MP Board Class 9th Science Solutions Chapter 15 Improvement in Food Resources

September 2, 2022

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 204

Question 1.
What do we get from cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables?
Answer:
We get carbohydrates from cereals and proteins from pulses. Fruits and vegetables give us lots of vitamins and minerals.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 205

Question 1.
How do biotic and abiotic factors affect crop production?
Answer:
Biotic factors like pests, insects etc. reduce the crop production. Pests harm crops by feeding over them. Weeds also reduce crop productivity by competing with the main crop for nutrients and light. Abiotic factors like wind, rain, temperature etc. impact the overall crop production. For example, droughts and floods almost completely destroy the whole crop of a particular area.

Question 2.
What are the desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvements?
Answer:
The desirable agronomic characteristics for crop improvements are:

Tallness and profuse branching in any fodder crop.
Dwarf characteristics in cereals.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 206

Question 1.
What are macro – nutrients and why are they called macro – nutrients?
Answer:
Macro – nutrients are those nutrients which are required in large quantities for growth and development of plants. Since they are required in large quantities, they are known as macro – nutrients. The six macro – nutrients required by plants are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur.

Question 2.
How do plants get nutrients?
Answer:
Plants consume nutrients from air, water and soil. Soil is one of the important sources of nutrients. Plants get thirteen nutrients from soil. The remaining three nutrients (carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen) are obtained from air and water.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 207

Question 1.
Compare the use of manure and fertilizers in maintaining soil fertility.
Answer:
Manures are biodegradable substances which increase soil fertility by enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients as it is prepared by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant wastes.

On the other hand, fertilizers are mostly artificially developed inorganic compounds whose excessive use is harmful to ecosystems components and soil fertility. Hence, fertilizers are considered good only for short term use.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 208

Question 1.
Which of the following conditions will give the most benefits? Why?
(а) Farmers use high – quality seeds, do not adopt irrigation or use fertilizers.
(b) Farmers use ordinary seeds, adopt irrigation and use fertilizer.
(c) Farmers use quality seeds, adopt irrigation, use fertilizer and use crop protection measures.
Answer:
(c) Farmers using good quality seeds, adopting irrigation, using fertilizers and using crop protection measures will get most benefits.
Reasons are as follows:

Increases the total crop production as good quality seeds, then a majority of the seeds will germinate properly, and will grow into a healthy plants.
Proper irrigation will improve the water availability to crops.
Fertilizers promote high growth and development in plants by providing the essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium etc.
Crop protection measures include various methods to control weeds, pests and infectious agents.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 209

Question 1.
Why should preventive measures and biological control methods be preferred for protecting crops?
Answer:
Preventive measures and biological control methods should be preferred for protecting crops because excessive use of chemicals leads to environmental problems. Biological methods harm neither crops nor environment.

Question 2.
What factors may be responsible for losses of grains during storage?
Answer:
Factors causing loss of grains during storage:

Biotic Factors: Insects, rodents, fungi and bacteria etc.
Abiotic Factors: moisture content and temperature etc.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 210

Question 1.
Which method is commonly used for improving cattle breeds and why?
Answer:
Cross breeding is commonly used for improving cattle breeds. Cross breeding between two good varieties of cattle will produce a new improved variety. For example, the cross between foreign breeds such as Jersey Brown, Swiss and Indian breeds such as Red Sindhi, Sahiwal produces a new variety having qualities of both breeds.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 211

Question 1.
Discuss the implications of the following statement: “It is interesting to note that poultry is India’s most efficient converter of low fibre food stuff (which is unfit for human consumption) into highly nutritious animal protein food.”
Answer:
Poultry in India is the most efficient converter of low fibre food stuff in nutritious animal protein food. In poultry farming, domestic fowls are raised to produce eggs and chicken. For this, the fowls are given animal feeds in the form of roughage, which mainly consists of fibres. Thus, by feeding animals a fibre rich diet, the poultry gives highly nutritious food in the form of eggs and chicken.

