Types of Crops

1.What Are Food Crops? What Are the Desirable Qualities of Food Crops?

The crop grown mainly for producing food is called a food crop. The desirable qualities of food crops are as follows:

• Short stems and large ears in the case of cereals. A short stem would strengthen the plant and help it withstand high-speed winds that generally damage the crops.
• A large number of pods in leguminous plants.

2.What Are the Desirable Qualities of Feed Crops?

The desirable qualities of feed crops are as follows:

• Long juicy stems.
• A Large number of leaves.
• Profuse branching

3.It Is Not Possible to Replace Wood in Our Lives. What Measures Should Be Taken to Ensure the Recovery of Forest Cover Along With the Production of Timber?

Wood has become an essential part of our day-to-day lives. Moreover, the demand for wood is also increasing with an increase in the population.

The following measures can be taken for the recovery of forests along with the use of wood.

• Recycling products made of wood.
• Use processed wood to make tiny furniture like side tables, coffee tables etc.
• Recycling stationary waste like paper and cardboard.
• Ensuring proper plantation of trees in open areas.
• Allowing the forests to recover after collecting wood from a particular patch of forest cover.

4.What Are Fibre Crops? Why Are Fibre Crops Important for the Development of the Indian Economy?

The crops grown to obtain fibres used for different purposes are called fibre crops. Cotton, Jute and flax are examples. Fibre crops are important for the Indian economy due to following reasons:

• Fibre crops provide the raw material for the textile industry.
• The growing of fibre crops employs farmers and other people involved in the extraction and processing of fibre crops.

5.What Is Organic Farming?

Farming which excludes the use of chemically synthesised things, is called organic farming. The basic features of organic farming are as follows:

• Use of manure instead of fertilisers.
• Use of natural seeds instead of hybrid seeds.
• Exclusion of pesticides and weedicides.

6.What Are Hybrid Seeds?

Seeds produced by genetic modifications of plants to improve the production of crops are called hybrid seeds. These seeds have the following properties:

• They are resistant to climate change.
• They are resistant to diseases.
• They mature early.
• They are resistant to worms and parasites.

7.What Is Plantation Crop?

The perennial crops grown on a piece of land and their products harnessed for a long time are called plantation crops.

Examples are Tea, coffee, rubber, coconut, and cashew nuts.

8.Which Soil Is Suitable for Growing Rice? Give a Reason for Your Answer.

• Loamy soil is most suitable for growing rice.
• Rice requires standing water in the field during the growth stage.
• Clayey soil has the excellent water-holding capacity and does not allows water to seep through the soil quickly.