Voyage Solutions for ICSE Class 6 Geography Chapter 5 Types Of Agriculture

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. Agriculture refers to the cultivation of land.
2. Subsistence farming is practised by poor farmers who own small pieces of land.
3. Intensive farming is practised on small plots of land.
4. Extensive farming is practised in areas of low population and where of land is available for cultivation.
5. Shifting cultivation is practised mainly by tribal people in some primitive and densely forested regions of the world.
6. In commercial forming, crops are grown on a large scale, mainly for selling the produce in the market-both at home and abroad.
7. Plantation farming is a type of commercial farming. Here, a single crop, instead of multiple crops, is planted over a large area known as a plantation.

IMPORTANT TERMS

1. Agriculture: Cultivation of a field.
2. Combine harvester: a large farm machine which cuts a crop and separates the grain from the rest of the plant.
3. Commercial: Connected with the buying and selling of goods and services.
4. Machete: A broad, heavy knife used as a cutting tool or a weapon.
5. Subsistence: The state of having just enough money or food to stay alive.
6. Yield: The total amount of crops produced.

THINK AND ANSWER

Question : Why do you think commercial farming is practised in countries like the USA and Australia?
Answer:
Both USA and Australia are developed countries having large farms and more money to invest in large machinery, hybrid crops, fertilizers and pesticides. The machineries allow the farmers to cultivate grains like wheat, maize, barley etc. on a large scale. These countries have a low population density relative to their vast land area, allowing for massive farm sizes. High capital investment allows these farmers to produce enough food to feed not just their own country, but also for international exports.
Teacher's Tip: Think of "Commercial" as "Cash" - it is farming done primarily to earn profit through sales!
Exam Tip: When answering about commercial farming, always emphasize the use of "modern technology" and "large farm size."

VALUES AND LIFE SKILL

Question : Farmers put in a lot of hard work and money in producing crops. We should remember this and not waste food. What should you do if you do not like a dish that is served in the school canteen?
Answer:
We should not throw the food even if we don’t like it’s taste. We shall keep the dish on the wall for birds or animals to eat. It is important to realize that every grain of food represents months of labor by a farmer. If you cannot eat a certain dish, try to share it with someone else or ensure it is used to feed other living beings rather than wasting it.
Teacher's Tip: Practice the "Take only what you can eat" rule to avoid wasting food in the first place!
Exam Tip: In value-based questions, use keywords like "gratitude" and "respect" for the efforts of others.

EXERCISES

A. Fill in the blanks

Question 1: Food grains are the most important products that come from agriculture.
Answer:
Food grains. Agriculture provides the essential nutrients we need for survival through staples like rice, wheat, and pulses. These crops form the primary source of food for most of the world's population.
Teacher's Tip: Think of food grains as the "fuel" our bodies need, provided by the soil!
Exam Tip: Be careful with spellings when filling in blanks to ensure you get full credit.

Question 2: Farmers who practise subsistence farming depend on the monsoon rains for water for the crops.
Answer:
monsoon rains. Subsistence farmers often lack the money for modern irrigation systems like tube wells or canals. Because they rely on nature, a poor monsoon can lead to crop failure and food shortages for their families.
Teacher's Tip: Monsoon dependence is a classic sign of traditional or poor-scale farming.
Exam Tip: Always associate "subsistence" with "monsoon" in your geography notes.

Question 3: Intensive farming requires a lot of labour on a small piece of land.
Answer:
Intensive. This type of farming aims to get the maximum possible produce from a small area by putting in extra work and using better seeds. It is commonly found in densely populated countries where land is very precious.
Teacher's Tip: "Intensive" means "Intense effort" on a small space!
Exam Tip: Remember: Intensive = Small land + High labor; Extensive = Large land + Low labor.

Question 4: Extensive farming is practised in areas of low population.
Answer:
low. In places where there is more land than there are people, farmers use machines to cover large areas with very little human help. This makes the cost per acre lower even if the total yield per acre is not the highest.
Teacher's Tip: "Extensive" covers "Extensive areas" like the prairies in North America.
Exam Tip: Keywords for extensive farming are "mechanization" and "low population density."

Question 5: Shifting cultivation is generally practised in forested areas.
Answer:
forested. Tribal communities clear a patch of woods, burn the debris to enrich the soil, and plant their crops. Once the soil loses its nutrients, they "shift" to a new forest area to let the old one recover.
Teacher's Tip: Shifting cultivation is also known as "Slash and Burn" agriculture.
Exam Tip: Mentioning "forest clearing" helps explain why this method is difficult to sustain today.

