Growing enough food for everyone is a science of its own — choosing the right seeds, feeding the soil, and protecting the crop from pests without wasting water or nutrients.
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Crop production follows a fixed sequence of steps, and the right irrigation method saves both water and money.
📌 The sequence of crop production
Preparation of soil: ploughing loosens the soil so roots can breathe and grow.
Sowing: selecting good-quality, disease-free seeds and planting at the right depth and spacing.
Manuring, irrigation, weeding and harvesting follow, each at its own correct time.
📊 Irrigation methods compared
| Method | How it works | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation | Water drips slowly at the root of each plant | Water-scarce regions; fruit orchards |
| Sprinkler irrigation | Water sprays like rain over the field | Sandy soil, undulating land |
| Canal irrigation | Water is channelled from a river/reservoir | Large, flat, plain areas |
Weeds, pests and nutrient loss can each destroy a harvest — but each has its own correct control method.
Weeds vs crops: weeds compete with the crop for water, nutrients, space and sunlight. Removing them (weeding) is done at the correct growth stage — too early wastes effort, too late lets weeds already win the competition.
✨ Manure vs fertiliser
Manure
organic, from plant/animal waste
Improves soil structure and adds humus; slower acting.
Fertiliser
chemical, manufactured nutrients
Gives a specific nutrient (like nitrogen) quickly, but does not add humus.
Crop rotation is one idea that ties nutrients, pests and soil health together — Achievers questions test whether you see all three effects at once.
🏆 Why crop rotation works
Restores nutrients: a legume crop (like gram or pea) fixes nitrogen back into the soil after a nitrogen-hungry crop like wheat.
Breaks pest cycles: pests specific to one crop starve when a different crop is grown the next season.
Reduces the need for chemical fertiliser, since the soil replenishes some of its own nutrients.
Pro tip: Excess fertiliser use can cause eutrophication — nutrient runoff into water bodies triggers explosive algae growth, which then depletes the oxygen dissolved in the water and harms aquatic life.
12 NSO-pattern questions on crop production and soil management, including two Achievers-level questions.
