PSEB Notes

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 11 Processing of Fruits and Vegetables will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 11 Processing of Fruits and Vegetables

→ India is second in the production of fruits and vegetables in the world.

→ During 2012-13 India produced 81.285 million metric tonnes of fruits and 162.19 million metric tonnes of vegetables.

→ Kernow production is highest among other fruits in Punjab.

→ Potato production is highest among other vegetables in Punjab.

→ Only 2% of the fruits and vegetables produced are processed.

→ Fruits and vegetables are processed to obtain various products.

→ Various products are lemon syrup, mango squash, malta squash, lime and barley syrup, tomato juice, lime pickle, mango pickle, amla pickle, carrot pickle, lemon, chilli and ginger pickle, tomato ketchup, amla preserve.

→ Cut pieces of cauliflower, trunip, carrot, potato, bitter guard, fenugreek, spinach, etc. can be dried and preserved.

→ The solar dryer can be used for drying purposes.

→ More income can be taken by processing fruits and vegetables.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 10 Post Harvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 10 Post Harvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables

→ According to World Health Organisation, every person should take 300 grams of fresh vegetables and 80 grams of fresh fruits per day.

→ In India, only 30 grams of fruits and 80 grams of vegetables are available per person per day.

→ Post-harvest handling techniques of fruit and vegetables consist of the following sub-heads: harvesting, packaging, storage, and transportation of fruits and vegetables.

→ Parameters used to judge the maturity of fruits and vegetables for harvesting are colour, firmness, size and shape, total soluble solids (TSS), and TSS/acid ratio.

→ Immediately cool the produce after harvesting,

→ To reduce the loss of water from the produce food-grade wax is applied to fruits and vegetables.

→ The food safety standard authority of India has approved three types of wax.

→ Wax used can be shellac wax, carnauba wax, and beeswax.

→ Produce should be graded before marketing.

→ For packaging, wooden baskets, jute sacks, plastic crates, corrugated fiber board (CFB) boxes, etc. can be used.

→ While transporting vehicle should be padded or lined with a thick layer of straw.

→ For ripening bananas and papaya, calcium carbide is used which is harmful to health.

→ The use of ethylene for ripening is an internationally accepted technique.

This PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 3 Fibre to Fabric will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 3 Fibre to Fabric

→ Fibre of wool and silk is derived from animals in nature.

→ The fibre of wool is obtained from sheep, goats, or yaks.

→ The thin skin of a sheep has two types of fibres:

• Coarse beard hair
• Fine soft hair under the hair close to the skin.

→ Some breeds of sheep possess only fine under hair, their parents are specially chosen to give birth to sheep which have only soft under hair, such selection of parents for the specific characters is called ‘selective breeding’.

→ There are different types of wool, such as sheep’s wool, Angora, and cashmere wool.

→ Sheep are reared to obtain wool.

→ Sorters disease is spread by the bacterium Anthrax.

→ Raising silkworms to get silk is called Sericulture.

→ Female silkworms lay hundreds of eggs.

→ The larvae that hatch out from eggs are called caterpillars.

→ Caterpillars grow in size and become pupae (adult).

→ Then pupa swings its head from side to side in the form of a figure of eight(8).

→ During this movement, caterpillar secret fibre is made up of a protein that hardens on exposure to air and becomes silk fibre.

→ Caterpillar also covers itself completely with these silk fibers and this covering is known as Cocoon.

→ The most common silk moth is a mulberry silk moth. Other types of silk are Tassar silk, Mooga silk, and Kosa silk, etc.

→ The process by which cocoons are boiled or given steam to extract silk fibres is called Reeling of silk.

→ Reeling is done with special machines.

→ Silk thread is used to weave silk fabric.

→ Tuft: A cluster of sheep’s body hair.

→ Reeling: The process of extracting silk fibres by boiling or steaming silk cocoons.

→ Scouring: The sheared skin with hair is washed thoroughly to remove grease, dust, and sweat, which is called scouring.

→ Cocoon: A layer of silk fibres that covers the caterpillar is called a cocoon.

→ Sericulture (rearing silkworms): Rearing of silkworms to get silk, is called Sericulture.

→ Shearing or shaving: The process of removing a thin layer of sheep’s hair and skin from a sheep’s body is called shearing.

→ Throwing: Raw silk is spun to make raw silk stronger (thick). This process is called throwing. This protects the fibres from breaking down.

→ Combing: The process of removing small swollen fibres called burrs is called combing.

→ Dyeing or colouring: Sheep wool can be dyed in different colours as the natural color is only black, brown or white.

