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Class 9, Science, Chapter-12, Lecture-5, Crop Protection (Notes)

Crop Protection Management:

Protection of crops from harm caused by pests, pathogens and weeds is called crop protection management.

Plant Pests:

The organisms which damage or destroy cultivated plants or plant products and make them unfit for human consumption are called plant pests.

WEED:

Unwanted plants in the cultivated field which compete for food, space and light with the crop plants are called weeds.
Examples: Xanthium (Gokhroo), Parthenium (Gaja Ghas) , Cyperinus Rotundus (Motha)

Three Ways of Pests Attack:

  1. Chewing Insects cut the root, stem and leaves of plants.
  2. Sucking Insects suck the cell sap from various parts of the plant.
  3. Borer Insects bore into stems, roots, fruits and seeds.

Measures to protect from pests and weeds:

  1. Use of resistant varieties
  2. Summer Ploughing
  3. Mechanical removal of weeds
  4. Proper seed bed preparation.
  5. Crop Rotation and Multiple Cropping
  6. Timely sowing of crops.
  7. Use of pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides)

Plant Diseases:

  1. Soil Borne Diseases:
    Smut (in bajra), Stem rot (in pigeon pea), Wilt (in gram)
  2. Air Borne Diseases:
    Rust (in wheat), Blast (in paddy)
  3. Water Borne Diseases:
    Bacterial Blight (in rice)
  4. Seed Borne Diseases:
    Red rot (in sugarcane) , Smut (in wheat), Leaf spot (in rice)

Factors Responsible for loss of stored grains:

  1. Abiotic Factors
    (i) Moisture content of grains
    (ii) Humidity of air
    (iii)
  2. Biotic Factors
    (i) Insects, Worms, Bacteria, Fungi, Mites
    (ii) Rodents,
    (iii) Birds and Mammals

Effects of improper storage:

Poor marketability of the produce due to

  1. Degeneration in quality
  2. Loss in weight
  3. Discolouration
  4. Poor germination capacity.
  5. Contamination by the excreta, urine, hair etc. of pests.

Measures to minimize storage loss:

  1. Proper cleaning of the storage.
  2. Drying of grains over plastic sheet or cemented floor under the sun.
  3. Cooling of sun-dried grains to room temperature before storage.
  4. Fumigation using pesticides.
  5. Making the storage airtight and free from moisture, rodents and insects.

ORGANIC FARMING:

The practice of raising crops through the use of manures, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides with healthy cropping system that provides optimum nutrient to plants and keep pests and weeds under control is termed as organic farming.

Advantages of Organic Farming:

  1. It is pollution free.
  2. Farm wastes are recycled.
  3. The produce is free from harmful chemicals.
  4. The soil texture and the soil chemistry are not disturbed.
  5. It is cost effective over long term.