NCERT Notes Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture
Agriculture Study Notes, Questions and Answers / NCERT CBSE Notes Class 10 Geography Chapter 04 Agriculture
* Introduction:
CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 4 deals with agriculture, the age-old economic activity that engages about two-third of the population of our
country. Agricultural activities produce food grains for our consumption along with other things that are used as raw materials by the industries.
* Farming And Its Types
With passing years, the process of cultivation has evolved. A few factors which determine cultivating methods are the physical environment of the region, the technological know-how of the farmers and the sociocultural practices prevalent in the area. The various types of farming systems practised in India are:
● Primitive Subsistence Farming: This type of farming depends upon monsoons, the fertility of the soil and other environmental conditions. It uses primitive tools and is also known as slash and burn agriculture. Farmers burn up the vegetation of the land after clearing it and grow crops. This is also known as
‘jhumming’ in the northeastern states of India.
● Intensive Subsistence Farming: This type of farming is highly labour intensive and requires doses of biochemical inputs and a good amount of irrigation for obtaining high production. It is generally practised in highly populated regions.
● Commercial Farming: Commercial farming is capital intensive and is done with the help of modern inputs. It uses high-yielding varieties of seeds, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers for obtaining high productivity. The commercialization of a crop depends upon the region of its growth. Plantations come under the category of commercial farming. Here, a single crop is grown over a large tract of land.
* Cropping Patterns
The physical and cultural diversities of India are reflected in its agricultural practices. There are 3 cropping seasons in the country. They are-
● Rabi crops: These crops are sown during the months of October to December. They are harvested in summer from April to June. Some important Rabi crops are wheat, peas, gram, and mustard.
● Kharif crop: They are sown during the onset of monsoon in various parts of the country while harvested during the months of September and October. Some important Kharif crops are paddy, maize, bajra, pulses, jowar, soybean.
● Zaid crop: In between the Rabi and Kharif season there is a short summer season known as the Zaid season. Crops produced in the Zaid season include watermelon, muskmelon, vegetables and fodder crop.
* Some Important Crops of India
The various types of food and non-food crops grown in India are-
● Rice: One of the staple crops, rice is a Kharif crop that requires high temperatures and humidity along with heavy annual rainfall of about 100cm. After China, India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world. Rice cultivation takes place in the north and north-eastern plains, the coastal regions and the deltaic regions. With intensive irrigation, rice is presently being cultivated in dryer regions of Punjab and Haryana.
● Wheat: A Rabi crop that requires sunshine while ripening and an annual rainfall of 50-75cm while growing. It is the main food crop in the north and northwestern India and is grown extensively in the Ganga-Satluj plain and the black soil region of Deccan. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh grow wheat.
● Millets: Millets are coarse grains with high nutritional value. Jowar, bajra and ragi come under this category.
o Jowar cultivation area ranks third in the country amongst crops. The crop is rain-fed and grown in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
o Bajra is well suited to grow on sandy and shallow soil. Bajra is chiefly produced in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
o Ragi can grow well in dry regions of soils like red, black, loamy, sandy and shallow soils. It is produced in the states of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh
● Maize: Maize is used both as food and fodder; this Kharif crop requires modern inputs like HYV seeds fertilizers and irrigation input. The major states
producing maize are Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
● Pulses: India is both the largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses in the world. Pulses from the key source of protein in the vegetarian diet. They are mostly leguminous plants that replenish the soil fertility and hence are grown in rotation with other crops. The states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh produce pulses.
● Sugarcane: After Brazil, India is the second-largest producer of sugarcane. It is both a tropical and subtropical crop with a temperature requirement of 21°C-27°C and an annual rainfall of 75-100cm. It is the raw material for the production of sugar, jaggery, molasses and Khansari.
● Oil Seeds: Almost 12% of the total cultivated area of the country is covered by oilseed plantation. Some of the oilseeds produced in the country are coconut, groundnut, mustard, til, soybean, cotton-seed, linseed, castor-seed and sunflower. The majority of these are edible; hence, they are used as a cooking medium. Some of these are used as raw materials for producing cosmetics, soaps and ointments.