→ Selective Breeding: Two sheep with special required traits are selected as parents for breeding and reproducing a sheep of required traits. This process is said selective reproduction.

This PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 2 Nutrition in Animals will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 2 Nutrition in Animals

→ Animals do not make their own food like plants. They get their food directly or indirectly from plants.

→ Animals eat complex foods and then break them down into simpler substances.

→ Different animals require nutrients, different ways of consuming food, and different ways of using food in the body.

→ Those who eat only plants are called vegetarians.

→ Animals that only feed on other animals are called carnivores.

→ Animals that eat both plants and other animals are called omnivorous animals.

→ Different types of animals have different ways of getting food.

→ There are three types of nourishment:

• Decomposer nutrition
• Parasitic nutrition
• Animal nutrition

→ During animal nutrition, complex food is transported to the body where it is broken down into simple soluble substances (compounds) with the help of enzymes, which are absorbed by the body.

→ Five stages during the process of receiving food are:

• Food intake
• Digestion
• Absorption
• Self-adaptation
• Excretion

→ The human digestive system includes the mouth cavity, food pipe, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, Rectum, and Anus.

→ There are four types of teeth in the human mouth:

• Incisors
• Canines
• Pre-molars
• Molars teeth

→ Food is digested starting from the mouth and up to the small intestine.

→ Digested food is transmitted through the blood to different parts of the body.

→ Absorption of water and some salts occurs in the large intestine.

→ Undigested and unabsorbed food remains in the rectum in the form of feces and is then excreted through the anus.

→ Carnivores: Animals that only feed on other animals are called carnivores.

→ Omnivorous: Animals that eat plants and other animals as food are called omnivorous animals.

→ Eating: The act of taking food into the body is called eating.

→ Digestion: This is the biological process during which complex substances are broken down into simpler substances. Enzymes (chemicals) that leak from the glands in the body help in this digestive process. Digestion starts from the mouth cavity and ends in a small intestine.

→ Absorption: This is the stage of food acquisition in which the digested food is absorbed through the inner walls of the small intestine.

→ Excretion: Undigested food passes out of the oesophagus. This process is called excretion.

→ Mouth cavity: The food received through the mouth then goes into the mouth cavity. It is the part that comes after the teeth area.

→ Enamel: A strong protective substance on the teeth is a layer of enamel.

→ Food Pipe: It is the longest part of the oesophagus, extending from the mouth to the anus. Here enzymes break down complex food into simple molecules.

→ Gallbladder: This is a pouch that sits just under the liver, it stores the bile produced by the liver.

→ Caecum: A diaphragm-like structure between the small intestine and the large intestine is called the caecum organ.

→ Bile Juice: The liver is the largest gland of our body from which leakage occurs which accumulates in the gallbladder. This leakage is called bile juice.

→ Ruminants: Grass-eating animals such as cows, buffaloes, are called ruminants.

→ Automation: Food absorbed by the intestines is transported through the blood to different parts of the body. This action is called automation.

This PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 7th Class Science Notes Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants

→ For all living things such as plants, animals, human beings food is necessary.

→ The main components of food are carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals which are important for the building and growth of the human body.

→ The process of taking in food and using it for growth and development is called nutrition.

→ Different organisms require different types of nutrition.

→ On the basis of habits of intake of nutrients, nutrition can be divided into two types:

• Autotrophic nutrition
• Heterotrophic nutrition

→ Organisms that use simple inorganic matters and prepare their food on their own are called Autotrophs and the nutrition produced by them is called autotrophic nutrition.

→ All green plants and bacteria are Autotrophs.

→ Organisms that depend upon other organisms for food to survive are called Heterotrophs.

→ All animals, humans, and certain types of fungi are heterotrophs.

→ Euglena is a type of organism which produces both autotrophic nutrition as well as heterotrophic nutrition.

→ Leaves are called the food factory of plants.

→ Leaves produce their food by photosynthesis. During photosynthesis in green plants, the green coloured pigments (chlorophylls) are capable of trapping sunlight and taking carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air in the presence of water to produce food in the form of carbohydrates.

→ The leaves of the plants have tiny pores on their top layer, through which the carbon dioxide (taken in) and oxygen (given out) are exchanged and these exchange pores are called stomata.

→ Stomata are surrounded by the guard cells.

→ Soil provides water and minerals to plants, which are absorbed by the roots of the plants through Xylem tissues present in roots and further sent to other parts of the plant.

→ Sun is the main source of energy for all living organisms.

→ In the photosynthesis process, the energy of the sun is converted into chemical energy.

