G4: AGRICULTURE

1. Distinguish between primitive subsistence farming and commercial farming.

PRIMITIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING COMMERCIAL FARMING

 Practiced on small patches of land with  The main characteristic of this type of
the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao farming is the use of higher doses of
and digging sticks, and family/ modern inputs, e.g. high yielding variety
community labour. (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers,
 Depends upon monsoon, natural fertility insecticides and pesticides in order to
of the soil and suitability of other obtain higher productivity.
environmental conditions to the crops  The degree of commercialization of
grown as a result land productivity is agriculture varies from one region to
low because fertilizers or other modern another.
inputs are not used.  For example, rice is a commercial crop in
 It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is
which allows nature to replenish the a subsistence crop.
fertility of the soil.
2. Compare intensive subsistence farming and commercial farming practiced in India.
INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING COMMERCIAL FARMING

 Practiced in areas of high population  The main characteristic of this type of

pressure on land. farming is the use of higher doses of
 It is labour intensive farming, where modern inputs, e.g. high yielding variety
high doses of biochemical inputs and (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers,
irrigation are used for obtaining higher insecticides and pesticides in order to
production. obtain higher productivity.
 Though the ‘right of inheritance’  The degree of commercialization of
leading to the division of land among agriculture varies from one region to
successive generations has rendered another.
land-holding size uneconomical, the
farmers continue to take maximum  For example, rice is a commercial crop in
output from the limited land in the Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is
absence of alternative source of a subsistence crop.
livelihood resulting in enormous pressure
on agricultural land.
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3. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. Validate the statement
giving suitable arguments.
 Plantation is also a type of commercial farming.
 In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area.
 Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers.
 All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
 Since the production is mainly for market, a well - developed network of transport and
communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets plays
an important role in the development of plantations.
 In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are important plantation crops.
4. Highlight the differences between Kharif and Rabi cropping season.
KHARIF CROPPING SEASON RABI CROPPING SEASON

 Crops are grown with the onset of  Crops sown in winter from October to
monsoon in different parts of the December
country  Harvested in summer from April to
 Harvested in September-October. June.
 Important crops grown during this  Some of the important rabi crops are
season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.
tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute,
groundnut and soyabean.

5. Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.

 It is a kharif crop which requires high
temperature, (above 25°C) and high humidity
with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
 Rice is grown in the plains of north and north-
eastern India, coastal areas and the deltaic
regions.
 Development of dense network of canal
irrigation and tube wells have made it possible
to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as
Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh
and parts of Rajasthan.
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6. Describe the conditions required for the growth of
wheat. Mention the major wheat producing zones
of India.
 Wheat is a rabi crop which requires a cool growing
season and a bright sunshine at the time of
ripening.
 It also requires an annual rainfall of 50cm -75 cm
evenly distributed over the growing season.
 The major wheat producing zones are the North
and north-western (the Ganga-Satluj plains and
the black soil region of the Deccan.

7. Wheat and rice farming are fairly different from each other. Support the statement
with suitable examples.
WHEAT FARMING RICE FARMING

 A cool growing season and a bright  High temperature - (above 25°C) and
sunshine at the time of ripening high humidity
 Annual rainfall -above 100 cm
 50cm -75 cm of annual rainfall evenly
distributed over the growing season

8. What are millets? Give a brief description of the climatic conditions and producing
states of the millets grown in India.
 Millets are coarse grains that have very high nutritional value.
 Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
 It is a rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
 Jowar: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
 Bajra: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
 Ragi: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand and
Arunachal Pradesh.
9. Give a brief description of the geographical conditions essential for the cultivation of
maize.
 It is a crop which is used both as food and fodder.
 It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21°C to 27°C
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 It grows well in old alluvial soil.
 In some states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also.
10. Explain the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of pulses. Name the
important pulses producing states in India.
 Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions.
 Being leguminous crops, they help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the
air.
 Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.
 Major pulse producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
11. Elaborate on the geographical conditions required for
the cultivation of sugarcane.
 It is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop.
 It grows well in hot and humid climate with a
temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual rainfall
between 75cm. and 100cm.
 Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
 It can be grown on a variety of soils.

12. Name any 5 oil seeds produced in India. Explain

the importance of oil seeds in our daily life.
 The main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til),
soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.
 Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums.
 Some of these are also used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and
ointments.
13. Elaborate on the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of rubber.
 It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it
is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
 It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of
more than 200 cm.
 It requires a temperature above 25°C.

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14. Name an important beverage crop introduced by the
British in India. Specify the geographic conditions
required for its growth.
 Tea is an important beverage crop introduced in India
initially by the British.
 It grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates
endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in
humus and organic matter.
 Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all
through the year.
 Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender
leaves.

15. Elaborate on the geographical conditions required for

the cultivation of cotton.
 Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton
soil of the Deccan plateau.
 It requires high temperature, light rainfall or
irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sun-shine
for its growth.
 It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to
mature.

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16. Which crop is known as golden fibre? Explain the
geographical conditions essential for the cultivation
of this crop. Mention its uses.
 Jute is known as the golden fibre.
 It grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood
plains where soils are renewed every year.
 High temperature is required during the time of
growth.
 It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn,
carpets and other artefacts.
17. What is sericulture?
 Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.
18. The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine its
consequences?
 Though the ‘right of inheritance’ leading to the division of land among successive
generations has rendered land-holding size uneconomical, the farmers continue to take
maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternative source of livelihood
resulting in enormous pressure on agricultural land.
 Sustained uses of land without compatible techno-institutional changes have hindered
the pace of agricultural development.
 In spite of development of sources of irrigation most of the farmers in large parts of
the country still depend upon monsoon and natural fertility in order to carry on their
agriculture.
 For a growing population, this poses a serious challenge.
19.Enumerate the initiatives taken by the government to ensure the increase in
agricultural production.
 Collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc.
were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after
Independence. ‘Land reform’ was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan.
 The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve
Indian agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s. The Green Revolution based on the use of
package technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the
strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian agriculture.
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 In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated,
which included both institutional and technical reforms.
 Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease,
establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan
facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps in this
direction.
 Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other
schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the farmers.
 Moreover, special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were
introduced on the radio and television.
 The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and procurement
prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and
middlemen.
 The Government of India made concerted efforts to modernize agriculture by
establishing the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural
universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development,
research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast, etc. were
given priority for improving Indian agriculture.
 Apart from this, improving the rural infrastructure was also considered essential for
the same.