Harvest and Storage

Cutting the crop after it has ripened and gathering the grains is known as harvesting. We can use the word crop ripened rather than using the word crop mature. A sickle has a sharp serrate-edged metal blade attached to a wooden handle. A sickle is used for cutting the crop. A harvester is a machine that helps to cut the ripened crop from the fields. Threshing is the process of separating the grains from the straw and chaff. A thresher is used for threshing. A combine is a combination of a thresher and a harvester. Winnowing is a process in which we allow natural wind to blow through the grains, so the lighter substances fly away, whereas the heavier grains fall to the ground.

The fan in a winnowing machine blows away the chaff. Protection of crops against microorganisms, rodents, pests and moisture is done by drying in sun and exposing to fumes. Silos are huge, air-tight cylindrical structures used to store grains. Granaries are large rooms built above ground level to prevent rodents and pests from getting near the grains. In cold storage, vegetables and fruits are stored at low temperatures. Animal husbandry means rearing and breeding livestock on a large scale. Poultry farming means rearing hens, ducks and turkey for meat and eggs.