Quick Revision Notes: Class 8 Social Science (Geography)

Chapter: Agriculture (कृषि)

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### 1. Introduction to Agriculture

• Agriculture (कृषि): Agriculture is a primary activity that includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and rearing livestock.
• Primary Activities (प्राथमिक गतिविधियाँ): Those activities that involve direct extraction and production of natural resources (e.g., Agriculture, Fishing, Mining).
• Farm System: Agriculture or farming can be looked at as a system. The important inputs are seeds, fertilizers, machinery, and labour. Operations include ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding, and harvesting. The outputs include crops, wool, dairy, and poultry products.

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### 2. Types of Farming (कृषि के प्रकार)

Farming is practiced in various ways across the world depending upon the geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour, and level of technology. It is mainly classified into two types: Subsistence Farming and Commercial Farming.

A. Subsistence Farming (निर्वाह कृषि)

Practiced to meet the needs of the farmer's family. Low levels of technology and household labour are used.

1. Intensive Subsistence Agriculture (सघन निर्वाह कृषि):
   • Farmer uses a small plot of land to produce for local consumption.
   • Simple tools and more labour are used.
   • Climate with large number of days with sunshine and fertile soils permit growing more than one crop annually on the same plot (e.g., Rice is the main crop).
2. Primitive Subsistence Agriculture (आदिम निर्वाह कृषि): Includes Shifting Cultivation and Nomadic Herding.
   • Shifting Cultivation / Jhuming (स्थानांतरित कृषि / झूम कृषि): Plots of land are cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are mixed with the soil and crops are grown. When the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new clearing. (Known as Jhuming in North-East India).
   • Nomadic Herding (चलवासी पशुचारण): Herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water along defined routes. (Common in Sahara, Central Asia, and parts of India like Rajasthan/Jammu & Kashmir).

B. Commercial Farming (वाणिज्यिक कृषि)

Crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in the market. Large amounts of capital and machines are used.

1. Commercial Grain Farming (वाणिज्यिक अनाज कृषि): Crops are grown for commercial purpose (e.g., Wheat and Maize). Common in temperate grasslands of North America, Europe, and Asia.
2. Mixed Farming (मिश्रित कृषि): The land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. Practiced in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, etc.
3. Plantation Agriculture (रोपण कृषि): A type of commercial farming where a single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, or cotton is grown. Requires large labour and capital (e.g., Rubber in Malaysia, Coffee in Brazil, Tea in India and Sri Lanka).

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### 3. Major Crops (प्रमुख फसलें)

Different crops are grown in different parts of the country depending upon the soil, climate, and demand.

Crop Category	Major Crops	Geographical & Climatic Requirements
Food Crops (खाद्यान्न फसलें)	Rice (चावल)	High temperature, high humidity, and rainfall. Grows best in alluvial clayey soil.
	Wheat (गेहूं)	Moderate temperature and rainfall during growing bright sunshine at harvest time.
	Millets / Coarse Grains (मोटे अनाज)	Hardy crops that grow in less fertile and sandy soils (e.g., Jowar, Bajra, Ragi).
	Maize (मक्का)	Moderate temperature, rainfall, and lots of sunshine. Well-drained fertile soils.
Fiber Crops (रेशेदार फसलें)	Cotton (कपास)	High temperature, light rainfall, 210 frost-free days, and bright sunshine.
	Jute / Golden Fibre (जूट)	High temperature, heavy rainfall, and humid climate. Grown in tropical areas.
Beverage Crops (पेय फसलें)	Tea (चाय)	Cool climate and well-distributed high rainfall throughout the year. Slopes required.
	Coffee (कॉफ़ी)	Warm and wet climate and well-drained loamy soil. Hill slopes are more suitable.

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### 4. Agricultural Development (कृषि विकास)

• Definition: Agricultural development refers to efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet the growing demand of an increasing population.
• Key Ways to Achieve Development:
  • Increasing the cropped area.
  • Number of crops grown.
  • Improving irrigation facilities.
  • Use of fertilizers and high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds.
  • Mechanization of agriculture.
• Food Security (खाद्य सुरक्षा): Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs.

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### 5. Comparison: Indian Farm vs. American Farm

• A Farm in India (e.g., Phool Chand in Saharsa, Bihar):

  • Average land size is small (about 1.5 hectares).
  • Farmer takes advice from friends and elders and sometimes government agencies.
  • Uses manual labour and rents tractors for ploughing.
  • Usually grows two crops a year (wheat/rice and pulses).

• A Farm in the USA (e.g., Joe Horan in Midwest, USA):

  • Average farm size is very large (about 250 hectares).
  • Farmer generally lives on the farm.
  • Uses advanced technology, computers, soil testing kits, satellites, and heavy machinery (tractors, seed drills, harvesters).
  • Operates like a businessman rather than a peasant farmer.