Agriculture Class 10 ||Geography|| Chapter 4 NCERT Notes
Agriculture is the primary activity that involves the cultivation of crops, rearing of animals, and other farming activities to produce food, fiber, and raw materials. It is vital for the Indian economy, providing livelihood to a large section of the population. This chapter deals with different types of agriculture practiced in India, the major crops, and the challenges faced by farmers.
Types of Farming in India
Primitive Subsistence Farming:
- Definition: This type of farming is practiced on small patches of land with the help of simple tools like hoe, digging sticks, and is dependent on the monsoons.
- Features:
- It involves family or community labor.
- It uses primitive methods.
- Yield is low because it is done mainly for family consumption.
- Example: Slash and burn agriculture or shifting cultivation is a common form of primitive farming. In this practice, farmers clear a patch of land by slashing and burning the vegetation, grow crops for a few years, and then move to another patch when soil fertility decreases.
Intensive Subsistence Farming:
- Definition: Intensive subsistence farming is practiced in areas with high population pressure on land. It uses higher inputs like labor and fertilizers to maximize output from limited land.
- Features:
- Use of high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation.
- Multiple cropping is practiced (growing more than one crop on the same piece of land in a year).
- Small landholdings due to population pressure.
- Example: This type of farming is common in densely populated regions like West Bengal and Kerala where rice is the major crop.
Commercial Farming:
- Definition: Commercial farming is practiced to produce crops for sale in the market, rather than for personal consumption. It is highly mechanized and uses modern inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.
- Features:
- Crops are grown on a large scale using machines.
- High yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation are extensively used.
- Example: Cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco are some examples of crops grown in commercial farming. States like Punjab and Haryana practice commercial wheat farming.
Plantation Farming:
- Definition: Plantation farming is a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area for several years.
- Features:
- It involves capital investment, managerial inputs, and skilled labor.
- Plantations produce raw materials for industries.
- The crops grown are usually for export markets.
- Examples: Tea, coffee, rubber, and coconut are plantation crops. The northeastern states of India, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are known for tea and coffee plantations.
Primitive Subsistence Farming:
- Definition: This type of farming is practiced on small patches of land with the help of simple tools like hoe, digging sticks, and is dependent on the monsoons.
- Features:
- It involves family or community labor.
- It uses primitive methods.
- Yield is low because it is done mainly for family consumption.
- Example: Slash and burn agriculture or shifting cultivation is a common form of primitive farming. In this practice, farmers clear a patch of land by slashing and burning the vegetation, grow crops for a few years, and then move to another patch when soil fertility decreases.
Intensive Subsistence Farming:
- Definition: Intensive subsistence farming is practiced in areas with high population pressure on land. It uses higher inputs like labor and fertilizers to maximize output from limited land.
- Features:
- Use of high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation.
- Multiple cropping is practiced (growing more than one crop on the same piece of land in a year).
- Small landholdings due to population pressure.
- Example: This type of farming is common in densely populated regions like West Bengal and Kerala where rice is the major crop.
Commercial Farming:
- Definition: Commercial farming is practiced to produce crops for sale in the market, rather than for personal consumption. It is highly mechanized and uses modern inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.
- Features:
- Crops are grown on a large scale using machines.
- High yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation are extensively used.
- Example: Cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco are some examples of crops grown in commercial farming. States like Punjab and Haryana practice commercial wheat farming.
Plantation Farming:
- Definition: Plantation farming is a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area for several years.
- Features:
- It involves capital investment, managerial inputs, and skilled labor.
- Plantations produce raw materials for industries.
- The crops grown are usually for export markets.
- Examples: Tea, coffee, rubber, and coconut are plantation crops. The northeastern states of India, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are known for tea and coffee plantations.
Cropping Patterns in India
Rabi Crops:
- Sowing Season: Winter (October to December).
- Harvesting Season: Spring (April to June).
- Major Crops: Wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard.
- Major Areas: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Kharif Crops:
- Sowing Season: Rainy season (June to July).
- Harvesting Season: Autumn (September to October).
- Major Crops: Rice, maize, millets, cotton, jute, groundnut, and soyabean.
- Major Areas: Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Zaid Crops:
- Sowing Season: Summer (March to June).
- Crops: Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder crops, sugarcane.
- Features: These crops are grown in the short season between Rabi and Kharif crops.
Rabi Crops:
- Sowing Season: Winter (October to December).
- Harvesting Season: Spring (April to June).
- Major Crops: Wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard.
- Major Areas: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Kharif Crops:
- Sowing Season: Rainy season (June to July).
- Harvesting Season: Autumn (September to October).
- Major Crops: Rice, maize, millets, cotton, jute, groundnut, and soyabean.
- Major Areas: Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Zaid Crops:
- Sowing Season: Summer (March to June).
- Crops: Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder crops, sugarcane.
- Features: These crops are grown in the short season between Rabi and Kharif crops.