Question 2.
What management practices are common in dairy and poultry farming?
Answer:
Common management practices in dairy and poultry farming are:

Proper shelter facilities and their regular cleaning.
Some basic hygienic conditions such as clean water, nutritious food etc.
Animals are kept in spacious, airy and ventilated place.
Prevention and cure of diseases at the right time is ensured.

Question 3.
What are the differences between broilers and layers and in their management?
Answer:
Layers are meant for egg production, whereas broilers are meant for poultry meat. Nutritional, environmental and housing conditions required by broilers are different from those required by egg layers. A broiler chicken, for their proper growth, requires vitamin rich supplements especially vitamin A and K. Also, their diet includes protein rich food and enough fat. They also require extra care and maintenance to increase their survival rate in comparison to egg layers.

Improvement in Food Resources Intext Questions Page No. 213

Question 1.
How are fish obtained?
Answer:
Fish can be obtained by two ways:

Capture fishing: It is the process of obtaining fish from natural resources.
Culture fishery: It is the practice of farming fishes. Farming can be done in both freshwater ecosystem (which includes river water, pond water) and marine ecosystem.

Question 2.
What are the advantages of composite fish culture?
Answer:
The advantages of composite fish culture are:

Fish can be grown in crop fields especially paddy.
Intensive fish farming is possible because plenty of water is available during crop seasons.
In this system, both local and imported fish species can be cultivated.

Question 3.
What are the desirable characters of bee varieties suitable for honey production?
Answer:
Bee varieties having the following desirable characters are suitable for honey production:

They should yield high quantity of honey.
They should not sting much.
They should stay in the beehive for long durations.
They should breed very well.

Question 4.
What is pasturage and how is it related to honey production?
Answer:
Pasturage is the availability of flowers from which bees collect nectar and pollen. It is related to the production of honey as it determines the taste and quantity of honey.

Improvement in Food Resources NCERT Textbook Exercises

Question 1.
Explain any one method of crop production which ensures high yield.
Answer:
Inter – cropping method ensures high yield of crop production. It is a practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field in rows. In inter – cropping, definite row patterns are followed such as one row of main crop is followed by two rows of inter – crop. In inter – cropping, there is a greater utilisation of the inter – spaced area, light, nutrients, water and air. As a result, productivity per unit area is increased.

Question 2.
Why are manures and fertilizers used in fields?
Answer:
Manures and fertilizers are used in fields to enrich the soil with the required nutrients. Manure helps in enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients. This improves the fertility and structure of the soil. On the other hand, fertilizers ensure a healthy growth and development in plants. They are a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. To get an optimum yield, it is instructed to use a balanced . combination of manures and fertilizers in the soil.

Question 3.
What are the advantages of inter-cropping and crop rotation?
Answer:
Inter – cropping and crop rotation, both are used to get maximum benefit on limited land. Inter – cropping helps in preventing pests and diseases to spread throughout the field. It also increases soil fertility, whereas crop rotation prevents soil depletion, increases soil fertility and reduces soil erosion. Both of these methods reduce the need for fertilizers. They also helps in controlling weeds and the growth of pathogens and pests in crops.

Question 4.
What is genetic manipulation? How is it useful in agricultural practices?
Answer:
Genetic manipulation is a process where the gene for a particular character is introduced inside the chromosome of a cell. When the gene for a particular character is introduced in a plant cell, a transgenic plant is produced. These transgenic plants exhibit characters governed by the newly introduced gene.

Genetic manipulation is useful in developing varieties with higher yield, good quality, biotic and abiotic resistance, short maturity period, wider adaptability and desirable agronomic characteristics.

Question 5.
How do storage grain losses occur?
Answer:
There are many biotic and abiotic factors that harm stored grains and result in degradation, poor germinability, discolouration etc. which leads to storage grain losses. Biotic factors like insects or pests cause direct damage by feeding on seeds.

They also deteriorate and contaminate the grain, making it unfit for further consumption. Abiotic factors such as temperature, light, moisture etc., also affect storage food. They decrease the germinating ability of the seeds and make them unfit for future use by farmers. Unpredictable occurrence of droughts and floods also causes destruction of crops.

