CBSE Class 10 Geography Agriculture Worksheet

Agriculture

India is an agriculturally important country. While about half of its workforce is engaged in agriculture and allied activities, it contributes 17% to the national GDP. But employs 53% of the work force. It plays a significant role in the overall socioeconomic fabric of India. Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume. Besides food grains, it also produces raw materials for various industries.

TYPES OF FARMING IN INDIA

- Over the years, cultivation methods have changed significantly in India. It greatly depends upon the characteristics of physical environment, technological know-how and socio-cultural practices. The following farming systems are practiced in India in different regions.
- Primitive Subsistence Farming : This type of farming is practiced on small patches of land. Primitive tools and family/community labor is used in this type of farming. The farming mainly depends on monsoon and natural fertility of soil. Crops are grown as per the suitability of the environmental condition. This is also called ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. A patch of land is cleared by slashing the vegetation and then the slashed plants are burnt. The ash obtained is mixed with the soil and crops are grown.
This type of farming produces just enough crops to sustain the family. After a couple of seasons, the patch is left fallow and a new patch of land is prepared for farming. This allows the earlier patch of land to replenish its fertility through the natural process. Although there are different names for slash and burn farming in different regions of India, the name 'Jhum Cultivation' or Jhuming is commonly used in this context. The following table shows various names for slash and burn farming in different countries.

Different Names of Slash and Burn Farming

Intensive Subsistence Farming

• This type of farming is practiced in densely populated areas. Because of inheritance laws as land holdings become smaller, more people become dependent on smaller land holdings. This kind of farming involves high degree of use of biochemical inputs and irrigation. It is labor-intensive farming, and gives good agricultural output.
• Problems of Intensive Farming : Division of land through successive generation leads to plot size getting smaller and smaller. This makes it impossible to properly manage the farm inputs. Moreover, large-scale farming is not possible in that case.
• Intensive and Extensive Farming : The basic difference between these two types of farming is the amount of production per unit of land. Extensive farming is seen in countries such as USA, Canada, and Russia. In India, we do not practice extensive cultivation. When large patches of land are used for cultivation, it is called extensive farming. Here, total production may be high due to larger area but per unit production is low. Intensive Farming records high production per unit of land. Best example of intensive cultivation is seen in Japan. In India good intensive farming is seen in Kerala.

Commercial Farming

• In commercial farming most of the produce is sold in the market to earn money (as opposed to subsistence farming). In this system, farmers use inputs like irrigation, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and high yielding varieties of seeds etc. Some of the major commercial crops grown in different parts of India are cotton, jute, sugarcane, groundnut etc. Rice farming in Haryana is mainly for commercial purpose as people of this area are predominantly wheat eaters. However, in East and North-Eastern states of India, rice cultivation would be largely of subsistence type.
• Punjab, Haryana, Western UP and some parts of Maharashtra are the areas where commercial farming is done on large scale. However, this type of farming is also done in many other states; like Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, etc.
• Plantation: In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area. Plantation requires large capital and a large number of workers. Most of the produce from a plantation is for sale and used in various industries. Tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are important plantation crops. Tea is mainly produced in the tea gardens of Assam and North Bengal, coffee is produced in Tamil Nadu, and banana is produced in Bihar and Maharashtra.
• Many of these crops were introduced in India by the British. Plantation requires a well-developed network of transport and communication, processing industries and a good market.
• Mixed Farming : It is a practice in which both growing of crops and rearing of animals are carried on simultaneously. The farmers engaged in mixed farming are economically well off, than others.

CROPPING PATTERN

India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.
- Rabi: Rabi crops are also known as winter crops. They are sown from October to December and harvested from April to June.

Wheat, barley, pea, gram and mustard are the important rabi crops. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are the important producers of rabi crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops. However, the success of the green revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan has also been an important factor in the growth of the above mentioned rabi crops.

Green Revolution : It stands for a major
technological breakthrough in India based on
(i) improved seeds of high yielding varieties,
(ii) adequate and assured supply of water for irrigation, and (iii) increased and appropriate application of chemical fertilizers for increasing agricultural production.

