Question

Explain the process of harvesting?

Answer 1

Hint: Harvesting is the last process in crop production. Crop production is a process by which we grow different crops for domestic and commercial use. There are 5 steps in crop production – Ploughing, Sowing, Adding manures and fertilizers, Harvesting and storage.

Complete answer:
 Harvesting is a process of cutting and gathering the matured crops produced in a field. Harvesting of a crop is done after their maturation. Different crops require different time periods and different seasons for their maturation.
Harvesting has two basic processes-
Reaping- In this process, the matured crops or grains are cut down for harvesting.
Threshing- In this process, the grains are separated from the chaff which is a light brown layer covering the crop. Threshing can be done manually by winnowing.
Harvesting can be done manually with the help of a sickle or a knife which can be labor-intensive, or by using different machines like a threshing machine, harvester, or by using combined harvester.
After harvesting the crop there are certain steps to follow to increase the quality of the crops and to reduce post-harvest losses.
Cleaning- It is an important step, after harvesting the grains are cleaned to remove unwanted material like seeds, soil, chaff, etc. which reduces the value of grains produced. Grain cleaning improves the milling output and quality.
Drying – The grains are dried before storage to lower the moisture content because moisture increases microbial growth and spoils the grain.
Storage- Grains produced are stored in metal or earthen containers, gunny bags, or Silos.

Note:
Combined harvester is a machine which can do all the processes of harvesting like reaping, threshing, gathering and winnowing.
Before storing the grain, the storage places are fumigated with pesticides to get rid of them.