Question 6.
How do good animal husbandry practices benefit farmers?
Answer:
Cattle farming is one of the methods of animal husbandry that is most beneficial for farmers. Better breeds of draught animals can be produced. Such draught animals are engaged in agricultural fields for labour such as carting, irrigation, tilling, etc.

Question 7.
What are the benefits of cattle farming?
Answer:
Benefits of cattle farming:

Good quality and quantity of dairy products can be produced.
Draught labour animals can be raised for agricultural work.
New breed of animals that are resistant to diseases can be raised by crossing two breeds with the desired traits.

Question 8.
For increasing production, what is common in poultry, fisheries and bee – keeping?
Answer:
Proper management techniques are the common factors for increasing production in poultry, fisheries and bee keeping. Regular cleaning of farms is of importance. Also, maintenance of temperature and prevention and cure of diseases in farming is also required to increase the growth of animals.

Question 9.
How do you differentiate between capture fishing, mariculture and aquaculture?
Answer:

Capture fishing is the method to obtain fishes from natural resources like rivers, ponds, waterfalls etc.
Mariculture is the culture of marine fishes for commercial use.
Aquaculture involves the production of aquatic animals that are of high economic value such as prawns, lobsters, fishes, crabs etc.

Improvement in Food Resources Additional Questions

Improvement in Food Resources Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Which one is an oil yielding plant among the following?
(a) Lentil
(b) Sunflower
(c) Cauliflower
(d) Hibiscus.
Answer:
(b) Sunflower

Question 2.
Which one is not a source of carbohydrate?
(a) Rice
(b) Millets
(c) Sorghum
(d) Gram.
Answer:
(d) Gram.

Question 3.
Find out the wrong statement from the following:
(a) White revolution is meant for increase in milk production.
(b) Blue revolution is meant for increase in fish production.
(c) Increasing food production without compromising with environmental quality is called as sustainable agriculture.
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(d) None of the above.

Question 4.
To solve the food problem of the country, which among the following is necessary?
(a) Increased production and storage of food grains.
(b) Easy access of people to the food grain.
(c) People should have money to purchase the grains.
(d) All of the above.
Answer:
(d) All of the above.

Question 5.
Find out the correct sentence.
(i) Hybridisation means crossing between genetically dissimilar plants.
(ii) Cross between two varieties is called as inter specific hybridisation.
(iii) Introducing genes of desired character into a plant gives genetically modified crop.
(iv) Cross between plants of two species is called as inter varietal hybridisation.
(a) (i) and (ii)
(b) (ii) and (iv)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv).
Answer:
(a) (i) and (ii)

Question 6.
Weeds affect the crop plants by
(a) killing of plants in field before they grow.
(b) dominating the plants to grow.
(c) competing for various resources of crops (plants) causing low availability of nutrients.
(d) all of the above.
Answer:
(c) competing for various resources of crops (plants) causing low availability of nutrients.

Question 7.
Which one of the following species of honey bee is an Italian species?
(a) Apis dorsata
(b) Apis florae
(c) Apis cerana indica
(d) Apis mellifera.
Answer:
(d) Apis mellifera.

Question 8.
Find out the correct sentence about manure
(ii) Manure contains large quantities of organic matter and small quantities of nutrients.
(ii) It increases the water holding capacity of sandy soil.
(iii) It helps in draining out of excess of water from clayey soil.
(iv) Its excessive use pollutes environment because it is made of animal excretory waste.
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv).
Answer:
(b) (i) and (ii)

Question 9.
Cattle husbandry is done for the following purposes:
(i) Milk production
(ii) Agricultural work
(iii) Meat production
(iv) Egg production.
(a) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(b) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(c) (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (iv).
Answer:
(a) (i), (ii) and (iii)

Question 10.
Which of the following are Indian cattle?
(i) Bos indicus
(ii) Bos domestica
(iii) Bos bubalis
(iv) Bos vulgaris.
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (iii) and (iv).
Answer:
(a) (i) and (iii)

Question 11.
Which of the following are exotic breeds?
(i) Brawn
(ii) Jersey
(iii) Brown Swiss
(iv) Jersey Swiss.
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (i) and (iv)
(d) (ii) and (iv).
Answer:
(b) (ii) and (iii)

Question 12.
Poultry farming is undertaken to raise the following:
(a) Egg production
(b) Feather production
(c) Chicken meat
(d) Milk production.
Answer:
(a) Egg production

Question 13.
Poultry fowl are susceptible to the following pathogens:
(a) Viruses
(b) Bacteria
(c) Fungi
(d) All of the above.
Answer:
(d) All of the above.

