Haryana BSEH Secondary NSQF Agriculture cheat sheet

Agro-ecosystem = crops + soil + water + air + biodiversity; any input that leaves the field (leached nitrate, eroded soil, burnt residue) becomes an environmental load.

Carrying capacity rule: continuous cereal cropping without organic matter or legumes progressively lowers soil organic carbon, so rotation with pulses or green manure is a corrective decision rule.

Greenhouse gases: flooded paddy and ruminant enteric fermentation are the main methane sources; excess urea/N fertilizer is the main nitrous oxide source.

Carbon:nitrogen ratio decides residue behaviour - C:N near 25:1 gives net mineralization; wheat straw (C:N ~80:1) causes temporary N immobilization.

Eutrophication sequence: nutrient runoff → algal bloom → oxygen depletion → fish kill; buffer strips and bunds reduce the transfer.

Stubble burning destroys organic carbon and soil microbes and releases particulates; incorporation, mulching, or use as fodder are the alternatives.

Biodiversity indicators in farmland: earthworm count, pollinator visits, natural-enemy (ladybird, spider) population, and number of crop species per rotation.

Pollution pathways to distinguish: point source (dairy effluent pipe) vs non-point source (fertilizer runoff from a whole field).

Soil texture triangle: sand >0.05 mm, silt 0.002–0.05 mm, clay <0.002 mm; loam is a balanced mixture and is preferred for most crops.

Bulk density = oven-dry soil mass / total volume (g/cm³); compaction raises bulk density and lowers porosity and infiltration.

Field capacity is water held after free drainage; permanent wilting point is where plants can no longer extract water; available water = FC − PWP.

Soil pH governs nutrient availability: most nutrients are most available near pH 6.5–7.5; acidity is corrected with lime, alkalinity with gypsum.

Organic matter improves structure, water holding, cation exchange capacity, and feeds soil microbes; it is depleted faster than it is built.

Erosion control rules: contour bunding and terracing on slopes, windbreaks against wind erosion, cover crops and mulching to protect the surface.

Saline soil has high soluble salts (high EC) and is reclaimed by leaching with good drainage; sodic soil has high exchangeable sodium and is treated with gypsum.

NPK functions: N for vegetative growth and protein, P for root development and energy transfer, K for water regulation, grain filling, and disease resistance.

Crop seasons: kharif (monsoon-sown, e.g., paddy, maize, cotton), rabi (winter-sown, e.g., wheat, mustard, gram), and zaid (short summer crops).

Seed rate and plant population: population per hectare = (plants per metre of row × row length per hectare) / row spacing; thin or gap-fill to the target stand.

Seed treatment before sowing controls seed- and soil-borne pathogens and is cheaper than later spraying; treat with a fungicide or bioagent at the labelled dose.

Cropping intensity = (gross cropped area / net sown area) × 100; multiple cropping and intercropping raise it without new land.

Intercropping rules: choose crops with different root depths, maturity durations, and nutrient demands (e.g., cereal + legume) to reduce competition.

Weed control follows the critical period - the first few weeks after sowing; integrate mechanical (hoeing, hand weeding) with herbicides and crop rotation.

Harvest decisions rest on moisture content and maturity indices; grain stored above safe moisture develops mould, insects, and aflatoxin risk.

Crop rotation with a legume fixes atmospheric nitrogen via Rhizobium and interrupts pest and disease cycles specific to one crop family.

Horticulture = fruits (pomology), vegetables (olericulture), flowers (floriculture), and plantation crops; nursery raising precedes field planting.

Propagation: sexual (seed) gives variability and is used for vegetables and rootstocks; asexual (cutting, layering, grafting, budding) preserves the cultivar.

Grafting joins a scion (fruiting cultivar) to a rootstock (root vigour, soil adaptation); budding is the common method for mango and citrus.

Pruning and training shape the canopy for light and airflow; pruning removes unwanted growth, training builds the frame in the first years.

Vegetable nursery rules: raised beds, well-drained medium, and hardening of seedlings before transplanting to reduce transplant shock.

Protected cultivation (polyhouse, shade net) modifies temperature, light, and humidity, allowing off-season vegetables and flowers and reducing pest entry.

Post-harvest handling: harvest at the correct maturity, cool quickly, avoid bruising, and grade; ethylene producers (ripe fruit) are kept away from ethylene-sensitive vegetables.

Kitchen garden and peri-urban vegetable production shorten the supply chain and improve household nutrition and income.

IPM sequence: prevention (resistant varieties, clean seed, rotation) → monitoring and economic threshold level → biological, mechanical, and cultural methods → chemical control as the last resort.

Economic threshold level (ETL) is the pest density at which control is justified to prevent the population reaching economic injury level.

Pest categories: chewing insects (larvae, beetles) damage foliage; sucking insects (aphids, whitefly, jassids) remove sap and transmit viruses.

Disease triangle: susceptible host + virulent pathogen + favourable environment; removing any one leg prevents the disease.

Fungal diseases show lesions, blights, rusts, and wilts; bacterial diseases show water-soaked spots and oozing; viral diseases show mosaic, mottling, and stunting.

Weeds compete for light, water, and nutrients; control integrates mechanical removal, crop competition, mulching, and selective herbicides.

