This document provides an overview of various food crops, including rice, wheat, maize, fruits, vegetables, spices, pulses, and oilseeds. It discusses the key requirements for each crop such as temperature, rainfall, sunlight, and soil conditions. For example, it notes that rice cultivation requires standing water and a monthly rainfall of 100-200mm. Wheat grows best in cool environments with temperatures between 3.5-35 degrees Celsius. Maize needs 140 frost-free days and grows in regions with annual rainfall of 60-110cm. The document also provides brief introductions to the major food crops and what plant parts are considered fruits or vegetables.

1. BY-ADITI SHARMA
GRADE-8 ‘A’

2. CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION TO FOOD CROP
 RICE(major introduction, rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil)
 WHEAT(major introduction, temperature , rainfall, soil)
 MAIZE(major introduction temperature, rainfall, soil)
 FRUITS
 VEGETABLES
 SPICES
 PULSES
 OIL SEEDS

3. INTRODUCTION TO FOOD CROP
Food crops are any plants intentionally grown
with the primary purpose of being eaten by
humans or animals. This definition separates a
food crop from wild edible vegetation, grazing
material and edible food used for other purposes.
The vast majority of store-bought fruits,
vegetables and grain-based foods started in this
category. This makes up one of the three main
divisions of useful growing plants, the other two
being wild plants and non-food crops.Food crop
includes wheat, rice, maize, pulses, oilseeds,
spices, fruits and vegetables.

4. RICE
Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African
rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the
world's human population, especially in Asia. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-
highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize.
RAINFALL-Rice cultivation is possible only in areas with good rainfall, as the crop
requires standing water for growth. A monthly rainfall of 100-200 mm is a must and about
125 cm is during vegetative season. And there should be no water at ripening stage.
TEMPERATURE-Rice being a tropical and sub-tropical plant, requires a fairly high
temperature, ranging from 20° to 40°C.

5. Sunlight- Sunlight is a must for all
plant lives, a source of energy. During the
ripening period of last 35 to 45 days, the yield
is most benefited by sunlight. Bright
sunshine with low temperature during
ripening period of the crop helps in the
development of carbohydrates in the grains.
SOIL- Rice grows on a variety of soils like
silts, loams and gravels. However, clayey
loam is well suited to the raising of this crop.

6. WHEAT
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from
the Levant region of the Near East but now
cultivated worldwide. In 2010, world
production of wheat was 651 million tons,
making it the third most-produced cereal
after maize (844 million tons) and rice
(672 million tons). Wheat was the second
most-produced cereal in 2009; world
production in that year was 682 million
tons, after maize (817 million tons), and
with rice as a close third (679 million tons).
This grain is grown on more land area than
any other commercial food.[citation needed]
World trade in wheat is greater than for all
other crops combined. Globally, wheat is the
leading source of vegetable protein in human
food, having a higher protein content than
other major cereals, maize (corn) or rice. In
terms of total production tonnages used for
food, it is currently second to rice as the
main human food crop and ahead of maize,
after allowing for maize's more extensive use
in animal feeds.

7. TEMPERATURE-Wheat is crop of cool environment. However, it requires different
temperatures at different stages of plant growth and development. Temperature
requirement may slightly differ from one variety to another at the time of germination,
however, general minimum temperature is required from 3.5-5.50 c and optimum 20-
250 and maximum temperature is 350 . On temperature below or above to optimum,
germination of seed decreases slowly. If temperature is more than 300 c at the time of
maturity it leads to force maturity and yield loss. Winter wheat bears cold waves and
frost in a better way in comparison to spring wheat.
RAINFALL-Wheat is cultivated in the region where annual precipitation occurs from
25 to 175 cm, though 75% wheat area falls where annual rainfall precipitation occurs
between 37.5 to 87.5 cm.

8. SOIL-Loam soil is the best for wheat cultivation. Clay and
sandy loam soils can also used for wheat cultivation provided
there is proper system of drainage and these soils should not
either be acidic or sodic. Besides wheat field should be free from
weeds.

9. MAIZE
The word maize derives from the Spanish form of the indigenous Taíno word for the
plant, maizE. It is known by other names around the world.Corn outside North
America, Australia and New Zealand means any cereal crop, its meaning
understood to vary geographically to refer to the local staple. In the United States,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand,[citation needed] corn primarily means
maize; this usage started as a shortening of "Indian corn". "Indian corn" primarily
means maize (the staple grain of indigenous Americans), but can refer more
specifically to multicolored "flint corn" used for decoration.In places outside North
America, Australia, and New Zealand, corn often refers to maize in culinary
contexts. The narrower meaning is usually indicated by some additional word, as in
sweet corn, sweetcorn, corn on the cob, popcorn, corn flakes, baby corn.

