D6-AGRICULTURE - PROJECT

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is one of the oldest occupations of human beings. Agriculture means ploughing of the land, sowing seeds, protecting plants and obtaining crops for the use of people and domestic animals. Agriculture also includes cattle rearing, bee keeping, sericulture and poultry. It supplies required food grains for the people, fodder for cattle and also raw materials for industries. Agriculture plays a very important role in Indian economy.

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE:
Different types of agriculture are practised in different parts of the country depending upon the landuse, types of crops grown, the yield, implements used, the use of manures etc. The main reasons for different types of agriculture in India are the nature of land, climate, rainfall, soil, market , technology, capital and labour.
The important types of agriculture practised in India are: 1) Primitive subsistence farming,

2) Commercial farming, 3) Mixed farming and 4) Plantation farming

1) Primitive subsistence farming: It is a type of farming where the production of crops is for domestic (home) consumption. It is widely practised in the hilly regions of North- East India, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The characteristics of this farming are small farms, use of ancient and simple implements and unscientific methods of cultivation. There are two types of subsistence farming 1) shifting cultivation and

2) sedentary cultivation. Shifting cultivation takes place in forest areas where in some parts, trees are cut and burnt and agriculture is carried on. After growing and reaping the crops for a few years, the land loses its fertility and the farmer shifts agriculture to some other place. Shifting agriculture results in soil erosion and gives low yield. This type of cultivation is called “Kumari” in Karnataka, “Jhuming” in Assam, “Ponama” in Kerala and “Podu” in Andhra Pradesh. Sedentary farming is settled agriculture. The agricultural practices and seeds used are traditional ones, the produce is used for domestic consumption and
the surplus is exchanged for other requirements. Now a days the surplus is mostly sold.

2) Commercial Farming: Production of crops and rearing of cattle mainly for sale is called commercial farming. Normally it is characterized by large farms and only one type of crop is grown. The nature of land, soil, irrigation facilities and climate are suitable for that crop. Machinery, chemical fertilizers, hybrid seeds and pesticides are used. The important crops grown under commercial farming in India are cotton. sugarcane, tobacco, chillies, oil seeds etc.

3) Mixed Farming: Mixed farming is the raising of crops and rearing of cattle, poultry, bee keeping, sericulture etc. on the same land. This type of farming is practised very widely in India. The main characteristics of this type of farming are a) different variety of crops are grown, b) scientific methods of agriculture are followed and C) sufficient capital is required.
4) Plantation Farming: The important crops grown under this type of farming are coffee, tea, rubber, spices, coconuts, arecanuts, beetle leaves, etc. It consists of large estates for farming. The production also earns foreign exchange. It is practised in Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. Vegetables, fruits, and flowers are also grown on large scale under this type of farming.

AGRICULTURAL SEASONS:
In India, agriculture is carried on throughout the year in different regions. India has two cropping seasons - the Kharif and the Rabi .The Kharif season begins with the onset of South-West monsoons. The important crops of this season are paddy, cotton, ragi, jowar, maize, oil seeds, pulses and jute. The post-monsoon season is the Rabi season. It depends mostly on sub-soil moisture and irrigation. The major crops of this season are cotton, wheat, barley, oil seeds, tobacco etc. Wheat is the main crop. Paddy, as a second crop, is also grown during this season.

MAJOR CROPS
Crops of India may be divided into two groups. They are food crops and commercial crops. Food crops mainly consist of food-grains, vegetables, fruits etc. Commercial crops mainly consist of fibre crops, beverage crops, sugarcane, tobacco and oil seeds.

FOOD CROPS:
The important food crops are paddy, wheat, jowar, vegetables, fruits, and pulses. Paddy, wheat and jowar are important cereals.