Pesticide safety rules: read the label, use the recommended dose, observe the pre-harvest interval, wear protective clothing, and never mix incompatible products.

Resistance management: rotate pesticide mode-of-action groups and avoid repeated use of a single chemical class.

Primary tillage tools (mouldboard plough, disc plough) invert and break soil; secondary tillage (harrow, cultivator, rotavator) prepares the seedbed.

Sowing equipment: seed drill places seed in rows at controlled depth and rate; seed-cum-fertilizer drill places fertilizer below or beside the seed.

Tractor power is measured in horsepower (hp); PTO (power take-off) drives implements such as threshers, sprayers, and pumps.

Sprayer calibration: output per hectare = (nozzle flow × number of nozzles) / (boom width × walking speed); calibrate before every spraying season.

Threshing separates grain from straw; winnowing separates grain from chaff by airflow; a combine harvester performs both.

Hand tools and their uses: khurpi for weeding and shallow digging, spade for digging and lifting soil, sickle for harvesting, hoe for inter-row weeding.

Maintenance rule: clean, lubricate, and inspect before storage; blunt blades and worn tynes increase draft and fuel consumption.

Safety rule: keep guards and PTO shields in place; stop the engine before clearing blockages or adjusting implements.

Irrigation scheduling: irrigate when soil moisture falls to the critical stage; the most sensitive stages (flowering, grain filling) must not face water stress.

Water requirement = evapotranspiration (ET) of the crop; irrigation depth = ET minus effective rainfall over the interval.

Efficiency order is surface < sprinkler < drip for water application; drip delivers water to the root zone and reduces evaporation and weed growth.

Surface methods: basin (orchard and paddy), furrow (row crops), border strip (close-growing crops); choose by slope, soil, and crop.

Soil infiltration rate decides stream size and run length - slow soils need shorter runs and lower streams to avoid runoff and waterlogging.

Drainage is the counterpart of irrigation: excess water causes waterlogging and root asphyxiation; open drains and raised beds remove it.

Waterlogging and salinity are linked - a rising water table brings salts to the surface; conjunctive use and drainage prevent the rise.

Micro-irrigation maintenance: filters prevent emitter clogging; flush lines regularly and check emitter discharge uniformity.

Ruminant digestion: rumen microbes ferment cellulose; a balanced ration supplies energy, protein, minerals, and water, and abrupt feed changes cause digestive upset.

Cattle breeds: indigenous (Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar - heat tolerant, tick resistant) vs crossbred (Holstein Friesian, Jersey crosses - higher milk yield).

Milk composition: water ~87%, fat ~3.5–4.5% in cow milk, protein ~3.2–3.5%, lactose, and minerals; buffalo milk has higher fat than cow milk.

Clean milk production: wash the udder, discard the first streams, use a clean covered container, and cool quickly; mastitis is detected by clots in foremilk.

Poultry: layers are managed for egg production, broilers for meat; vaccination (e.g., against Newcastle disease) and biosecurity are core management.

Balanced ration rule: roughage (green fodder, dry fodder) plus concentrate plus mineral mixture; water must be available at all times.

Common diseases: foot-and-mouth disease (vesicles, lameness, vaccination), mastitis (udder inflammation), and internal parasites (deworming schedule).

Housing rules: adequate floor space per animal, ventilation, dry bedding, and shade reduce stress and disease incidence.

Cost concepts: fixed costs do not vary with output (land rent, machinery depreciation); variable costs do (seed, fertilizer, labour, irrigation).

Gross income = yield × price; net income = gross income − total cost; profit per hectare compares enterprises.

Benefit-cost ratio = gross returns / total cost; a ratio above 1 means the enterprise is profitable at the assumed prices.

Marketing channel = path from producer to consumer; each intermediary adds a margin, so a shorter channel usually leaves more to the producer.

Price spread = consumer price − producer price; marketable surplus = production − family consumption − seed and feed needs.

Supply and demand set price; a bumper harvest can lower price so that total revenue falls (inelastic demand for staples).

Agricultural credit: short-term for inputs, medium-term for implements, long-term for land development; interest and repayment schedule affect viability.

Risk and insurance: crop insurance and diversification reduce income variability from weather, pest, and price shocks.

Pesticide handling: wear gloves, mask, goggles, and full clothing; never eat, drink, or smoke during spraying; wash after work and change clothes.

First aid for pesticide exposure: move to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing, wash skin with soap and water, and seek medical help with the label.

Machinery safety: guards in place, engine off before maintenance, no loose clothing near PTO shafts, and no riders on tractors.

Physical hazards: heat stress (work early, drink water, rest in shade), noise (hearing protection), and dust (mask) in threshing and milling.

Zoonosis and hygiene: wash hands after handling animals, keep animal housing separate from the kitchen, and handle milk and meat hygienically.

Entrepreneurship steps: identify a market need → assess resources and cost → prepare a simple business plan → arrange finance → produce → market and record.

Value addition options for a small enterprise: grading and packing, small-scale processing (flour, pickle, dairy), nursery raising, custom hiring of machinery, and agri-tourism.

Record keeping is the entrepreneur's control tool: input costs, yields, sales, and credit must be recorded to compute profit and plan the next season.