Agriculture

Agriculture the backbone of Indian economy

1. 70% of the population earn its livelihood from agriculture.

2. It satisfies the basic need of man and animal (food).

3. It is an important source of raw material for the agro based industries.

4. India’s geographical conditions are favourable for agriculture.

5. Efforts in science and technology also help in increasing production.

Different type of agriculture1. Subsistence and commercial farming:

Subsistence farminga. Farming for own consumption.b. Entire production used by farmer and his family.c. Landholdings are small and fragmented.d. Cultivation method old and simple.e. Crops grown are mostly cereals,

oilseeds, pulses, vegetables and sugarcane.

Commercial Farming a. Most of the produce is sold in the market for earning money.b. Farmers use inputs like irrigation, chemical fertilizers, insecticides etc .c. Major crops grown are cotton, Jute, sugarcane, groundnut etc.d. Rice farming in Haryana is mainly for commercial purpose.

2. Intensive and Extensive farming: (Differentiate between intensive farming and extensive farming)

a. Intensive farming uses small areas of land for cultivation.b. Total production is lower in smaller areas.c. India mostly uses intensive farming. d. Japan uses intensive farming because land for cultivation is limited

a. Extensive farming uses large areas for cultivation.b. India extensive farming is used in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.c. The main differences between the two are the amount of production per unit of land.d. In the U.SA, Canada, and former USSR extensive farming is used.e. Total production is high in larger areas.

Extensive farming

• 3. Plantation farming:

a. Plantation farming is an artificial form.b. Single cash crop is grown for sale.c. Tea, coffee, rubber, banana, spices, are all examples.

4. Mixed farming: a. Farming along with animal rearing is called mixed farming.b. Farmers using mixed farming are better off.

Revolutions 1. Green Revolution: Green revolution helped the farmers improve their yield with the help of major technology by using :

a. Improved seeds.b. Enough supply of water.c. increased fertilizers.

All these helped in increasing the agricultural production.

2. White Revolution:

• White revolution helped in increasing the milk production by using technological inputs are :

• A. crossbreeding of indigenous cows with high milk yielding.

• B. PASTEURIZATION OF MILK FOR KEEPING IT FOR A LONGER DURATION.

• C. COLLECTION OF QUALITY MILK FROM MEMBERS IN RURAL AREAS

• D. Refrigerated transport system which helps sending milk to other places like the city.

4. Blue Revolution: This refers to big rise in catching of fresh water and marine fish.

5. Pink Revolution: this refers to the rise in production of apples in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

3. Yellow revolution: This is the steady supply of poultry products.

Salient Features of Indian agriculture

• 1. Subsistence Agriculture: Farming for own consumption.

• 2. Pressure of population on Agriculture: 70% of the population directly or indirectly depends upon the agriculture sector.

• 3. Mechanization of farming: Green Revolution introduced mechanized farming in India but till today complete mechanization in farming is not achieved.

• 4. Dependence upon monsoon: Though India has started irrigation facilities only one third of total cropped area is irrigated. The rest still depend on rains for water.

• 5. Variety of crops: India‘s physical features are diverse there is difference in climate, soil and land forms. India has both a temperate and tropical climate. Due to these factors we have a variety of crops grown.

• 6. Predominance of food crops : India’s population is large hence to feed the population food crops are required.

• 5. Seasonal patterns: India has three distinct agricultural or cropping seasons,

Kharif, Rabi and Zaid.

Rice is a Kharif crop while wheat is a Rabi crop.

Major crops of India :

Sl.No. Types of

crops Meaning Major Crops

1 Food crops Crops that are used for human consumption

Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millet and Pulses

2 Cash crops

Crops that are grown for sale either in raw form or in semi-processed form

Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane, Tobacco and oilseeds

3 Plantation

crops

Crops which are grown on plantation covering large estates

Tea, coffee, Coconut and Rubber

4 Horticulture

Sections of agriculture in which Fruits and Vegetables are grown

Fruits and Vegetables

Food Crops: Rice

• 1. Most important food crop of India. • 2. A Kharif or summer crop. • 3.Covers about 1/3rd of total cultivation area of the country and provides food to more than half of the

Indian population.

• Temperature Hot and humid conditions Degree 32C – 22C

• Rainfall 150-300cm Places like Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is less rice is grown with the help of irrigation

• Soil Grown in varied soil. Best grown in deep clayey and loamy soil. In Kuttinad (Kerala)it is grown below sea level and in Kashmir and north eastern India it is grown on hill terraces

• Labour easily available labour

• Distribution Karnataka, AndhraPradesh,Tamil Nadu, KeralaMaharashtra, Gujarat West Bengal Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhatisgarh,Bihar,, Uttar PradeshPunjab, Harayana, Madhya PradeshUttarakhand and Kashmir valley

Food Crop : Wheat

• 1. Second most important food crop of India. • 2. It is a Rabi or winter crop. • 3. Sowing in October-November and harvesting in March-April.

4. Staple food of people in the North and North West India. • Temperature Requires cool climate

10 degree C to 15 degree C during sowing and 21 degree C to 26 degree C at harvesting

• Rainfall 75cm to 100cm. Light shower during ripening helps increase the

yield. Can be grown with help of irrigation also.

• Soil Plain areas, well drained fertile and loamy and clayey soil best suited.

• Labour Extensive and highly mechanizedless labour required

• Distribution The Ganga –Satluj plains and the Deccan U.P, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Food Crop : Millets• 1. Short duration warm weather crops. • 2. Coarse grain crops used for food and fodder.