Paddy: Paddy is one of the important food-grains of India. India is the second largest producer of paddy in the world, next to China. It is mainly a Kharif crop and is also grown as a Rabi crop wherever irrigation is available. It is a tropical crop and requires 250C temperature and 100 to 200 cms. of rainfall. Fertile alluvial soil and clayey soil are suitable for the cultivation of paddy. It requires standing water till the crop is ready for harvest, so, flat land is required. Wherever rainfall is less, irrigation is required. Paddy is grown all over India. Paddy cultivation is concentrated in the regions where favourable geographical conditions are available. The main regions where paddy is grown in India are the eastern and western coastal plains, deltas of rivers, Northern plains, and Terai regions of the Himalayas. West Bengal is now the largest paddy growing state. (formerly it was Andhra Pradesh). The other states where paddy is cultivated are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Though the land area under paddy cultivation is large, the yield is low. In recent years there is great increase both in yield and production because of hybrid seeds, improved methods of cultivation and irrigation.

Wheat: Wheat occupies the second place in India with regards to production and area under cultivation. It is mainly a Rabi crop of India. It is one of the oldest crops introduced in India from West Asia. It requires 100C to 150C temperature, and 50 to 70 cms. of rainfall. Wheat grows well in black cotton soil and clayey soil. Wheat is largely grown in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab is called the wheat granary. Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, northern parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra are the other wheat growing states. Uttar Pradesh stands first in the production of wheat. High yielding varieties of seeds and irrigation facilities have helped in the increase of production of wheat. India stands fourth in the production
of wheat in the world.

Jowar, Ragi and Bajra.
Jowar: It is a Kharif crop. It is largely grown in the dry the parts of Central and South India. It requires high temperature and moderate rainfall. It grows well in black soil. Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are the leading producers of jowar.

Ragi: It is a very nutritious grain and gives higher yield than other millets. It grows as a dry crop in areas of low rainfall and poor soil. It is one of the important food crops of Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is an important Kharif crop.

Bajra: It is grown in areas of low rainfall and poor soil. It is grown in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Maize: It is grown as a subsidiary food-grain and as a fodder for cattle. It is a high yielding Kharif crop. It is grown in undulating areas with moderate and heavy rainfall. It is grown in less fertile soil. Maize is mostly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Pulses: The important pulses grown in India are gram, including horse gram, green gram, black gram, Bengal gram, Tur dal etc. They are rich in protein. They are leguminous and preserve the fertility of the soil. Therefore they are grown along with other crops and as part of crop rotation.

COMMERCIAL CROPS:
Commercial crops not only help to earn foreign exchange, they also provide raw materials for industries. The important commercial crops of India are sugarcane, cotton, jute, oil seeds, tea, coffee, tobacco and spices.

Sugarcane: It is the chief commercial crop of India. India occupies the second place in the world in the production of sugarcane. Sugarcane is used as a raw material in the production of sugar, jaggery, alcohol and in paper industry. Sugarcane is an annual and irrigated crop. It requires hot and humid climate with 210C to 260C temperature and 100 to 150 cms. of rainfall. It grows well in alluvial and black soil. Sugarcane is grown in almost all parts of the country. Uttar Pradesh had been the largest producer of sugarcane in the country. The other states which grow sugarcane are Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The yield of sugarcane is higher in South India than in North India.

Coffee and Tea: They are the most important beverage crops grown in India. India is the largest producer of tea in the world. Both tea and coffee require somewhat similar climate and soil conditions. They require hot and humid climate with 150C to 300C temperature. Coffee requires 150 to 200 cms. of rainfall and shade of trees. Tea requires 200 to 250 cms of rainfall and shade of trees is not required. The rainfall should be evenly distributed throughout the year. Both require well-drained fertile soil, rich in organic matter. Assam is the largest producer of tea in India. West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka also produce tea. Darjeeling (West Bengal) tea is world famous. Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee in India. The southern parts of the Western Ghats of Karnataka are well suited for the cultivation of coffee. Coffee is also grown in Tamilnadu and Kerala. India is an important exporter of tea.

