Question

why there is need if improvement in food resources

Answer 1

We know resources are very limited but demands are very high. Thus, the basic reason for variety improvement is to meet the requirements. However, the quality and quantity of the crop produced shouldn’t be compromised due to the limited resource and present scenario

Answer 2

India is a populous country. Its population is over one billion people and it is still growing. To feed this growing population, we will soon require more than a quarter of a billion tonnes of grain every year. This requirement can be fulfilled by farming on more land, but Animal Husba India is already intensively cultivated. So, we do not have scope of increasing the area of land under cultivation. It is therefore, necessary to increase our production efficiency for both crops and livestock.

To meet these requirements, the green revolution has contributed in increasing the food grain production. MS Swaminathan is regarded as the Father of Green Revolution in India. The white revolution has led to better availability of milk. Scientific researches have also contributed to these revolutions.

These revolutions mean that our natural resources are getting used more intensively. Due to this, there are more chances of causing damage to our natural resources, environment and disturbing its balance completely.

We should increase our food production without degrading our environment and disturbing its balance. This can be done by incorporating sustainable practices in agriculture and animal husbandry.

High yields from farm can be obtained easily by undertaking scientific management practices. It includes mixed farming, intercropping and integrated farming practices (eg. combination of agriculture practices with livestock/ poultry/ fisheries/ bee-keeping).

Types of Crops :

Crops are cultivated by human beings for their own benefit. The important types of crops are :

• Cereal crops: These plants are cultivated to provide carbohydrate daily energy requirements, eg wheat, rice, maire, millers and Sorghum
• Pulses : These are seeds of crops that can be eaten to fulfil protein requirement, eg gram (chana), pea (matar), black gram (urad), green gram (moong), pigeon pea (arhar), lentil (masoor), etc.
• Oilseed crops These plants provide necessary fats and ails, eg soybean, groundnut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed and sunflower, etc.

• Vegetables, spices and fruits : These fulfil the requirement of a variety of vitamins and minerals with small quantities of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, eg cabbage, onion, pepper, etc.
• Fodder crops : These plants are raised as food for the livestock, eg, berseem, oats or sudan grass, etc.

Each crop requires different climatic conditions, temperature and photoperiods (related to the duration of sunlight) for their growth and completion of life cycle Growth of plants and flowering depend on the duration of sunlight Plants manufactures their food in sunlight by the process of photosynthesis.

Classification of Crops:

Crops are classified on the basis of seasons are as follows :

• Kharif crops: These crops are grown in hot and rainy season (Kharif season) from the month of June to October, e.g. paddy, soybean, pigeon pea, maize, cotton, green gram, groundnut, black gram, etc.

•Rabi crops: These crops are grown in dry and winter season (rabi season) from the month of November to April, e.g. wheat, gram, pea, mustard, linseed, barley, etc.