White Revolution : It stands for remarkable increase in milk production and establishment of a national milk grid, removing regional and seasonal imbalances. Among the technological inputs are
(i) cross breeding of indigenous cows with high milk yielding European breed;
(ii) pasteurization of milk for keeping it unspoiled for a longer duration;
(iii) collection of quality milk from members in rural areas;
(iv) refrigerated transport system which helps in sending milk to far off metropolitan centers both by road and rail.

Blue Revolution : It refers to big rise in catching of fresh water and marine fish.
Yellow Revolution : It refers to remarkably steady and assured supply of poultry products.
Pink Revolution : It refers to a considerable rise in the production of quantity of apples particularly in the states of Himachal Pradesh and J&K.

Kharif : Kharif crops are also known as summer crops. They are sown at the beginning of monsoon and harvested in September- October. Paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soybean are important kharif crops. Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are important rice growing states. In Assam, West Bengal and Odisha; three crops of paddy are grown in a year. These are called Aus, Aman and Boro.
Zaid : The zaid season falls in between the rabi and kharif seasons. Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops are some of the crops grown in this season. Sugarcane is planted in this season but takes almost a year to grow.

MAJOR CROPS

- Rice : India is the second largest producer of rice after China. Rice is the most important food crop of India. It is a Kharif crop. It covers about one third of total cultivated area of the country and provides food to more than half of the Indian population.

Conditions for rice (paddy) cultivation are as follows:

(a) Temperature : Rice requires hot and humid conditions. The temperature should be fairly high between 22°C to 32°C.
(b) Rainfall : Rainfall ranging between 150- 300 cm is suitable. In Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is less than 100 cm, rice is cultivated with the help of irrigation.
(c) Soil : Rice is grown in varied soil conditions but deep clayey and loamy soil provides the ideal conditions. Rice is primarily grown in plains. It is also grown below sea level at Kuttinad (Kerala), hill terraces of north eastern part of India and valleys of Kashmir.
(d) Labour : Rice cultivation requires a lot of labor. Nowadays mechanization is also applied.
(e) The main rice producing states are Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra. It is also grown in Haryana,Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and Kashmir Valley.

- Wheat : Wheat is the main food crop in north and north-western parts of India. For most of India, wheat is the second most important food crop next to rice. It is a Rabi or winter crop. It is sown in the beginning of winter and harvested in the beginning of summer. Normally (in north India) the sowing of wheat begins in the month of October-November and harvesting is done in the month of March- April. This is the staple food of millions of people particularly in the northern and northwestern regions of India.

Condition needed for growing wheat are as :

(a) Temperature : It requires cool climate.The ideal temperature is between 10°C to 15°C at the time of sowing and 21°C to 26°C at the time of ripening and harvesting.
(b) Rainfall : Wheat thrives well in areas receiving annual rainfall of about 75cm. Annual rainfall of about 100cm is the upper limit for wheat cultivation. Wheat can also be grown by irrigation method in areas where rainfall is less than 75cm. Frost at the time of flowering and hailstorm at the time of ripening can cause heavy damage to the wheat crop.
(c) Soil : Although wheat can be grown in a variety of soils but well drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy soil is best suited for wheat cultivation.
(d) Labour : Wheat cultivation can be very mechanized and requires less labour.
(e) Distribution : The main regions of wheat production in India are U.P., Punjab,Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Millets : Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India. Millets are known as coarse grains, but they have very high nutritional value. These are short duration warm weather crops used for both food and fodder. These are kharif crops. These are sown in May-August and harvested in October-November.
Jowar : Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar; followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Jowar grows in moist areas and hardly needs irrigation.
Bajra : Bajra grows well on sandy soil and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra; followed by Uttar Pradesh,Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Ragi : Ragi grows in dry regions on red, black, sandy loamy and shallow black soils. Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi; followed by Tamil Nadu.

