Quick Revision Notes & Formula Sheet

Class 10 Social Science (Geography)

Chapter: Agriculture (कृषि)

1. Introduction to Agriculture

• Agriculture (कृषि): The primary activity that produces most of the food and raw materials for industries. India is an agriculturally important country as two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities.
• Primary Sector: Agriculture falls under the primary sector because it involves the extraction and production of natural resources.

2. Types of Farming in India

Based on the physical environment, technological know-how, and socio-cultural practices, farming is classified into the following types:

• A. Primitive Subsistence Farming (आदिम निर्वाह कृषि):

  • Practiced on small patches of land using primitive tools (hoe, dao, digging sticks) and family/community labour.
  • Depends on monsoon, natural fertility of the soil, and environmental conditions.
  • Slash-and-burn agriculture (जूम खेती): Farmers clear a patch of land, produce cereals and other food crops, and when soil fertility decreases, they shift to a new patch.
    • Local names: Jhumming (North-East India), Bewar/Dahiya (MP), Podu/Penda (Andhra Pradesh), Milpa (Mexico/Central America), Roca (Brazil).

• B. Intensive Subsistence Farming (सघन निर्वाह कृषि):

  • Practiced in areas of high population pressure on land.
  • Labor-intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.

• C. Commercial Farming (वाणिज्यिक कृषि):

  • Higher doses of modern inputs (e.g., high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides) are used for higher productivity.
  • Plantation (रोपण कृषि): A type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area.
    • Examples: Tea (Assam/North Bengal), Coffee (Karnataka), Rubber, Banana, Sugarcane.

3. Cropping Pattern in India

India has three distinct cropping seasons: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.

4. Major Crops of India

• A. Food Crops (खाद्यान्न फसलें):

  • Rice (चावल):
    • Staple food crop of a majority of people in India.
    • Requirements: Kharif crop, high temperature (above 25°C), high humidity, and annual rainfall above 100 cm.
    • Regions: Plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas, and deltaic regions.
  • Wheat (गेहूं):
    • Second most important cereal crop (main food crop in north and north-western India).
    • Requirements: Rabi crop, cool growing season, and bright sunshine at the time of ripening, 50-75 cm annual rainfall.
    • Regions: Ganga-Satluj plains in the northwest and black soil region of the Deccan.
  • Millets (मोटा अनाज):
    • Examples: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi. High nutritional value (Ragi is rich in iron, calcium).
    • Requirements: Grown in dry regions on-fertile, sandy soils.
  • Maize (मक्का):
    • Used both as food and fodder.
    • Requirements: Kharif crop, temperature between 21°C to 27°C, grows well in old alluvial soil.
  • Pulses (दालें):
    • India is the largest producer as well as consumer of pulses in the world.
    • Major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
    • Note: Most pulses are leguminous crops that help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen (except arhar). They are grown in rotation with other crops.

• B. Food Crops other than Grains:

  • Sugarcane (गन्ना):
    • Tropical and subtropical crop.
    • Requirements: Hot and humid climate, temperature 21°C–27°C, annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm. Irrigation is required in low rainfall areas.
    • Products: Sugar, gur (jaggery), khandsari, and molasses. India is the 2nd largest producer.
  • Oilseeds (तिलहन):
    • Main oilseeds produced: Groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed, sunflower.
    • Used as cooking mediums and as raw material in the manufacturing of soap, cosmetics, and ointments. (Groundnut is a kharif crop; mustard is a rabi crop).
  • Tea (चाय):
    • Beverage crop introduced by the British in India.
    • Requirements: Tropical and sub-tropical climates, deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year.
  • Coffee (कॉافي):
    • Indian coffee is known worldwide for its good quality (Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen). Grown in Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

• C. Non-Food Crops:

  • Rubber (रबर): Equatorial crop; also grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm and temperature above 25°C.
  • Fibre Crops:
    • Cotton, Jute, Hemp, and Natural Silk. (First three are derived from crops grown in the soil, silk is obtained from cocoons of silkworms fed on mulberry leaves—known as Sericulture).
    • Cotton: Kharef crop, requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 215 frost-free days and bright sunshine. Grows best in black soil of the Deccan plateau.
    • Jute (जूट): Known as the Golden Fibre. 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. Used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, etc.

5. Technological and Institutional Reforms

Due to the continuous use of land without compatible techno-institutional changes, agricultural development has faced bottlenecks.

• Institutional Reforms (संस्थागत सुधार):

  • Collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation, and abolition of Zamindari.
  • Land reform was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan.
  • Provision of crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire, and disease.
  • Establishment of Grameen Banks (Gramin Banks), cooperative societies, and banks for providing loan facilities to farmers at lower rates of interest.
  • Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) introduced by the Government of India.
  • Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers on radio and television.
  • Announcement of Minimum Support Price (MSP), remunerative and procurement prices for crops to check the exploitation of farmers.

• Technological Reforms (तकनीकी सुधार):

  • Introduction of the Green Revolution (हरित क्रांति) (based on the use of package technology) and White Revolution (श्वेत क्रांति / Operation Flood) in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • Shift from traditional tools to modern machinery (tractors, threshers, harvesters).
  • Use of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

6. Food Security & Impact of Globalization

• Food Security (खाद्य सुरक्षा): To ensure availability of food grain to all sections of the society. The government maintains a Buffer Stock through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and distributes it through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Globalization on Agriculture (वैश्वीकरण का प्रभाव):
  • Begun in the 19th century; spices and cotton were exported from India.
  • Post-1990, under globalization, Indian farmers faced new challenges: competition from highly subsidized agriculture in developed countries.
  • Need to focus on Organic Farming (जैविक खेती) and gene revolution for sustainable development without environmental degradation.