Class 10 Geography
Chapter 4- Agriculture
Notes
1. India - an agrarian
nation
a) Approximately
two-thirds of its populace is involved in agricultural pursuits.
b) Agriculture
serves as a primary activity, yielding the majority of the nation's food and
grains.
c) It
furnishes raw materials for various industries such as cotton textiles and
sugar.
d) Exportation
of agricultural goods like tea, coffee, and spices contributes to foreign
exchange earnings.
- Primitive Subsistence Farming:
This form of farming is practiced in limited regions of India on small
land parcels using rudimentary tools and familial or communal labor.
Farmers clear small patches of land to cultivate cereals and other
sustenance crops for their families. As soil fertility diminishes, farmers
shift and clear new land for cultivation, allowing natural processes to
replenish soil fertility. Productivity is low due to minimal use of
fertilizers or modern inputs.
- Intensive Subsistence Farming:
Found in densely populated areas, this labor-intensive farming method
employs high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation to achieve high
yields per hectare. Small land holdings are utilized to their maximum
potential through multiple cropping, where 2-3 crops are cultivated
annually on the same land.
- Commercial Agriculture:
This form focuses on cultivating crops for commercial purposes, often on
large tracts of land using modern machinery and technology. Modern
agricultural inputs such as high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds,
fertilizers, and irrigation are extensively used. The level of
commercialization varies across regions, with crops like rice being
commercially cultivated in Punjab but serving as subsistence crops in
Odisha.
- Characteristics of Plantation
Agriculture: Plantation agriculture involves
cultivating a single crop over large estates using capital-intensive
methods. It typically employs migrant laborers and interfaces with both
agriculture and industry. All produce is used as raw material in
respective industries, emphasizing commercial agriculture.
- Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid
are the three cropping seasons:
- Rabi crops (Winter crops): Sown
from October to December and harvested from April to June, including
wheat, barley, mustard, peas, and gram.
- Kharif crops (Rainy season crops):
Sown at the onset of monsoon (June-July) and
harvested from September to October, including rice, maize, millets, and
cotton.
- Zaid season: A
short cropping season during summer months (March-April to June-July),
featuring crops like watermelon, musk melon, and cucumber.
- Rice,
a crucial Kharif crop, holds significant importance in India, ranking
second in production globally. Cultivation requires high temperatures
above 25°C, high humidity, and annual rainfall of around 100 cm. Major
rice cultivation regions include the plains of North and North-Eastern
India, coastal areas, and deltaic regions.
- Wheat,
the second most important cereal crop, thrives in cool and moist
conditions with bright sunshine during ripening. It requires 50 to 75 cm
of evenly distributed rainfall over the growing season and loamy soil.
Major wheat-growing zones include the Ganga-Sutlej plains in the
North-West and the black soil region of the Deccan, with Punjab, Haryana,
UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh being prominent wheat-producing
states.
- Millets,
known as coarse grains, hold high nutritional value and are crucial in the
diets of impoverished populations. Examples include Ragi, Jowar, and
Bajra, cultivated in various regions across India.
- Maize,
a versatile crop used for both food and fodder, requires a moderate
temperature between 21°C to 27°C and moderate rainfall between 50-100 cm.
It thrives in old alluvial soils and has seen increased production in
India due to modern agricultural practices.
- Sugarcane,
a tropical and subtropical crop, is the second-largest producer in India
after Brazil. It requires hot and humid conditions, annual rainfall
between 75 cm and 100 cm, and can be grown on various soils. Major
sugarcane-producing states include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana.
- Oilseeds,
comprising various edible seeds used in cooking and industrial
applications, are a significant agricultural product in India, with major
crops including Groundnut, Mustard, Coconut, Sesamum, Soyabean,
Castor-seeds, Linseed, Sunflower, and Cotton-seeds.
- Tea, thriving
in tropical and subtropical climates, requires specific soil conditions,
warm and moist climates, and abundant skilled labor. It is a labor-intensive
industry primarily found in regions like Assam and Darjeeling.
- Coffee, a
prominent beverage crop in South India, is mainly produced in Karnataka,
Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Nilgiri hills.
- Cotton, primarily
cultivated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, requires specific
geographical conditions including high temperatures, light rainfall or
irrigation, frost-free days, and black cotton soil.
- Jute,
known as the golden fiber, thrives in high-temperature conditions and well-drained
fertile soils, primarily cultivated in West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam.
- Rubber,
produced in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the Andaman and
Nicobar islands, requires hot and humid climates with significant
rainfall.
- Institutional reforms in
agriculture Institutional
reforms in Agriculture encompass a series of measures aimed at improving
the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural practices:
a)
Land holdings are collectivized and
consolidated to ensure their economic viability.
b) The
Green Revolution, employing package technology, and the White Revolution,
focusing on enhancing milk production, are implemented.
c) Cooperation
with farmers is fostered while the Zamindari system is abolished.
d) Crop
insurance is provided to safeguard farmers against losses due to natural
calamities such as droughts, floods, cyclones, fires, and diseases.
e) Grameen
Banks, Cooperative Societies, and Banks are established to facilitate financial
support and cooperation among farmers.
f) Initiatives
like the Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS)
are introduced to provide financial assistance and protection to farmers.
g) Specialized
weather bulletins and agricultural programs are broadcasted on radio and TV to
disseminate crucial information to farmers.Minimum support prices, remunerative
prices, and procurement prices for crops are announced to prevent the
exploitation of farmers.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep your views respectful and not include any promotional comments. Such comments will be removed and your IP will be blocked for future purpose.