Conditions needed for growing these crops are as follows:

(a) Temperature : These crops are grown where the temperature is high which ranges between 27°C to 32°C.
(b) Rainfall : As mentioned earlier that millets are ‘dry land crops’, therefore, rainfall ranging from 50 to 100cm is ideal for their cultivation.
(c) Soil : Millets are less sensitive to soil deficiencies. They can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil.
(d) Distribution : Jowar and bajra, are grown in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana and Punjab. Ragi is generally concentrated in the southern India i.e. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

- Maize : Maize is used both as food and fodder.It grows well in old alluvial soil and requires a temperature range of 21°-27°C. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are the major maizeproducing states.
In some states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also. Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilizers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize. We must know that India produces a fraction of world maize production.
- Pulses : India is the largest producer of pulses in the world. It is also the largest consumer of pulses. Pulses are usually produced in rotation with other crops. UP, MP, Rajasthan and Karnataka are the major pulse-producing states. Major pulses that are grown in India are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.

- Sugarcane : Sugarcane needs hot and humid climate. India is the second largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil . Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana are major sugar producing states.
Sugarcane belongs to bamboo family of plants and is indigenous to India. It is a Kharif crop. It is the main source of sugar, gur and khandsari. It also provides raw material for the manufacturing of alcohol. Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, has also multiple uses. It is used for manufacturing of paper. It is also an efficient substitute for petroleum products and a host of other chemical products. A part of it is also used as fodder.

Conditions required for growing sugarcane are as follows:

(a) Temperature : It requires hot and humid climate with an average temperature of 21°C to 27°C.
(b) Rainfall : 75-100 cm rainfall is favorable.Irrigation is required in those areas where rainfall is less than the prescribed limit.
(c) Soil : It can grow in a variety of soils. In fact, sugarcane can tolerate any kind of soil that can retain moisture. But deep rich loamy soil is ideal for its growth. The soil should be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorous. It should not be too acidic or alkaline. Flat, plain areas are good for sugarcane cultivation because it facilitates irrigation . Sugarcane cultivation requires heavy application of manures and fertilizers because it exhausts the fertility of soils quickly and extensively.
(d) Labor : It is a labor orientated cultivation .
(e) Distribution : India has the largest area under sugarcane cultivation in the world.

The three important regions are -
(i) The Sutlej-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar containing 51% of the total area and 60% of the country’s total production.
(ii) The black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu along the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
(iii) Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Krishna river valley.

- Oilseeds : India is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world. Groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesame, soya bean, castor, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower are the main oilseeds grown in India.
Different oil seeds are grown covering approximately 12 per cent of the total cropped area of the country.
Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums. However, some of these are also used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.
XX Groundnut is a kharif crop (for 90 to 95% areas and rabi crop for the rest) and accounts for about half of the oilseeds produced in the country. States where groundnut is cultivated are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telangana. Linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Sesame is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India. Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.

Conditions required for groundnut cultivation are as follows:

(a) Temperature : It grows best in the tropical climate and requires 20°C to 30°C temperature.
(b) Rainfall : 50-75 cm rainfall is favorable for groundnut cultivation. It is highly susceptible to frost, prolonged drought, continuous rain and stagnant water.
Therefore, dry winter is needed at the time of ripening.
(c) Soil : Well drained light sandy loams, red, yellow and black soils are well suited for its cultivation.
(d) Distribution : It is the most important oilseed of India. India is the largest producer of groundnut in the world.

- Tea : Tea cultivation is plantation agriculture.It is one of the popular beverage crops introduced in India initially by the British.
Today however, most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians.
- Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness. Major tea producing states are Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country. India is the second largest producer of tea after China. Other tea producing countries include Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia etc.
- Tea is made from tender leaves of tea plants by processing them.

Conditions needed for the cultivation of tea are as follows:

(a) Temperature : It requires hot and wet climate. The ideal temperature for the growth of tea bushes and leaf varies between 20°C to 30°C. Temperatures below 10°C and over 35°C, can harm the tea bushes.
(b) Rainfall : Tea requires a good amount of rainfall ranging between 150-300 cm and the annual rainfall should be well distributed throughout the year. Long dry spell is harmful for tea.
(c) Soil : Tea bush grows well in well drained, deep, loamy soil. However, virgin forest soils rich in humus and iron content are considered to be the best soils for the tea plantation. Tea is a shade loving plant and grows better when planted along with shady trees.
(d) Labor : Cheap and efficient labor is required for tea production.