● Tea: Tea is cultivated as a plantation crop that was initially introduced by the British. It is suited to grow well in tropical and subtropical climates along with deep, fertile, well-drained soil which is rich in organic matter. It requires a warm and moist, frost-free climate for its growth. The tea industry is labour intensive. Assam, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Tamil Nadu, Kerala produce tea.
● Coffee: Arabica, the coffee variety produced in India is in great demand over the world. Baba Budan Hills English spelling started with the cultivation of Arabica. Currently, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Nilgiris in Karnataka cultivate it.
● Horticulture Crops: After China, India is the second-largest producer of
vegetables and fruits in the world. It produces both tropical and temperate fruits and about 13% of the world. It is an important producer of onion, brinjal, potato, cauliflower, cabbage and tomato.
● Rubber: Although an equatorial crop, rubber under special conditions grows in tropical and subtropical areas. It requires more than 200 cm of annual rainfall and a humid climate above 25° C. It is mainly grown in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.
● Fibre crops: Jute, cotton, hemp and silk are the main fibre crops cultivated in India. While the first three are obtained from cultivation on soil, silk is obtained from cocoons of silkworms that feed on the mulberry tree.
i. India ranks as the second-largest producer of cotton after China. It grows extremely well in the black soil region of the Deccan plateau and requires high temperatures and light rainfall. It is a Kharif crop mainly produced in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
ii. Popularly known as the golden fibre, jute is suited to grow well in properly drained fertile soils in flood-plains. West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Odisha and Meghalaya are famous for jute cultivation.
* Technological And Institutional Reforms
Agriculture provides livelihood to more than 60% of India's population. This sector requires serious technological and institutional reforms. In spite of the development of irrigation resources, farmers till date depend upon monsoons and natural fertility of the soil for farming. The Government of India emphasized agricultural reforms in the 60s and 70s. The green revolution and white revolution were some of the strategies which improved the agricultural sector. Establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies, loan facilities for farmers at a cheaper rate of interest, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) brought to the forefront for the benefit of farmers. Weather and agricultural bulletins were introduced on the radio and television.
* Green Revolution and White Revolution
‘Green Revolution’ industrialized agriculture in the country. The movement was primarily led by Indian scientist M.S. Swaminathan and American agronomist Norman Borlaug. It introduced the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation resources, etc. It helped in increasing crop production in the country to meet the domestic demand. High-yielding varieties of seeds of wheat and rust-resistant seeds were developed. White Revolution, also popularly known as the 'Operation Flood' was aimed at increasing the production of milk and other dairy products in India. Verghese Kurien is known as the Father of the White Revolution in India. This revolution made India the largest milk producer in the world.
* Important Questions And Answers
1. What are the various types of primitive subsistence farming?
Answer: The various types of primitive subsistence farming are:
● Slash and burn agriculture is known as jhumming in the northeastern states of India like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
● Pamlou is another type of subsistence primitive farming and is practised in the state of Manipur.
● Deepa is practised in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and Andaman and the Nicobar Islands. This is another type of such farming.
● Bewar is a type of jhum cultivation practised in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
● 'Khil' is primitive agriculture practised in the Himalayan belt.
● 'Pama Dabi' or 'Bringa' or 'Koman' is the primitive agriculture of Odisha.
● 'Kumari' is practised in the Western Ghats.
● 'Kuruwa' is the primitive agriculture of Jharkhand.
● 'Podu' of 'Penda' is practised in Andhra Pradesh.
● Slash and burn agriculture is known as 'Milpa' in Mexico and Central America, 'Ray' in Vietnam, 'Ladang' in Indonesia, 'Masole' in Central Africa, and 'Conuco' in Venezuela.
