Agricultural Operations

In India, agriculture is not merely an occupation, it is a way of life which for centuries has shaped the thought and outlook of our population. During the course of freedom struggle, Gandhiji stressed that development of India could be achieved only through better farming practices. This remains true even today when a large portion of our population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture. It is the backbone of our economy. Agriculture is mostly practised in villages as there is open land available there. However, several types of agriculture is also practised in urban areas, like fruit and vegetable farming.

In agricultural practice, a large variety of operations are undertaken which help in better produce and management of land, water, fertilizers and other resources. Some of these can be mentioned as under :

1.       Soil Preparation : The first step in raising a crop is to prepare the soil. The soil in which a crop has to be grown is prepared by ploughing, levelling and manuring.  Ploughing is the process of loosening and digging of soil using a plough or a tractor. This helps in proper aeration of the soil. After ploughing, the soil is distributed evenly and levelled in the process called levelling.

2.       Sowing : Selection and acquisition of good quality seeds are important steps in the process of sowing. After the soil has been prepared, these seeds are dispersed in the field and this is called sowing. Some types of seeds may have to be put under the earth. Sowing can be done manually, by hand or by using seed drilling machines. Some crops like paddy are first grown into seedlings in a small area and then transplanted to the main field.

3.       Manuring : Crops need nutrients to grow and produce yield. Thus, the supply of nutrients at regular intervals is necessary. Manuring is the step where nutritional supplements are provided and these supplements may be natural (manure) or chemical compounds (fertilizers). Manure is the decomposition product of plant and animal wastes. Fertilizers are chemical compounds consisting of plant nutrients and are produced commercially. Apart from providing nutrients to crop, manure replenishes soil fertility as well. Other methods for soil replenishment are vermicompost, crop rotation, planting of leguminous plants etc.

4.       Irrigation or Watering : It is the supply of water. Sources of water can be wells, ponds, lakes, canals, dams etc. This frequency and interval between successive irrigation operations depend upon the type of crop.

5.       Weeding : Weeds are unwanted plants which grow among crops. They have to be removed either by the use of weedicides or manually.

6.       Harvesting : Once a crop has matured, it is cut and gathered, this process is called harvesting. After harvesting, grains are separated from the chaff either by threshing or winnowing.

7.       Storing : The crop is then stored in granaries or bins at godowns for later use or marketing. In order to protect the crop from pest and rodents, cleaning, drying, fumigation, etc., are done prior to storing.

Selling or Consuming : If agriculture is practised for sale of produce in the market, arrangement is made for its sale. If it is meant for consumption within the family or community, then arrangement will have to be made for its safe storage to meet this purpose.