This is Chapter-2 From Class 8 NCERT Science Book.

1. CROP PRODUCTION AND
MANAGEMENT

2. AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
 Plants of the same kind are cultivated on a large scale is a crop.
Kharif Crops Rabi Crops
Crop

3. KHARIF CROPS
 Crops sown in rainy season.
 Rainy season in India is generally from June to
September.
 Examples: Paddy, maize, soyabean, groundnut
and cotton.

4. RABI CROPS
 Grown in the winter season (October to March).
 Examples: Wheat, gram, pea, mustard and linseed.

5. PREPARATION OF SOIL
 Turn the soil and loosen it.
 Loosened soil helps in the growth of earthworms and microbes.
 Loosening and turning of soil is called tilling, ploughing.
 Leveling the field for irrigation.

6. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Plough –
 Tilling the soil
 Adding fertilizers to the crop
 Removing the weeds
 Turning of soil
 Made of wood drawn by a pair of bulls
 Long log of wood called a ploughshaft

7. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Hoe-
 Removing weeds.
 Loosening the soil.
 Long rod of wood.
 Strong, broad and bent plate of iron.
Cultivator
 Ploughing is done by tractor-driven cultivator.

8. SOWING
 Good quality seeds.
 Healthy seeds.
 Give high yield.

9. SOWING
 Tools used for sowing seeds –
a. Traditional tool –
 Shaped like a funnel.
 Seeds are filled.
 Pipes have sharp ends.
 Pierce into the soil.
b. Seed drill –
 The seed drill is used for sowing with the help of tractors
 Seeds uniformly at equal distance and depth
 Seeds get covered by the soil after sowing.

10. ADDING MANURE AND FERTILIZERS
 Nutrients for the healthy growth of plants.
 Manure and fertilizers.
 Manure replenish the soil with nutrients – Manuring.
 Manure is an organic substance.
 Decomposition of plant or animal waste.
 By microorganisms.

11. ADDING MANURE AND FERTILIZERS
 Fertilizers are chemicals.
 Rich in a particular nutrient.
 Urea, ammonium sulfate, super phosphate, potash, NPK.
 Excessive use of fertilizers has made the soil less fertile.
 Water pollution.
 Replenishing the soil with nutrients.
 Crop rotation.

12. IRRIGATION
 Water is absorbed by roots
 Germination of seeds
 Nutrients dissolved in water are transported
 Supply of water to crops at regular intervals
 In summer, the frequency of watering is higher.

13. HARVESTING
 Cutting a crop after it is mature.
 Done manually by sickle.
 By machine called harvester.
 Grain seeds are separated from the chaff.
 Winnowing.