3. Kharif crop. • 4. Sowing in May- august and harvested in October -November.

5. Consumed by poor people. • 6. Local names :Jawar Bajra, Ragi, Korra, Kutki, Kodon, Bauti, Rajgira.

• Temperature 27 degrre C to 32 degree C• Rainfall Dry land crop. 50cm to 100cm is ideal.• Soil Can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil.

Sandy soils and shallow black soil.

• Distribution Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, SikkimRajasthan, Maharashtra, GujaratTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana.

Cash Crop : Sugarcane• Sugarcane• 1. Belongs to bamboo family and indigenous to India.

2. Kharif crop. • 3. Main source of sugar, gur and khandsari. • 4. raw material for alcohol. • 5. Bagasse the crushed cane residue used for paper, substitute for petroleum and

other chemical products. • 6. used as fodder.• Temperature 21 degrre C to 27 degree C• Rainfall 75cm - 100cm • Soil any soil that can retain moisture.

Deep rich loamy soil ideal.Rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus neither acidic nor alkaline. Flat plain and level plateau helps irrigation and transportaion. Requires heavy manures and fertilizers.Plenty of Labour requiredLargest area under cultivation second largest producer after Brazil. The Satluj- Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar. The black soil from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Krishna river valley

Cash crop : Cotton

• 1. Most important fibre crop in India nad the world. 2. Provides raw material for textile industry.

• 3. Seed used for vanaspati oil. • 4. Seed used as fodder for better milk production.

5. Kharif crop. • 6. Grown ins tropical and sub tropical areas.• Temperature 21 degreeC to 30 degreeC• Rainfall 1.Areas having 210 frost free days.

2. 50cm -100 cm. 3. High rainfall in the beginning and sunny and dry at ripening time.

• Soil 1.Black soils of the Deccan and Malwa plateau. 2.Also grown in the alluvial soil of Satluj-Ganga palin and 3.laterite soils of the peninsular region

• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required. Picking not yet mechanized.

• Distribution India has the largest area under cultivation. Third largest producer after China and the USA. Main states Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

Cash Crops:Oilseeds• 1. Most important commercial crops in India. • 2. India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world.

3. Oil removed from oilseed used for cooking. • 4.Oil usedas raw material for manufacturing hydrogenated oils, paints, varnishes, soaps,

lubricants etc. 5. Oil-cake used for fodder and manure.

• 6. Groundnut most important oilseed of India.

• Temperature Best in tropical climate 20 degree C to 30 degreeC

• Rainfall 50cm - 75 cm.Frost, prolonged drought, continous rain and stagnant water can harm the crop. Dry winter needed at time of ripening.

• Soil Well drained light sandy loamy. Red, Yellow and black soils are well suited.

• Distribution India largest producer of groundnut in the world.Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat main producers 60% Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka 30%

Pulses :Gram

• 1.Provides proteins. • 2.Good for cattle feed. • 3.They fix the atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.

4. Rotated with other crops to maintain and restore fertility of soil. • 5.Tur, Urd, mung, masur, matar etc . • 6.Rabi crop , cultivated as single or mixed crop with wheat, barley,

linseed or mustard.• Temperature Mild cool and dry climate.

20 degree C to 25 degree C.• Rainfall 40- 45 cm• Soil Loamy soil

• Distribution 90% production from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra.

Plantation crop:Tea

• 1. India famous for its tea gardens. • 2. Made by the tender sprouts of tea plants by drying them.

3. India leading producer of tea. • 4.China and Srilanka are second and third.

• Temperature Hot and wet climate. 20degreeC to 30 degree C.

• Rainfall 150cm to 300cm • Soil Well drained, deep, friable loamy soi.

Soil rich in humus and iron. Shade loving plant• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required.• Distribution Assam leading producer 50% in India.

Brahmaputra and Surma valleys in Assam. Darjeeling, Siliguri Cooch Bihar. Tamil Nadu 3rd largest producer- Nilgiri hills

Plantation crop: Coffee

• Indigenous to Ethiopia.

• Temperature Hot and humid climate. 15degreeC and 28degreeC. Grown under shady trees. Strong sunshine, high temperature above 30degreeC, frost, snowfall will harm the cultivation.

• Rainfall 150cm to 250cm• Soil Well drained, rich, friable, loamy containing humus and

minerals like iron and calcium. Soil should be properly manured to retain fertility to increase production.

• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required.• Distribution Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the main states

of coffee production.

The major Challenges faced by Indian agriculture.• 1. Stagnation in Production of Major crops: The production of some

major food crops like rice, wheat has been stagnating ( not growing). If this continues there will be a gap between demand and supply because the population of the country is growing .

• 2. High cost of Farm inputs: Farm inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, HYV seeds, farm labour cost have increased. Farmers with small or medium farm lands are at a disadvantage since they cannot afford these inputs and so their production does not increase.

• 3. Soil Exhaustion: Soil exhaustion means losing the nutrient value of the soil. Using the land over and over again for production has led to soil exhaustion.

• 4. Depletion of fresh Ground water: For irrigation the ground water has been used a lot. So over usage of water for irrigation has led to the ground water being depleted ( getting less).

• 5. Adverse impact of Global Climatic change: (How could climate change affect agriculture in India?)

• 70% of Indian population depends on agriculture directly or indirectly. Due to climate change the temperature is increasing, sea level is increasing and agriculture lands are salty waters, there are more cyclones, and rainfalls are irregular and unsteady. All these factors affect the production of major food crops like rice and wheat.

• 6. Impact of globalisation: Due to globalisation our farmers are facing completion from products from other countries who uses highly mechanized methods and so their costs are less.

• Subsidies and protection to farmers have reduced. Increasing in input cost and falling output prices have affected our farmers.