Basic concepts in crop production
AGRONOMY
Scientific crop production is called Agronomy.
CROP
Community of plants to produce yield, which are economically important, called Crop.
OBJECTIVES OF CROP
To provide the food to the human beings and also useful to animals.
GENOTYPE
Genotype are the new varieties and cultivars.
- Poor yield = poor genotype + good environment
- Poor yield = poor genotype + poor environment
- Poor yield = good genotype + poor environment
- Good yield = good genotype + good environment
FACTORS EFFECTING GENOTYPE
These are the factors effecting genotype
- Vulnerability of seed.
- Viability of seed.
- Poor storability.
SOIL
It is a layer of lithosphere. Soil is composed of aluminium and silica is 1:1 or 1:2 ratio.
Soil is the basic medium for plant growth.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL
Physical properties of soil are
- Bulk density
- Porosity
- Soil texture and structure.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL
Chemical properties of soil are
- Cation (-), Anion (+) exchange capacity
- Soil ph.
- Soil salts or electrical conductivity
- Soil types.
CROPING SEASONS
We have two cropping seasons
RABI CROPS
Those crops which growing season starts in winter
For example; Wheat, Barley etc.
KHARIF CROPS
Those crops which growing season starts in summer
For example; Cotton, Rice etc.
TYPES OF PLANTS ON THE BASIS OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEMS
There are two types of plants on the basis of photosynthetic systems
- C3 Plants (Mesophyllous photosynthetic system)
- C4 Plants (PEP carboxyl’s photosynthetic system)
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF C3 AND C4 PLANTS
- C4 are tropical plants.
- C4 plants productivity is greater than C3 plants.
- C4 plants are Sugar cane, Sorghum, Milit, Maize, and Weeds.
- C4 plants does not utilize its own chloroplast whether C3 plants does use it.
SOIL COMPOSITION
Soil is the basic medium for plant growth.
Soil contain
- 25% moisture
- 25% Airspace
- 5% Organic matter
- 45% Minerals.
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF COMMON MICROORGANISMS PER GRAM OF SOIL.
- Bacteria 3,000,000 to 500,000,000
- Actinomycetes 1,000,000 to 20,000,000
- Fungi 5,000 to 1000,000
- Protozoa 1,000 to 500,000
- Algae 1,000 to 500,000
CN RATIO (CARBON TO NITROGEN RATIO)
CN ratio indicates the decomposition of organic matter. Number of carbon units utilizes to produce nitrogen unit.
| Crop Name | C | : | N |
· Green Legumes | 12 | : | 1 |
| · Compost (decompose form of O.matter) | 15 | : | 1 |
| · Garbage | 25 | : | 1 |
| · Sugar Cane thrash | 50 | : | 1 |
| · Weeds | 80 | : | 1 |
| · Rice straw | 80 | : | 1 |
| · Saw dust | 500 | : | 1 |