Question

How do biotic and abiotic factors affect crop production?

Answer 1

Factors responsible for the loss of grains during storage and production are:

1. Biotic factors like rodents, pests, insects, fungi, mites, etc.
2. Abiotic factors like temperature, humidity, moisture, etc.

A combination of both biotic and abiotic factors causes:

1. Infestation of insects
2. Weight loss
3. Poor germination ability
4. Degradation in quality
5. Discolouration of produce
6. Poor marketability

Answer 2

A variety of biotic factors, such as pests, nematodes, diseases, etc., can reduce the net crop production. A pest causes damage to agriculture by feeding on crops. For example, boll weevil is a pest on cotton. It attacks the cotton crop, thereby reducing its yield. Weeds also reduce crop productivity by competing with the main crop for nutrients, light, and space.

Similarly, abiotic factors such as salinity, temperature, etc. affect the net crop production. Some natural calamities, such as droughts and floods, are unpredictable. Their occurrence has a great impact on crops sometimes, destroying the entire crop.