B. Match the columns

Question 1: Match the following types of farming with their descriptions.
1. subsistence farming
2. intensive farming
3. extensive farming
4. shifting cultivation
5. plantation farming

Answer:
1. subsistence farming - (iv) is practised by farmers who own small pieces of land.
2. intensive farming - (i) aims at high yield.
3. extensive farming - (v) uses heavy machinery.
4. shifting cultivation - (ii) is a primitive practice.
5. commercial farming - (iii) is done with cash crops.
(Note: The provided answer in the textbook uses 'commercial farming' instead of 'plantation farming' for match iii). These matches help define the core nature of each farming style based on their goals and tools. Knowing these links is fundamental to understanding global agricultural systems.
Teacher's Tip: Connect "Primitive" to "Shifting" and "Machinery" to "Extensive"!
Exam Tip: In your answer sheet, write the question and the correct matching answer side-by-side rather than drawing lines.

C. State whether the following are true or false

Question 1: Agriculture is not an important occupation anymore.
Answer:
False.
Correct - Agriculture is an important occupation anymore. Even today, agriculture is the primary source of food for the entire world's population. It also provides raw materials for many industries like textiles and food processing.
Teacher's Tip: No matter how much we use computers, we still need farmers to produce our food!
Exam Tip: If the question asks you to "correct" the false statements, make sure you write the full true sentence.

Question 2: Farmers who practise subsistence farming use modern methods of irrigation.
Answer:
False.
Correct- Farmers who practise subsistence fanning use old methods of irrigation or depend on the monsoon rains. Subsistence farmers usually lack the funds to buy advanced technology or build complex water systems. They rely on traditional knowledge and local weather patterns to grow their food.
Teacher's Tip: "Subsistence" usually implies "traditional" or "low-tech."
Exam Tip: Use the word "traditional" or "monsoon-dependent" when correcting this statement.

Question 3: Intensive farming requires very little labour to work on the farm.
Answer:
False.
Correct- Extensive farming requires little labour to work on the farm. Intensive farming actually needs a huge amount of human effort to manage crops on small plots. In contrast, extensive farming uses giant machines so that very few people are needed to manage the land.
Teacher's Tip: Don't mix up "Intensive" (High labor) and "Extensive" (Low labor)!
Exam Tip: Double-check the definitions of these two terms before answering as they are opposites in labor usage.

Question 4: Extensive farming is practised in countries like India, China and Japan.
Answer:
False.
Correct- Intensive farming is practised in countries like India, China and Japan. These countries have very high populations and relatively limited farming land, so they must use intensive methods to feed everyone. Extensive farming is more common in spacious countries like the USA, Canada, or Australia.
Teacher's Tip: High population = Intensive farming; Low population = Extensive farming.
Exam Tip: Geographic examples are important; associate India and China with "Intensive" farming.

Question 5: Shifting agriculture is wasteful and harmful to forests and wildlife.
Answer:
True. This method involves cutting down trees and burning them, which leads to large-scale deforestation and loss of habitat. It also increases soil erosion and disrupts the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Teacher's Tip: This is why many governments encourage tribal people to switch to settled farming.
Exam Tip: Keywords like "deforestation" and "soil erosion" are great to include in explanations for this answer.

D. Answer the following questions in brief

Question 1: What do you understand by agriculture?
Answer:
Agriculture means cultivation of a field. It includes growing of crops, rearing animals for dairy and meat products, poultry farming and rearing fish in ponds. It is a broad field that covers everything humans do to produce food, fiber, and other materials from land and animals. Essentially, it is the primary occupation that sustains human life on Earth.
Teacher's Tip: Agriculture is not just plants; it includes animals (cows, chickens, and even fish) too!
Exam Tip: Provide at least three examples (like cropping, dairy, and poultry) to give a complete definition.

Question 2: Name any three types of agriculture practised around the world.
Answer:
The various types of agriculture practised around the world include subsistence farming, intensive farming and extensive farming. Each type is chosen based on the amount of land available, the population of the region, and the wealth of the farmer. These systems ensure that food is produced in diverse environments, from small tropical plots to massive temperate plains.
Teacher's Tip: Just remember "S-I-E" (Subsistence, Intensive, Extensive) for a quick answer!
Exam Tip: Be sure to name the types exactly as they appear in your textbook for clarity.