- Coffee : Coffee is also grown in plantations. Initially, the Arabica variety was brought from Yemen and produced in India. The cultivation of coffee was initially introduced on the Baba Budan Hills. Even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka accounts for 70% of the coffee produced in India. Now, both Arabica and Robusta varieties are grown in India.
India is the 7th largest coffee producing country in the world. Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality.
Indian coffee is said to be the finest coffee grown in the shade rather than direct sunlight anywhere in the world. There are about 250,000 coffee growers in the country; 98% of them are small growers.

Conditions required for cultivation of coffee are as follows:

(a) Temperature : It requires hot and humid climate with temperature varying between 15°C and 28°C. It is generally grown under shady trees. Therefore, strong sun shine, high temperature above 30°C, frost and snowfall are harmful for coffee cultivation. Dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening of berries.
(b) Rainfall : Rainfall between 150 to 250 cm is favorable for coffee cultivation.
(c) Soil : Well drained, rich loamy soil containing good deal of humus and minerals like iron and calcium are ideal for coffee cultivation. The soil must be properly manured to retain and replenish fertility and to increase productivity.
(d) Labor : Like tea, coffee cultivation also requires plenty of cheap and skilled labor for various purposes like sowing, transplanting, pruning, plucking, dying, grading and packing of coffee.
(e) Distribution : Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the main states of coffee production in India.

Horticulture Crops

• India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.
• Mangoes are grown in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
• Oranges are grown in Nagpur and Cherrapunji (Meghalaya).
• Bananas are grown in Kerala, Mizoram,Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
• Lichi and guava are grown in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• Pineapples are grown in Meghalaya, grapes in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra and apples, pears, apricots and walnuts are grown in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• Indian fruits have good demand domestically and internationally.
• India produces about 13% of the world’s vegetables. It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato.

Non-Food Crops

- Rubber : Rubber is a crop of equatorial region but it is also grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It needs moist and humid climate with rainfall more than 200 cm. A temperature range above 25°C is required for rubber plantation. In India, rubber is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman & Nicobar Islands and also in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. India is the fifth largest rubber producer in the world.

Fiber crops
- Cotton, jute, hemp and natural silk are the four major fiber crops grown in India. The first three are derived from the crops grown in the soil, silk is obtained from cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves specially mulberry. Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fiber is known as sericulture.

- Cotton : Cotton is the most important fiber crop in the world. It not only provides raw material for the cotton textile industry; the seeds are used to produce oil and oil cakes. India is the second -largest producer of cotton in the world (2014/15). The crop requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are the main cotton producing states. Cotton is basically a kharif crop and grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Some of the conditions required for its cultivation are as follows:

(a) Temperature : Cotton is the crop of tropical and sub-tropical areas and requires uniformly high temperature varying between 21°C and 30°C.

(b) Rainfall : It grows mostly in the areas having at least 210 frost free days in a year. It requires modest amount of rainfall of 50 to 100cm. However, cotton is successfully grown with the help of irrigation in the areas where rainfall is less than 50 cm. High amount of rainfall in the beginning and sunny and dry weather at the time of ripening are very useful for a good crop.

(c) Soil : Cotton cultivation is very closely related to Black soils of Deccan and Malwa plateau. However, it also grows well in alluvial soils of the Sutlej-Ganga plain and red and laterite soils of the peninsular region.

(d) Labor : As picking of cotton has not been made mechanized till now, therefore a lot of cheap and efficient labor is required at the time of picking.

- Jute : It is known as the golden fiber. Jute 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. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states. It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts. Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibers and packing materials, particularly the nylon.
However, we must know that it is an ecofriendly fiber unlike synthetic fibers. Jute is also being tried in textiles.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

- There have been various improvements and reforms tat have led to increased productivity in various fields. These include introduction of technology, better agricultural practices, availability of better seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and facilities of irrigation etc.

- There have been certain institutional reforms since independence. These include collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. ‘Land reform’ was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan. The right of inheritance had already led to fragmentation of land holdings necessitating the laws of land reforms.

- 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. But, this too led to the concentration of development in few selected areas. Therefore, in the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development program was initiated, which included both institutional and technical reforms. The various initiatives are summarized as follows:

IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON AGRICULTURE

- Globalization has always been there in some form. It was there at the time of 19th century colonization.

