Improvement in Food Resources
A growing population needs more food, so we must raise crop and animal yields without harming the soil. This Class 9 chapter covers how crop production is improved through better varieties, nutrient and irrigation management, cropping patterns and crop protection, and how animal husbandry (cattle, poultry, fisheries and bee-keeping) adds to our food resources.
Learning objectives
- Explain methods of crop variety improvement.
- Differentiate manure and fertilisers in nutrient management.
- Describe cropping patterns and irrigation.
- Explain crop protection from weeds, pests and storage losses.
- Outline the main branches of animal husbandry.
Key concepts
Crop variety improvement
Better crop varieties are developed by hybridisation (crossing genetically different plants) and selection for traits like high yield, disease resistance, early maturity and tolerance to drought or salinity, so that more food is produced from the same land.
Nutrient management
Crops need nutrients from soil, air and water. Manure (decomposed organic matter) improves soil fertility and structure; fertilisers are commercially produced and supply specific nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) but must be used carefully to avoid harming the soil.
Cropping patterns and irrigation
Irrigation supplies water through wells, canals, tanks and rivers. Yields are improved by mixed cropping (growing two crops together), intercropping (in a set pattern) and crop rotation (growing different crops in sequence to keep the soil fertile).
Crop protection and animal husbandry
Crops are protected from weeds, insect pests and diseases, and from losses during storage (due to moisture, pests and microbes). Animal husbandry — cattle farming (for milk and draught), poultry, fisheries and apiculture (bee-keeping) — increases the supply of animal-based food.
Key definitions
- Hybridisation
- Crossing two genetically different plants to combine desirable traits.
- Manure
- Decomposed organic matter added to soil to improve its fertility and structure.
- Crop rotation
- Growing different crops in sequence on the same field to maintain soil fertility.
- Animal husbandry
- The scientific management and breeding of livestock for food and other products.
Solved examples
Q1. What is the difference between manure and fertiliser?
Solution: Manure is natural decomposed organic matter that adds humus and improves soil structure, while fertiliser is a commercially made chemical that supplies specific nutrients quickly but does not add humus and can damage soil if overused.
Q2. How does crop rotation help maintain soil fertility?
Solution: Growing crops with different nutrient needs in sequence — especially including leguminous (nitrogen-fixing) crops — prevents the depletion of any single nutrient and naturally replenishes nitrogen.
Q3. Name one branch of animal husbandry and the food it provides.
Solution: Apiculture (bee-keeping) provides honey (and wax).
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating manure and fertiliser as the same — they differ in source and effect on soil.
- Confusing mixed cropping (no fixed pattern) with intercropping (a definite pattern).
- Thinking only crops, not animals, count as food resources.
- Ignoring storage losses, which are a major cause of food wastage.
Improvement in Food Resources — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
Crossing genetically different plants to improve a crop is called:
Practice questions
Short answer
What is intercropping?
Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite row pattern.
Name two desirable traits sought in improved crop varieties.
High yield and disease resistance (also early maturity, drought tolerance).
Give two examples of animal husbandry.
Cattle farming and poultry (also fisheries and bee-keeping).
Long answer
Explain the three main approaches to increasing crop production.
Crop production is improved through (1) crop variety improvement — developing high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties by hybridisation and selection; (2) crop production management — supplying nutrients via manure and fertilisers and water via irrigation, along with suitable cropping patterns; and (3) crop protection management — guarding crops against weeds, insect pests, diseases and storage losses.
Differentiate between mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation.
Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops together without a fixed pattern, reducing the risk of total crop failure. Intercropping grows different crops in a definite row pattern to use nutrients efficiently and reduce pests. Crop rotation grows different crops in planned sequence on the same field to maintain soil fertility, especially by including legumes.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why is excessive use of chemical fertilisers harmful in the long run?
Overuse can destroy soil micro-organisms, reduce natural fertility, harden the soil, and pollute nearby water bodies, so balanced use along with manure is recommended.
Why are leguminous crops often included in crop rotation?
Their roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that add nitrogen to the soil, naturally restoring fertility for the next crop and reducing the need for nitrogen fertilisers.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Crop improvement: variety, production and protection management.
- Manure (organic, improves soil) vs fertiliser (chemical, specific nutrients).
- Patterns: mixed cropping, intercropping, crop rotation.
- Animal husbandry: cattle, poultry, fisheries, apiculture.
Key takeaways
- Higher food output must not damage the soil.
- Legumes and rotation keep soil fertile naturally.
- Food resources include both crops and animals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between manure and fertiliser?
Manure is decomposed organic matter that improves soil structure; fertiliser is a chemical that supplies specific nutrients but adds no humus.
What is crop rotation?
Growing different crops in a planned sequence on the same field to maintain soil fertility.
What are the main branches of animal husbandry?
Cattle farming, poultry farming, fisheries and bee-keeping (apiculture).