Process of Farming tells about the soil preparation, sowing, manuring, irrigation, weeding, harvesting and storage

PROCESS OF FARMING

    Food is a basic requirement for every living being. We depend on plant and animals for food. Ancient men began the cultivation of food in a small area and used certain procedures for their management and improvement. This art of cultivation of the crop is called agriculture. 

    The agricultural cycle is the annual cycle of activities related to the growth and harvest of a crop.  These activities include loosening the soil, seeding, special watering, moving plants when they grow bigger, and harvesting among others.Good agricultural practices are specific methods when applied to agriculture, create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome. 

    Without these activities, a crop cannot be grown. The main steps for agricultural practices include,

1. Soil preparation, 
2. Sowing, 
3. Manuring, 
4. Irrigation, 
5. Weeding, 
6. Harvesting and 
7. Storage    

    Good agronomic practices are the application of all these eight steps incorporated into farm management systems to improve soil quality, enhance water use, manage crop residues and improve the environment through better fertilizer management.

A). SOIL PREPARATION:

    No soil is ideal hence it necessitates the preparation of the soil before and after the cultivation. Before raising a crop, the soil in which it is to be grown is prepared by ploughing, levelling, and manuring. Ploughing is the process of loosening and digging of soil using a plough. This helps in proper aeration of the soil. After ploughing, the soil is distributed evenly and levelled in the process called levelling. The soil is then manured.

B). SOWING:

    Sowing is the process of planting seeds in the ground of growth.The time of sowing is also important, as it can affect the vulnerability of crops to insects and viruses. For example, sowing maize in early spring in temperate regions can improve grain yield, but it can also increase the content of certain phenolic acids and β-cryptoxanthin.  

    Sowing can be done manually, but seed drilling machines are also used.Some crops like paddy are first grown into seedlings in a small area and then transplanted to the main field.

C). MANURING

    Manuring is an agricultural practice that involves adding organic matter to soil to improve its fertility and structure, and to support plant growth.  Manuring is the step where nutritional supplements are provided and these supplements may be natural (manure) or chemical compounds (fertilizers).

    Natural manures are plant and animal wastes that are used as sources of plant nutrients

They release nutrients after their decomposition. The art of collecting and using wastes from animal, human and vegetable sources for improving crop productivity is as old as agriculture.Crops need nutrients to grow and produce yield. Thus, the supply of nutrients at regular intervals is necessary. 

  Other methods for soil replenishment are vermicompost, crop rotation, planting of leguminous plants.

D). IRRIGATION

    Irrigation is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns.

    Water is the vital for the growth of plants.  Ans there can be no plants or crops if they do not have access to water in some form. It is, thus, crucial to supply water to crops and plants in time as per their need.  The supply of water to plants comes from various water resources

Wells, Ponds, Lakes, Canals, Dams and Reservoirs

E). WEEDING

    Removing the unwanted plants which grow among the crops is the weeding process.  They are removed by using weedicides, by manually pulling them with hands and some are removed during soil preparation.  It's an important part of agriculture because weeds can compete with crops for nutrients, water, sunlight, and space, which can reduce crop yield. Weeding can also help protect plants from pests and loosen the soil so that the roots of the desired plants can grow.

F).HARVESTING

    Harvesting is the process of removal of entire plants or economic parts after maturity.  The economic product may be grain, seed leaf, root or entire plant. The remaining portion of the stem that is left on the field after harvest is known as stubble.

G).STORAGE

    Agricultural storage is the process of keeping agricultural products in a way that ensures food security and maintains their quality.

    The grains yielded are stored in granaries or bins at godowns for later use of marketing.  Therefore, methods of crop protection need to be better.  

    To protect the grains from the rodents and pests, cleaning, drying, fumigation, etc., are done in advance.

Let us all do the Happy Farming...

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