Improvement in Food Resources NCERT CLASS 9

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Improvement in Food Resources – Detailed Summary

This chapter explores the various scientific techniques and methods used to improve the quality, quantity, and sustainability of food production in agriculture and animal husbandry. It emphasizes the role of technology in addressing the growing demand for food due to population increase.

🔶 1. Types of Food Resources

India produces a variety of food resources, classified mainly as:

  • Cereals (e.g., wheat, rice, maize) – Provide carbohydrates.

  • Pulses (e.g., gram, lentil, pea) – Provide proteins.

  • Fruits and Vegetables – Rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

  • Oilseeds (e.g., mustard, groundnut, soybean) – Provide fats.

  • Fodder Crops – Grown for feeding livestock.

🔶 2. Crop Improvement

📌 a) Crop Variety Improvement

Enhancing crop varieties for:

  • Higher yield

  • Improved quality (e.g., better taste, longer shelf life)

  • Resistance to biotic (pests, diseases) and abiotic (drought, salinity) stresses

  • Change in maturity duration (shorter growth period)

  • Wider adaptability (growing in different climatic conditions)

  • Desirable agronomic traits (e.g., dwarfness in cereals, branching in fodder)

Techniques Used:

  • Hybridization (crossing two different varieties)

  • Genetic modification (GM crops)

🔶 3. Crop Production Management

This includes all practices that increase yield and maintain soil health.

📌 a) Nutrient Management

Plants require:

  • Macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S (needed in large amounts)

  • Micronutrients: Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B, Cl (needed in small amounts)

Sources:

  • Manure (organic, improves soil structure)

  • Fertilizers (inorganic, fast-acting, targeted nutrient delivery)

Methods of Application:

  • Broadcasting

  • Placement

  • Drilling

  • Foliar application

📌 b) Irrigation

Supply of water to crops through:

  • Traditional methods: Moat, chain pump, dhekli, rahat

  • Modern methods: Sprinkler, drip irrigation (water-efficient)

📌 c) Cropping Patterns

To make farming more efficient:

  • Mixed Cropping: Two or more crops grown simultaneously

  • Intercropping: Two or more crops grown in a definite row pattern

  • Crop Rotation: Growing different crops in sequence on the same land to maintain fertility

📌 d) Crop Protection Management

To protect crops from:

  • Weeds – Controlled by manual weeding or herbicides

  • Pests – Controlled using pesticides, natural predators, or biological control

  • Diseases – Managed by using resistant varieties and proper seed treatment

🔶 4. Storage of Grains

Grain losses can occur due to:

  • Biotic factors: Insects, rodents, fungi, bacteria

  • Abiotic factors: Temperature, humidity, moisture

Storage Techniques:

  • Cleaning and drying before storage

  • Use of silos, granaries, and moisture-proof containers

  • Fumigation to prevent pest infestation

🔶 5. Animal Husbandry

The practice of breeding and raising livestock for food and other products.

📌 a) Cattle Farming

  • Milk-producing animals: Cows, buffaloes

  • Draught animals: Bullocks

Improvement done by:

  • Cross-breeding for traits like high milk yield and disease resistance

  • Proper shelter, feed, and healthcare

📌 b) Poultry Farming

  • Raising domestic fowl (chickens) for eggs and meat

  • Improved varieties (e.g., broilers for meat, layers for eggs)

  • Careful feed, vaccination, and hygiene are crucial

📌 c) Fish Production

Two types:

  • Capture fishing: Natural sources (rivers, oceans)

  • Culture fishing (Aquaculture): Artificial environments (ponds, tanks)

Includes mariculture for marine fish like prawns, oysters

📌 d) Bee-Keeping (Apiculture)

  • For honey and beeswax production

  • Bees also help in pollination, improving crop yields

  • Indigenous species: Apis cerana indica

  • Improved hives and careful handling needed

✅ Conclusion

To ensure food security and sustainability, we must:

  • Improve crop varieties and livestock breeds

  • Use balanced and eco-friendly farming practices

  • Efficiently manage resources like water, nutrients, and pest control

  • Promote organic and integrated farming systems




Improvement in Food Resources of the Class 9 NCERT Science textbook: INTEXT QUESTIONS FROM THE CHAPTER

📘

Q1: What do we get from cereals, pulses, fruits, and vegetables?

Answer:

  • Cereals provide carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy.
  • Pulses supply proteins essential for body growth and repair.
  • Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, and also contain small amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

📘

Q1: How do biotic and abiotic factors affect crop production?

Answer:

  • Biotic factors like pests, insects, rodents, and weeds can damage crops by feeding on them or competing for nutrients, leading to reduced yield.
  • Abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, moisture, droughts, and floods can adversely affect crop growth and productivity.
  • Q2: What are the desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvements?

Answer:

  • For fodder crops, tallness and profuse branching are desirable to increase biomass.
  • For cereal crops, dwarfness is preferred to prevent lodging and ensure better nutrient utilization.

📘

Q1: What are macro-nutrients and why are they called macro-nutrients?

Answer:

  • Macro-nutrients are essential elements required by plants in large quantities for growth and development. They include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S).

Q2: How do plants get nutrients?

Answer:

  • Plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. These nutrients are dissolved in water and transported throughout the plant via the xylem tissue.

📘

Q1: Compare the use of manure and fertilizers in maintaining soil fertility.

Answer:

  • Manure is organic, improves soil structure, increases water retention, and enhances microbial activity, leading to long-term soil fertility.
  • Fertilizers are inorganic, provide specific nutrients quickly, but excessive use can degrade soil quality and harm beneficial microorganisms.

📘

Q1: Which of the following conditions will give the most benefits? Why?

(i) Farmers use high-quality seeds, do not adopt irrigation or use fertilizers.
(ii) Farmers use ordinary seeds, adopt irrigation, use fertilizers, and use crop protection measures.
(iii) Farmers use quality seeds, adopt irrigation, use fertilizers, and use crop protection measures.

Answer:

  • Option (iii) provides the most benefits because it combines quality seeds with proper irrigation, nutrient management, and protection against pests and diseases, leading to optimal crop yield.

📘

Q1: What are the factors responsible for the loss of grains during storage?

Answer:

  • Abiotic factors: Humidity and temperature fluctuations can lead to spoilage.
  • Biotic factors: Insects, rodents, birds, mites, and microorganisms can infest and damage stored grains.

📘

Q1: Which method is commonly used for improving cattle breeds and why?

Answer:

  • Cross-breeding is commonly used to combine the desirable traits of two different breeds, such as high milk yield and disease resistance, resulting in improved cattle breeds.

📘

Q1: How are fish obtained?

Answer:

  • Fish are obtained through:
    • Capture fishing: Harvesting fish from natural resources like rivers, lakes, and oceans.
    • Aquaculture: Cultivating fish in controlled environments like ponds and tanks.
    • Mariculture: Cultivating marine organisms in the open ocean or enclosed sections of the sea.

📘

Q1: What are the advantages of bee-keeping?

Answer:

  • Bee-keeping provides:
    • Honey: A valuable food product.
    • Beeswax: Used in various industries.
    • Pollination: Enhances crop yields by facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants.

 



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