→ The leaves of some plants are not green in colour but of some other colour as for example red leaves of coleus, red cabbage has violet leaves.

→ Such leaves also show photosynthesis because they also contain chlorophylls but are lesser in amount than green plants.

→ The basic products of photosynthesis are oxygen and glucose.

→ Heterotrophs are divided into four types:

• Decomposers
• Parasites
• Insect eaters
• Symbiotic

→ The organisms that get nourishment from the body of other living beings are called parasites.

→ Organisms that depend on dead bodies and rotten substances for their nourishment are called decomposers.

→ In a symbiotic relationship, two types of organisms depend on each other for food, from which both the organisms are benefited.

→ Dead and decaying plants and animals are decomposed by the decomposers which provide essential nutrients to the soil.

→ Nutrients: The main components of food such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals that help in the growth and development of the body are called nutrients.

→ Self-nutrition: Organisms that make their own food from simple substances are called self-nourishment. This type of nutrition is called autotrophic nutrition.

→ Heterotrophic nutrition: Organisms that can’t prepare their own food but depend on other organisms are called Heterotrophs and this type of nutrition is called heterotrophic nutrition.

→ Dead food: A diet in which dead creatures or rotten substances are providing food to other organisms.

→ Parasites: Organisms that depend on other plants and organisms for food are called parasites.

→ Photosynthesis: This is an activity in which the leaves of a plant contain green colour pigment-chlorophyll, carbon dioxide of the air, and water in the presence of sunlight prepare food in the form of carbohydrates. Here solar energy is converted into chemical energy.

→ Chlorophyll: This is a green pigment that is present in plants. This is important for plants to prepare their own food.

→ Carbohydrates: A type of micronutrient that is present in many foods such as sugar, starch, and fiber. Our body needs these micronutrients to stay healthy.

→ Stomata: Stomata are found on the outer surface of the aerial parts of the plant. The maximum amount of stomata is found on leaves. Gases are exchanged through Stomata (holes).

→ Host: The plants or organisms on which the parasite depends for its food are called the host.

→ Chemical Fertilizer: This is a factory-made chemical (a mixture of inorganic salts). It contains a lot of nutrients for plants. It fulfills the deficiency in the soil so that the soil remains fertile.

→ Rhizobium: A Bacterium found in the roots and buds of leguminous plants. It makes the nitrogen in the air usable, which is used by plants, and in return, plants provide shelter and food to this bacteria.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 9 Care and Maintenance of Farm Machinery will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 9 Care and Maintenance of Farm Machinery

→ After the cost of land, the next heavy investment is in farm machinery.

→ Proper maintenance of the machinery increases in working life.

→ Farm machines are of three types.

→ The first category of machines is of prime movers e.g. tractors, engines, motors, etc.

→ The second type of machine is tractor or engine operated equipment, like, cultivators, happy seeder, disc harrows, seed cum fertilizer drill Etc.

→ The third type of machine is self-propelled machines, like, combine harvesters, paddy transplanted, etc.

→ The tractor is the head of the farm machinery.

→ Servicing of the tractor should be done after 10 hours, 50 hours, 125 hours, 250 hours, 500 hours, and 1000 hours.

→ The tractor should be got overhauled from a good workshop after using it for 4000 hours.

→ When the tractor is not required for the long term it should be stored properly.

→ Combine harvester should be maintained and stored like a tractor.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 8 Organic Farming will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 8 Organic Farming

→ Organic farming helps in maintaining natural balance and also in conserving natural resources.

→ Inorganic farming we do not use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, etc.

→ Organic farming is based on the concept that feeds the soil and not the plants.

→ Advantages of organic farming are fertility of the soil is increased, lower production cost, good income from organic produce, availability of pesticide residue-free food, etc.

→ Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, burning of rice and wheat straw, etc. have deteriorated greatly the soil health and the environment.

→ Due to the adoption of the Rice-Wheat cropping system for many years, it has reduced the area under the traditional pulse and oilseed crops.

→ There is a huge demand for tea, basmati rice, vegetables, fruits, pulses, etc. which are grown by adopting organic farming practices, in the world organic food market.

→ The government of India has established a National Centre for Organic Fanning (NCOF) at Ghaziabad to promote organic farming. Its Regional centre in North India is situated at Panchkula, Haryana.

→ In the year 2004 India has formulated certain organic standards which are also acceptable in other countries.

→ Agricultural practices followed in organic farming are the same as that of conventional farming e.g. seeds, sowing method, varieties, etc.

