IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD RESOURCES FOOD RESOURCES- any source that helps us achieve our nutritional needs. 1.

Plant sources-cereals (rice, wheat), pulses (grams, peas) etc 2. Animal sources-milk, meat, honey etc WHY DO WE NEED IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD RESOURCES? 1. Increase in population and thus increase in demand for food 2. Natural calamities like floods, quakes, epidemics etc. 3. Outdated methods of cultivation 4. Poor rainfall 5. Non-availability of fertile land 6. Man made disturbances like deforestation and hunting IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD RESOURCES

Quality of food

Quantity of food IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANT SOURCES

1. All plants grown as a source of food for humans are called Food crops. Examples Crops- C e r e a l s - W h e a t , R i c e , M a i z e , M i l l e t s , S o r g h u m (provide carbohydrates for energy) Pulses- Gram, Pea, Black gram, green gram, pigeon pea, lentils(provideproteins) Oil Seeds- Soyabean, groundnut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed, sunflower(provide fats) Cereals like rice and wheat give us carbohydrates Pulses like pea and gram give us proteins Oil seeds like groundnut, mustard etc give us fats Vegetables and fruits provide us with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Vegetables, spices and fruits-provide mainly vitamins & minerals Fodder crops- Berseem, Oat, sudan grass

2. Plants when grown as food/feed for animals are called Fodder. Eg. oats, berseem, grass 3. Plants are mainly cultivated in two seasons Kharif crops-summer crops, grown in summer (jun-oct) and harvested in winter. Egcotton, maize etc Rabi crops-winter crops, grown in winter (nov-apr) and harvested in summer. Eg-wheat, mustard etc. 4. NEEDS OF A PLANT Suitable climate Optimum temperature Light Rainfall METHODS OF CROP IMPROVEMENT Improvement in Crop Yields: Major activities for increasing crop yield Crop variety Improvement Crop Production improvement Crop protection management 1. CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENTThis process involves the selection of good quality seeds. The seeds selected for cropping must show the following desirable characters. High yield- more quantity of crops Improved quality of growth Resistance to biotic (pests, nematodes, etc) and abiotic factors (drought,floods, heat, frost etc) Manure and fertilizers Good quality seeds Fertile land

Change in maturity duration-the crop must grow fast for faster harvesting Wider availability-the crops must be able to grow in a variety of climatic conditions. Desirable agronomic characteristics-tall plants are desired for fodder crops and short plants for cereals etc.

How to improve crop variety: a) Hybridization b) Making GMOs

a) Hybridisation The cross breeding of genetically dissimilar plants with desirable qualities to obtain a hybrid plant that has both the desirable qualities of the parents is called hybridization.

b) Making GMOs-GMO is a genetically modified crop (organism) A gene for a desirable character is introduced in a plant using scientific technique. The resultant plant is a GMO. Eg. BT cotton (cotton has pesticide producing gene) Golden rice (rice with vitamin A) 2. CROP PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Nutrient management:A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow. Source of nutrientsi. ii. iii. Plants get nutrients from air, water and soil 16 nutrients essential to plants Air supplies carbon and oxygen, Hydrogen and oxygen by water, rest by soil.

Type of nutrients: a. Macronutrients (6) required in large quantities (C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg,S) b. Micronutrients (7) required in less quantities Nutrients are given as manure or fertilizers which are added to soil Manures 1. Not nutrient specific-Supply nutrients to soil (specific amount of nutrients or type of nutrient is difficult to determine) 2. Bulky and voluminous, hence difficult to store. 3. increase organic matter content of soil and Fertilizers 1. Nutrient Specific:

Supply specific nutrients in specific quantities 2. store 3. Fertilizers have no such effects on soil Compact, use less space, so easy to

improve soil texture and water holding capacity 4. Manures are prepared in open spaces/fields 5. Preparing Manures is a good method of recycling farm waste 6. Excessive use of manures is usually not harmful to the plants 7. Manures do not affect the soil organisms like earthworm. 8. manures are cheaper

texture and water holding capacity of soil 4. Fertilizers are usually prepared

in industries 5. No such advantage in preparing

fertilizers 6. Excessive use of fertilizers cause soil and

water pollution especially in the near-by water bodies. I t may also increase soil salinity 7. Fertilizers are harmful for the useful soil

organisms like earthworm. 8. fertilizers are more expensive

Manure has 3 typesa. Compost-The decomposed plant and animal wastes in pits. b. Vermicompost-the decomposed plant and animal waste by earthworms. Earthworms decompose faster. c. Green manure-some plants called cover crops like sun hemp or guar are grown and then mulched by ploughing them into the soil. These green plants thus turn into green manure which helps in enriching the soil in nitrogen and phosphorus. d. Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides and plant growth regulators. In organic farming, the following are used and considered important: 1.Bio-agents to increase fertility- eg. Blue green algae 2.Biopesticides: neem leaves and turmeric 3.Biological method of pest control: Certain insects/animals are introduced in the farmland that selectively feed on the pests but do not harm the soil or the crops. 4.Healthy cropping systems: Mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation are also use to get better production. Advantages of Organic Farming: Most organic farms use fewer pesticides than most conventional farms. The farm waste is effectively recycled and crops are grown in a manner that is environment Friendly.

IRRIGATION- it is the application of water to soil for the growth of crops. Methodsa. Wells store ground water in dug pits b. Canals are tubes that transport water to fields from wells, dams etc. c. River flow systems is a methods where water is drawn directly from the rivers d. Tanks are water storage containers. e. Rain water harvesting methods save run off rain water f. Drip irrigation irrigates water drop by drop on the fields g. Water sheds are small dams prevent loss of water and thereby soil erosion. CROP PATTERNS-

1. Crop rotation is the process of growing of one crop for one season and another the next season, this way we replenish nutrients. e.g- wheat and paddy 2. Mixed cropping is the method of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land.

e.g- wheat+mustard 3. Inter cropping is the method of growing rows of different crops. e.g- soyabean+maize

3. CROP PROTECTION MANAGEMENT When the crop is in the field, it needs protection against: a) Weeds e.g. Xanthium, Parthenium (weeds are considered to be harmful asthey compete for food, space and light with the desired crop. They reduce cropproduction taking up the nutrients meant for the crops. b) Insect Pests- attack the plant in three ways ( cut root, stem and leaf, suckcell sap from various parts & bore into stem & fruits) c) Pathogens-Microbes like bacteria, fungi and viruses cause diseases. Sporesof these pathogens may be transmitted through soil, water and air.

To control these : Herbicides, Pesticides, fungicides should be used. For Weed control- the methods used are :mechanical removal, use of herbicides, summer ploughing (fields are ploughed deepin summers to destroy weeds and pests.) PREVENTION OF GROWTH OF WEEDS Proper seed bed preparation, timely growing of crops, intercropping , crop rotation, use of resistant varieties and summer ploughing is done

STORAGE OF GRAINS : Factors responsible for grain lossa) Biotic (Insects, Rodents (members of rat family), Fungi, mites, bacteriab) Abiotic (inappropriate moisture and temperature) c) Negative Effects of these factors on grains: Degradation in quality, loss in weight,

poor germinabilty, discoloration of produce-Leads to poor marketability

Prevention and control methods used before grains are stored: Cleaning of produce before storage Drying of produce first in sunlight and then in shade to reduce moisturecontent Fumigation using chemicals (fumigants) to kill pests