Tag: improved methods of agriculture

• The fresh crop has more moisture. Hence, they should be dried in the sun to reduce moisture before storage because if freshly harvested grains are stored they may get spoilt or attacked by organisms.

• Insects in stored grain can cause much damage. The farmer may lose up to a third of the stored grain. 
• Large scale storage of grains is done in silos and granaries to protect them from pests like rats and insects.

• Drip irrigation is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. 

• The supply of water to the crops at different intervals is called irrigation. Lakes, rivers, dams, canals, etc. are the sources of water for irrigation.
•  Various traditional ways of irrigation are pulley system, chain pump, dhekli, and Rahat. 
• Traditional methods are cheaper but they are less efficient as compared to modern methods. The modern methods of irrigation include sprinkler systems, drip systems, etc. 
• In the sprinkler system, water is sprinkled on the crop by using a pipe and nozzle system. It resembles raining. In the drip system, waterfalls drop by drop just at the position of the root.

• The storage of food crops is an important step of agricultural practices. If the crop grains are to be kept for a longer time, they should be prevented from moisture, insects, rats, and microorganisms. 

• Storage of food crops is an important step of agricultural practices as harvesting because if the grains are not stored properly it may get spoilt or attacked by insects or rats or microorganisms. 
• Large scale storage of grains is done in granaries or silo. Farmers store their dried grains in jute bags or metallic bins. 

Heating of stored grains results due to the high moisture content in the grains. The grains heat up the water content present in the grain due to thier pre existing temperature which attracts more moisture leading to the growth of microbes in the grains or germinate the seeds thus destroying the yield. 

Most important aspect of agriculture is proper storage of harvested grains and other agricultural produce. Proper storage is necessary to get seasonal foods regularly throughout the year. The godowns and stores should be properly clean, storage bags should be fumigated or treated with insecticides or pesticides. In India, the loss due to improper storage of grains is about 9% annually. So, the correct answer is 'All of the above'.

Food can be spoiled when temperatures are not controlled because high temperature give way for the growth of bacteria and excessive heat increases the rate of enzyme reactions. Exposing food to clod temperature also damages the food.