Question 3: Define subsistence agriculture.
Answer:
Subsistence farming is growing crops to meet the farmers own needs. The land is small and organic or natural fertilizers like cow dung, dried plants, etc. are used. It depends on monsoon rains for watering of crops. This type of farming is not done for profit, but to ensure the family has enough to eat for the year. It uses traditional tools and methods that have been passed down through generations.
Teacher's Tip: Think: Subsistence = "Survival" farming.
Exam Tip: Key points to mention are "small land," "monsoon dependency," and "family consumption."

Question 4: Why is intensive farming expensive?
Answer:
Intensive farming is expensive as the farmer tries to get maximum field from his small land using hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. Because the farmer is trying to push the land to its limit, they have to pay for high-quality inputs and a lot of manual labor. This high investment is necessary to feed large families from very tiny patches of soil.
Teacher's Tip: It is called "intensive" because of the intense amount of money and work put into it!
Exam Tip: Mention "High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds" and "chemical fertilizers" to explain the high cost.

Question 5: Name the crops grown by extensive farming.
Answer:
The main crops grown in extensive farming are wheat, maize and barley. These crops are ideally suited for massive fields because they can be planted and harvested easily using large machines like tractors and combine harvesters. They are often grown as "monocultures," meaning one huge field grows only one type of crop.
Teacher's Tip: These are the "Big Three" cereal crops of the world's great plains!
Exam Tip: Listing specific examples like wheat and maize helps the examiner see you know the subject well.

Question 6: Why is shifting cultivation not productive in the long run?
Answer:
This form of agriculture is wasteful and harmful to forests and wildlife. After a few years the fertility of the land is reduced. The infertility is caused by excessive leaching, a process in which the salts and minerals of the soil are drained away by water. Eventually, there aren't enough forests left for the people to move to, and the soil takes too long to recover its natural strength. This leads to lower and lower food production over time.
Teacher's Tip: Leaching is like washing the "vitamins" out of the soil with too much rain!
Exam Tip: Using the scientific term "leaching" correctly will earn you high marks in this answer.

Question 7: In which parts of India is shifting cultivation practised?
Answer:
In India, this practice is prevalent in states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in the north-east and in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. It is also practised in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These areas are mostly hilly and densely forested, which is why tribal communities have traditionally used this method. Different regions have different names for it, such as 'Jhum' in the North-East.
Teacher's Tip: Think of the North-Eastern "Seven Sister" states as the main home of shifting cultivation.
Exam Tip: Naming at least three specific states will help you get a full score.

Question 8: Mention any two features of commercial farming.
Answer:
In commercial farming, crops are grown on a large scale, mainly for selling the produce in the market-both at home and abroad. The main aim of this type of farming is to earn profit. The farms may or may not be very large. Modem methods of cultivation such as using high yielding variety of seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides are used along with modem irrigation techniques and cold storage to store the produce after harvest. This system relies heavily on capital investment and good transport links to get fresh food to customers quickly. It is the main way food is produced in developed nations and for global trade.
Teacher's Tip: Commercial = Money; Subsistence = Survival!
Exam Tip: Point out the "profit motive" and "modern technology" as the two primary features.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two paragraphs

Question 1: Briefly explain subsistence agriculture.
Answer:
Subsistence farming is practised by farmers who own small pieces of land. Such farmers grow just enough crops to meet their needs and those of their families. They generally grow rice or vegetables and use organic or natural fertilizers such as cow dung, animal droppings and dead and dried plants. They depend on the monsoon rains for water for the crops. Because there is no extra produce to sell, these families often live in poverty. However, this method is very sustainable as it uses natural waste to fertilize the land instead of chemicals.
Teacher's Tip: In subsistence farming, the "market" is just the family's dining table!
Exam Tip: Mention the use of "traditional organic fertilizers" to contrast it with modern farming.

Question 2: Distinguish between intensive and extensive farming.
Answer:
Intensive farming :
 Land is small.
 More labour is employed
 Expensive farming as more fertilizers, hybrid seeds, pesticides, etc. are used.
Extensive farming:
 Plenty of land.
 Less labour is employed work is done by large machines like combine harvesters, etc.
 Low cost farming. Mostly cereal crops are grown. While intensive farming tries to get the most out of every inch of land with human work, extensive farming uses vast space and machines to do the work cheaply. Intensive is common in crowded places like Asia, while extensive is common in open places like the American plains.
Teacher's Tip: Intensive = Crowded and Hard-working; Extensive = Open and Mechanized.
Exam Tip: Using a point-by-point comparison like this is the best way to answer "Distinguish" questions.

