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Agro techniques

Agro techniques

  • Posted: 06/06/2024

Agro techniques-कृषि तकनीक
 

Crop rotation (Phasala chakra)

Is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons. Crop rotation  confers various benefits to the soil. A traditional element of crop rotation is the replenishment of 
nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals and other crops.
Crop rotation also mitigates the build-up of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is continuously cropped, and can also improve soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants. e.g- Two crop rotation such as corn and soybean in cash grains or corn and alfalfa in forage systems use legumes to help fix nitrogen in the soil for utilization over the long term.
(Alfalfa  also called lucerne and in the legume family . It is cultivated as an important foragecrop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop.)
Rotation of   Two crops within a year i.e.:
Year 1: Wheat
Year 2: Barley
Year 3: Wheat again
Three crop rotation i.e.:
Year 1: Wheat
Year 2: Barley
Year 3: Mustard
Year 4: Wheat again.

Mixed cropping 

is growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. It is also known as multiple cropping. This type of cropping leads to an improvement in the fertility of the soil and hence, increase in crop yield because when the two crops are properly chosen the products and refuse from one crop plant help in the growth of the other crop plant and vice-versa.
The classic example of mixed cropping is that of the American "three sisters", maize, beans(Phalee), and curcurbits (squash and pumpkins). These three plants, domesticated at different times, were together an important component of Native American agriculture. All three seeds are planted in the same hole.
The maize provides a stalk for the beans to climb on, the beans are nutrient-rich to offset that taken out by the maize, and the squash grows low to the ground to keep weeds down and water from evaporating from the soil in the heat.

Multiple-cropping

 patterns are described by the number of crops per year and the intensity of crop overlap.
An example of multiple cropping is Rice-Potato-Sunflower followed by Rice-Wheat-Moong
Double cropping or triple cropping
 signifies systems with two or three crops planted sequentially with no overlap in growth cycle.
Relay cropping (Rilē phasala)
 describes the planting of a second crop after the first crop has flowered; in this system there still may be some competition for water or nutrients. 
Examples of relay crops are cassava, cotton, sweet potato and sesban with corn; chickpea, lentil  and wheat with upland rice ,Soyabeen.

Rotten cropping (Saṛē phasala) 

When a crop is harvested and allowed to regrow from the crowns (totality of an individual plant's aboveground parts,) or root systems, the term rotten cropping is used. Sugarcane, alfalfa, and sudangrass are commonly produced in this way,

Mixed farming

is an agricultural system in which a farmer conducts different agricultural practice together, such as cash
crops and livestock. The aim is to increase income through different sources and to complement land and labour demands across the year.

Inter cropping (Iṇṭara phasala) –

This is a process of growing subsidiary crops between two widely spaced rows of main crop. Examples are Sugarcane-Soybean, Moong or Urd-Maize, and Urd, Moong or Cotton-Pigeonpea.Principles of Crop. Example: Wheat, Soybean and Corn.


Cropping pattern (Phasala pad'dhati)- 

proportion of area under various crops at a point of time in a unit area or it indicated the yearly sequence and spatial arrangements of crops and follows in an area.
The spatial and temporal combination of crops on a plot and the management used to produce them.
Alfalfa is a perennial forage legume which normally lives 4–8 years, but can live more than twenty years, depending on variety andclimate. The plant grows to a height of up to 1 meter (3 ft), and has a deep root system, sometimes stretching more than 15 meters (49 ft). This makes it very resilient, especially to droughts.
Alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay
 
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Answer the following

Q. which of the following is the correct order of agricultural practices ? ( MPPSC -2023)  ch- 2e

(a) Soil preparation- Irrigation Sowing - Harvesting

(b) Soil preparation – Sowing- Irrigation- Harvesting

(c) Sowing- Harvesting- Irrigation- Soil preparation

(d) Soil preparation- Irrigation- Harvesting- Sowing

Ans: B    Soil preparation – Sowing- Irrigation- Harvesting

Q- How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? (IAS Pre 2021)
1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant.
2. Conventional chemical farming can cause increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming.
3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in such regions.
4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 3   (b) 1, 2 and 4       (c) 4 only       (d) 2 and 3

Ans- Ans) b 

Exp) Option b is correct. 

Statement 1 is correct. Permaculture is a totally integrated design system that’s modelled on nature. Permaculture farming promotes multicropping and integrated farming systems. Agroforestry is its example.  

Chemical farming is more suitable for monoculture cropping due to use of crop specific inputs like irrigation, chemical fertiliser and harvesting methods.  

Statement 2 is correct. Chemical fertilizers will make the soil less fertile over time, which can lead to serious problems like soil salinisation. But such problems are not seen in permaculture farming as it relies on organic fertilizers.  

Statement 3 is incorrect. Chemical farming is based on intense use of inputs like Chemical fertilizers and irrigation that make the soil less fertile over time, thus restricting its practise in semi-arid region. Thus, conventional farming is not suitable for semi-arid regions.  

The concept of permaculture involves well-designed systems don’t produce waste and permaculture tries to mimic well-designed systems. Thus, permaculture tries to take into account the local conditions like arid climate. This helps in developing a suitable system to ensure sustainable production.  

Statement 4 is correct. Mulching is an important component of Permaculture systems for promoting maximum efficiency.  

Chemical farming does not consider it as essential, so farmers in general do not use mulching.  

Q- In the context of India’s preparation for Climate-smart Agriculture, consider the following statements: (IAS Pre 2021)

1. The ‘Climate-Smart village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by climate change, Agriculture and food security (CCAFS), an international research programme.

2. The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.

3. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’S research centers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only      (b) 2 and 3 only       (c) 1 and 3 only      (d) 1,2 and 3

Ans) d 

Exp) Option d is correct.  

Statement 1 is correct. The Climate-Smart Village project in India is a program of CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). The CCAFS started piloting the Climate-Smart Village in 2012 in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda) and South Asia (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal).  

Statement 2 is correct. Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCFAS) is carried out under CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research). Headquarter of CGIAR is in Montpellier, France. CGIAR is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.  

Statement 3 is correct. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a CGIAR Research Center. ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political public international research organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. 

Q- Match List - I with List - 11 and select the correct answer using the codes given below: ( MPPSC PRE- 2020)

        List-I                                                        List-II

(Economic Activity/ Agricultural region)       (Country)

a. Commercial dairy farming                             1. Argentina

b. Commercial grain farming                             2. France

c. Commercial plantation farming                      3. Denmark

d. Commercial fruits                                           4. Malaysia

Codes:       a         b       c           d

           (A) 3         1       4            2

           (B) 1         2       3            4

           (C) 4         3       2            1

           (D) 2         4       1            3

              Ans-(B)

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