2. What are the various cropping patterns in India? Write briefly about them.
Answer: The various cropping patterns in India are Rabi, Kharif and Zaid.
i. Rabi- Rabi crops are sown in the winter months from October to December. They are harvested during the summer months of April to June. Few important rabi crops are wheat, gram, peas barley, and mustard. These crops are grown in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Westerly temperate cyclones are important for the production of these crops. The Green revolution is another important factor that has influenced the growth of these crops in these regions.
ii. Kharif- Kharif crops are sown during the onset of monsoons. They are harvested in the months of September and October. Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, moong, urad, arhar, jute, cotton, maize, groundnut and soybean are few important Kharif crops. Paddy is an extremely important Kharif crop primarily grown in West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala. TheKonkan coast has a high production of paddy. There are three crops of paddy grown round the year. They are Aus, Aman and Boro.
iii. Zaid- Zaid cropping season is between rabi and Kharif season. Watermelon, muskmelon, vegetables, cucumber, and fodder crops come under the category of Zaid crops.
3. What are the requirements for the growth of sugarcane? What are the regions where it is grown?
Answer: A few important requirements of sugarcane cultivation are:
● A hot and humid climate
● Annual rainfall of about 75-100c
● Temperatures in the range of 21°C-27°C
● Irrigation- in areas of low rainfall.
● Extensive manual labour is required as every procedure from sowing to harvesting is done manually. The important states producing sugarcane are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab.
4. Write a short note on rice cultivation in the country.
Answer: Rice is a staple food in the country. India ranks as the second-largest producer of rice in the world. Rice is a Kharif crop requiring high temperatures, above 25°C and high humidity. Rice cultivation requires annual rainfall above 100cm. In areas that are poorly rainfed rice can be grown with the help of irrigation. Rice is extensively cultivated in the northern plains and northeastern
India. It is also widely cultivated in coastal areas and deltaic regions. There are three paddy crops in a year: Aus, Aman and Boro. With help of a developed, dense network of canal irrigation and tube wells in the states of Punjab, Haryana, parts of Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh, it has been possible to grow paddy.
India. It is also widely cultivated in coastal areas and deltaic regions. There are three paddy crops in a year: Aus, Aman and Boro. With help of a developed, dense network of canal irrigation and tube wells in the states of Punjab, Haryana, parts of Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh, it has been possible to grow paddy.
5. Write a short note on oilseeds.
Answer: India was the second-largest producer of groundnut in the world and the third-largest producer of rapeseed according to the data of the year 2008. Approximately 12% of the total cropped area in the country is used for or oilseed cultivation. Groundnut, a Kharif crop, accounts for half of the oilseeds produced in the country. The largest producer of groundnut in the country is the state of Gujarat followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Linseed and mustard are Rabi crops while sesamum is a Kharif crop in northern India and rabi crop in southern India. Castor seeds can be grown both as Kharif and rabi crops. Coconut, soybean, cotton-seed, linseed, sunflower, castor-seed, sesamum, mustard and groundnut are a few of the oilseeds produced in the country. A lot of them are edible and used as cooking mediums while some of them are used as raw materials for the production of cosmetics, soaps and ointments.
6. Write about the various horticulture crops and their region of growth.
Answer: According to the data of the year 2008, India was the second producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. Both tropical, as well as temperate fruits, are grown in the country.
● Mangoes are grown in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
● Oranges are grown in Nagpur and Cherrapunji (Meghalaya).
● Bananas grow in plantations of Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu.
● Litchi and guava are cultivated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
● Pineapples are grown in Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana.
● Apricots, peaches, apples and walnuts are extensively grown in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
● 13% of the world's vegetables are produced in India. Cabbage, cauliflower, onion, tomato, brinjal, pea and potato are important vegetables produced in India.
7. What is Bhoodan and Gramdan?
Answer: The Bhoodan-Gramdan movement was initiated by Vinoba Bhave. Vinoba Bhave was a former Satyagrahi and spiritual heir to Mahatma Gandhi. Once while delivering a lecture at Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh, few landless villagers demanded land for their economic well-being. Vinoba Bhave could not promise them the land immediately but assured them that he would talk to the Government of India regarding the provision of land and cooperative farming. Unexpected help came from Shri Ram Charan Reddy who offered 80 acres of land and distributed it amongst the poor landless villagers. This act was popularly known as 'Bhoodan'. Zamindars and owners of many villages distributed some villages amongst the landless; this was popularly known as 'Gramdan'.
