?
Answer: Food grains get spoiled by insects, fungi, rodents, bacteria, moisture at the place of storage. Storage losses can be reduced by taking some preventive and control measures.
(i) The seeds that are to be stored should be dry
(ii) The grains should be cleaned
(iii) The grains should be fumigated using chemicals that kills pest.
(iv) The storage houses should be waterproof.
(v) The grains should be stored in sealed gunny bags.
(vi) The bags should be kept few centimetres away from the wall.
(vii) The walls and the floor should be water-proof with no holes in it, to avoid rodents, pests.

Question. What are the practices used for dairy industry?
Answer: The practices used for dairy industry to get the optimum yield are :
(i) Shelter : The shelter should be clean, spacious and airy.
(ii) Feeding : Proper food at proper time is essential for dairy animals.
(iii) Rearing of animals : Providing them proper health care and protection from pathogens, diseases and proper vaccination.
(iv) Breeding : The crossing of different variety of milch animals to obtain a breed that can produce more yield of milk.

Question. Name any three methods of irrigation and briefly describe them.
Answer: (a) Drip irrigation : In this kind of irrigation, water is supplied drop by drop near the roots of the crops or plants. They is generally used in the areas where there is a scarcity of water. However, it is very expensive.
(b) Sprinkler system : In this system, the water escapes from the revolving nozzles and is sprinkled like rain on the crops. This system is used for sandy soils and uneven land.
(c) Surface irrigation : Method to supply water to agricultural lands from well, river, dam, etc.