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and Animal Husbandry

NIOS Material on Agriculture

32
Agricultural Practices and
Animal Husbandry
We all need food to survive. Food is the basic need for all living beings, as it
provides energy for doing work, and raw material for building and repair of various
parts of the body. You know that our country has a large population, and therefore,
we need to produce a lot of food. You also know that to produce such a large
amount of food we need a large area of land. However, our land availability is
limited. Indian scientists have experimented and researched and suggested ways
and means by which more food can be grown than before, on the same piece of
land. Improved methods of agriculture have led to the production of about 360m
tonnes of plant food products and about 88m tonnes of animal food products.

OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
• state reasons for human dependence on plants and animals for food;
• define and differentiate between agriculture and horticulture;
• list and explain the various steps for raising an improved crop;
• differentiate between manures and fertilizers with the help of examples;
• explain various agricultural practices adopted for improvement of food such
as, crop rotation and multiple cropping;
• state the need for protection of crops;
• explain the terms and give examples of weedicides and insecticides;
• suggest methods of storage of agricultural produce;
• explain the meaning of green revolution;
• state the need for animal husbandry;
• cite examples of three groups of domesticated animals;
• explain methods adopted for management of live stock for better production;
• state common diseases of domestic animals and their prevention.
32.1 HUMAN DEPENDENCE ON PLANTS AND ANIMALS FOR FOOD
Our food items are either plant products, such as grains, vegetables and fruits or
animal products like milk, egg, mutton, chicken etc.
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We eat various parts of plant as food. For example, grains of rice, wheat and
corn are seeds; radish and carrot are roots; potatoes and ginger are the stem. We
also eat leaves and stem of spinach and plenty of fruits.
Thus, human beings depend on plants and animals for food.
32.2 AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
The branch of science which deals with methods of food production is known as
agriculture. Besides studying the new methods of food production, in this branch
of science we also study about how new and better varieties of crops can be
grown, how animals and birds like cows, hens, etc. can be reared well and made
to give more milk or better quality eggs?
All these new methods which scientists develop come under agricultural
practices.
We need vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, etc. as food. For our clothes, we
need the fibre of plants or animals. We get all these foods and fibres by farming or
agriculture.
ACTIVITY 32.1
Make a list of things which you use every day. Categorise those items
which you get directly or indirectly from agriculture. Does your list
look like the one given below?
For easy reading, agricultural products have been divided into the following
groups as given in the table 32.1.
Table 32.1: Various categories of food items
Category Examples
Millets Sorghum (Jowar), Ragi (finger millet) and Bajra (pearl millet)
Pulses Arhar (Tur), Black gram (Urad), Green gram (Moong), and
Bengal gram (Channa)
Beans Peas, Soyabean, Cowpea, Lentil
Oilseeds Mustard, Groundnut, Soyabean, Sunflower, Linseed, Castor and
Cotton seed
Root crops Carrot, Turnip, Sweet potato
Tuber crops Potato, Tapioca, Ginger and Turmeric
Sugar crops Sugarcane and Beet root
Plantation crops Coffee, Tea, Rubber and Coconut

32.3 HORTICULTURE
Did you observe that something is missing from the list of food items which we
eat every day. What is it that we have not listed here in table 32.1? Yes, we have
neither included vegetables nor fruits in this list. Vegetables and fruits are essential
items of our diet and their growth and production are studied under a branch of
agriculture called horticulture.
Horticulture is derived from two latin words: hortus which means garden,
and culture which means cultivation.
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The branch of agriculture that deals with growing and production of vegetables,
fruits, ornamental plants and management of orchards is called horticulture.
Horticulturists research to find new ways by which better varieties of fruits
and vegetables can be grown in large quantities.

