Agricultural Practices in India

Secondary tillage is used to improve the seedbed by increased soil pulverization, to conserve moisture through the destruction of weeds, and to cut up crop residues. It is accomplished by use of various types of harrows, rollers, or pulverizers, and tools for mulching and fallowing. 

Patela is the long rectangular, heavy, plank which is made up of locally available wood, sometimes extra weight is added to the planks by placing stones on it during used in field. It is used to smoothening, levelling and shaping the field surface. Thus, the correct option is B.

• Cultivators can be used instead of the hoe. Cultivators are used to stir and pulverize the soil, either before planting (to aerate the soil and prepare a smooth, loose seedbed) or after the crop has begun growing to kill weeds. Unlike a harrow, which disturbs the entire surface of the soil, cultivators are designed to disturb the soil in careful patterns, sparing the crop plants but disrupting the weeds. 

• The advantage of agricultural methods that require repeated ploughing is that they allow mono-cropping on a large scale at remote locations, using industrial machinery rather than human labor.
• Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or growing multiple crops on the same land (polyculture). 

• Shaping the soil includes piling soil around the base of plants (hilling), creating narrow furrows (drills) and shallow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs. Weed control with a hoe can be by agitating the surface of the soil or by cutting foliage from the roots and clearing the soil of old roots and crop residues. 

• A ridging plough is used for crops, such as potatoes or scallions, which are grown buried in ridges of soil using a technique called as ridging or hilling. 
• A ridging plough has two mould boards facing away from each other, cutting a deep furrow on each pass, with high ridges either side. 

Agriculture Hoe is a long handle with thin, flat blade tool, which is used to dig the surface of the ground, pick out the weeds etc. Draw hoes are used to remove weeds without moving the mound soil and Scuffle hoes are used to cut the root of weeds easily and cultivate the soil. Thus, the correct option is B.

Ploughing is the method of sowing seeds, cutting furrows and turning the soil. It is done by the tool called plough. Ploughing by halai making is the method which is most practiced. It is the easiest method of ploughing.

Horticulture has been defined as the agriculture of plants, mainly for food, materials, comfort and beauty. According to American horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey, "Horticulture is the growing of flowers, fruits and vegetables, and of plants for ornament and fancy." Hence, vegetable crop cultivation is known as Horticulture.

Hybrid plants can be developed by the breeding of the plants of different species. The parents are genetically different plants. The hybrid of maize plant was developed in order to obtain higher yield. The plants with the trait of producing higher yield were crossed with the other plant with superior character. The number of grains in the plant and the number of fruits is counted to obtain a higher yield. 

Bengal Desi is a well-known variety of cotton (Gossypium arboreum) grown in India.

Mass selection is a simplest , common and oldest method of crop improvement, in which large number of plants of similar phenotype are selected and their seeds are harvested and mixed together to constitute the new variety. This method is practised in both self and cross – pollinated crops and plants are selected on the basis of their phenotype of appearance. Therefore, selection is done for easily observable characteristics such as plant height, ear/type, grain colour, grain size, etc.

Sources of irrigation in India includes a network of major and minor canals from Indian rivers, groundwater well based systems, tanks, and other rainwater harvesting projects for agricultural activities. Irrigation in India helps improve food security, reduce dependence on monsoons, improve agricultural productivity and create rural job opportunities. India’s total area under irrigation is 64.7 million hectares. Of this maximum 45% is shared by tube wells followed by Canals and wells. So, in India wells and tubewells has the maximum area.