8. What is the contribution of agriculture to the national economy, employment and national output?
Answer: Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. About 52% of the total workforce has been employed by the farm sector. Share of agriculture in GDP has been declining from 1951 onwards. The declining share of agriculture is a matter of serious concern because it might have serious economic implications for society.
The Government of India has put efforts to modernize agriculture. Establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), various agricultural
universities, animal breeding and veterinary science centres, horticulture development, meteorological departments development were set up and done for improvement of agriculture.
9. Write a short note on the Food Security System?
Answer: The food security system in the country consists of two components: a buffer stock and public distribution centre also known as the PDS. PDS is a program that ensures that food grains and other essential commodities are subsidized in rural and urban areas. The food security policy of India primarily ensures that food grains are available to common people at affordable prices and focuses on the growth of Agricultural production fixing the support prices for procurement of rice and wheat and maintenance of the stocks. the food corporation of India is responsible for the same.
FCI procures food grains from the farmers at a price known as minimum support price or MSP the government usually fixes this. Consumers are divided into categories known as the BPL or the below the poverty line and the APL above poverty line there are different prices issued for each category.
10. What is the impact of Globalization on agriculture?
Answer: The concept of Globalisation has affected India from the time of Colonisation. Indian spices have been exported for centuries. Farmers of South India were encouraged to grow these crops. Even today they are exported to various other countries. Cotton textile industries of Manchester and Liverpool flourished due to the availability of cotton which was exported to Britain during colonial rule. The Champaran satyagraha in Bihar started to protest against this. The Britishers forced the Indians to grow cotton due to which they were unable to grow food grains to sustain their own families. From 1990, farmers in India faced new challenges. In spite of being leading producers of rice, cotton, rubber, coffee, tea, jute and spices Indian outputs were not able to compete with the international market because of highly subsidized agriculture in other countries. The green revolution has brought in changes but today is criticized that it has caused degradation of land because of the overuse of chemicals. Genetic engineering presently is a method for improving agriculture.
* TextBook Exercise Page No 46
1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following describes a system of agriculture where a single crop is grown on a large area?
(a) Shifting Agriculture (b) Plantation Agriculture (c) Horticulture (d) Intensive Agriculture
Answer: Plantation agriculture
(ii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Rice (c) Millets (b) Gram (d) Cotton
Answer: Gram
(iii) Which one of the following is a leguminous crop?
(a) Pulses (c) Millets (b) Jawar (d) Sesamum
Answer: Pulses
2. Answer the following questions in 30 words.
(i) Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for its growth.
Answer:
One important beverage crop is tea.
The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Tea bushes require a warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure the continuous growth of tender leaves. Tea is a labour-intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour. Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness.
(ii) Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced.
Answer:
• Rice is a major staple crop of India.
• It is grown in the following regions.
• Plains of North
• North East India
• Coastal Areas
• Deltaic Regions
(iii) Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government in the interest of farmers.
Answer:
• Various institutional reform programmes introduced by the Government are
MSP (Minimum Support Price)
• Subsidy on Fertilisers
• Crop insurance
• Establishment of Grameen banks to provide low-interest loans
(iv) The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine its consequences?
Answer:
• Shortage of food
• The rise in prices of food
• Imports increase will put stress on the economy
• Rise in Unemployment
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural production.
Answer:
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 a lot of Indian agriculture. But, this too led to the concentration of development in a few selected areas. Therefore, in the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated, which included both institutional and technical reforms. Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, the 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. Moreover, 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.
(ii) Describe the impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture.
Answer:
Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was there at the time of colonisation. In the nineteenth century, when European traders came to India, at that time too, Indian spices were exported to different countries of the world and farmers of south India were encouraged to grow these crops. Till today, it is one of the important items of export from India. Under globalisation, particularly after 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed to new challenges. Despite being an important 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 subsidised agriculture in those countries. Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at a crossroads. To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers.
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