Question 14.
Which one of the following fishes is a surface feeder?
(a) Rohus
(b) Mrigals
(c) Common carps
(d) Catlas.
Answer:
(d) Catlas.

Question 15.
Animal husbandry is the scientific management of ___________ .
(i) animal breeding
(ii) culture of animals
(iii) animal livestock
(iv) rearing of animals
(a) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(b) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(c) (i), (ii) and (iv)
(d) (i), (iii) and (iv).
Answer:
(d) (i), (iii) and (iv).

Improvement in Food Resources Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Match the column A with the column B

Answer:
(a) (ii)
(b) (iii)
(c) (i)
(d) (iv).

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks.

Pigeon pea is a good source of ___________ .
Berseem is an important ___________ crop.
The crops which are grown in rainy season are called ___________ crops.
___________ are rich in vitamins.
___________ crop grows in winter season.

Answer:

protein
fodder
Kharif
vegetables
Rabi.

Question 3.
State any one importance of photoperiod in agriculture.
Answer:
Photoperiod is important for growth of plants and flowering.

Question 4.
What are desirable traits for fodder crop?
Answer:

Profused branching.
Tall Plants.

Question 5.
White revolution in India has made us self – sufficient in a product. Name it.
Answer:
Milk.

Improvement in Food Resources Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is a GM crop? Name any one such crop which is grown in India.
Answer:
Crop developed artificially with the help of modern biotechnology to obtain the desired character is called as genetically modified(GM) crop. But, cotton and egg plant are examples of GM crops which are resistant to many harming biological factors.

Question 2.
List out some useful traits in improved crop.
Answer:
Useful traits in improved crops are as follows:

better yield.
improved quality.
resistance to biotic and abiotic factors.
better adaptability.
better economically.

Question 3.
Why is organic matter important for crop production?
Answer:
Organic matter is important for crops because a fertile and healthy soil is the basis for healthy plant’s growth and soil organic matter works as a foundation for healthy and productive soils.
It helps soil by:

improving soil structure.
increasing water holding capacity of soil.
drainage and in avoiding water logging.
giving shelter to number of animals which also improve soil’s nutrients value.

Question 4.
Why is excessive use of fertilizers detrimental for environment?
Answer:
Excessive use of fertilizers is harmful because it is artificial in origin and accumulate in biological cycle and disturb its balance which causes environmental pollution as their residual and unused amounts will become pollutants for air, water and soil.

Question 5.
Give one word for the following:

Farming without the use of chemicals as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is known as ___________ .
Growing of wheat and groundnut on the same field is called as ___________ .
Planting soyabean and maize in alternate rows in the same field is called as ___________ .
Growing different crops on a piece of land in preplanned succession is known as ___________ .
Xanthium and Parthenium are commonly known as ___________ .
Causal organism of any disease is called as

Answer:

organic farming
mixed farming
inter – cropping
crop rotation
weeds
pathogens

Question 6.
Match the following A and B:

(A)	(B)
(a) Cattle used for tilling and carting	(i) Milk producing female
(b) Indian breed of chicken	(ii) Broiler
(c) Sahiwal, Red Sindhi	(iii) Draught animals
(d) Milch	(iv) Local breed of cattle
(e) Chicken better fed for obtaining	(v) Aseel

Answer:
(a) (iii)
(b) (v)
(c) (iv)
(d) (i)
(e) (ii).

