Agriculture I & II Flashcards
1
Q
define agriculture
A
the cultivation of the soil in order to grow crops and rear livestock
2
Q
why is agriculture the mainstay and backbone of india’s economy?
A
- provides food for expanding population and fodder for livestock
- generates working capital for non agricultural development, supplies raw material for agro-based industries
- provides a large part of the market with industrial goods
- accounts for substantial portion of India’s exports
- provides employment
3
Q
environmental problems for agriculture
A
- unreliable rainfall
- lack of irrigation
- soil erosion
- methods of cultivation
- demand for food crops
4
Q
why is india’s agricultural productivity low when it comes to methods?
A
old inefficient methods
bad techniques of farming
inadequate irrigation
inability of farmers to buy good quality seeds
5
Q
what is reduction in net sown area
A
gradual shift from cultivation of food crops to fruits, vegetables, oil seeds and industrial crops. reduction of net sown area under cereals and pulses
6
Q
institutional problems with agriculture
A
- small and fragmented landholdings, poor owners
- exploitation of farmers
7
Q
economic problems with agriculture
A
- subsistence agriculture
- human elements
- challenges posed by globalisation
8
Q
why are indian farmers facing challenge from international competition?
A
- cost of production of crops is increasing because of government’s reduction of subsidy of fertilizers
- reduction of import duty on agricultural products have proved detrimental to farmers
- cost of agricultural crops in india is increasing, and decreasing internationally
9
Q
technological problems with agriculture
A
old and inefficient techniques
10
Q
define green revolution
A
greatest revolution in the country which helped to transform the economy from food scarcity to food self sufficiency
11
Q
key elements to green revolution
A
- large capital and modern technological input
- using HYV seeds
- proper use of chemical fertilizers
12
Q
impact of green revolution on india’s agriculture
A
- increased rural prosperity
- enabled indian agriculture to change from subsistence to market oriented
- adoption of new technology created more employment opportunities
13
Q
methods OTHER THAN the green revolution used to improve agriculture in India
A
- consolidation of fragmented agricultural land
- creation of irrigation infrastructure
- minimum support prices for agricultural crops
- government started Kisan Call Centres (FTAs)
- subsidy on fertilizers
14
Q
types of farming in india
A
- subsistence
- commercial
- shifting
- intensive
- extensive
- mixed
- plantation
- organic
- cooperative
15
Q
features of subsistence farming
A
- landholdings are small and scattered
- farmers use traditional methods of agriculture
- depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of soil
- output is not high, only enough for families
- dominance of food crops and there is never a surplus in markets
16
Q
features of commercial farming
A
- crops grown for sale
- large farms
- mechanised farming
- prevalent in areas where farms are large and market economy is well developed
17
Q
why is shifting agriculture AKA slash and burn method
A
it is a primitive agricultural practice in which a patch of forest is cleared, trees are felled, and stumps are set on fire
18
Q
why is shifting agriculture called so
A
because of continuous burning and growing on the same land, soil fertility is exhausted, and farmers have to move
19
Q
why is shifting agriculture banned/ disadvantages
A
- air pollution
- loss of soil fertility
- no advanced technology is used
20
Q
define intercropping, and why it is used instead of shifting agriculture
A
intercropping refers to the practice of growing two or more crops next to each other at the same time in a way that they do not compete with each other for space, nutrients, water, and sunlight
21
Q
features of intensive farming
A
- small farms are intensively cultivated
- labour intensive system
- more than one crop is cultivated on the same field
- to increase output, manure and good quality seeds are used
22
Q
main features of extensive farming
A
- farms are huge in size
- machines used
- highly capital intensive
- crop yield is high
23
Q
define plantations
A
large tracts of lands or estates used for cultivation of a single agricultural crop like tea, coffee, rubber, or spices
24
Q
main features of plantation farming
A
- commercial crops are grown for sale
- one crop is cultivated using modern scientific methods
- chemical fertilizers, insecticides used extensively
- large tract of land, using extensive use of fertilizers
- modern methods
25
advantage of mixed farming
provide steady income for farmers, because if one crop fails, the ones can provide income
fertility of soil is maintained
26
features of mixed farming
1. crops and animals raised simultaneously
2. two or more crops are grown together
3. rotation of crops
4. ensures steady income
27
define organic farming
holistic system of farming, primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way as to keep the soil alive and in good health
28
features of organic farming
1. protects long term fertility of soil
2. provides crop nutrients
3. provides attention and care to managing livestock
4. maintains nitrogen in soil through use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation
29
importance of organic farming
1. promotes use of crop rotations and cover crops
2. residues and nutrients recycled back to the soil; maintains fertility
3. preventative insect and disease control methods and practiced
30
define cooperative farming
organisation of farmers where they pool their resources in certain areas of activity
