📘 Chapter 15 – Improvement in Food Resources

🔹 1. Why Improvement in Food Resources?

To increase food production for growing population
Improve quality & quantity of food
Reduce losses from pests, diseases, and poor soil

🔹 2. Types of Crops

Type	Grown In	Example
Kharif	June–Oct (Monsoon)	Rice, maize
Rabi	Nov–April (Winter)	Wheat, mustard

🔹 3. Crop Improvement

Developing better crop varieties by:
✅ High yield
✅ Disease resistance
✅ Early maturation
✅ Better quality

Methods:

Hybridization (crossing 2 varieties)
Genetic modification (GM crops)

🔹 4. Crop Production

Factors affecting:

Nutrients
Irrigation
Cropping patterns

Cropping patterns:

Mixed cropping – 2 crops together (e.g., wheat + gram)
Intercropping – Alternate rows (e.g., maize + beans)
Crop rotation – Changing crops season-wise (maintains soil fertility)

🔹 5. Manure & Fertilizers

Manure	Fertilizer
Natural, organic	Synthetic chemicals
Improves soil	Quick growth
Less costly	More costly
Eco-friendly	Risk of pollution

🔹 6. Irrigation Methods

Traditional – Moat, Chain pump, Dhekli
Modern – Sprinkler, Drip irrigation

Irrigation important because:

Maintains soil moisture
Supports crop growth

🔹 7. Crop Protection

From pests, diseases, weeds
Solutions:

Pesticides, Insecticides, Fungicides
Storage in dry, airtight, fumigated containers

🔹 8. Animal Husbandry

Includes:

Cattle farming
Poultry farming
Fishery
Beekeeping

Purpose:

Milk, meat, eggs, honey, wool

🔹 9. Cattle Farming

Milch animals – Cows, buffaloes for milk
Draught animals – Bullocks for ploughing
Need: Shelter, food, disease control

🔹 10. Poultry Farming

Raising chickens for eggs and meat
Layers – egg laying
Broilers – meat purpose

🔹 11. Fish Production

Capture fishing – Natural resources (rivers, sea)
Culture fishing (aquaculture) – Fish farming
Popular species: Rohu, Catla, Hilsa

🔹 12. Beekeeping (Apiculture)

Managed by apiarist
Bees produce honey + wax
Bees collect nectar from flowers

✅ MCQs

Rabi crops are sown in:
a) Summer
b) Rainy
c) Winter
d) Spring
Rice is a:
a) Rabi crop
b) Summer crop
c) Kharif crop
d) Zaid crop
Mixed cropping means:
a) Only one crop
b) Crop and animal together
c) Two crops together
d) Only fruits
Fertilizers are:
a) Organic
b) Natural
c) Chemicals
d) Insects
Sprinkler system is used in:
a) Hilly areas
b) Sandy soils
c) High rainfall areas
d) Dry, flat lands
Poultry farming provides:
a) Wool
b) Milk
c) Honey
d) Eggs & meat
Which is a Kharif crop?
a) Wheat
b) Mustard
c) Maize
d) Pea
Drip irrigation is best for:
a) Rice
b) Cotton
c) Fruit plants
d) Wheat
Which is not a benefit of crop rotation?
a) Maintains fertility
b) Saves money
c) Grows trees
d) Avoids pests
Which animal gives milk?
a) Hen
b) Bull
c) Buffalo
d) Horse
Hybridisation means:
a) Cross of two animals
b) Cross of two crops
c) Cutting plants
d) Mixing fertilizers
Catla is a type of:
a) Chicken
b) Crop
c) Fish
d) Cow
Animal husbandry includes:
a) Plants only
b) Insects only
c) Animals only
d) All above
Honey bees collect:
a) Wax
b) Nectar
c) Fruits
d) Flowers
Aquaculture is related to:
a) Chicken
b) Plants
c) Fish
d) Soil

✅ Assertion & Reason

A: Mixed cropping prevents total crop failure.
R: It reduces risk from pests.
a) Both true, R explains A
b) Both true, R doesn’t explain A
c) A true, R false
d) A false, R true

A: Drip irrigation wastes water.
R: It delivers water directly to roots.
a) Both true
b) Both false
c) A false, R true
d) A true, R false

A: Hybrid seeds are less productive.
R: They are made for disease resistance.
a) Both true
b) Both false
c) A false, R true
d) A true, R false

A: Fertilizers make soil fertile long-term.
R: They increase nutrients in soil.
a) Both true
b) A false, R true
c) A true, R false
d) Both false

A: Honey bees help in pollination.
R: They sit on flowers to collect nectar.
a) Both true, R explains A
b) Both true, R doesn’t explain A
c) A true, R false
d) A false, R true

✅ Case-Based Study

📘 Passage:
A farmer uses intercropping to grow maize and beans. He also practices aquaculture for fish and keeps honeybees on his farm.

What type of farming is used for maize + beans?
a) Mixed
b) Intercropping
c) Rotation
d) Mono
Why is aquaculture useful?
a) For milk
b) For fish
c) For crop
d) For trees
Which benefit comes from bees?
a) Wool
b) Honey
c) Meat
d) Cotton
Intercropping helps in:
a) Increasing yield
b) Making clothes
c) Collecting water
d) Making manure
Which is not a part of animal husbandry?
a) Poultry
b) Dairy
c) Crop rotation
d) Fishery

✅ Reason-Based Q&A

Why do we improve crop varieties?
To increase yield, disease resistance, and better quality.
Why is crop rotation important?
It maintains soil fertility and reduces pests.
Why are fertilizers used?
To provide essential nutrients to plants quickly.
Why is manure better for long-term soil health?
It improves soil structure and fertility.
Why is drip irrigation efficient?
It reduces water waste by targeting plant roots.
Why is poultry farming popular?
Because it provides protein-rich food at low cost.
Why do farmers use hybrid seeds?
To get better yield and disease resistance.
Why is aquaculture necessary?
To meet growing demand of fish and seafood.
Why do bees help in farming?
They help in pollination which increases crop yield.
Why are animals vaccinated?
To prevent diseases and increase productivity.
Why is beekeeping profitable?
It gives honey, wax and helps crops grow better.
Why is intercropping beneficial?
Utilizes space well and reduces spread of disease.
Why should fertilizers not be overused?
It damages soil and pollutes water.
Why is Ganga river not suitable for fish culture always?
Due to pollution and flow variation.
Why is plant disease control important?
To avoid crop loss and ensure good harvest.

✅ Final Answer Key

MCQs:
1–c, 2–c, 3–c, 4–c, 5–d, 6–d, 7–c, 8–c, 9–c, 10–c, 11–b, 12–c, 13–c, 14–b, 15–c

Assertion & Reason:
16–a, 17–c, 18–c, 19–b, 20–a

Case-Based:
21–b, 22–b, 23–b, 24–a, 25–c