Question 3: What do you understand by shifting agriculture?
Answer:
Shifting agriculture is mainly practised by tribal people who clear a small area in the forests, scatter the seeds, leaves them to grow, depend on monsoon for water and when the land becomes infertile after some years shift themselves to a new piece of land in the forests. This cycle allows the old land to naturally regain its trees and nutrients over a decade or more. However, as the population grows, people return to the same patches too quickly, which eventually ruins the forest forever.
Teacher's Tip: It is also called "Slash and Burn" because that is exactly what the farmers do to start a field!
Exam Tip: Be sure to mention the "moving to a new piece of land" as the key reason for the name "shifting" agriculture.

Question 4: What crops are grown by commercial farming? What are the methods that are employed?
Answer:
The main crops grown on commercial scale are apples, grapes, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. These crops are mainly grown to earn profit. Modern methods of cultivation such as hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, modem irrigation techniques and cold storage to store the produce after harvest are used. Farmers also use advanced weather forecasting and scientific soil testing to ensure the highest possible yields. Large-scale machinery like tractors and harvesters are essential to manage these big operations efficiently.
Teacher's Tip: Many commercial crops are "perishables," which is why "cold storage" is so important!
Exam Tip: List both the "crops" (like apples/grapes) and the "methods" (like irrigation/HYV seeds) to answer both parts of the question.

Question 5: Write a short note on plantation farming.
Answer:
Plantation farming is a kind of cofhmercial farming in which a single crop is grown instead of multiple crops. These crops include tea, coffee, rubber, cocoa, coconut, sugarcane, cotton, etc. A plantation usually has its own factory on the site to process the crops as soon as they are picked. It requires a huge amount of capital investment and permanent laborers to maintain the large estate throughout the year.
Teacher's Tip: Think of a plantation as a "factory in a field" where only one thing is produced.
Exam Tip: Use the term "monoculture" (growing one single crop) to show a deeper understanding of plantation farming.

Question 6: Write a short note on mixed farming.
Answer:
Mixed farming is a form of farming in which crops are grown and animals are reared on the same farmland. Farmers grow a variety of crops and also keep a number of dairy animals to get milk. Sometimes poultry is also kept. Farmers practise mixed farming mainly with a view to increasing their earnings, from two different sources. One of the major benefits of mixed farming is that if one form of farming enterprise fails, the farmer could still depend on the other. Modem machinery and tools, selected high quality seeds, chemical fertilizers in large quantities and other highly advanced techniques of farming are used. The natural manure provided by the animals helps in minimizing soil erosion, rotation of crops and conservation of water. Mixed farming makes good use of crop residue which, if not used as animal feed, can be used as fertilizers in the soil. This system creates a perfect circle where the animals help the plants, and the plants help feed the animals. It is a very secure way for a farmer to make a living because it reduces the risk of total loss.
Teacher's Tip: Mixed farming = Crops + Livestock; it is like having two different jobs on the same land!
Exam Tip: Highlight "risk reduction" as the most important economic benefit for mixed farmers.

F. Picture study
The photograph here shows a farmer tending to his field.

Question 1: What type of farming is he practicing?
Answer:
The farmer is practising subsistence farming i.e. growing crops to meet his own daily needs. You can tell this because he is using traditional wooden tools and bullocks instead of large machines. The size of the field also looks relatively small, which is typical for family-based agriculture.
Teacher's Tip: If you see animals pulling a plow instead of a tractor, it's almost always subsistence or traditional farming!
Exam Tip: Identify visual clues from the picture, like "traditional tools" or "manual labor," to support your answer.

Question 2: What are the difficulties that he might face?
Answer:
He might not get good yield because of poor seed quality, bad monsoon and lack of fertilizers and pesticides. Because he relies entirely on his own work and basic tools, any illness or natural disaster can be devastating for his family. He also lacks "cold storage," meaning any extra food he grows might spoil before it can be eaten or sold.
Teacher's Tip: These farmers are "weather-dependent"—their whole life depends on when and how much it rains.
Exam Tip: Mentioning "financial constraints" explains why these farmers cannot afford the modern inputs they need.