(Genetic factors)
The increase in crop yields and other desirable characters are related to Genetic makeup of plants.
- High yielding ability
- Early maturity
- Resistance to lodging
- Drought flood and salinity tolerance
- Tolerance to insect pests and diseases
- Chemical composition of grains (oil content, protein content)
- Quality of grains (fineness, coarseness)
- Quality of straw (sweetness, juiciness)
The above characters are less influenced by environmental factors since they are governed by genetic make-up of crop.
A. Climatic
Nearly 50 % of yield is attributed to the influence of climatic factors. The following are the atmospheric weather variables which influences the crop production.
1. Precipitation
2. Temperature
3. Atmospheric humidity
4. Solar radiation
5. Wind velocity
6. Atmospheric gases
B. Edaphic
Plants grown in land completely depend on soil on which they grow. The soil factors that affect crop growth are
1. Soil moisture
2. Soil air
3. Soil temperature
4. Soil mineral matter
5. Soil organic matter
6. Soil organisms
7. Soil reactions
C. Biotic
Beneficial and harmful effects caused by other biological organism (plants and animals) on the crop plants
1. Plants
2. Animals
D. Physiographic factors:
1. Topography is the nature of surface earth (levelled or sloppy) is known as topography.
Topographic factors affect the crop growth indirectly.
2. Altitude – increase in altitude cause a decrease in temperature and increase in precipitation and wind velocity (hills and plains)
3. Steepness of slope: it results in run off of rain water and loss of nutrient rich top soil.
4. Exposure to light and wind: a mountain slope exposed to low intensity of light and strong dry winds may results in poor crop yields (coastal areas and interior pockets)
E. Socio-economic factors
1. Society inclination to farming and members available for cultivation
2. Appropriate choice of crops by human beings to satisfy the food and fodder requirement of farm household.
3. Breeding varieties by human invention for increased yield or pest & disease resistance
4. The economic condition of the farmers greatly decides the input/ resource mobilizing ability (marginal, small, medium and large farmers)
