eChapters

7.1. Farm planning

Decision making process in farm business

Involves organization and management of limited resources to realize specified goals continuously.

Selecting most profitable course of action from among all possible alternatives.

6.1. Management of important farm resources

Factors of production are land, labour, machinery, equipments and buildings.

5.1. Cost concepts

Cost refers to the money value of effort extended or sacrifice made in producing an article or rendering a service or achieving a specific purpose.

Expenses incurred in organizing and carrying out production process.

Includes outlays of funds for inputs and services.

Total costs: Money value of all inputs used in the production process.

4.1. Agricultural production economics

An applied science, wherein principles of choice are applied to use of land, labour, capital and management in farming.

Explains conditions under which profit and output can be maximized and cost and use of physical inputs can be minimized.

Classification of the farming systems based on following criteria

Available natural resources, include water, land, grazing areas and forest; climate especially altitude; landscape including slope; farm size, tenure and organization.

Dominant pattern of farm activities and household livelihoods, include field crops, livestock, trees, aquaculture, hunting and gathering, processing and off-farm activities.

2.1. Principles

Six basic principles.

2.1.1. Principle of variable proportions or laws of returns

Helps in deciding optimum amount of an input needs to be applied for cultivation of a particular crop or enterprise.

Law of diminishing returns will operate.

1.1. Farm business management

Concerned with resource allocation.

Useful to impart knowledge and skill for optimizing the resource use and maximizing profit.

Bioagents like insects, pathogens etc., and other animals are used either to reduce growth or kill weeds.

But, not possible to eradicate weeds.

3.1. Cereals and millets

3.1.1. Rice

1. Major weeds

Grasses

2.1. Based on life span

2.1.1. Annual weeds

1.1. Weeds

Plants that are unwanted in a given situation and may be harmful, dangerous or economically detrimental.

Weed invasion ranked second to habitat loss in causing biodiversity decline.

Major threat to both the productivity of land and water and integrity of natural ecosystems.

3.1. Definition

Systems approach to reduce nematode to tolerable levels through predators and parasites, genetically resistant hosts, natural environmental modifications and appropriate nematicides.

2.1. Rice

2.1.1. Rice root knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola)

1. Symptoms

1.1. Above ground feeders

1.1.1. Feeding on flower buds, leaves and bulbs.

Seed gall nematode: Anguina tritici

Leaf and bud neamtode: Aphelenchoides

Stem and bulb nematode: Ditylenchus

11.1. Storage fungi

Store fungi include all species of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium.

Aspergillus flavus, A. candidus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, A. repens, A. rubber, A. versicolor, etc. Penicillia etc

Penicillia are more prevalent in cooler climate.

10.1. Sugarcane

10.1.1. Yellow leaf disease

1. Vector: Melanaphis sacchari , Rhopalosiphum maidis

2. Symptoms

9.1. Groundnut

9.1.1. Early leaf spot: Cercospora arachidicola

1. Symptoms

8.1. Redgram

8.1.1. Wilt: Fusarium udum

1. Symptoms

7.1. Rice

7.1.1. Blast

Magnaporthe oryzae (formerly Magnaporthe grisea) anamorph: (Pyricularia oryzae)

6.1. Fungicides

Fungicide originated from two latin words viz., fungus and caedo.

Word caedo means to kill.

Fungicide is a chemical agent which has the ability to reduce or prevent the damage caused to plants and their products.

Physical agents like ultra violet light and heat should also be considered as fungicides.

Antisporulant and fungistatic compounds do not kill the fungi, they are included under the broad term fungicide

5.1. Cultural methods

5.1.1. Eradication

Elimination of pathogen after it has become established in the area where host is growing.

4.1. Physical methods

Employed for reduction or elimination of primary inoculums that may be present in seed, soil or planting material.

Methods for plant diseases control were first classified by Whetzel (1929) into exclusion, eradication, protection and immunization.

Two more principles - avoidance and therapy were created (NAS, 1968).

2.1. Types of plant diseases

2.1.1. Types of infection

1. Localized diseases

1.1. Definition

Alteration in one or more of physiological processes culminating in a loss of coordination of energy utilization in a plant as a result of the continuous irritation due to presence or absence of some factor or agent.

A plant is said to be diseased when there is a harmful deviation from normal functioning of physiological process (Federation of British Plant Pathologists, 1973).

13.1. Storage pests

13.1.1. Rice weevil: Sitophilus oryzae, S. zeamais, S. granarius

1. Host range: Wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, paddy.

12.1. Sprayers

Atomizes spray fluid into a small droplets and eject it with little force for distributing it properly.

Regulates amount of pesticide to avoid excessive application that is wasteful or harmful.

Semiochemicals are chemical substances that mediate communication between organisms.

Classified into pheromones (intra specific semiochemicals) and allelochemicals (inter specific semiochemicals).

10.1. Classification of pesticides

10.1.1. Based on organisms

9.1. Plant quarantine

Legal restriction of movement of plant materials between countries and between states within the country to prevent or limit introduction and spread of pests and diseases in areas where they do not exist.

Plant quarantine regulatory measures are operative through the Destructive Insects & Pests Act, 1914 (Act 2 of 1914) in the country.

8.1. Definition

Managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools to minimize economic, health, and environmental risks.

7.1. Early shoot borer: Chiloinfuscatellus snellen

1. Damage symptoms

6.1. Cotton

6.1.1. Leafhopper: Amrasca devastans (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera)

5.1. Groundnut

5.1.1. Aphids - Aphis craccivora (Aphididae: Hemiptera)

4.1. Black gram, green gram, lablab and cowpea

4.1.1. Bean aphid: Aphis craccivora (Aphididae: Hemiptera)

1. Host range: Groundnut, redgram, peas, beans, safflower, lablab, niger

3.1. Paddy

3.1.1. Thrips: Stenchaetothrips biformis (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)

2.1. Causes of pest outbreak

Activity of human beings which upsets biotic balance of ecosystem is prime cause for pest outbreak.

10.1. Seed Act (1966) and Seed Rules

To ensure the availability of quality seeds, GOI has enacted Seed Act in October 1966 and Seed Rules in September 1968.

Seed Act passed by the Indian Parliament in 1966.

6.1. Genetic principles

6.1.1. Maintenance of genetic purity during seed production

1. Steps suggested by Home (1953)

5.1. Seed village

Compact area approach in which the whole village is involved in seed production.

Concept is a win-win model (Deepak Mullick)

4.1. Seed policy

4.1.1. Seed policies formulated for governing seed quality control system