What Is Harvesting? Steps, Importance, and Examples for Students
Every day, we have a variety of food served in front of us. These foods give us the nutrients and minerals required for our body. But, sometimes, we wonder where it comes from. We think about converting raw materials into nutritious delicacies that we have before us. This is a type of agricultural process where crops are converted to edible parts that are then converted to the food we eat. This is called harvesting.
Harvesting is the process of taking out useful parts of plants. This is done when plants have reached a certain stage where they have nutritious and edible parts.
Types of Harvesting
Harvesting is done through various types of strategies. One may think of cutting, stacking, gathering, laying, etc. some of the main types of harvesting include,
Hand harvesting
Harvesting with hand tools
Harvesting with machinery
Hand Harvesting
Hand harvesting is nothing but harvesting done through one's own hands. Farmers usually do harvesting with their own hands without using any tools. This is an old school method, as, in the past, the tools and machinery required for harvesting were still not invented. Hand harvesting includes picking crops, fruits and vegetables and collecting them in a small cart. The vegetables from the roots and tubers families are harvested by pulling up the plant by hand. The grains are beaten up after harvesting to get wheat and rice from them. Hand harvesting requires a lot of muscles, strength and time.
Harvesting With Hand Tools
After using bare hands for harvesting, tools were invented to ease the tension of farmers. These tools are only used to harvest tree fruits. A clipper, one of the hand tools, is used to get the fruit from the tree and place it in the cart. This tool is also used to harvest vegetables like onion, garlic, carrot, etc.
Harvesting With Machinery
After the use of hands and tools, machines were invented. These machines not only help the farmers to get the work done without using any strength but also saves time. Sometimes, in many places, harvesting is done with the combination of these three. One example of a harvesting machine is a harvesting rig. This machine helps in washing the fruits and vegetables and also aids in the process of packing. Another instance of a harvesting machine can be a mower, where crops are mowed from the field with the help of this machine.
Methods of Harvesting
There are several methods used for harvesting. One can be threshing. Threshing is the process of collecting grains by beating the chaff or crops. This method is mainly used for rice and wheat grains. This harvesting method is a type of hand harvesting. Some of the other methods of hand harvesting also include the usage of small sickle, big sickle, small axe, etc. these are mostly used for barley, pulses, wheat and grass, etc. harvesting done by machine has been of great help to farmers.
The machine-like harvesting rig not only cleans the fruits and vegetables but also packs them up for distribution. After collecting all the well-developed crops through hand and tools, farmers use this machine for pre-harvesting. In the past, farmers used cows to reap and mow the fields. It would take a lot of time and exhaust the farmer and the poor animal. The alternative for this process is a conveyor reaper. The farmer sits on it and runs it across the field to cut the crops. This is said to save time and not exhaust the harvester.
Seasons of Harvesting
Harvesting depends upon the season as sometimes. It is important for the farmers to keep up with the season to get the product in perfect condition. Some of the seasons for crop harvesting are,
Rabi: Seeds are sown between October and December and harvested between April and June. Crops are barley, mustard and peas etc.
Kharif: harvested between September and October as it requires rainfall. Crops are rice, maize, and Jowar. These are majorly grown on the southern side of India.
Zaid: seeds are sown between the same months, i.e. between March and July. Most of the Harvest done during this month is fruits.
Harvesting of Crops
There are several crops throughout the year in India. Some of the crops only grow while it is raining, while some grow when there is tremendous sunlight. This is because some crops have the ability to grow even in hectic rain, while some cannot stand the overflowing of water in the soil. Hence, farmers tend to look for the perfect season to grow crops.
Interesting Facts
The word harvest comes from the English word Haerfest, which means autumn.
Kharif season requires 100 million hectares of land, whereas zaid season requires only 2% of the field.
Soybeans have the highest protein content in the category of vegetables.
Key Features
The gathering of parts of plants after they have achieved the stage of maturity is known as harvesting.
Harvesting is done according to the season, as there are some plants which require sunlight, and others, which require abundant rainfall.
Harvesting can be done by hand, by tools and also by some machines, or it can be done by combining these three.
FAQs on Harvesting in Biology: Methods, Types & Key Features
1. What is harvesting in the context of agriculture?
In agriculture, harvesting is the essential process of gathering mature crops from the fields. It marks the culmination of the growing season, where the crops, such as wheat, rice, or vegetables, are cut and collected for processing, consumption, or storage. The timing of the harvest is critical to ensure maximum yield and quality.
2. What are the two main methods of harvesting crops?
The two primary methods for harvesting crops are:
- Manual Harvesting: This traditional method involves cutting crops by hand using tools like a sickle or a scythe. It is labour-intensive but is often used for delicate crops or on small farms where machinery is not feasible.
- Mechanical Harvesting: This modern method uses machines to harvest crops. The most common machine is the combine harvester, which combines the tasks of reaping (cutting), threshing (separating grain from the stalk), and winnowing (separating grain from chaff) in a single operation.
3. What are the key steps involved in the entire harvesting process?
The complete harvesting process generally includes the following key steps in order:
- Reaping: The initial step of cutting the mature crop from the ground or plant.
- Threshing: The process of loosening the edible part of the grain from the chaff and straw it is attached to.
- Winnowing: The method used to separate the heavier grains from the lighter chaff, often by using wind or a fan.
- Storage: After cleaning, the grains are properly dried and stored in granaries or silos to protect them from pests, moisture, and spoilage.
4. Why is it so important to harvest crops at the right time?
Harvesting crops at the precise time of maturity is crucial for several reasons. If harvested too early, the grains may not be fully developed, leading to a lower yield and poor quality. If harvested too late, the crops can be damaged by rain, wind, or pests. Over-ripened crops may also start to shatter and shed their grains in the field, resulting in significant loss for the farmer.
5. How do modern harvesting methods, like using a combine harvester, improve efficiency?
A combine harvester dramatically improves efficiency by automating and integrating multiple tasks. Unlike manual methods which require separate steps and more people, a combine can cut, thresh, and clean the grain in a single pass. This significantly reduces the time, labour costs, and potential for crop loss that can occur between each manual stage, allowing farmers to harvest large areas quickly.
6. What is the difference between threshing and winnowing?
Although both are post-harvest activities, threshing and winnowing are distinct processes. Threshing is the mechanical action of beating the stalks to separate the grains from the plant. Winnowing is the subsequent step that uses air to separate the heavy grains from the light chaff (husk). In essence, threshing detaches the grain, while winnowing cleans it.
7. What are some examples of traditional tools used for manual harvesting?
Several traditional tools are used for manual harvesting, each suited for different crops and tasks. Common examples include the sickle, a hand-held tool with a curved blade used for cutting grains and grasses close to the ground, and the scythe, a similar tool with a much longer blade and handle, allowing the farmer to work while standing upright.
8. What are the risks of improper storage after a successful harvest?
Improper storage can ruin an otherwise successful harvest. The main risks include:
- Pest Infestation: Rodents, insects, and other pests can consume and contaminate the stored grains.
- Fungal Growth: High moisture levels can lead to the growth of mould and fungi, spoiling the crop and potentially producing harmful toxins.
- Germination: If the storage conditions are warm and moist, the grains can start to germinate, making them unusable.
- Decay: Overall, improper storage leads to spoilage and a significant reduction in the quantity and quality of the food supply.