Major Crops in India
Food Crops (Grains):
- Rice:
- Regions: West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature, high humidity, and rainfall (above 100 cm). Grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
- Wheat:
- Regions: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar.
- Conditions: Requires cool climate with moderate rainfall (50-75 cm) and well-drained loamy soil.
- Millets:
- Examples: Jowar, bajra, ragi.
- Regions: Maharashtra (Jowar), Rajasthan (Bajra), Karnataka (Ragi).
- Conditions: These are drought-resistant crops and grow well in dry regions with low rainfall.
- Maize:
- Regions: Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Conditions: Grows well in moderate temperature and rainfall, and requires well-drained fertile soil.
Pulses:
- Examples: Tur (Arhar), urad, moong, masoor, peas, gram.
- Regions: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
- Conditions: Pulses grow well in dry areas and require less moisture.
Commercial Crops:
- Sugarcane:
- Regions: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh.
- Conditions: Requires hot and humid climate, with a rainfall of 75-100 cm and irrigation facilities.
- Cotton:
- Regions: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature, light rainfall (about 210 frost-free days), and black soil.
- Jute:
- Regions: West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature and heavy rainfall (over 100 cm).
Horticulture Crops:
- Fruits and Vegetables: India is the largest producer of fruits like mango, banana, papaya, and guava. It also produces vegetables like potato, tomato, onion, and brinjal.
- Regions: Grown across different parts of the country, depending on climatic conditions.
Food Crops (Grains):
- Rice:
- Regions: West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature, high humidity, and rainfall (above 100 cm). Grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
- Wheat:
- Regions: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar.
- Conditions: Requires cool climate with moderate rainfall (50-75 cm) and well-drained loamy soil.
- Millets:
- Examples: Jowar, bajra, ragi.
- Regions: Maharashtra (Jowar), Rajasthan (Bajra), Karnataka (Ragi).
- Conditions: These are drought-resistant crops and grow well in dry regions with low rainfall.
- Maize:
- Regions: Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Conditions: Grows well in moderate temperature and rainfall, and requires well-drained fertile soil.
Pulses:
- Examples: Tur (Arhar), urad, moong, masoor, peas, gram.
- Regions: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
- Conditions: Pulses grow well in dry areas and require less moisture.
Commercial Crops:
- Sugarcane:
- Regions: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh.
- Conditions: Requires hot and humid climate, with a rainfall of 75-100 cm and irrigation facilities.
- Cotton:
- Regions: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature, light rainfall (about 210 frost-free days), and black soil.
- Jute:
- Regions: West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam.
- Conditions: Requires high temperature and heavy rainfall (over 100 cm).
Horticulture Crops:
- Fruits and Vegetables: India is the largest producer of fruits like mango, banana, papaya, and guava. It also produces vegetables like potato, tomato, onion, and brinjal.
- Regions: Grown across different parts of the country, depending on climatic conditions.
Technological and Institutional Reforms
To boost agricultural productivity, the Indian government has introduced several reforms:
Land Reforms:
- Abolition of the zamindari system.
- Consolidation of landholdings.
- Redistribution of surplus land to landless farmers.
Green Revolution:
- Introduced in the 1960s to increase food production.
- Focused on high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and modern irrigation techniques.
- Regions: Mostly successful in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Government Initiatives:
- Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) to provide farmers with assured prices for their crops.
- Public distribution system (PDS) to ensure food security.
Challenges Facing Indian Agriculture
Dependence on Monsoons:
Most Indian agriculture is rain-fed, making it vulnerable to droughts and erratic rainfall.
Fragmented Landholdings:
Small and fragmented landholdings make it difficult to adopt modern farming techniques.
Low Productivity:
Despite the Green Revolution, the productivity of crops like rice and wheat in India is still low compared to other countries.
Lack of Modern Infrastructure:
Poor rural infrastructure, lack of access to modern tools, technology, and insufficient irrigation facilities limit agricultural growth.
Environmental Degradation:
Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has led to soil degradation and pollution of water bodies.
Dependence on Monsoons:
Most Indian agriculture is rain-fed, making it vulnerable to droughts and erratic rainfall.
Fragmented Landholdings:
Small and fragmented landholdings make it difficult to adopt modern farming techniques.
Low Productivity:
Despite the Green Revolution, the productivity of crops like rice and wheat in India is still low compared to other countries.
Lack of Modern Infrastructure:
Poor rural infrastructure, lack of access to modern tools, technology, and insufficient irrigation facilities limit agricultural growth.
Environmental Degradation:
Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has led to soil degradation and pollution of water bodies.
Conclusion
Agriculture remains the backbone of the Indian economy, supporting millions of livelihoods and contributing significantly to the country’s GDP. However, it faces several challenges, including dependence on monsoons, fragmented landholdings, and environmental degradation. To sustain growth in agriculture, there is a need for continued reforms, technological advancements, and better management of resources.