10. TEMPERATURE-Maize is grown in
temperatures between 18°C and 27°C during
the day and around 14°C during the night.
But the most important factor is the 140
frost-free days. The crop is very susceptible to
frost; therefore, its cultivation in temperate
latitudes is limited.
RAINFALL-Maize is grown mostly in
regions having annual rainfall between 60
cm to 110 cm. But it is also grown in areas
having rainfall of about 40 cm.

11. SOIL-The most suitable soil for maize is
one with a good effective depth, favourable
morphological properties, good internal
drainage, an optimal moisture regime,
sufficient and balanced quantities of plant
nutrients and chemical properties that are
favourable specifically for maize
production.12Although large-scale maize
production takesplace on soils with a clay
content of less than10 % (sandy soils) or in
excess of 30 % (clay and clay-loam soils), the
texture classes between10 and 30 % have air
and moisture regimes that are optimal for
healthy maize production.

12. FRUITS
a fruit is a part of a flowering plant that derives from specific tissues of the flower,
one or more ovaries, and in some cases accessory tissues. Fruits are the means by
which these plants disseminate seeds. Many of them that bear edible fruits, in
particular, have propagated with the movements of humans and animals in a
symbiotic relationship as a means for seed dispersal and nutrition, respectively; in
fact, humans and many animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of
food. Fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, and
some (such as the apple and the pomegranate) have acquired extensive cultural and
symbolic meanings . In common language usage, "fruit" normally means the fleshy
seed-associated structures of a plant that are sweet or sour and edible in the raw state,
such as apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, bananas, and lemons. On the other
hand, the botanical sense of "fruit" includes many structures that are not commonly
called "fruits", such as bean pods, corn kernels, wheat grains, and tomatoes .The
section of a fungus that produces spores is also called a fruiting body.

13. VEGETABLES
a vegetable is an edible plant or its part, intended for cooking or eating raw.The non-
biological definition of a vegetable is largely based on culinary and cultural tradition.
Apart from vegetables, other main types of plant food are fruits, grains and nuts.
Vegetables are most often consumed as salads or cooked in savory or salty dishes, while
culinary fruits are usually sweet and used for desserts, but it is not the universal rule.
Therefore, the division is somewhat arbitrary, based on cultural views. For example, some
people consider mushrooms to be vegetables even though they are not biologically plants,
while others consider them a separate food category; some cultures group potatoes with
cereal products such as noodles or rice, while most English speakers would consider them
vegetables . In 1767, the meaning of the term "vegetable" was specified to mean "plant
cultivated for food, edible herb or root." The year 1955 noted the first use of the shortened,
slang term "veggie". As an adjective, the word vegetable is used in scientific and technical
contexts with a different and much broader meaning, namely of "related to plants" in
general, edible or not — as in vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom, vegetable origin, etc
The meaning of "vegetable" as "plant grown for food" was not established until the 18th
century.[8]

14. SPICES
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetable substance primarily used for
flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Sometimes a spice is used to hide other flavors.
Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants used for
flavoring or as a garnish.
Many spices have antimicrobial properties. This may explain why spices are more
commonly used in warmer climates, which have more infectious disease, and why the use
of spices is prominent in meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling.
A spice may have other uses, including medicinal, religious ritual, cosmetics or perfume
production, or as a vegetable. For example, turmeric roots are consumed as a
vegetable[citation needed] and garlic as an antibiotic.

15. PULSES
India is the world's largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses. Pakistan,
Canada, Burma, Australia and the United States, in that order, are significant
exporters and are India's most significant suppliers. Canada now accounts for
approximately 35% of global pulse trade each year. The global pulse market is
estimated at 60 million tonnes. Pulses provide protein, complex carbohydrates, and
several vitamins and minerals. Like other plant-based foods, they contain no
cholesterol and little fat or sodium. Pulses also provide iron, magnesium, phosphorus,
zinc and other minerals, which play a variety of roles in maintaining good
health.[6]
Pulses are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat
and three times that of rice.[7] While pulses are generally high in protein, and the
digestibility of that protein is also high, they are often relatively poor in methionine,
an essential amino acid. Grains (which are themselves deficient in lysine) are
commonly consumed along with pulses to form a complete diet of protein. Indian
cuisine also includes sesame seeds, which contain high levels of methionine.

16. OILSEEDS
Seeds that gives us oil and from which plant these seeds are provided comes in food crop.
Oil seed is a food crop. Oil is a fat obtained from the different plants .The oil is produced by
pressing whole olives. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and
soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. The general definition of oil includes classes
of chemical compounds that may be otherwise unrelated in structure, properties, and uses.
Oils may be animal, vegetable, or petrochemical in origin, and may be volatile or non-
volatile. They are used for food, fuel, lubrication, and the manufacture of paints, plastics,
and other materials. Specially prepared oils are used in some religious ceremonies as
purifying agents.

18. BY- STUDENT OF THE DOON
GLOBAL SCHOOL (SOCIAL
SCIENCE PROJECT)