How farmers grow more food and raise healthy animals
Crop yields are improved in three main ways. Crop variety improvement uses hybridisation and selection to develop varieties with higher yield, better quality and resistance to disease or drought. Crop production management includes supplying nutrients through manure and fertilisers, irrigating fields from wells, canals and rivers, and following cropping patterns such as mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation. Crop protection deals with weeds, insect pests and diseases, and stored grain must be protected from moisture and pests.
Animal husbandry is the scientific management of livestock. Dairy animals such as cows and buffaloes need clean shelter, balanced feed and veterinary care to produce good milk. Poultry farming raises hens for eggs and broilers for meat. Fish are obtained by capture fishing and by culture fishing, such as composite fish culture, where several species that feed at different levels share one pond. Beekeeping produces honey and wax. Organic farming reduces chemical use, while sustainable practices protect soil and water for the future.
Why it matters
With a growing population, producing more food on limited land is essential. The Green Revolution greatly increased grain production in India, and the White Revolution increased milk supply. Overusing fertilisers and pesticides, however, harms soil and water, so understanding sustainable farming helps protect the environment while feeding everyone.
Key terms
- Hybridisation
- Crossing genetically different plants or animals to combine useful traits.
- Crop rotation
- Growing different crops one after another on the same land to keep the soil fertile.
- Animal husbandry
- The care, breeding and management of domestic animals.
- Composite fish culture
- Raising several fish species that feed at different levels together in one pond.