Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Skill Subject Agriculture flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Cropping intensity

Percentage expression of total cropped area in all seasons divided by net sown area, multiplied by 100. Values above 100 show more than one crop grown on the same land in a year.

Land equivalent ratio

Sum of intercrop yields of each component divided by their sole-crop yields. A value greater than one means intercropping uses land more efficiently than growing the crops separately.

Bulk density

Oven-dry mass of soil divided by its total volume, expressed in grams per cubic centimetre. High bulk density indicates compaction and reduced pore space for air and roots.

Cation exchange capacity

Total quantity of exchangeable cations a soil can hold, expressed in centimoles of charge per kilogram. It rises with clay and organic matter content and indicates nutrient-holding ability.

Economic threshold level

Pest population density at which control action is taken to prevent the population from reaching the economic injury level, the density where crop loss equals control cost.

Disease triangle

Concept that disease develops from interaction of a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen and a favourable environment. Removing any one of the three prevents epidemic development.

Quincunx planting system

Orchard layout in which a filler tree is planted at the centre of each square of main trees. It uses space efficiently before main trees mature, then fillers are removed.

Hardening of seedlings

Gradual exposure of nursery seedlings to reduced water and full sunlight before transplanting. It thickens tissues, reduces transplant shock and improves field survival.

Rumination

Process in which ruminants regurgitate, rechew and reswallow feed to break down fibrous material. It improves digestion of cellulose by rumen microbes and buffers rumen pH.

Feed conversion ratio

Quantity of feed consumed divided by weight gain or output produced. A lower ratio indicates more efficient conversion of feed into meat, milk or eggs.

Available water capacity

Water held in soil between field capacity and permanent wilting point. It is the portion of stored soil water that plants can extract for growth.

Drip irrigation

System delivering water slowly and directly to the root zone through emitters. It reduces evaporation and deep percolation losses and suits widely spaced crops.

Benefit-cost ratio

Total benefits of an enterprise or investment divided by total costs. A ratio above one indicates that benefits exceed costs and the activity is profitable.

Fixed cost

Cost that does not change with the level of output in the short run, such as land rent or machinery depreciation. It must be paid even if production is zero.

Adoption process

Sequence of awareness, interest, evaluation, trial and adoption through which a farmer accepts an innovation. Innovators adopt early and laggards adopt last.

Self-help group

Small voluntary group, usually of rural women or farmers, that pools savings and provides microcredit and mutual support. Groups link members to banks and enterprise training.

Biofertiliser

Preparation containing live microorganisms that improve nutrient supply, such as Rhizobium for nitrogen fixation in legumes or phosphate-solubilising bacteria for releasing bound phosphorus.

Vermicompost

Organic manure produced by earthworms feeding on decomposable waste. Worm castings are rich in nutrients, humus and beneficial microbes and improve soil structure.

Composite soil sample

Sample made by mixing soil from several random points in a field. It represents the field better than a single spot and is used for laboratory analysis.

Germination percentage

Number of normal seedlings produced divided by total seeds sown, multiplied by 100. It indicates seed viability and determines the seed rate for sowing.

Kharif season

Crop season beginning with the monsoon, with sowing in June and July and harvest in autumn. Rice, jute and maize are typical kharif crops in Assam.

Boro rice

Winter rice crop transplanted in November and December and harvested in April and May. It grows in cool weather under assured irrigation and gives high yields.

Liebig's law of the minimum

Principle that crop yield is limited by the nutrient in shortest supply, not by those present in abundance. Supplying the deficient nutrient raises yield.

Integrated pest management

Combination of cultural, mechanical, biological and need-based chemical methods to keep pests below economic thresholds. It reduces pesticide use and delays resistance development.

Koch's postulates

Four steps proving a pathogen causes a disease: constant presence in diseased tissue, pure culture isolation, inoculation reproducing symptoms, and re-isolation of the same organism.

Green manuring

Practice of growing a leafy crop such as dhaincha and ploughing it into the soil before flowering. It adds organic matter and nitrogen and improves soil health.

Pomology

Branch of horticulture dealing with cultivation, breeding, propagation and management of fruit crops. It covers orchard planning, pruning and post-harvest handling of fruits.

Poultry incubation period

Time required for a fertile egg to hatch under incubation. Chicken eggs hatch in about 21 days and duck eggs in about 28 days at correct temperature and humidity.

Draft of an implement

Horizontal force required to pull a tillage implement through the soil. It depends on soil condition, working depth and implement width and determines power requirement.

Marketing channel

Route along which produce moves from producer to consumer through intermediaries such as traders, wholesalers and retailers. Shorter channels usually leave larger margins to producers.

Result demonstration

Extension method showing the outcome of a recommended practice alongside local practice in a farmer's field. Visible yield or income difference encourages adoption by observing farmers.

Organic farming

Production system avoiding synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, relying on compost, green manure, biofertilisers, crop rotation and biological pest control, with certification and a conversion period.

Seed viability test

Laboratory test, such as the tetrazolium test, that checks whether seeds contain living tissue capable of germinating. It estimates seed quality before sowing.