→ Nutritional requirements of crops are met by using compost, vermicompost, farmyard manure, bio-fertilizers, non-edible cakes like castor cakes, etc.

→ Protection of crops from pests and insects is done by using beneficial insects, birds, etc.

→ Extract of neem is also used against pests and insects etc.

→ Organic certification guarantees that organic products are produced as per the organic set standards.

→ Information about organic standards can be obtained from site www.apeda.gov.in.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 6 BeeKeeping will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 6 BeeKeeping

→ Earlier, beekeeping was practiced mainly in hilly and southern states of India and the reared bee species was the Indian honey bee Apis cerana.

→ PAU, Ludhiana successfully introduced the Italian honey bee in 1965.

→ We may get 20 kg of honey per colony per year from stationary beekeeping and 60 kg of honey per colony per year from migratory beekeeping.

→ Products that are obtained from beekeeping are bee wax, propolis, bee venom, pollen, royal jelly, etc.

→ The body of honey can be considered divided into three parts – head, thorax, and abdomen.

→ There are mainly four species of honey bee Apis dorsata (rock bee), Apis florea (little bee), Apis cerana (Indian bee), and Apis mellifera (European/Italian bee)

→ A honeybee can lay nearly 2000 eggs in a day.

→ Rock bees and little bees are wild species.

→ Indian bee and Italian bee are hive bees.

→ Rock bee is very aggressive.

→ Italian and Indian bees are reared in boxes.

→ There are three castes of honey bees-queen, drones, and worker bees.

→ The life cycle of honey bees has four stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

→ The life cycle of the queen bee completes in 16 days that of a worker in 21 and of drone in 24 days.

→ A colony has nearly 8000 to 80,000 worker bees.

→ Good sources of nectar and pollen for bees are berseem, toria, Sarson, arhar, eucalyptus, Sheesham, pear, etc.

→ The suitable season for starting beekeeping is February-March and November.

→ Honey bees seal the ripe honey with a layer of beeswax.

→ We should not extract unripe honey.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 5 Mushroom Cultivation will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 5 Mushroom Cultivation

→ There are 400 mushroom-growing places in Punjab.

→ Annual production of mushrooms is about 45000-48000 tonnes.

→ Nutrients found in mushrooms are Protein, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Potash, Minerals, and Vitamin-C.

→ It contains low amounts of fats and carbohydrates. Mushrooms are good for patients with blood pressure and sugar.

→ According to the environment of Punjab, there are five varieties of mushrooms-Button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese mushrooms, Milky, Oyster mushrooms.

→ In winter two crops of Button, mushrooms can be taken from September to March.

→ Three crops of oyster mushrooms can be taken from October to March and one crop of shiitake can be taken from September to March.

→ Turn the stack after every fourth day and add molasses, gypsum, Lindane, and furadan respectively at first, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh turning.

→ The seed rate is 300-gram spawn per square meter.

→ In summer four crops of paddy straw mushroom are taken from April to August and of milky mushroom three crops are taken from April to October.

→ Mix FYM and garden soil in the ratio of 4 : 1 or spent compost and FYM in the ratio of 1 : 1 to get casing mixture.

→ Use 4-5% formalin for disinfecting casing mixture.

→ Use dichlorvos as a preventive measure against mushroom flies and do not harvest up to 48 hours after spraying.

→ Mushroom seeds are known as spawn.

→ Within 2-3 weeks 80-100% of trays are filled with mycelium which is white like cotton.

→ The mushroom yield obtained is 8-12 kg per sq metre.

→ 200 grams of fresh mushrooms are packed in poly bags having small holes in them.

This PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 4 Solar Energy will help you in revision during exams.

PSEB 8th Class Agriculture Notes Chapter 4 Solar Energy

→ The sources of energy in nature are of two types conventional (non-renewable) and non-conventional (renewable).

→ Conventional sources of energy are limited. These are coal, electricity, petroleum etc.

→ Non-conventional sources of energy are Biogas solar energy, chemical energy, etc.

→ The solar cell can be used to produce electricity using solar cells.

→ The solar dryer is used for drying vegetables, fruits, etc.

→ Solar dryers are of two types domestic solar dryers, multi-product solar dryers.

→ The solar cooker is used for cooking food using solar energy.

→ The solar water heater is used to heat water using solar energy.

→ Solar water heaters are of two types thermosiphon solar water heater, storage cum collector solar water heater.

→ A solar lantern is an emergency light. It is charged using solar energy and it can be used for 3-4 hours.

→ Solar energy is also used to light street lights and house lights.

→ The solar water pump is used to lift water from a depth of 35-40 feet.