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Food is one of the basic necessities of life, and as India has one of the largest and fastest-growing populations in the world, the need for improving food quantity and quality becomes extremely important.
This chapter from cbse class 9 science syllabus explains how scientific methods and modern techniques help ensure that everyone gets sufficient and nutritious food. By understanding these concepts, students can answer both theoretical and application-based questions confidently.
Class 9 Improvement in Food Resources - Important Notes
Improvement in Food Resources covers the ways to increase food production, modern agricultural practices, crop improvement, and sustainable farming methods. Students can download these notes in PDF format for quick revision and exam preparation.
1. Types of Food Resources
India uses several biological sources to meet its food requirements, and each plays a distinct role in human nutrition. This section gives you an understanding of crops, livestock, fisheries, and beekeeping in a balanced explanatory manner.
a) Crops: Crops are cultivated plants grown on a large scale. They form the basis of human nutrition and provide carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Important examples include:
- Cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, bajra
- Pulses such as gram and moong
- Oilseeds such as mustard and soybean
- Fruits and vegetables
These crops support the dietary needs of millions and contribute to national food security.
b) Livestock: Livestock includes domesticated animals like cows, buffaloes, goats and chickens. They are raised for milk, meat, eggs, and sometimes labour.
Animals contribute not only to food but also to rural livelihoods.
Milk provides protein and essential vitamins, while meat and eggs supply high-quality protein and fats.
c) Fisheries: Fishing is another important source of food, especially in coastal and river-based regions. Fish is rich in proteins, omega fatty acids and minerals.
Fisheries include:
- Inland fisheries in lakes and ponds
- Marine fisheries in the sea
- Aquaculture, the artificial cultivation of fish
d) Beekeeping: Beekeeping involves maintaining bee colonies for honey and wax. Honey is an energy-rich food, and bees also help in pollination, increasing crop productivity.
Thus, improving beekeeping practices supports both food production and biodiversity.
2. Crop Improvement
Crop improvement focuses on creating better crop varieties that produce more yield, resist diseases and tolerate unfavourable conditions. With limited land resources and increasing population, this becomes essential for ensuring national food security.
Why Crop Improvement Is Necessary?
Population growth, climate change, pest attacks, soil degradation, and nutritional demands all require scientists and farmers to develop superior crop varieties. Better crops mean more production per hectare, improved nutrition, and reduced cost for farmers.
3. Methods of Crop Improvement
a) Hybridisation: Hybridisation involves crossing two genetically different plants to develop a new plant variety that combines the desirable traits of both parents.
This helps create crops that:
- Give higher yield
- Grow faster
- Resist pests and diseases
- Adapt better to climate variations
It played a major role in India during the Green Revolution.
b) Genetic Modification and Engineering: In this method, specific genes are inserted into a plant to introduce new traits such as higher vitamin content, insect resistance or drought tolerance.
For example, modified wheat seeds helped India boost grain production dramatically.
c) Higher Yielding Varieties: Developing seeds that produce more grains per plant helps increase total output without needing more land. These varieties often grow faster and withstand environmental stress.
d) Better Quality: Improving crop quality means enhancing the taste, texture, nutrition and market value of the produce. Consumers benefit from healthier food and farmers get better prices.
e) Biotic Resistance: Biotic factors include pests, insects and pathogens. Crops need protection from these to avoid large-scale damage.
Measures include:
- Developing resistant varieties
- Using natural predators
- Applying necessary pesticides
f) Abiotic Resistance: Abiotic stresses include droughts, floods, high salinity or extreme temperatures. Crops that resist such stresses ensure stable food production even in difficult environmental conditions.
4. Cropping Patterns
Cropping patterns help farmers efficiently use land, conserve soil fertility and get more output in less area.
a) Mixed Cropping: Two or more crops are grown together on the same field. This reduces the risk of total crop failure because if one crop fails, the other may survive.
Example: Wheat and gram
b) Intercropping: Two crops are grown in a systematic row arrangement. This prevents competition for nutrients and reduces pest spread.