32.4 STEPS IN RAISING IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

To increase our food production we can sow good quality seeds and improve
the methods of sowing. We can make the soil more rich and even use better
techniques for harvesting the crops. Some of the agricultural practices which
scientists have developed and which our farmers have started are explained here.
1. Preparation of soil
This is an important practice which helps to enrich the soil and make it more
fertile and aerated. It involves addition of manure followed by turning, loosening
and levelling of the soil, using agricultural implements like spade, plough or
mechanical farm implements.
2. Seed treatment
Seeds can easily be attacked by micro-organisms. The crops that grow out of
diseased seeds will also be unhealthy. So farmers treat these seeds by dipping
them in certain chemicals like cerosan or agrosan. These chemicals do not allow
the microorganisms to attack the seeds and damage them. Such chemicals are
called Fungicides. Once the seeds are treated, they can be sown.
3. Preparing the seed bed and care of the seedlings
In certain crop plants like paddy and some of the vegetables, seeds are not sown
directly in the main field. First these seeds are sown in a nursery bed. Once they
grow to a certain age they are transferred and planted in the main field. These
small plants are called seedlings. When the farmers prepare a nursery bed they
take care of the following:
• The soil of the bed should be soft and loose so that the tender roots of the
seedlings can grow well. This can be achieved by digging or ploughing the
field well.
• The seed bed or where the seedlings are planted should be even so that when
we water the plants, the water distributes itself uniformly all over the field.
• All weeds or unwanted plants in the field must be removed. Do you know
why? It is because these weeds also take water and nutrients from the soil and
as a result the desired plants cannot get enough of the nutrients. The seedlings
also need to be protected from diseases and pests. This is done by spraying
chemicals like Parathion, Sevin, Dimecron and Rogor on the seedlings.
4. Transplanting
The process of removing the seedlings from the nursery bed and planting them in
the main field is called transplanting.
When we transplant, we must select those seedlings which have 4 to 5 healthy

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 Agricultural Practices and Animal Husbandry : 289 :

leaves. These are sowed at proper distance from each other.

The main field must be ploughed and manured before transplanting. Generally
rice and vegetables like tomato and brinjal are sown by transplanting.
Transplanting of seedlings is a very important practice. This enables us to
select good and healthy seedlings and get a better crop. Besides, when we transplant
seedlings, their roots are able to go deep into the soil and get more nutrients.
When seedlings get good food, they grow into healthy plants and give a better
yield.
5. Adding fertilizers
Crops need nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen etc. for their growth and
pick up these nutrients from the soil. It is very important to add fertilizers to the
soil. They provide nutrients to the soil and help to obtain a better crop yield.
Depending on the type of soil and the crop to be grown, we use different fertilizers.
The way we use a fertilizer also depends upon what type of fertilizer is being
added to the soil. A fertilizer which contains nitrogen (nitrogenous fertilizer) is
generally given in two or three doses. Other fertilizers are phosphatic and complex
fertilizers. Some fertilisers are added to the soil before transplanting. You must
have heard about the most commonly used fertilizer ‘NPK’. The letter N stands
for nitrogen, P for phosphate and K for potassium. While fertilizers are
manufactured from chemicals in factories, manure is made from organic substances
and contains nutrients in small quantities. Some of the commonly used manure
are:
Farmyard manure, as the name suggests is a mixture of decomposed cattle
dung (excreta) and urine, left over fodder (cattle feed) and litter (bedding provided
to cattle in the farm).
Compost is manure made from vegetable and animal refuse collected from
domestic waste, straw, weeds etc., dumped in a deep pit to decompose.
Vermicompost is compost broken down by earthworms. Like fertilizers
manures too add nutrients to soil.
6. Use of plant growth regulators
Plant growth regulators are certain chemicals which regulate the growth of plants.
All plants have growth regulators which determine how tall the plant would be,
how big its fruit will be, etc. We can now add some plant growth regulators like
auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid etc. to get a better yield of crops.
You will learn more about these plant growth regulators in higher classes.
7. Irrigation
Irrigation is necessary for proper development of plants. Roots fail to develop
and penetrate in the dry soil. The crop is irrigated according to its requirement
and soil characteristics. Irrigation is essential during the seedling, flowering and
grain filling stages of the crop. Rice crop needs standing water.
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8. Harvesting
Harvesting machines have now replaced the back breaking job of hand harvesting
with the sickle and scythe. Harvesting machines cut or dig out the plant or its
parts as required. The machines gather the plant parts, separate desired parts and
eliminate parts not needed. Certain harvesting machines may even load the crop
for transport. However, the above mentioned functions of harvesting machines
depend on kind of crop, plant parts to be harvested, crop use, stage of maturity,
etc.

