Improvement in Food Resources

Introduction

Food is one of the basic necessities of life. It provides the energy and nutrients required for growth, repair, and maintenance of the human body. With the rapid increase in human population, the demand for food has also increased significantly. This has necessitated the improvement and efficient management of food resources to ensure food security for all. Food resources include crops, livestock, fish, and other edible organisms. Improving food resources involves enhancing crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and sustainable practices to meet the growing needs without harming the environment. This chapter focuses on the various methods and practices adopted to improve food resources, including crop production and management, crop improvement, animal husbandry, fisheries, and sustainable food production.

• Food provides energy and nutrients essential for life.
• Growing population increases demand for food.
• Improvement in food resources is essential for food security.
• Food resources include crops, animals, and aquatic organisms.
• Sustainable practices are important to protect the environment.
• 📌 Food resources: Sources of food including crops, animals, and fish.
• 📌 Food security: Availability and access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Crop Production and Management

Crop production involves growing crops for food, fiber, fuel, and other purposes. Crop management includes all the steps taken to ensure healthy growth and high yield of crops. The main steps in crop production and management are: 1. Preparation of Soil: Soil is prepared by ploughing and leveling to create a suitable seedbed. Ploughing loosens the soil, improves aeration, and helps in mixing organic matter. 2. Sowing: Selecting quality seeds and sowing them at the right time and proper depth is crucial for good germination. 3. Adding Manure and Fertilizers: Manure improves soil fertility by adding organic matter, while fertilizers provide essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. 4. Irrigation: Providing adequate water at different crop growth stages is essential. Methods include traditional (flooding) and modern techniques like drip and sprinkler irrigation. 5. Weeding: Removal of unwanted plants (weeds) that compete with crops for nutrients, water, and light. 6. Crop Protection: Protecting crops from pests and diseases using pesticides, biological control, and integrated pest management. 7. Harvesting: Collecting mature crops at the right time to maximize yield and quality. These steps collectively ensure better crop yield and quality, which is vital to meet the food demands of the growing population. **Table on page 4 (4×4)** | Organism (draw or write name) | Where do you see it? (flying high in air/flying near the ground/tree/water/forest floor) | When does it appear to be active? (day/night/unsure) | Any visible feature(s) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Owl | Tree | Night | Feathers | | | | | | | | | | | **Table on page 4 (3×3)** | The grouping criterion | Which organisms fit in this group? | What feature or pattern helped you decide? | | --- | --- | --- | | Carnivore | Eagle, tiger, leopard | Eating habits | | | | | **Table on page 12 (2×3)** | Plant groups and salient features | Advantages of the group for survival | Exceptions/ Challenges | | --- | --- | --- | | Thallopyta **Table on page 13 (1×3)** | --- | --- | --- | | **Angiosperm** **Table on page 15 (5×5)** | Image | (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | Porifera | Cnidaria | Platyhelminthes | Nematoda | | Habitat | Water (Marine) | Water (Fresh and marine) | Water/inside host | Soil/water/inside host | | Level of organisation | Cellular | Tissue | Organ | Organ system (digestive system) | | Skeleton | X | X | X | X | **Table on page 16 (5×4)** | e) | (f) | g) | (h) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Annelida | Arthropoda | Mollusca | Echinodermata | | Moist soil/water | Land/water | Water/moist land | Marine water | | Organ system | Organ system | Organ system | Organ system | | X | Exoskeleton | Exoskeleton | Endoskeleton | **Table on page 18 (18×2)** | Tiger | | | --- | --- | | Kingdom | Animalia | | Phylum | Chordata | | Sub-phylum | Vertebrata | | Class | Mammalia | | Order | Carnivora | | Family | Felidae | | Genus | Panthera | | Species | P. tigris | | Pea | | | --- | --- | | Kingdom | Plantae | | Phylum | Magnoliophyta | | Class | Magnoliopsida | | Order | Fabales | | Family | Fabaceae | | Genus | Pisum | | Species | P. sativum | **Table on page 19 (3×3)** | S. No. | Common name | Scientific Name | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Tiger | Panthera tigris | | 2. | Mango | Mangifera indica | **Table on page 23 (6×2)** | Organisms | Key Observations | | --- | --- | | P | Microscopic; no true nucleus; rigid cell covering; survives high salinity and temperature | | Q | Multicellular; filamentous body; cell wall present; no chlorophyll; grows on dead organic matter | | R | Unicellular; true nucleus; contractile vacuole present; moves using flagella; shows photosynthesis in light but heterotrophic in the absence of light | | S | Multicellular; well-differentiated tissues; backbone present; aquatic respiration during early life stage | | T | Acellular; contains genetic material; remains inactive outside a host cell |

• Soil preparation improves aeration and nutrient availability.
• Sowing uses quality seeds at the correct depth and time.
• Manure and fertilizers replenish soil nutrients.
• Irrigation provides necessary water for crop growth.
• Weeding removes competition from unwanted plants.
• Crop protection prevents losses from pests and diseases.
• 📌 Ploughing: Turning and loosening of soil for seedbed preparation.
• 📌 Manure: Organic matter added to soil to improve fertility.
• 📌 Fertilizers: Chemical substances supplying essential nutrients.