• In the 19th century Indian spices were an important trading item with European traders. Indian spices were exported to different countries of the world and farmers of south India were encouraged to grow these crops. Even today it is one of the important items of export from India.
• During the British period cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material for their textile industries. Cotton textile industry in Manchester and Liverpool flourished due to the availability of good quality cotton from India.
• Indigo was another item that the textile factories in England needed in large quantities. The Champaran movement which started in 1917 in Bihar was because farmers of that region were forced to grow indigo on their land. They were unable to grow food grains to sustain their families.
• Due to globalization, particularly after 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed to new challenges. Even though we are significant producer of rice, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, jute and spices our agricultural products are not able to compete with the developed countries because of the highly subsidized agriculture in those countries.
• To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers.
• The promises of the green revolution are under controversies. It is being alleged that it has caused land degradation due to overuse of chemicals. It has led to drying of aquifers and destruction of biodiversity.
• The keyword today is “gene revolution”. Which includes genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is recognized as a powerful supplement in inventing new hybrid varieties of seeds.
• Another important segment that has developed is organic farming. Organic farming is much in demand today because it is practiced without factorybmade chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Hence, it does not affect environment in a negative manner and the food is also healthier.
• The bane of Indian agriculture has been that Indian farmers have very small land holdings. India’s rural population is about 600 million which depends upon 250 million (approximate) hectares of agricultural land, an average of less than half a hectare per person.
• It has been suggested that Indian farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops. This will increase incomes and reduce environmental degradation simultaneously. Fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables, bio-diesel crops like jatropha and jojoba need much less irrigation than rice or sugarcane. India’s diverse climate can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high-value crops.
• However, this may mean that we will export high value products and import cereals. As some of the successful economies like Italy, Israel and Chile do. These countries exports farm products (fruits, olives, specialty seeds and wine) and import cereals. Are we ready to take this risk? Debate the issue.

Government Initiatives

Question. .......... is a slash and burn agriculture.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question : Define plantation farming. What are its main characteristics? Name any five plantation crops of India.
Answer : Plantation farming is a bush or tree farming. In this type of farming a single crop in grown on a large area. Characteristics – This type of agriculture is found in:
(1) Hilly areas or North India, Sub Himalayas, W Bengal, Nilgiris, Andaman and cardamom hills.
(2) The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
(3) Covers large areas of land.
(4) It is capital intensive, i.e it requires expensive inputs, requires skilled laboureres.
(5) All the production is used as raw material in respective industries. The important crops are tea, coffee, banana, sugarcane etc.

Question : Give the characteristics of commercial farming?
Answer : (1) Use of higher doses of modern inputs, that is high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity.
(2) Agriculture goods are mainly produced for sale.
(3) The main crops are rice, millets, spices, cotton, etc. The farmer can sell them on commercial lines.
(4) The degree of commercialization varies from one region to another. For example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Orissa, it is subsistence farming.

Question : What is slash and burn agriculture?
Answer : In this farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other crops to sustain their family, when the soil looses its fertility, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. Nature replenishes the fertility of soil through natural processes. Land productivity in this type of agriculture is low, because the farmers do not use fertilizers or other modern inputs. It is generally known as shifting agriculture, but also known in different names in different parts of the country

Question : Define subsistence farming and give its main characteristics.
Answer : Refers to an agricultural system where crops are produced for self use or for circulation within the social networks for ritual, ceremonial exchange purpos, and some food may be sold in the market. 
Characteristics:-
(a) Small scattered land holding.
(b) Primitive tools.
(c) Farmers being poor do not use fertilizers and high yielding quality seeds as per requirement, facilities like electricity, irrigation, generally is not available to farmers.
(d) It has given way to commercial agriculture to some extent.

Question : What are the different types of farming / agriculture practiced in India?
Answer : (1) Primitive Subsistence Farming – Known by different name in different parts of India, subdivided into shifting agriculture.
(2) Intensive Subsistence Farming – Practiced in areas of high population pressure. It is labour intensive.
(3) Commercial Farming – Includes plantation farming.