32.5 SOME OTHER DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

32.5.1 Rotation of crops
If you stay in a village you must have seen that
the wheat crop is planted during the month of
November and harvested in March and April.
The rice crop is planted in June-July and
harvested in October and November. The land
that lies fallow in between these two cereal
crops, can be used by the farmers for sowing a
leguminous crop at this time. A leguminous
crop does not take as long as wheat or rice to
grow. So by the time the farmer has to plant
the cereal crops (rice, wheat etc.) the pulse is
ready to be harvested.
Leguminous crops include pea, beans,
grams and pulses. They harbour nitrogen fixing
bacteria in nodules of their roots (Fig. 32.1).
These bacteria convert free nitrogen from
atmosphere into usable form. Thus, after the
leguminous crop is harvested, the soil is left
fertile for other crops.
The process of growing a different crop
preferably a leguminous crop in between Fig. 32.1 Nitrogen fixing bacteria
raising of two similar crops is called rotation in the root nodules
of crops.
Crop rotation has a lot of benefits, (i) the land gets utilized, (ii) the pulse crop
uses up different nutrients from the soil but it fixes the nitrogen from the air and
makes the soil richer in nitrogen and so more fertile. This way the next cereal
crop gives a better yield. If we do not practice crop rotation by growing different
crops on a piece of land, but continue to grow the same crop, year after year, they
will keep on using the same nutrients from the soil till all the nutrients in the soil
get used up. The newly grown plants get poor nourishment from the soil and
grow up to be weak and of bad quality. When plants are weak the insects can
easily attack them and destroy them. Thus, crop rotation restores the fertility of

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the soil, it gives better yield, prevents crop from diseases and pests and reduces
the dependence on chemical fertilizers.
32.5.2 Multiple cropping
Growing two to four crops one after the other in a year in the same field is called
multiple cropping. Multiple cropping is possible, when we make use of crop
varieties that grow for a short period of time. However, to get best results there
must be a properly managed field. In fact, multiple cropping is the best solution
for a country with food problem because same piece of land is used to grow
different kinds of crops.
ACTIVITY 32.2
Here is something you can do. Visit a nearby agricultural farm or vegetable
garden. Observe and note down the agricultural practices being used there.
All the above mentioned practices are meant to ensure that plants have a
healthy growth and yield a good crop. Along with these developments in our
country we have also brought under cultivation more and more land. The increased
cultivation of agricultural crops is in order to meet requirements of a growing
population.
32.5.3 Improving the variety of seeds
You must have often heard or read advertisements which encourage farmers to
buy new and better varieties of seeds. Some of these new varieties are resistant to
diseases and give a very good crop. Some of the improved high-yielding crop
varieties which our scientists have developed are given in table 32.2.
Table 32.2 Improved high-yielding varieties of crops
Crop Variety
Rice I R-8, Jaya, Padma, Bala
Wheat Sarbati sonara, Sonalika, Kalyan sona, Hira-moti, RR-21
and UP 301
Maize Ganga 101, Rankit and Deccan hybrid
Lady’s finger (Bhindi) Pusa savani
Brinjal Pusa purple, Pusa kranti and Muktabeshi
Do you know what name is given to scientists who develop such new varieties
of seeds? They are called plant breeders.
Plant breeders have not only raised better quality seeds but also better quality
fruits. Mango has been named the ‘king of fruits’ and in our country we grow
many varieties of mangoes. Some of them are Alphonse, Langra, Chausa, Saroli,
Dussehri, Himsagar, Safeda, Sinduri, Mulgoba, Amini.

32.6 PROTECTION OF CROPS IN THE FIELD

As crops grow in the field, they have to be protected such that they produce a
healthy yield. The weeds growing along with crops have to be removed and
growing crops have to be saved from the attack of pests especially insects pests.
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32.6.1 Weed control

The undesirable plants that compete with the main crop for sunshine, water and
space in the field are called weeds. Weeds must be removed as they use up the
nutrients in the soil and thereby make
them unavailable for the crop
itself. Weeds can be divided into
two groups: (i) graminaceous
(Monocotyledonous), and (ii) non-
graminaceous (Dicotyledonous).
Hariali or Doob grass is a
graminaceous weed, while Choulai is
Convolvulus
a non-graminaceous weed. Amaranthus
(Choulai)
Before sowing or transplanting
Chenopodium
seedlings, weeds are removed by hand
or with the help of a plough or harrow.
If some of these weeds start growing
again during the crop growth they
must be removed. They can be
Doob grass
removed by hand or by spraying weed Wild Oat
(Common weeds)
killing chemicals called weedicides
Fig. 32.2 Some common weeds
like 2, 4-D; MCPA and Simazine.
32.6.2 Control of plant diseases and pests
A lot of plants die due to some diseases and pests which attack and damage them.
Generally plant diseases are caused by
fungi, bacteria, and viruses. These
diseases are transmitted either through
the seed itself (seed-borne) or by air (air-
borne) or soil (soil-borne). Rust of
wheat and Blast of rice are two common
fungal diseases of plants. Insects are
generally pests which eat and destroy
crops (Fig. 32.3). To control plant
diseases and pests we can spray
fungicides and pesticides on the crops
or on the soil. Apart from chemical
methods, biological control methods are
also used. For example aquatic weeds
are eaten up by certain fish. Some insect
pests are controlled by introducing their Fig. 32.3 Some insect pests of crops
predator insects.
32.7 PRESERVATION AND STORAGE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Once harvested, food grains have to be safely stored. They have to be saved from
being attacked and eaten up by rodents, birds or insects. Also they have to be

