C5H-INDIAN AGRICULTURE-CASH CROPS-GROUNDNUT AND SUGARCANE

GROUNDNUT

The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), is a species in the legume family (Fabaceae) native to South America, Mexico and Central America. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing to 30 to 50 cm (1 to 1.5 ft) tall.


The leaves are opposite, pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet), each leaflet 1 to 7 cm (⅜ to 2¾ in) long and 1 to 3 cm (⅜ to 1 inch) broad. The flowers are a typical peaflower in shape, 2 to 4 cm (¾ to 1½ in) across, yellow with reddish veining. After pollination, the fruit develops into a legume 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2 in) long, containing 1 to 4 seeds, which forces its way underground to mature.



Peanuts are also known as earthnuts, ground nuts, goobers, goober peas, pindas, jack nuts, pinders, manila nuts, g-nuts, and monkey nuts; the last of these is often used to mean the entire pod.





•Largest producer
•Tropical and subtropical crop and grows all over the Peninsular Plateau
•Both kharif and rabi crop but is grown as kharif crop
•TEMPERATURE: 20 – 25 degree C
•RAINFALL: 50 cm to 75 cm – rainfall should be well-distributed
•Responds better to irrigation
•SOIL: Well drained dry and sandy loam, red and black soils are well suited .

•AREAS: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, AP,Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh – leading producer

•FEATURES:

-groundnut kernels are very rich source of protein and vitamins and have high calorie value
•Contains 40 – 50% oil which is mainly used in edible refined oil as well as hydrogenated ghee (vanaspathi) form

METHODS OF CULTIVATION
•SOWING: seeds are sown in June and harvested in 3 to 4months time befor winter commences.
•Its pods grow underground, hence – groundnuts
•Increases the fertility of the soil, good rotation crop for millets as well as other crops grown in that season
•HARVESTING: harvested from Oct to Dec
•When pods mature and ready, they are dug out and collected by hand
•Hence needs cheap manual labour
•Pods collected and dried in the sun
•Later the pods are shelled and seeds are collected
•2 types
•1) BUNCH TYPE: grow vertically to a height of about 40 cm
•2) RUNNER TYPE: These grow horizontally and spread out over a large area.
•They are shorter. When they flower, they bend the flower stalk downward into the ground where the seed pods grow and mature.
•USES: can be eaten raw, roasted , salted or sweetened.
•Groundnut oil is used for manufacturing soap, oil requisites, artificial leather and for medicinal emulsions
•Oil is used for cooking,
•Oil cake is used for cattle feed

REVISION

a. The groundnut crop is often used as a rotation crop with bajra, jowar and gram. Explain.
The groundnut crop is often used as a rotation crop with bajra, jowar and gram because the roots of groundnut have rhizobium which can convert free nitrogen into nitrogenous compound which enriches the soil.

b.State the crop season and the major areas where groundnut is grown.
Crop season of Groundnut – Groundnut is a Kharif crop and is sown usually between June and July.
Areas of production – Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra

c. Describe sowing and harvesting of groundnut.
SOWING – Groundnut is a Kharif crop and is sown between June and July. The flowers appear within four and half months.After the appearance of flower, the flower stalks bend downwards and force the seedpods into the ground where these mature.
HARVESTING – Harvesting time is between October and December. When the leaves turn yellow, the plant is stacked upright until the pods are dry, then pods are shelled and put on the mats to dry.

d. Give any two uses of groundnut.
* Groundnut oil is used in the manufacture of soaps, lubricants, margarine and candles.
* It is the main source of cooking.
* The oil cake is used as cattle feed.
* Groundnut is eaten raw and roasted. It is nutritious as it contains vitamins A and B.

e. What are the geographical condition required for the cultivation of groundnuts?
Geographical Requirements:
Groundnut is a tropical leguminous plant cultivated as a kharif and rabi crop.
· TEMPERATURE – It grows best in areas with temperatures ranging between 220C to 280C.
· RAINFALL – It is a drought-resistant tropical leguminous crop and can grow in areas of low rainfall. The crop grows best in areas receiving 50-75 cm of well distributed rainfall. But the rainfall needs to be well-distributed during the flowering stage.It needs dry and warm weather conditions at the time of ripening. Frost, and stagnant water are harmful to groundnut plants.
· SOIL – It grows best in well drained light sandy soil, red and black soils.

f. Name two types of groundnut plants. Which gain more height?
Bunch and runner are two types of groundnut plants which are grown in India.
Bunch gains more height i.e. approx 35 cm.

g. What climatic condition adversely affects the groundnut crop?
Stagnant water and too much frost adversely affect the groundnut crop.

h. Name one state which is leading producer of groundnuts?
Gujarat is the leading producer of groundnuts.

SUGARCANE

Saccharum is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae) commonly known as sugarcane or sugar cane. Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure 2 to 6 meters tall. All of the sugar cane species interbreed, and the major commercial cultivars are complex hybrids.



