Improvement in Food Resources – Short Answer Type Questions
Class 9 • Biology
Chapter 7: Improvement in Food Resources — 50 Short Answer Questions (NCERT-aligned)
Instructions: The following 50 short-answer questions cover important concepts from Chapter 7 (Improvement in Food Resources). Each answer is concise and exam-focused as per NCERT.
Crop Production & Farm Practices
1. What is seed sowing and why is it important?
Sowing is placing seeds in soil at right depth and spacing. Proper sowing ensures uniform germination and optimal plant density for better yields.
2. What is seed drill and its advantage?
A seed drill is a machine that places seeds at uniform depth and spacing. It increases germination rate and reduces seed wastage compared to broadcasting.
3. Why is nursery raising followed by transplantation used?
Nursery raising allows controlled germination and healthy seedlings; transplantation ensures better establishment and spacing in the main field.
4. Define tilling/ploughing.
Ploughing is turning and loosening the soil to break clods, improve aeration and prepare the seedbed for sowing.
5. What is leveling and its purpose?
Leveling makes the field surface even to ensure uniform water distribution and facilitate irrigation and harvesting.
6. Mention two modern irrigation methods.
Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation — both conserve water and provide efficient delivery to crops.
7. What is weeding?
Weeding is removing unwanted plants (weeds) that compete with crops for nutrients, water and light.
8. Why is timely harvesting important?
Timely harvesting ensures maximum yield and quality, prevents losses from pests, diseases and lodging.
9. What is threshing?
Threshing separates grain from the chaff or earheads after harvesting, traditionally by beating or mechanically.
10. Give one benefit of mechanisation in agriculture.
Mechanisation increases efficiency, reduces labour cost and speeds up farm operations like sowing and harvesting.
Soil Fertility — Manures & Fertilisers
11. What is manure?
Manure is decomposed organic matter (farmyard, compost) added to soil to improve fertility and structure.
12. What are chemical fertilisers?
Chemical fertilisers are inorganic compounds supplying nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for quick plant growth.
13. State one advantage of using manure.
Manure improves soil texture, water-holding capacity and supports beneficial microbes, enhancing long-term soil health.
14. What is green manure?
Green manure refers to fresh plant material ploughed into soil to add organic matter and nutrients, improving fertility.
15. Why should fertilisers be used carefully?
Excessive fertiliser use causes nutrient imbalance, soil degradation and water pollution (eutrophication).
16. What is NPK?
NPK stands for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) — primary nutrients in fertilisers essential for plant growth.
17. Give one role of nitrogen in plants.
Nitrogen is vital for protein synthesis and vegetative growth, promoting leaf development.
18. How does phosphorus help plants?
Phosphorus supports root development, flowering and energy transfer (ATP) within the plant.
19. Name one source of organic fertiliser.
Farmyard manure, compost, human waste treated as biogas slurry are sources of organic fertiliser.
20. What is composting?
Composting is controlled decomposition of organic wastes by microbes producing nutrient-rich compost for soil amendment.
Crop Protection & Pest Management
21. What is a pest?
A pest is an organism that damages crops, reducing yield and quality (insects, rodents, weeds, pathogens).
22. Define pesticide.
A pesticide is a chemical used to kill or control pests — includes insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.
23. What is biological control?
Biological control uses natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, pathogens) to manage pest populations sustainably.
24. Give an example of a biological control agent.
Ladybird beetles feeding on aphids is a common biological control example.
25. What is integrated pest management (IPM)?
IPM uses a combination of cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical methods to control pests effectively and sustainably.
26. Mention one cultural method of pest control.
Crop rotation to break pest life cycles is a cultural method of pest control.
27. Why is correct pesticide dosage important?
Correct dosage prevents pest resistance, avoids environmental contamination and protects non-target organisms.
28. What is quarantine in plant protection?
Quarantine restricts movement of plants/produce to prevent spread of pests and diseases across regions.
29. How does crop rotation help control soil-borne diseases?
Rotating crops changes host availability, reducing build-up of pathogens specific to a crop in soil.
30. What is mechanical control of pests?
Mechanical control includes traps, barriers, hand-picking and physical removal of pests from crops.
Animal Husbandry & Livestock Management
31. What is animal husbandry?
Animal husbandry is breeding, rearing and management of domestic animals for food (milk, meat, eggs) and other products.
32. Define selective breeding.
Selective breeding is choosing individuals with desirable traits for breeding to enhance those traits in future generations.
33. What is cross-breeding?
Cross-breeding involves mating animals of different breeds to combine desirable characteristics, such as higher milk yield or disease resistance.
34. Why is balanced nutrition important for livestock?
Balanced nutrition (carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals) supports growth, reproduction, immunity and productivity in animals.
35. Name one common vaccine used in cattle.
Vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and anthrax are commonly used in cattle.
36. What is pasteurisation of milk?
Pasteurisation heats milk to a specific temperature to kill harmful microbes while retaining nutritional quality.
37. Define poultry farming.
Poultry farming is rearing birds like chickens and ducks for eggs and meat under controlled management.
38. What is broiler and layer in poultry?
Broilers are chickens raised for meat; layers are bred for egg production.
39. Why is hygiene important in animal farms?
Good hygiene prevents disease outbreaks, improves product quality (milk/eggs) and ensures animal welfare.
40. What is fodder and its types?
Fodder is animal feed; types include green fodder (fresh grass), dry fodder (hay), and concentrates (grains, oilcakes).
Fisheries, Crop Improvement & Sustainability
41. What is aquaculture?
Aquaculture is breeding and rearing of fish and aquatic organisms in controlled environments like ponds and tanks.
42. Name one practice to prepare a fish pond.
Pond preparation includes removing weeds, leveling, treating water quality and applying manure to boost plankton for fish feed.
43. What is hybridisation in plants?
Hybridisation is crossing two genetically different plants to combine desirable traits in offspring (e.g., hybrid maize).
44. What are high-yielding varieties (HYVs)?
HYVs are crop varieties bred to produce higher yields under favourable conditions and management practices.
45. What is tissue culture (simple definition)?
Tissue culture is growing plant cells or tissues in sterile nutrient media to produce clones or disease-free plants (advanced technique).
46. Define sustainable agriculture in one line.
Sustainable agriculture maintains productivity while conserving resources and minimising environmental harm.
47. What is crop rotation and its benefit?
Crop rotation involves growing different crops in succession to improve soil fertility and reduce pests and diseases.
48. How does mulching benefit crops?
Mulching conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and moderates soil temperature, improving crop growth.
49. What is post-harvest loss?
Post-harvest loss is the reduction in quantity or quality of produce due to poor harvesting, handling or storage practices.
50. Give one quick revision tip for this chapter.
Prepare comparison tables (manure vs fertiliser, biological vs chemical control) and practise labelled diagrams for fast recall.
All questions and answers are aligned with NCERT Class 9 Biology — Chapter 7: Improvement in Food Resources. Use these short Q&A for practice, revision, and CBSE exam preparation.