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protected from spoilage due to improper temperature and moisture in the storage
place or due to growth of fungi.
Some of the methods to prevent loss and spoilage of agricultural products are
as follows:
• Drying: The grains can be dried in the sun or by blowing hot air on them.
• Maintaining storage containers: Godowns or gunny bags or tanks or earthen
pots used for storage should be free of the cracks and holes and should be
clean.
• Chemical treatment: Spraying or fumigation (insecticide solution converted
into fumes) of godowns and containers with insecticides and fungicides should
be done before storage. Care should be taken to ascertain that the grains for
consumption by human beings are
not treated with chemicals poisonous
to human beings. Grains are often
treated with neem kernel powder or
pepper or mineral oil which prevent
laying of eggs by insect pests.
• Use of improved storage
structures: Structures which are
airtight, rat proof, moisture proof and
can maintain a steady temperature
are now used for storage. Few of
Fig. 32.4 Silos them are named Pusa bin, Pusa
cubicle and Pusa kothar. Fig. 32.4
shows a type of of storage structure called ‘silos’.
32.8 GREEN REVOLUTION
A general improvement in crop yield and food production occurred in our
country between 1960 and 1980 and marked a turning point in Indian agriculture.
This is commonly referred to as the golden era of agriculture or the green
revolution. As a result of this we have become self-sufficient in food. In fact
we are able to have surplus crop to stock and use in natural calamities like
drought and floods.
The credit for green revolution goes to a great agricultural scientist of our
country, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. He is the recipient of World Food prize for
fighting against hunger.
Thus, we find that modern agriculture needs the support of:
• industries to produce farm implements, pumps, fertilizers and pesticides;
• irrigation and power projects to provide timely supply of water and power;
and
• research and development institutions to breed newer, sturdier, pest resistant
and better yielding varieties of crops and animals.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 32.1

1. Fill in the blanks.
i) The branch of science which deals with the study of the cultivation of
land, and breeding and management of crops is called
___________________
ii) The branch of agriculture, which deals with growing and production
of vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants and management of orchards
and parks is called _______________
iii) The improved varieties of plants are resistant to diseases and give high
________
iv) 2, 4-D is a _____________
v) A nitrogenous fertilizer is applied in ________________ doses.
2. Name two improved varieties of wheat.
3. Name three kinds of organisms, which cause diseases in plants.
4. Give one point of difference between crop rotation and multiple cropping.
5. Give two examples of weeds.
6. Name any two plant growth regulators.
32.9 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The branch of science, which deals with the study of various breeds of domesticated
animals and their management for obtaining better products and services from
them is termed animal husbandry (the term husbandry comes from ‘husband’
which means one who takes care).

• Milk giving (milch) animals: Cows, buffaloes and goats who give us milk.
• Meat and egg giving animals: Pigs, cattle, goat, sheep, fowls and ducks
which are the main source of meat. From hens and ducks we get eggs.
• Working (draught) animals: Bullocks, buffaloes, camels and horses are
draught animals used for doing work in the field and for transportation of
goods and human beings. Mules are also used especially by the army to take
things from one place to another in the hilly areas.
We also get horns, feathers and leather from some of these animals which can
be used for making various things. Their urine and droppings help to make the
soil fertile by acting as manure.

