Question

Select the correct word from the following list and fill in the blanks.
Float, water, crop, nutrients, preparation
(a) The same kind of plants grown and cultivated on a large scale at a place is called ……….
(b) The first step before growing crops is …………… of the soil.
(c) Damaged seeds would ………………….. on top of the water.
(d) For growing a crop, sufficient sunlight and ……………………. and ………………………. from the soil are essential.

Answer 1

It involves the growth of rice, maize, sorghum, etc. by the farmers. Before they are sown, the field has to be made ready and the seeds to be grown should be insect eaten. All the essential factors required for the growth of crops have to be given.

Complete step by step answer:
(a) There are many definitions of crops and these are:
A crop is a group of a similar plant which is cultivated under human care.
Or
When the same kind of plant is grown and cultivated at one place on a large scale then it is called a crop.
Or
Crops are living plants grown by farmers. There are three types of crops based on the season:

1. Kharif crop: Crops which are grown in the rainy season are called Kharif crops. Examples. paddy (rice), maize, groundnut etc.
2. Rabi crop: It is grown in the winter season. Examples, wheat, gram, sugarcane etc.
3. Zaid cropS: These are summer season crops. Example: cucumber.
   So, the answer is a crop.
   (b) Before sowing, cropland preparation is very important because it is required for the proper crop growth and land preparation involves making the land suitable for sowing. It involves breaking of the large pan of soil into smaller particles so that germination of the seed can easily occur.
   So, the answer is preparation.
   (c) Damaged seeds would float in water as they are very light as compared to healthy seeds.
   So, the answer is float.
   (d) For proper growth of any plant, sufficient amount of sunlight, nutrients and water is the essential component present in the soil.
   So, the answer is nutrients and water.

Note: Shifting cultivation or land rotation or humming: In this type of cultivation, forest land is cleared and then it is cultivated. Due to cultivation of the same crop generally rice on the same cleared forest land year after year; soil fertility is lost and hence the crop is shifted to the other burnt land.
It is generally practised in the Northeastern states of India.