Cotton and Jute: These are the important fibre crops of India. Cotton is a tropical crop. It requires 200C to 450C temperature and 75 to 100 cms. of annual rainfall. The yield of cotton is high where irrigation facilities are available and rainfall is moderate. It grows well in alluvial, red and black soil which are well drained. It is both a Kharif and Rabi crop. The most important cotton producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. India grows mostly short and medium staple cotton. Long staple cotton is grown in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Jute requires warm and humid climate with 250C to 350C temperature and more than 150 cms of rainfall. It is best grown in light sandy deltaic soil. It requires a large quantity of water and a large supply of cheap labour. Cultivation of jute was earlier concentrated only in the north-eastern states of India. Now jute is also grown in other states. West Bengal is the largest producer of jute in India. The other states are Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and Tripura. The partition of Bengal affected jute production because the jute growing regions went to East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Jute is also called "golden fibre".

Tobacco: It belongs to Nicotine group. It was introduced in India by the Portuguese during the 16th century. In the beginning it was grown in Goa, Karnataka and Gujarat states. Later its cultivation was carried on in the state of Andhra Pradesh and other parts. Today India is one of the leading producers of tobacco in the world and stands third in world production. It is cultivated as a Rabi crop under a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions. Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are the leading producers of tobacco. The other tobacco producing states are Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Oil Seeds: The other important group of commercial crops grown in India is oil seeds. They include groundnuts, castor seeds, sesame, rape seeds, mustard etc. Oil is also extracted from palms and coconuts. Oil which is extracted from oil seeds is used for food, industrial purposes, preparation of medicines, industrial lubricants and soaps. Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the important oil seed producers in India. In the past oil was the main source for lighting.

THE OTHER COMMERCIAL CROPS:
Cocoa, pepper, cardamom, clove, cashew, rubber, turmeric, ginger etc. are the other commercial crops. Cocoa is grown on the slopes of Nilgiri Hills. Spices are grown on the wet slopes of the Western Ghats. Rubber plantations are distributed in Kerala, Assam, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

LIVE STOCK REARING:
Rearing of cattle and dairy farming are important occupations of the people both in rural and urban areas. They are an integral part of agriculture. India has a large number of cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and other domesticated animals. India has about 16 % of the world’s cattle, 51 % of the buffaloes, 18% of the goats and 4% of sheep. Now-adays piggery has also developed as a supplementary occupation.

POULTRY: Poultry was reared since ancient days. Now it has become a commercial occupation. India has made considerable progress in poultry farming and in the production of eggs. It stands fifth in the world. According to the 2001 census, 32 crore eggs per year are produced in India. Scientific Research Centres are established at Mumbai, Bhuvaneshwar, Chandigarh and Hesaraghatta near Bangalore. At Hesaraghatta, broiler breed of hen is developed to lay more eggs. Besides, research is also being carried on in developing breeds of ducks.

DAIRY FARMING: Increase in production of milk can provide rural people with income as well as employment. Dairy farming was given more importance during the 8th Five Year Plan. During 2001-2002, the production of milk in India went up to 85 million tonnes. Today India stands second in the production of milk in the world.

SERICULTURE: Rearing of silk worms is also known as sericulture. Sericulture or silk worm rearing is important in some parts of India. Silk worms are fed mostly on mulberry leaves. India is the second largest producer of silk in the world. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Bihar, Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are important producers of silk. Karnataka stands first in the production of silk in India.

EXERCISE
I Answer the following questions briefly:
1) Which are the important commercial crops of India?
2) Mention the geographical requirements for the cultivation of wheat.
3) In which parts of India are coffee and tea grown?
4) Which types of agriculture are followed in India?
5) Which are the jute growing areas in India? Why is jute cultivation concentrated in these areas?
6) What is the importance of pulses?
7) What is mixed farming?
8) Name the important crops grown in India.

II Match the following with phrases from below:
Paddy, wheat, coffee, oil seeds, cotton, jute, sericulture.
1) Used in the production of industrial lubricants.
2) Grows under the shade of a tree.
3) Gives more yield in black soil
4) Winter or Rabi crop
5) Uses mulberry leaves.
6) India stands second in its production
7) Grows well in the deltas of rivers.

III Give Reasons :
1) Different types of agriculture are practised in different parts of the country.
2) Sugarcane is the main commercial crop of India.
3) Jute is grown in the Ganges Delta.
4) India is the second largest producer of paddy in the world.