32.9.1 Need for animal husbandry

We have a large number of animals in our country. Yet we do not get as much
food from these animals as we possibly can and need for our large population.
Besides the food, which we get from animals, we need them to do a lot of our
work. In India, we have about 80.4 million cattle, which work in the fields. If we
take the ratio of working cattle to the area of land, which is being used for
cultivation we find that only two individuals of cattle are available to plough 3.8
hectares of land.
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You all know that cattle wastes like urine and faeces are natural manure which
enrich our soil. Unfortunately, in India we do not use all the cowdung available
and a lot of it goes waste. Gobar gas plants have been developed so that we can
make use of the cattle dung both for fuel as well as to make manure.
Thus, we find that animal husbandry is a very important field which helps us
to improve our livestock and other useful animals and make the maximum use of
them.
32.9.2 Management of livestock
When we study about improving our livestock we learn how they must be sheltered,
fed, and mated, what kind of drinking water should be given to them and how the
sick and diseased animals ought to be treated? This way we learn to manage our
livestock for better production and utilization.
1. Feeding of animals
All animals must be fed properly. The food should contain the requisite nutrients
i.e. carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water.
The food which is given to cattle can be divided into two categories:

• Concentrates like cotton seeds, oilcakes, cereal grains, bran etc. They are
very rich in most of the nutrients.

• Roughage includes fibrous and rough food like straw and stems of cereal
crops. Generally roughage has a low nutrient content.
An average Indian cow eats about 15-20 kg of green fodder and 4 to 5 kg dry-
grass, which is mixed with a sufficient amount of grain. A cow drinks about 32
litres of water. Goat and sheep eat grass, herbs and waste products from the farms.
Pigs are usually given cereals and their products to eat. Poultry birds are given a
mixed feed consisting of cereals, bone meal, minerals and vitamins.
2. Housing of animals
We must protect our animals from too much heat, rain and cold. We must, therefore,
be careful where we house them. Their houses should have proper sanitation and
ventilation. Too many animals should never be kept in a small space.
Different animals require different types of houses. Hens and fowls are kept
in cages while sheep and goats stay in open yard, which is partially covered with
roof made of straw. This open yard should have a hedge of iron wires all around
to prevent the animals from running away.
3. Water and its supply
To keep these animals healthy they should be given clean water to drink and in
sufficient quantities. For example, on an average a cow consumes about 27-36L
of water, pigs require 5-23L, camel 8-90L and poultry birds require about 240mL
of water. Besides this we must also bathe the cattle with clean water.
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4. Some common diseases of animals and vaccination

Sometimes domestic animals may be afflicted by diseases. Some of the
common diseases of animals are listed below.
Viral diseases: Pox in cattle, goats, sheeps, and fowls; dermatitis in goats
and sheep; foot and mouth disease in cattle.
Bacterial diseases: Tuberculosis in cattle and poultry birds; cholera in fowls;
diphtheria in calf; diarrhea in chicks; foot rot in sheep.
Most of these diseases can be prevented by proper sanitation, a controlled
diet, proper housing and also by vaccinating the animals against these diseases at
the proper time and age.
5. Animal breeding
Breeding means to reproduce. In case of animals, breeding is done to obtain animals
with desired characters. The two individuals of desirable characters can be selected
as parents. These are then crossed to obtain new breeds of animals, e.g. by cross
breeding a cow of low milk yielding breed, we can get breeds of cow which
produces more milk.
Artificial insemination is an important and effective method of breeding.
The process involves injecting the semen obtained from desired bull belonging to
high milk yielding breed into the reproductive tract of female during heat period.
It generally gives important breeds, and is widely used to improve the qualities
of cow, buffaloes, poultry, horse and goat etc.
Important breeds of cow
In India, improved breeds of dairy cows have been developed at National Dairy
Research Institutre (NDRI), Karnal, Haryana. Some examples are:
Karan Swiss (Crossbreed of brown Swiss and Sahiwal)
Karan Fries (Crossbreed
of Tharparkar and Holstein-
Friesian)
Frieswal (Crossbreed of
Holstein-Friesian and
Sahiwal)
Holstein-Friesian cow
Over the last two
decades, improved practices
of raising animals have
resulted in the development
of new breeds of dairy
animals, poultry and pigs.
This has substantially Murrah Sahiwal cow
increased our milk, egg and
Fig. 32.5 High yield breeds of cows
meat production.
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There is no dearth of milk, the most wholesome food in the country. The
credit for increased milk production goes to Dr. V. Kurien. Dr Kurien is the founder
chairman of National Dairy Development Board which designed and implemented
“Operation flood” – the programme which led to the “white revolution” or self
sufficiency of the country in dairy products.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 32.2