Cultivation and uses
About 195 countries grow the crop to produce 1,324.6 million tons (more than six times the amount of sugar beet produced). As of the year 2005, the world's largest producer of sugar cane by far is Brazil followed by India.[1] Uses of sugar cane include the production of sugar, Falernum, molasses, rum, soda, cachaça (the national spirit of Brazil) and ethanol for fuel. The bagasse that remains after sugar cane crushing may be burned to provide both heat - used in the mill - and electricity, typically sold to the consumer electricity grid. It may also, because of its high cellulose content, be used as raw material for paper, cardboard, and eating utensils branded as "environmentally friendly" as it is made from a by-product of sugar production.
Sugar Industry in India is well developed with a consumer base of more than billions of people. It is also the second largest producer of sugar in the world.
There are around 45 millions of sugar cane growers in India and a larger portion of rural labourers in the country largely rely upon this industry. Sugar Industry is one of the agricultural based industries. In India it is the second largest agricultural industry after textile industry.


•Belongs to the grass family.
•Has long, narrow leaves and a thick jointed stem which contains the cane sugar.
•Can grow to a height of about 3 metres.
•2nd largest producer
•Uttar Pradesh – grows half of total sugar cane
*Main source of sugar.
•Grows well on fertile soil with high temp and rainfall.
•Depletes the soil , therefore regular supply of manure is essential
•Long duration crop with a growing period of about 10 to 12 months
TEMPERATURE:
20 degree C to 30 degree C
Cannot stand frost. Cool temp needed at time of ripening
RAINFALL: 75 – 150 cm
Grows best on irrigated land, since it requires alternating periods of wet and dry conditions
Plenty of water required at growing stage
SOIL: well drained rich alluvial soil and black soil
Grown in the alluvial soil of the Ganga plain and black soil of southern India
•METHODS OF FARMING: Can be grown from seeds but commercial plantings are made from stalk cuttings of two to three joints.
•VARIETIES AND USES: Of the total production, 50% is processed into jaggery. 30% into white sugar and 20% into khandsari.
•Concentration of sugar industries in the southern states is increasing.
•AREA AND STATE:
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnata
ka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab


LET US REVISE:

A. What is Ratooning? What are the advantages and disadvantages of ratoon cropping?
Ratooning is a method of sugarcane cultivation. In this method, the cane is cut close to the ground and its root is not plucked. After sometime the stem begins to grow again and produces a second crop called ratoon. In ratoon cropping, there is no need for fresh plantation.
ADVANTAGES: - Ratoon crop matures earlier than plant crop. There is no extra expenditure on preparing the fields and planting, hence, it is cheaper as compared to replanting the crop.
DISADVANTAGES:- Generally, two ratoon crops are obtained from each planting. Ratoon cropping yields thinner canes with lower sugar content. This is because sugarcane plant exhausts the soil. Risk of pests and diseases also increases in ratoon cropping.

b. What do you know about sugarcane plant? Why is it an important cash crop?
Sugarcane is a tropical plant and it belongs to the grass family. It has a thick jointed stem which contains cane sugar. Its leaves are narrow and long. It can grow up to the height of three metres. It is an important cash crop as it is the main source of sugar in India.
It is a long duration crop and its growing period is about 10 to 12 months.

c. What are the geographical requirements of temperature and rainfall for sugarcane cultivation in India?
TEMPERATURE – For sugarcane cultivation, temperature between 200C and 300C is required. Very high and very low temperatures slow down the growth of sugarcane plant. It cannot withstand frost.
RAINFALL – Sugarcane grows ideally in areas having rainfall between 75 cm and 100cm annually. Irrigated lands are more suitable for its growth since it requires alternate spells of wet and dry conditions.
SOIL – Well drained fertile soil. It also requires plenty of manure and fertilizers.

d. Which soil is best suited for the sugarcane cultivation? Why is the use of manure essential for sugarcane?
Alluvial soils of the Ganga Plain and the black and laterite soils of South India are ideal for sugarcane cultivation.
Sugarcane is soil exhausting plant and sucks most of the nutrients. So to ensure high yield, fertilizers are required.

e. What are manures essential for ensuring high yields of sugarcane? Why are irrigated lands considered good for sugarcane cultivation?
Sugarcane plant depletes much of the nutrients of the soil. Therefore, the regular supply of manures is essential in order to obtain high yields.
In sugarcane cultivation, an optimum land of soil moisture is necessary to be maintained at all stages of its growth. Also, it requires alternate periods of wet and dry conditions. That is why, irrigated lands are ideal for sugarcane cultivation.

f. How is sugarcane propagated?
Though sugarcane be grown from seeds but generally all commercial plantings are made from stalk cuttings of two or three joints. These cuttings, known as setts, are planted in furrows at a distance of about 30 cm. The plant start growing in about two weeks.