Question : Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.
Answer : It is a kharif crop, which requires – (a) High Temperature – above 15. C and high humidity.
(b) Rainfall – Annual rainfall above 100cms. In areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
(c) Plains of North and North-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions are suitable for the growth of rice.

Question : How have technological and institutional reforms been able to improve the conditions of Indian farmers?
Answer : The Zamindari system in which property rights are vested on absentee landlords was abolished after India became independent. Ownership rights were transferred to the actual tillers of the land. The new land owners made improvements on their lands. This led to increase in yields.
Land ceiling acts were passed to ensure that no person could hold agricultural land beyond a specified limit. The excess land was distributed among the landless labourers.
Small land holdings scattered over various places were consolidated through the Consolidation of holdings Acts passed by the State legislatures. This resulted in farmers being able to fence their lands, sink wells and use modern agricultural machinery. Formation of Corporative societies helped farmers get seeds, pesticides and fertilizers at economical prices. All these helped improve the condition of the Indian farmers.

Question : What is the importance of agriculture on Indian economy? Name 3 features of Indian agriculture.
Answer : a. India is an agricultural country.
b. Nearly two-thirds of its population depends directly on agriculture for its livelihood.
c. Agriculture is the main stay of India’s economy.
d. It accounts for 26% of the gross domestic product.
e. It ensures food security for the country and produces several raw materials for industries.
f. Agricultural development is therefore, a precondition of our national prosperity. Features
a. Farmers own small piece of land and grow crops primarily for their own consumption.
b. Animals play a significant role in the various kinds of agricultural activities.
c. Farmers depend mainly upon monsoon rains 

Question : Describe various technological and institutional reforms, which led to Green and White revolutions in India.
Answer : The various technological and institutional reforms consist of various measures taken by the Central and State governments from time to time. Flooding of fields with water is now being replaced by drip irrigation and the use of sprinklers. Chemical fertilizers are being used on a large scale, to increase the farm yields. Bio- fertilisers are now supplementing them. High yielding and early maturing quality seeds have been developed. Most of these technology inputs gave birth to Green Revolution in sixties and seventies of twentieth century. White Revolution followed the Green Revolution.

More question- 

Q1 Why is agriculture important for Indian economy?

Q2 Name different types of farming as practiced in India? Also give five characteristic features of each one of them. 

Q3 (a) By what other name Jhumming is known in India and other countries of the world? What is its main drawback?

     (b) Why is there enormous pressure on agricultural land in intensive subsistence farming?

     (c) Which crop is a commercial crop in Punjab and Haryana?

     (d) Which is the most important plantation crop grown in India? Name its two major producing states.

Q4 Name three cropping seasons of India? Give three pts. of difference between them.

Q5 What are food crops and non-food crops?

Q6 Name three factors that determine the nature of crop cultivated in an area?

Q7 What are the geographical conditions(i.e.; temperature, rainfall and soil condition) needed for the cultivation of Rice; wheat; Maize; Sugarcane; Tea; Rubber;Cotton;Jute.

Q8 What factor has made it possible to cultivate rice in north-western parts of India?

Q9 Name two major wheat growing zones of India?

Q10 Name three important millets/coarse grains grown in the country? Name the nutrients found in Ragi?

Q11 What factors have contributed to the increasing production of Maize?

Q12 (a) Name major pulses grown in India? In which cropping season are they grown? Give four characteristic features of Pulses?

       (b) Name two pulses which are of short duration and can be grown as post rabi crop?

Q13 Name main oilseeds grown in India? Give five uses of oilseeds?

Q14 Name the variety of coffee which was initially brought in India and from where was it brought? Name the place where it was initially introduced?

Q15 Name different fruits along with states where they are cultivated in India?

Q16 Name four major fiber crops cultivated in India? How silk fiber is different from other fiber crops?

Q17 What is called as the golden fiber of India? What is its importance? Give reason why demand for jute is going down?

Q18 What technological and institutional reforms were introduced in agriculture after independence? What was its impact?

Q19 (a) What do you understand by KCC and PAIS?

       (b) What do you mean by Green Revolution? What have been its consequences?

Q20 Write short note on Bhoodhan-Gramdan?

Q21 What efforts have been made by the government of India to modernize agriculture?