1. Write the importance of domesticated animals.
2. Define management of livestock.
3. Name any two diseases that are caused by virus in cattle?
LET US REVISE
• To increase food production we must use improved agricultural practices,
have proper knowledge of animal husbandry and prevent soil erosion.
• Various agricultural practices which we can use to increase our food production
are preparation of soil, improving the seed variety, seed treatment, preparation
of seed bed, transplanting, use of fertilizers, irrigation, weed control, control
of plant diseases, use of plant growth regulators, rotation of crops, and multiple
cropping.
• Green revolution through use of improved techniques has led our country to
attain self sufficiency in food.
• Domestic animals are very useful for us. They give us milk, meat and eggs.
They also help in ploughing our fields and for transporting things. We must
look after them properly, make proper houses for them, give them good food
and water and keep them free from diseases.
• Management of livestock involves proper feeding, housing, vaccination and
breeding of animals.
• Artificial insemination is an important breeding activity to improve high
yielding animals.
TERMINAL EXERCISES
A. Multiple choice type questions.
Select the most correct answer of the following:
1. Corosan or agrosan are chemicals belonging to a group of
(a) pesticide (b) fungicide (c) weedicide (d) fertilizer
2. Which of the following is the proper sequence of agricultural steps?
(a) Seed treatment, preparation of soil, addition of fertilizers, preparation
of seed bed
(b) Preparation of soil, seed treatment, preparation of seed bed, addition
of fertilizers
(c) Preparation of seed bed, preparation of soil, seed treatment, addition
of fertilizers

NIOS
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(d) Addition of fertilizers, preparation of soil, seed treatment, preparation

of seed bed
3. Choose the high yielding variety of wheat
(a) IR-8, Jaya, Padma
(b) Ganga 101, Rankit, Deccan hybrid
(c) Sarbati sona, Sonalika, Hira moti
(d) Pusa purple, Pusa savani, Muktabeshi
4. Credit of ‘Green revolution’ in our country goes to,
(a) Aryabhatta (b) Dr V. Kurien
(c) Dr M.S. Swaminathan (d) Dr. H.G. Khorana
5. Food items such as cotton seeds, oil cakes, cereal grains and bran belong to
which of the following category?
(a) Roughage (b) Concentrate (c) Minerals (d) Vitamins

B. Descriptive type questions.

1. Define the terms agriculture and horticulture.
2. Why is it advisable to cultivate pulse crops in between two successive cereal
crops?
3. Give one improved variety of each of the following crops—wheat, rice, maize,
and lady’s finger.
4. Give names of two viral diseases of domesticated animals.
5. To meet increased demand of food, what steps would you suggest?
6. List and briefly discuss major aspects of animal husbandry.

ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

32.1
1. (i) agriculture (ii) horticulture (iii) yield (iv) weedicide (v) split
2. Any two of the wheat varieties as given under varietal improvement.
3. (i) Seed borne (ii) Air borne (iii) Soil borne
4. Crop rotation means growing a pulse crop between two cereal crops.
5. Doob grass and Chaulai
6. Auxin, Gibberellin, Cytokinin, Abscisic acid (any two)
32.2
1. (i) They provide milk
(ii) They provide meat and eggs
(iii) They are used for work
2. Taking proper care of the livestock.
3. Pox, Foot and mouth disease.
 Agricultural Practices and Animal Husbandry : 299 :

GLOSSARY
Agriculture: Branch of Science dealing with methods of production of food
crops.
Agricultural practices: Methods used in agriculture for growing better quality
and high yield varieties of crops.
Animal husbandry: Branch of Science dealing with study of various breeds
of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and
services from them.
Biological control: Killing insect pests by predators.
Dermatitis: Disease of skin.
Draught animals: Animals used to carry goods or working in the fields.
Fungicides: Chemicals that kill fungi or moulds growing on crop plants.
Horticulture: Branch of Science dealing with production of vegetables, fruits
and ornamental plants.
Multiple cropping: Growing two to four crops one after the other in a year
in the same field.
Plant breeders: Scientists who develop new varieties of plants and seeds.
Seedlings: Plantlets growing out of seeds.
Transplanting: Process of removing seedlings from the nursery bed and
planting them in the main field.
Weed: Undesirable plants growing in the same field as the main crop and
competing for nutrients, water and sunshine with the main crop.
Weedicide: Chemicals, which can kill weeds.