g. How is sugarcane processed after its harvesting? What is produced from sugarcane juice?
After harvesting, sugarcane should be crushed within 48 hours, otherwise its sugar content will decrease. After crushing sugarcane, juice is boiled with lime and then filtered.
Of the total production of sugarcane in India, 50% is processed into gur, 30% into white sugar and the remaining 20% into khandsari. Its waste cane, after extracting juice, is used in the manufacture of paper.

h. Mention the names of sugarcane growing areas in India. Which state in India is the leading producer of sugarcane?
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
On state level Uttar Pradesh is first both in respect of area and production of sugarcane.

i. Why is the yield of sugarcane higher in the Deccan?
Although the total area under cultivation of sugarcane is more in northern India, the yield per hectare in the Deccan is higher because
· There are more favourable geographical conditions.
· There is more application of scientific methods of cultivation in south than in the north.
· In the north, extreme temperatures in summer and winter reduce the yield per acre.
· There are more frost free days in south than in the north.
· The sugar content in the cane is higher in case of southern states.

j. Give two conditions other than climate for the growth of sugarcane.
Fertile soil and availability of water for irrigation are other two conditions that are required for the growth of sugarcane.

k. State the rank of India in world in the production of sugarcane.
India is second, after Brazil , most important producer of sugarcane in the world.

l. What are commercially important by products of sugarcane? What are their uses?
During processing of sugarcane, the following by-products are obtained:
i. MOLASSES – This is a dark brown syrup that comes out during the manufacture of sugar. Molasses is used to manufacture of sugar. Molasses is used to manufacture fertilizers, industrial alcohol, rum and yeast.
ii. BAGASSE – This crushed sugarcane, from which juice has been extracted, is used as cattle-feed, raw material in the manufacture of paper, fibre board, synthetic fibre and as an organic fertilizer, and fuel for mills.

M. State the problems that are faced by sugarcane farmers in India.
* Canal irrigation is ideal for providing alternating dry and wet conditions for sugarcane. But in India, canals are
often non-perenial. This factor makes the supply of water uncertain.
· In south India, digging of canals is very difficult. Also, rainfall received is low in interior parts of the Deccan.
· Sugarcane cultivation requires a large quantity of manure and fertilizers as it is a soil-exhausting crop.
· Cultivation of sugarcane on very small farms becomes highly uneconomic.
· In many cases, farms growing sugarcane are away from the factories. A delay of more than two days, i.e. 48 hours between harvesting and crushing of sugarcane gives decreased sugar content of the sugarcane.
· The support price determined by the govt for sugarcane does not consider the quality of sugarcane. So there is no incentive for better crop.




n. Why is sugarcane production increases in Maharashtra?
* Mahrarashtra enjoys high temperature for longer part of the year and good rainfall from the south-west monsoons.
* Maharashtra, being in south, provides frost free days which are suitable for the growth of sugarcane.
* Fine-grained black cotton soil which is rich in iron, lime, calcium, etc., is available in Maharasthrtra. This soil is
the best suited for growing sugarcane.
* Institutional help like good network of roads, favourable support-price, availability or supply of fertilizers by the
govt, nearness of sugar mills and availability of credity facility has also encouraged the cultivation of sugarcane in
Maharashtra.

o. Distinguish between ratooning and sett methods of sugar cultivation.
In sett method, sugarcane stem is cut into pieces, called setts. These cuttings are planted in well prepared, manured furrows at regular intervals.
In ratooning method, during the first harvest, the sugarcane is cut leaving the root intact in the soil. The stem soon begins to grow.

p. “India has very large area under sugarcane cultivation but still the production is less as compared to Cuba.” Why?
*The sugarcane grown India is of the thin variety with a lower sugar content as compared to Cuba. * Sugar industry has not fully developed whereas sugar industries are well developed.

q. What are’Setts’?
Setts are cuttings of healthy sugarcane into two or three joints.

r. Ratoon cropping is popular in sugarcane. Give reason.
Ratoon cropping is popular in sugarcane because ratoon crop matures earlier than planting crop.

s. What is the maturation period of sugarcane crop?
The maturation period of sugarcane crop is 12 to 18 months.

t. Why is it necessary to crush sugarcane within 24 hours of harvesting?
It is necessary to crush sugarcane within 24 hours of harvesting because delay in crushing sugarcane results in the lowering of sugar content.

u. Mention two problems faced by the sugarcane cultivators in India and state the role of the Central Govt in solving these problems.
Two problems faced by the sugarcane in India are as follows:
· Sugar cane cultivation requires a large quantity of manure and fertilizers as it is a soil exhausting crop.
· Sugar mills are far from the sugar-farms leading to delay in ‘crushing’ and a loss of sugar content.

The role of the Central Govt is solving these problems is very important as :
· The support price which is determined by the Government for sugarcane would be considered on the quality of sugarcane.
· The Govt has been trying to help the mills as many of them were old-fashioned, and thus, closed and relocating them near the sugar-farms.