Lok Sewa Agriculture Officer key terms

The ratio of total cropped area to net sown area in a year, usually expressed as a percentage. A value of 200 percent means each hectare grows two crops annually.

The yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops grown on a piece of land, determined by climate, soil, irrigation, market demand and farmer resources.

The relative land area needed under sole cropping to produce the same yield as one hectare of an intercrop. Values above one indicate an intercropping advantage.

Growing two or more crops in sequence by sowing the next crop into the standing previous crop before it is harvested, shortening the turnaround period between crops.

The total quantity of exchangeable cations a soil can hold per unit mass, usually expressed in centimoles of charge per kilogram. It reflects clay and organic matter content and nutrient retention.

The proportion of the cation exchange capacity occupied by basic cations such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, expressed as a percentage of total exchange sites.

The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a soil measured as pH in a specified suspension. It governs nutrient availability, microbial activity and choice of crops and amendments.

The combined use of mineral fertilizers, organic manures, crop residues and biological sources to supply crop nutrients while maintaining soil fertility and minimizing losses.

The pest population density at which the value of crop loss equals the cost of control, signalling that intervention is economically justified before the economic injury level is reached.

A decision-based approach combining monitoring, cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical tactics so that pesticides are used only when justified by threshold-based need.

A compound that disrupts insect development, such as juvenile hormone analogues or chitin synthesis inhibitors, killing insects at moulting rather than by direct nerve poisoning.

A set of criteria proving that a specific microorganism causes a disease: constant association with diseased tissue, isolation in pure culture, reproduction of symptoms on inoculation, and re-isolation.

The promotion of flowering by exposure to a period of low temperature, a requirement in crops such as wheat, barley and some brassicas.

The response of plants to the relative length of day and night, controlling flowering and tuber formation in short-day, long-day and day-neutral species.

Fruit that shows a marked rise in respiration and ethylene production at ripening and continues to ripen after harvest, such as banana, mango and tomato.

An uninterrupted series of refrigerated storage and transport steps from harvest to retail that keeps perishable produce within its required temperature range and preserves quality.

A feed energy measure summing digestible carbohydrate, protein and fat, with fat multiplied by 2.25, expressed as a percentage of feed dry matter.

The portion of feed energy remaining after faecal, urinary and gaseous losses, available to the animal for maintenance, growth, reproduction and milk production.

The mass of feed consumed excluding water content, used to express nutrient supply and to predict animal performance relative to body weight and production level.

The process by which an innovation spreads through a social system over time via communication channels, classifying adopters as innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards.

A family of field methods enabling rural people to map, rank and analyse their own conditions using local materials, so that planning reflects community priorities.

A structured way of communicating information to farmers, classified as individual, group or mass contact, chosen according to the number of people reached and the depth of change intended.

The percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price. Demand is elastic when the absolute value exceeds one and inelastic when it is below one.

Gross revenue from an enterprise minus its variable costs, used to compare enterprises when fixed costs are shared and cannot be allocated meaningfully.

The ratio of prices received by farmers for outputs to prices paid for inputs, indicating whether purchasing power of the farm sector is improving or declining over time.

The pulling force exerted by an animal or machine at the drawbar, measured in newtons or expressed as power in watts at a stated forward speed.

The area a machine can cover per unit time under normal field conditions, including turning and refilling, expressed in hectares per hour.

A splined shaft delivering engine power to implements such as threshers, pumps and rotary tillers at a standardized rotational speed, usually 540 or 1000 revolutions per minute.

A system of government in which power is constitutionally divided between a central authority and constituent units, each exercising defined powers independently within its sphere.

The principle that all persons and institutions, including the state, are subject to publicly known law applied equally and adjudicated by independent courts.

The obligation of government bodies to account for the use of public funds through budgeting, audit and legislative oversight, ensuring legality, economy and effectiveness of spending.

An internal written communication used to convey decisions, instructions or information within an organization, typically concise and structured with reference, subject and signature blocks.

The administrative process of recording a case on file, with a note analysing facts and a draft reply or order, before approval by the competent authority.

A yearly publication describing an organization's activities, achievements, budget performance and plans, prepared for stakeholders and often required by statute or directive.