Question 7.
Define the term hybridization and photoperiod.
Answer:

Hybridization: Hybridization is the process in which two genetically different individuals are crossed to result generally into an individual with a desired trait.
Photoperiod: Photoperiod in plants is defined as the developmental responses towards the comparative lengths of light and dark periods in its region.

Question 8.
Fill in the blanks:

Photoperiod affects the ___________ .
Kharif crops are cultivated from ___________ to ___________ .
Rabi crops are cultivated from ___________ to ___________ .
Paddy, maize, green gram and black gram are ___________ crops.
Wheat, gram, pea, mustard are ___________ crops.

Answer:

flowering
June to October
November to March,
Kharif
Rabi

Question 9.
Cultivation practices and crop yield are related to environmental condition. Yes/No? Give reasons.
Answer:
Environmental conditions are the components which influence plant growth and genetic factors. Environmental factors include everything in our surrounding i.e. air, water, temperature, atmospheric pressure, surrounding gases etc. When we cultivate any plant or consider crop growth, we check all the above environmental factors before sowing. Hence yes, cultivation practices and crop yield are related to environmental condition.

Question 10.
Fill in the blanks:

A total of ___________ nutrients are essential to plants.
___________ and ___________ are supplied by air to plants.
___________ is supplied by water to plants.
Soil supplies ___________ nutrients to plants.
nutrients are required in large quantity and called as ___________ .
nutrients are needed in small quantity for plants and are called ___________ .

Answer:

sixteen
Oxygen and carbon
Hydrogen
thirteen
Six, macro – nutrients
Seven, micronutrients

Improvement in Food Resources Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define:

Vermicompost
Green manure
Bio fertilizer.

Answer:

Vermicompost: Vermicomposting is the process in which worms and micro – organisms are used to turn organic waste into a black, earthy – smelling, nutrient – rich humus.
Green manure: When crop or plant that is grown and then intentionally plowed under to improve the underlying soil, it is called green manure.
Bio fertilizer: Fertilizer created from biological components as small plants.

Question 2.
Discuss various methods for weed control.
Answer:
Unwanted plants which grow along with crops are called weeds. They compete with the crop plants for light, water, space and minerals, and harm their growth and yield. Some of them produce poisonous substances which can harm the growth of the crop or poison the produce.

Removing weeds from a field is called weeding. It can be done Manually or by using an implement like a trowel, hoe or rake. A third way of getting rid of weeds is by spraying chemicals called weedicides. These chemicals destroy the weeds but not the crop plants.

Improvement in Food Resources Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Question 1.
Why should our food contain cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables?
Answer:

Cereals provide carbohydrates for energy requirements.
Pulses give proteins.
Fruits and vegetables provide various vitamins and minerals.

Question 2.
Why moisture level of food grains should be checked before their storage?
Answer:
Before storage, moisture level of food grains should not be more than 9% otherwise growth of micro – organisms (bacteria and fungi) will take place causing either discolouration or complete spoilage of food grains.

Improvement in Food Resources Value Based Questions

Question 1.
A group of Eco Club students made a compost pit in the school. They collected all bio – degradable waste from the school canteen and used it to prepare the compost

Name two waste that can be used for the compost and two wastes obtained from canteen which cannot be used for the compost making.
What is the other important compound required for making the compost?
State the values of Eco Club students.

Answer:

Two waste used for compost are vegetable peels, fruit peels and pulps. Two waste materials that cannot be used as compost are pickels and curd.
Bacteria present in soil are used as component for making compost.
Eco club students reflect the value of group workers and responsible citizens.

Question 2.
In a poultry farm, large number of birds died. Farm owner was unable to identify the reason and thought someone has done it intentionally. Aryan living nearby his farm noticed that the conditions in the farm were very unhygienic and poor ventilation was there.

What do you think can be the reason for these deaths?
What measures can be followed to prevent this in future?
What values are shown by Aryan?

Answer:

The conditions of the farm were unhygienic and ventilation was also poor. These may be the possible reasons.
These conditions should be improved. Proper food, hygiene practices and good ventilation should be there to prevent this.
The values of awareness and carefullness are shown by Aryan.

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