CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Agriculture Hindi Assignment

Types of Farming

Agriculture is an age-old economic activity is our country but over these year, cultivation methods have changed with the use of modern techniques. Farming varies from subsistence to commercial type. At present, in different parts of India these types of farming systems are practiced.

Primitive Subsistence Farming is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture in which farmers clear a patch of land and grow crops with the help of primitive tools to sustain their family. It depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and availability of other environmental conditions suitable to the crops grown.

‘Slash and burn’ agriculture is known as Jhumming in north-eastern states, Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Features of primitive subsistence agriculture in India are:
(i) It is practiced on small patches of land.
(ii) Tools used in this kind of farming are traditional tools such as hoe, dao and digging stick.
(iii) This type of agriculture is completely dependent on monsoon.
(iv) When soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift to another plot of land.

Intensive subsistence farming is practiced in areas of high population pressure on land, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production. This type of farming is practiced in areas of high population. Under this type of farming, high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.

Features of intensive farming are: 
(a) High yielding variety (HYV) seeds, modern chemical inputs and irrigation methods are used to increase the production.
(b) The per hectare yield is very high.
(c) More than one crop is cultivated during a year.

Commercial Farming in which farmers grow crops with the aim of selling the products for commercial purpose. The main characteristic of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs, e.g., high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity.

Plantation is a type of commercial farming. In this farming a single crop is grown on large area. It is practiced on large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers.

Plantation Agriculture: Plantation agriculture is a form of commercial farming where crops are grown for profit. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area. Hence, large land areas are needed for this type of agriculture. This type of commercial farming is practiced in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It was introduced by the British in India.

Some characteristics of plantation agriculture are:
(i) A single crop is grown over large area.
(ii) It is capital intensive and done with migrant labour.
(iii) Entire produce is used as raw material in industries such as tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc.
(iv) Plantation agriculture has an interface of agriculture and industry both.

Cropping Season in India

Cropping Season: Season in which some particular crops are grown.

India has three cropping season– rabi, kharif and zaid.

Rabi crops: These crops are grown in winter between October to December and harvested in summer between April to June. The rabi crops include wheat, barley, gram and oilseeds.

Kharif crops: These crops are sown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and harvested in September-October. The kharif crops include rice, maize, millet, cotton, jute, groundnut, moong, urad, etc.

Rice is a kharif crop. Conditions required for the growth of rice are as follows:
(a) High temperature (above 25°C) .
(b) High humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
(c) In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
(d) It is grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions.
(e) 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 and Haryana. 

Zaid crops: In between the Rabi and the Kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the Zaid season. Crops like watermelons, muskmelons, cucumber, some vegetables and fodder crops are the major crops of this season.

Major crops grown in India are rice, wheat, millets, pulses, tea, coffee, sugarcane, oilseeds, cotton, jute, etc. Rice is the staple food crop of the majority of people in India. India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.

Wheat is the second most important cereal crop. It is the main food crop in north and northwestern part of the country. Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India. Maize is a crop which is used both as food and fodder. It grows well in old alluvial soil.

Food Crops other than Grains
India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil. India was the second largest producer of groundnut in the world after China. India was the third largest producer rapeseed in the world after Canada and China.

India is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world. Main oilseeds 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.→Major pulses that are grown in India are tur (arhar) , urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.

Main oilseeds produced in India are groundnut, coconut, sesamum (til) , soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.

Oilseeds usually have two main uses:
(i) They are used as a cooking medium as most of them are edible. For example, groundnut oil sunflower oil, coconut oil, etc.
(ii) They are used as raw material. For example, oilseeds are important raw materials for the production of soap, cosmetics, ointments, etc.

Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the country.

Importance of groundnut:
(i) Groundnut seeds are edible.
(ii) Groundnut oil is a commonly used cooking medium.
(iii) Groundnut is used as raw material in production of soap, cosmetics and ointment.
(iv) India is the largest producer of groundnut.
(v) Groundnut oil accounts for half of the total oilseed production.

Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnut in India. Other states are Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telangana.

Tea is an beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British. It is a labour intensive industry. India was the second largest producer of tea after China and Turkey in 2014. 

Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture. It is also an important beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British. Today, most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians.

(a) Climatic conditions: Tea grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year.
(b) Soil type: It grows on deep and fertile, well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matters.
(c) Rainfall: Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
(d) States: Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality. India produced 3.5 per cent of the world coffee production in 2014. The Arabica variety which is in great demand all over the world is produced in India. Its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills.

Horticulture refers to intensive cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flower crops for the market. India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China in 2014.

Non-Food Crops

Rubber is a major industrial raw material. It is an equatorial crop, but under special condition.

Cotton, jute, hemp and natural silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India. (i) Jute is called the ‘golden fibre’.

Geographical conditions suitable for production of jute:
(a) Grows well in the drained fertile soil of the flood plains where the soil is renewed every year.
(b) High temperature is required during the time of growth.

Uses of jute: Used to manufacture gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artifacts.

Geographical conditions required for the growth of sugarcane in India :
(i) It is a tropical as well as sub-tropical crop so it requires a hot and humid climate with a temperature of 24°C to 27°C.
(ii) It requires an annual rainfall between 75 to 100 cm.
(iii) It can be grown on a variety of soils. Major sugarcane producing states of North India are: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

Geographical conditions required for the cultivation of cotton are:
(i) It grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
(ii) It requires high temperature.
(iii) It requires light rainfall or irrigation.
(iv) It requires 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth.

Sericulture is the rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre.

India was the second largest producer of cotton after China in 2008.

Jute is known as the golden fibre. It grows well in well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year.

Horticulture: Horticulture is the science and art of growing plants (fruits, vegetables, flowers and any other cultivar) . India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.

Technological and Institutional Reforms

Agriculture, provides livelihood for more than 60% of population, needs some serious technical and institutional reforms.

Collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence.

The Green Revolution and the White Revolution (operation flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian agriculture.

Green Revolution: Technologies that were introduced to increase the agricultural production such as use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, modern machinery and inputs.

White Revolution: Increase in milk production due to introduction of technological and institutional reforms.

Kissan Credit Cards (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are introduced by government for the benefit of the farmers.

Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on radio and television.

The government announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) , remunerative and procurement prices for important crops.

The Bhoodan-Gramdan movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also known as the Bloodless Revolution.

Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) , agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centers, horticulture development, research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast were given priority for improving Indian agriculture.

Today, Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from international competition and reduction in the public investment in agriculture sector.

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.