INTRODUCTION/DEFINITION :
Food security depends on both availability of food and access to it.
Different crops require different climatic conditions, temperature and photoperiods for their growth and completion of their life cycle.
Cultivation practices and crop yield are related to weather.
Nutrients are supplied to plants by air, water and soil.
Deficiency of these nutrients affects physiological processes in plants including reproduction, growth and susceptibility to diseases.
Manure is prepared by the decomposition of animal excreta and plant waste. Manure helps in enriching soil with nutrients and organic matter and increasing soil fertility.
Fertilizers are commercially produced plant nutrients.
Agriculture include rainwater harvesting and watershed management.
Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land.
Diseases in plants are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Preventive and control measures are used before grains are stored for future use.
Cattle husbandry is done for two purposes milk and draught labour for agricultural work such as tilling, irrigation and carting.
Biotic factors are living organisms that reduce crop productivity due to either directly feeding on them (e.g., insects, rodents) or causing diseases (e.g., nematodes, bacteria, viruses, fungi).
Abiotic factors are non-living components of environment that affect growth of crop plants like excess of water (water-logging), scarcity of water (drought), salinity, heat, or cold
Broilers are fast growing young chicken of 6-10 weeks age which are known for the good quality and taste of their meat.
Layers are sexually mature hens which are raised for egg laying.
Pasturage is flora or crop available to honey bees for collection of nectar and pollen. Pollen is food for honey bees. Nectar is transformed into honey.
Manures add small quantity of all minerals to the soil. They improve soil hydration, soil aeration and activity of soil micro-organisms
Fertilizers are nutrient specific which contain one or more minerals in concentrated form. They meet the immediate and complete mineral requirement of high yielding varieties.