Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Agriculture PDF Download

Agriculture

Geographical Explanation

In the picture shown above we see a standing crop, a ploughshare, etc. From this, it becomes obvious that this is a farmer's house. A farmer keeps hens, sheep, goats and cattle. They are also seen in the picture. He gets milk, eggs, etc from them. He sells hens, goats to earn money. He does all this for his subsistence. All these occupations depend on natural factors. All these fall under agriculture. These occupations are supplementary to the cultivation of crops.

Agriculture has a wide scope. For our basic needs of food and clothing we make use of plants and animals. Besides the cultivation of different crops, rearing cattle, sheep and goats, maintaining poultry farms, keeping bees, sericulture, horticulture, orchardry, pisciculture, pig farming, emu farming, etc. are included in agriculture. In agricultural occupation, resources like manpower, animals, implements, etc. are used. Advanced technology is employed. In agriculture, cultivation of crops is considered to be the main and the most important occupation.

Teacher's Note

In your area, many farmers keep animals like goats and cows together with farming. This helps them get extra money from milk and meat.

Exam Trick

Remember: Agriculture is not just farming. It includes dairy, animal rearing, poultry, beekeeping, and fish farming too.

Points to Remember

Farmers keep animals like cows, goats, and hens for milk, eggs, and meat.
All farming activities depend on natural things like weather and soil.
Agriculture includes crop cultivation and many other activities together.
Farmers use tools, animals, and manpower for agriculture.
Agriculture gives food and clothing to all people.

Geographical Explanation

In the above pictures, we see the changes in agricultural practices. In the past, primitive man had to wander in the forest to sustain himself on the collected forest produce. Later he learnt the art of cultivation and started getting greater production from the land. Through this, he could provide for the whole year's need for foodgrains. He also started obtaining a number of products through floriculture, horticulture, rearing animals, pisciculture, etc. Abandoning nomadic life, he undertook different occupations related to agriculture at the same place.

Now let us get introduced to the different occupations that come under the scope of agriculture. We use the products of these occupations in our everyday life. These traditional occupations are allied activities in agriculture.

Animal Husbandry

Rearing different animals and obtaining various products from them for subsistence is the core of animal husbandry.

Dairy Farming

Cows, oxen, buffaloes, etc. are reared for agriculture related work. Rearing milch animals and animals which can be employed in farming is also an occupation. It is considered to be an inseparable part of mixed farming. It has become quite commercial in recent times. In India, it has started changing recently. Commercial dairy farming is mainly undertaken for meat and milk.

Teacher's Note

In most Indian villages, families keep cows and buffaloes for milk. They sell extra milk to earn money.

Exam Trick

Remember: Dairy farming = raising animals for milk and meat. Mixed farming = crops + animals together.

Points to Remember

Dairy farming means rearing cows, buffaloes, and oxen.
These animals give milk which is sold in the market.
Dairy farming has become a business in India.
Animals can also help in farming work.
Dairy is an important part of Indian agriculture.

Sheep And Goat Rearing

This is also a traditional occupation. That is generally carried out in hilly tracts and semi-arid regions with dry climate. Sheep and goats survive on short grasses, shrubs and acacia which grow in remote hilly rural areas away from urban settlements. In India, it is mainly undertaken for meat. Sheep rearing is carried out to obtain wool.

Poultry

Keeping hens and other fowl is a common practice in all parts of the world. It is a traditional occupation. Today, it is carried out as a household occupation and also on a commercial basis. Running a poultry on a commercial basis requires a lot of care. For this, scientific methods are employed. In India, this occupation is generally located in the areas close to big cities as they provide a ready market for this occupation.

In some areas, rabbit, pig and emu rearing is also undertaken.

Teacher's Note

Most families in villages keep a few hens for eggs and meat. Cities have big poultry farms that sell eggs to shops.

Exam Trick

Remember: Poultry farms are near cities because people in cities need fresh eggs and chicken meat.

Points to Remember

Poultry means keeping hens and other birds for eggs and meat.
This is done both as a home activity and as a big business.
Poultry farms are usually near big cities.
Scientific methods are used in large poultry farms.
Eggs and chicken are important food for many people.

Beekeeping

This occupation is undertaken to obtain honey and wax. Bees, in order to collect honey, hover around the plants that bear flowers. This promotes the process of pollination. As a result, the trees bear large number of fruits and the crop yields increase. Bee keeping is an important occupation with respect to agriculture.

Pisciculture (Fish Farming)

Farm ponds are dug out for this purpose. Water is stored in such ponds. Fish seeds are released in the ponds. For this, seeds of freshwater species are used. In order to achieve the best growth of fish, scientific methods are employed.

Fishing in open seas has a number of risk factors. Different types of fish and other aquatic organisms get caught in the fishing nets. Separating them becomes a major task. All organisms do not fetch the same price. All these factors led to the rearing of specific type of fish species separately. Pisciculture developed out of these efforts. Wam, Roha, Rawas (Indian Salman), Kolambi (Prawns), etc. are reared in fish farms.

Teacher's Note

In many Indian villages, farmers dig ponds to raise fish. This gives them extra food and income.

Exam Trick

Remember: Pisciculture = fish farming in ponds or tanks. This is safer than fishing in open seas.

Points to Remember

Pisciculture is raising fish in ponds and tanks.
Freshwater fish are raised in farm ponds.
Common fish types are Wam, Roha, and Prawns.
Fish farming is better and safer than ocean fishing.
Scientific methods help fish grow faster and bigger.

Sericulture

Silk thread is obtained from the cocoon of the silk moth. These threads are very fine and strong and from these one can weave soft silk cloth. Getting silk thread form cocoons and manufacturing silk cloth are independent occupations. They are not included in agriculture. Different organizations supply silk moth eggs to the farmers. Leaves of mulberry trees are the main food for these silk worms. Once planted, the Mulberry trees survive for a minimum period of 15 years. Hence, the expenditure of planting the trees every year is saved.

Nursery

In the last few years, the area under floriculture, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and horticulture has increased. These plantations require a high standard of seedlings, cuttings, bulbs and seeds. This has led to the development of nurseries. Nurseries give good returns.

Teacher's Note

Nurseries in your area sell young plants and seeds for gardens. Many people buy plants from nurseries to grow flowers and vegetables at home.

Exam Trick

Remember: Nursery = place where plants are grown from seeds. Like a baby school for plants.

Points to Remember

Nurseries grow seeds and young plants.
They sell plants for gardens and farms.
Flowers, fruits, and vegetable plants come from nurseries.
Nurseries give good money to farmers.
Mulberry trees in sericulture can live for 15 years.

This is a preview of the first 3 pages. To get the complete book, click below.