Example: Maize and beans
The method increases productivity and maintains soil health.
c) Crop Rotation: Different crops are grown one after another in the same field. For example, a nitrogen-fixing crop like a legume is grown after wheat.
This:
- Improves soil fertility
- Prevents depletion of a single nutrient
- Reduces pests and diseases
5. Manures and Fertilizers
Nutrients are essential for plants to grow. Soil gradually loses nutrients, and they must be replenished through manures or fertilizers.
a) Manures: Manures are natural organic materials formed by decomposition of animal dung and plant remains.
Advantages include:
- Improving soil structure
- Enhancing water-holding capacity
- Increasing organic matter
b) Fertilizers: Fertilizers are chemical substances rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They promote rapid growth and increase yield.
Although effective, excessive use may harm soil fertility in the long run.
6. Irrigation and Storage
Water and storage play a huge role in food production.
a) Irrigation: Farmers use irrigation to supply water to crops at proper intervals. It is crucial where rainfall is insufficient or uneven.
Types of irrigation include:
- Wells and tube wells
- Canals
- Sprinkler systems
- Drip irrigation
b) Storage: Improper storage leads to loss due to insects, rodents or fungal growth.
Modern storage systems like silos, cold storage and airtight granaries help preserve food grains safely until distribution.
7. Animal Husbandry
Animal husbandry is the scientific management of domesticated animals to obtain useful products like milk, eggs, meat, wool, and honey. It also provides manure and sometimes labour for farming.
It includes proper feeding, breeding, shelter, and disease control of animals to increase both the quality and quantity of production.
Main Areas of Animal Husbandry are as follows:
1. Cattle Farming
Done for milk (dairy farming) and agricultural work. Indigenous breeds like Sahiwal and Gir are known for good milk production.
2. Poultry Farming
Raising chickens for eggs (layers) and meat (broilers).
3. Fish Production (Pisciculture)
Fish are obtained either by capture fishing or fish farming. Common species include Rohu and Catla.
4. Bee-Keeping (Apiculture)
Rearing bees such as Apis indica for honey and wax production.
Animal husbandry plays an important role in improving food supply, increasing farmers’ income, and supporting the agricultural economy.
8. Types of Animal Farming
a) Cattle Farming: Cows and buffaloes are reared for milk and agricultural labour. Good cattle farming requires proper nutrition, vaccination and hygiene.
b) Poultry Farming: Poultry farming includes raising hens, ducks and turkeys.
Layers are raised for eggs, while broilers for meat. This sector grows rapidly due to high demand for protein-rich food.
c) Fish Production: Fish production can occur in natural water bodies or artificially constructed ponds. Fish provide essential nutrients and support the livelihoods of millions of fishermen.
d) Beekeeping: Beekeeping enhances honey production and supports natural pollination.
Bee colonies help farmers increase crop yield and maintain ecological balance.
Improvement in food resources is necessary for ensuring adequate food supply for the growing population. Through modern crop improvement methods, scientific animal rearing, better irrigation, and efficient storage techniques, India can produce more food of better quality.
These detailed notes give you a complete understanding of the chapter, helping you revise efficiently and write strong, well-structured answers in exams.
FAQs
Q1. Why do we need to improve food resources?
Ans: Because the population is rising and traditional farming alone cannot meet food demand. Improved resources help increase production, quality and nutrition.
Q2. What are the main methods of crop improvement?
Ans: Hybridisation, genetic modification, developing high-yield varieties, improving nutritional quality and creating pest or climate-resistant crops.
Q3. Why are cropping patterns important?
Ans: They maintain soil health, increase productivity, reduce pest attacks and help farmers use land efficiently.
Q4. What is the role of fertilizers?
Ans: Fertilizers supply essential nutrients quickly to plants, increasing growth and yield, but must be used carefully.
Q5. What is animal husbandry?
Ans: It is the scientific care and management of animals such as cows, buffaloes, poultry and fish for food and other products.
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