31
advantages of cooperative farming
1. allows small farmers to pool together their resources and buy inputs at bulk rates
2. enables produces to negotiate for better prices, diffuse risks, share knowledge
3. improves quality of life for member farmers (take time off, care for children)
32
Kharif crops
1. sowing: june-july
2. harvesting: sept- oct
3. crops: rice, maize, jowar, bajra, ragi
33
rabi crops
1. sowing: oct- nov
2. harvesting: march- april
3. crops: wheat, barley, gram, linseed
34
zayad kharif crops
1. sowing: aug- sept
2. harvest: dec- jan
3. crops: oilseeds
35
zayad rabi crops
1. sowing: feb- march
2. harvest: april- may
3. crops: jowar, maize, summer veggies
36
define cereals
denotes all kinds of grass-like plants, which have starchy, edible seeds (rice, wheat, barley, rye, oats, millets)
37
types of rice
1. upland rice
2. lowland rice
38
upland rice
1. grown on mountainous regions
2. sown in march-april, and september-october
3. depends on distribution of rainfall only
4. used locally
39
lowland rice
1. grown in low-lying regions
2. sown in june, harvested in oct
3. requires plenty of water during the sowing and harvesting process
4. used for local consumption and supplied to other regions
40
methods of cultivation of rice
1. dry
2. puddled
41
diff between dry and puddled methods
dry: areas which depend on rain, no supplementary irrigation, seeds are sown in rows by drills where rain is heavy and scattered by hand where rainfall is less
puddled: areas that have adequate water supply, land ploughed thoroughly and filled with 5 cm of standing water, water is maintained until seedlings are well established
42
steps followed for rice cultivation
1. sowing
2. transplantation
3. harvesting
4. processing
43
methods of sowing rice
1. broadcasting (seeds scattered after ploughing)
2. drilling (seeds are sown in furrows with the help of drills)
3. dibbling (dibber is used to plant seed by creating a hole in the ground)
44
define transplantation
seedlings are first grown in nurseries and after four to five weeks when saplings attain 25-30 cm of height they are transplanted into prepared rice fields
45
advantages of transplantation
1. only healthy plants are picked
2. less wastage of seeds as compared to broadcasting method
3. higher yield
46
why does transplantation require more labour
selection of good quality crops require human judgement
47
japanese method
improved form of transplantation
HYV seeds called japonica is used
1. seedlings prepared in nurseries
2. rows of plants are fixed at a distance of 25 cm
3. manure used extensively
4. japonica seeds give higher yield
48
why are rows of plants fixed at distance of 25 cm in japanese methods
so plants have enough space to grow
49
processes under harvesting
1. threshing
2. winnowing
3. milling
50
define threshing
threshing is done by beating the sheaves against the wooden bars. the grains are separated from the stalks, to minimise cost of transportation
51
define winnowing
removing unwanted husk from the grains
52
define milling
done to remove the yellowish husk from the grains.
53
modern milling
done by machines.
rice has glossy texture but lacks nutrition, as most of it is lost due to excessive rubbing
polished rice is graded and stored in sacks
54
why is wheat mostly grown in great plains during the cold weather season?
winter rain occurring in the north is beneficial for wheat
55
why is wheat not cultivated in west bengal and extreme south?
high heat
excessive rainfall
56
bread wheat is AKA
triticum aestivum (on alluvial soils)
57
macaroni wheat AKA
triticum durum (on black soils)
58
where does TRITICUM DICOCCUM grow
red soils of nilgiri hills
59
methods of sowing wheat
drilling or broadcasting
60
define millets
a number of inferior grains like jowar, bajra, and ragi, which serve as the food grains for poorer sections of society
61
why are millets food grains for the poor
1. highly nutritious (iron, zinc, calcium)
2. easily digestible
3. cheap cultivation
62
largest producer of millets
India
63
conditions for growing millets
1. soil is infertile
2. rocky or sandy soil
64
method of cultivation of jowar
soil management before sowing plays an important role in the dry farming areas. seeds are sown using broadcast method, dibbled in some areas.
65
jowar aka
great millet/ sorghum
66
bajra aka
bulrush millet
67
ragi aka
buckwheat
68
why is ragi one of the hardiest crops
because it can grow under conditions of very low rainfall, can withstand severe drought
69
why is yield of ragi higher than other millets
ragi needs lower inputs and attention than most other food crops
70
method of cultivation of ragi
seeds sown by broadcast method , or by drills, or transplantation
71
temp for rice
16- 20 (flowering)
18-32 (ripening)
72
rainfall for rice
150-300 cm
73
soil for rice
clayey or loamy
74
distribution of rice
WB, punjab, UP
75
temp for wheat
10-15 (sowing)
20-25 (harvest)
76
rainfall for wheat
80 cm
77
soil needed for wheat
well drained loams
clay loams
78
distribution of wheat
punjab
haryana
UP
rajasthan
MP
79
why is wheat found in punjab, haryana, up, etc
1. western disturbances
2. flat land
3. inland alluvium soil
80
why are pulses good for those who consume starchy vegetarian diet
pulses provide vegetable protein
81
why are pulses rotated with other crops to maintain or restore soil fertility
being leguminous, they fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and increase natural fertility
82
temp for pulses
20-25
83
rain for pulses
50-75
84
soil for pulses
dry, light soil
85
largest producer and consumer of pulses
india
86
distribution of pulses
MP
maharashtra
UP
rajasthan
AP
