Agriculture Flashcards
Why agriculture is called the main stay of Indian economy?
- Agriculture is the mainstay of Indian economy because about 67% of our population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture.
- It provides raw materials to the industries.
- India earns foreign exchange by exporting agricultural products.
- Agriculture is the biggest economic sector ad employs 51.1% of total work force.
- It contributes about 29% to the GDP.
- It is a primary activity, which provides most of the food that we consume.
Define Plantation agriculture. Explain any four characteristics of plantation agriculture.
- Plantation is a type of farming were single crop is grown on a large area.
- The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
- 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 play an important role in the
development of plantations.
Distinguish between intensive subsistence farming and commercial farming by stating five points of distinction.
- Intensive subsistence farming:
- It is practiced on small patch of land
- Production is low
- Using Bio-chemical inputs
- Enormous pressure on agricultural land
- Giving importance to subsistence crops - Commercial Farming
- It is practiced on large scale
- Production is high
- Using high dose of modern inputs, HYV seeds, Insecticides and pesticides
- Not giving pressure upon land
- Giving importance to commercial crops
Write a note on primitive subsistence farming.
- Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised on small patches of land
- with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks
- family/community labour.
- This type of farming depends upon monsoon,
- natural fertility of the soil
- suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
Describe the features of rabi ad Kharif seasons.
Rabi:
- Crops sown in winter from October to December
- Harvested in summer from April to June
- Wheat, barley, peas, gram etc
- these crops are grown in large parts of India, states from the north and northwestern parts such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh
Kharif:
- Crops grown in onset of monsoon
- Harvested in September- October
- Paddy, maize, jowar etc
- Some of the most important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Describe the features of Zaid
- In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the Zaid season
- watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops.
Explain any three geographical conditions required for the growth of rice in India. How is it possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall? Explain with examples.
- It is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
- In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
- Development of dense network of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.
“Wheat and rice farming in India are fairly different from each other”. Support the statement with five suitable examples.
- Rice
- Kharif crop
- Sown after onset of monsoon
- It need high temperature and humidity
- It require annual rainfall above 100cm
- Rice grow in the plains of north and north – eastern India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions - Wheat
- Rabi crop
- Sown in winter
- It need bright sunshine at the time of ripening
- It require annual rainfall between 50-75cm
- Wheat is grown in Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and black soil region of the Deccan
What are coarse grains? Why are they important in India? Name the crops giving one point each and name three leading states producing each of these crops.
Millets are called coarse grains. They are important because they have high nutritional value and make an important part of the diet for poor people.
Most important millets are as follows:
- Ragi —
- Is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro
nutrients and roughage.
- Is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red,
black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils
- Leading producer is Karnataka, followed by Tamil Nadu. Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Sikkim etc are other important regions. - Jowar—
- Is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
- It is a rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
- Maharashtra is the leading producer followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. - Bajra—
- Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow
black soil.
- It grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soils. Rajasthan is the largest producer followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Mention two geographical conditions required for the growth of Maize crop in India. Describe three factors which have contributed to increase maize production. Write four major maize producing states.
Geographical conditions required for the growth of maize crop in .India:
- It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21° C to 27° C.
- It requires moderate rainfall between 50-100 cm.
- It grows well in old alluvial soils.
- Maize is a crop which is used both as food and fodder. In some states like Bihar, maize is grown in rabi season also.
Maize production in India has increased due to factors like:
- use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds;
- use of fertilisers; and
- use of irrigation facilities.
Places: major maize producing state: Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Why pulses are mostly grown in rotation with other crops? Name any two major pulse producing states?
- Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions.
- Being leguminous crops, all pulses except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air.
- Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.
- Major pulses that are grown in India are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.
What are the features 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
- An annual rainfall between 75cm and 100cm is needed. Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
- It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting.
- India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil.
Places: states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
Describe the uses of oil seeds. Which state is the largest producer of Ground nut?
- Most of oil extracting from oil seeds 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.
- Gujarat is the largest producer of grountnut.
Write the geographical and labour conditions required for the growth of tea.
- It grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.
- It requires deep, fertile, well drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
- It requires warm and moist frost free climate round the year.
- Frequent showers evenly distributed through the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
- Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour.
- It is processed within tea gardens to restore its freshness.
Major teaproducing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, 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
The Arabica variety of coffee was brought to India from where? Where was it introduced first?
Yemen, Baba Budan Hills
What is horticulture?
Cultivation of fruits, vegetables and flowers is called horticulture.
Explain Rubber cultivation in India under the following heads:
(i) Importance- It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions and Rubber is an important industrial raw material.
(ii) Geographical conditions-
- It is also grown in tropical and subtropical areas.
- It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm. and
- Temperature above 25°C.
(iii) Producing states- It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.
Define sericulture
Reading of silkworms for the production of silk fibers
Give an account of fibre crop which is mainly grown in Deccan Plateau region under the following heads:
(i) Its position in the world production
(ii) geographical conditions and
(iii) major states of production.
Cotton is the fibre crop which is mainly grown in the black soil of the Deccan Plateau region.
(i) Position. India is the 3rd largest producer of cotton in the world.
(ii) Geographical conditions. Cotton requires:
- high temperature.
- light rainfall or irrigation.
- 210 frost-free days.
- bright sunshine for its growth.
- black cotton soil which is very good for its growth.
- It is a Kharif crop and requires 6-8 months to mature.
(iii) Major cotton producing states are. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Which crop is known as the „golden fibre‟? Explain two geographical conditions essential for the cultivation of this crop. Mention any four uses.
- Jute is known as golden fibre.
- 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.
- It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.
Suggest any five measures to enhance the agricultural production in India.
OR
Explain any five institutional and technical reforms brought by the government to improve the condition of Indian agriculture.
OR
Describe any five steps taken by the government of India to increase the productivity of agriculture in India.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Mahatma Gandhi declared whom as his spiritual heir?
Vinoba Bhave
Describe the efforts made by the government to modernize agriculture
- Establishment of 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.
- Improving the rural infrastructure was also
considered essential for the same.
Describe the impact of Globalisation on Indian agriculture.
- The impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture has been felt since colonial times. Raw cotton and spices were important export items from India.
- In 1917, Indian farmers revolted in Champaran against being forced to grow indigo in place of food grains, in order to supply dye to Britain’s flourishing textile industry. Thus, globalisation has had its boons and banes for Indian agriculture.
- Post liberalisation, Indian farmers face new challenges in the form of competition from highly subsidised agriculture of developed nations.
- This prompts the need for making Indian agriculture successful and profitable by improving the conditions of small and marginal farmers, countering the negative effects of Green Revolution, developing and promoting organic farming, and diversifying cropping pattern from
cereals to high-value crops.
