Fertilizers

If we grow the same crops in a field again and again, the soil loses its nutrients and becomes less fertile. Fertilisers are added to the soil to bring back its nutrients and help crops grow well.

Types of fertilisers:

1. Natural fertilisers (manures): Made from things found in nature like green waste and animal dung.

2. Chemical fertilisers: Made in factories from chemical substances that help crops grow faster.

• Traditional Farming: Farmers used natural fertilisers like compost in the past.
• Farmers started using chemical fertilisers for quicker growth and bigger crops, but it caused some problems later on.

• Using too much chemical fertiliser can make the soil unhealthy by adding too many chemicals, which lowers soil fertility and reduces crop growth.
• If too much water is given to the soil, especially near rivers or dams, the land can become salty and unusable for farming.
• To fix salty or fallow land, special tests are needed to see what nutrients are missing, and adding them can be expensive and take a long time.
• To keep soil healthy, we should not use too many fertilisers or too much water.

Spraying insecticides

Diseases and pest attacks can damage crops in the fields. As a remedy, insecticides and pesticides are sprayed on crops, or certain chemicals are rubbed on the seeds before sowing.

Storage of grain: After harvesting crops, it is important to store the grain safely so it doesn't get spoilt.

1. Drying the Grain: The grain is dried well in the sun before storing.
2. Packing in Sacks: After drying, the grain is filled into sacks.
3. Storage Locations: The sacks are kept in houses, warehouses, or shops after being sold.

Mice, rats, and insects can spoil the grain to a great extent. Also, if the grain is stored in a closed and damp space, it catches fungus and becomes unfit for eating.

1. Using Chemicals: Chemicals are sprayed around the storage area to keep pests away.
2. Using Neem Leaves: Neem leaves are mixed with the grain to protect it.
3. Protective Chemicals: Special chemicals are available that can be mixed with the grain to keep insects away. These chemicals have a smell that repels insects.
4. Keeping Storage Dry and Airy: The storage area is kept dry and airy to stop fungus from growing.

Neem leaves