AGR 101 - AGRICULTURE HERITAGE (AT A GLANCE) – STRICTLY FOR REVISION PURPOSE ONLY

Dr. Devina Seram, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, LPU
UNIT IV Topic - SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE

 Natural resources / Renewable resources - land, water, air, soil energy, etc. - Free gifts of nature
 In agricultural science:
Primary units (output) - crop plants and their yields/produce, cattle rearing, poultry, etc.
Secondary units (output) - milk, meat, eggs, wool, honey, silk, etc.

 Different major branches of agriculture: (few examples)

Agronomy Deals with production of various crops which includes food crops, fodder crops,
fibre crops, sugar, oilseeds, etc. The aim is to have better food production and
how to control the diseases.
Horticulture Deals with production of fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, spices,
condiments and beverages.
Forestry Deals with production of large scale cultivation of perennial trees for supplying
wood, timber, rubber, etc. and also raw materials for industries.
Animal husbandry Deals with agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock in order to
provide food for humans and to provide power (draught) and manure for crops.
Fishery science Deals with practice of breeding and rearing fishes including marine and inland
fishes, shrimps, prawns etc. in order to provide food, feed and manure
Agricultural Deals with farm machinery for field preparation, inter-cultivation, harvesting and
Engineering post-harvest processing including soil and water conservation engineering and
bio-energy
Home Science Deals with application and utilization of agricultural produces in a better manner
in order to provide nutritional security, including value addition and food
preparation
 Important components (agricultural inputs) of Agricultural Revolution:
1) Farm machineries and equipments
2) Land for cultivation
3) Fertilizers, manures and pesticides
4) Irrigation water
5) High-yielding varieties of crop (good quality seeds)

 Start of Green Revolution in India – (1960s to 1970s, actual in 1965 – with the introduction of
high yielding varieties, HYVs of wheat and rice crops from Western countries – resulting high
usage of chemical fertilizers, irrigation water, etc.
 Father of Green Revolution (world) – Norman Borlaugh
 Father of Green Revolution (India) – MS Swaminathan

 Scope and Importance of Agriculture:

 Agriculture - The most important enterprise in the world – single largest private sector
occupation
 Agriculture - A production plant where the free gifts of nature (natural resources - land,
water, air, soil energy, etc.) are used as inputs and converted into a single primary unit (crop
plants and their yields/produce) which are indispensable (necessary) for humans
 Backbone of Indian Economy
 Over 70 % (2/3rd of India’s population) of the rural households depend on agriculture for
their livelihood
 Provides employment - Agricultural contribution increased from -0.2% in 2014-15 to 6.3% in
2016-17, then declined to 2.9% in 2018-
2/3rd of population -responsible for employment of 58-60 % of country’s workforce
 Provides significant contribution to India’s exports -India's share in world service exports
-20 –
materials to almost all allied industries (textiles, silk, rice, rubber, paper, flour mills, milk
products industries)
 Acts as an important source of resource mobilization (marketing) - As people in rural areas
are not rich – agriculture proves as one of the biggest markets for low-priced consumer
goods
 Better agriculture, better the Food Security in India - If agricultural sector of a country is
strong - it acts as a wall in maintaining food security and in the process, national security of

and wealth to individuals of the nation

 Includes important allied sectors -
important role in improving overall economic conditions, health and nutrition of rural
masses -To maintain ecological balance (sustainable agriculture) - need for the balanced
development of agriculture and allied sectors
 Importance of Agriculture:
 Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy:
1) Share in National Income – 17 to 18 % (2018)
2) Largest Employment Providing Sector – to > 50% population
3) Contribution to Capital formation
4) Providing Raw Material to industries – allied sectors
5) Market for Industrial Products – import/export

 Importance of Agriculture in International Trade:

1) Share in national income through exports
2) Source of employment
3) Provision of food grains
4) Supply of raw materials to industrial sectors
5) Market for industrial products
6) Earner of foreign exchange
7) Significance for trade and transport
8) Source of revenue for the government

 Agriculture and its allied sectors:

“Agriculture and allied” industry further divided into several segments: (BRIEF EXPLAINATION)
1) Horticulture and its allied sectors (branches):
fruits - Pomology
vegetables – Olericulture
flowers - Floriculture
forests - Forestry
trees - Arboriculture
landscape design - Landscape Horticulture
plantation crops, spices, aromatic and medicinal plants
2) Fishery/Pisciculture
3) Animal husbandry and livestock (Veterinary)
4) Sericulture (silkworm), apiculture (honeybees), lac culture (lac insects) – beneficial insects
5) Agricultural Engineering – farm machines and equipment Agriculture

 Agricultural Resources in India:

 Agricultural resources: (both natural/renewable resources and the man-made agricultural
inputs)
The land and on-farm buildings, equipment, manures and fertilizers, processing and
handling facilities which contribute to production, preparation and marketing of crops,
livestock and livestock products as a commercial enterprise
 Natural resources: (only the renewable resources)
Soil, water, plant and animal diversity, vegetation cover, renewable energy sources, climate
and ecosystem services
 These resources are fundamental for the structure and proper functioning of agricultural
systems and to obtain social and environmental sustainability, in support of life on earth
  National Food Security Act (NFSA or Right to Food Security, 2013): (Govt. Scemes/programmes)
National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
PDS (Public Distribution System)
Mid-day meals (in primary schools)

 Water intensive crops -– which requires more water for cultivation - Rice, Jute and Sugarcane
 Water erosion problem – mainly in rainfed agriculture (rainfall dependent)
 Wind and water erosion problem – manily in dryland agriculture

 Different types of Agricultural systems followed around the world:

 Agriculture is one of the most widespread activities in the world but it is not uniform
throughout –
 Criteria for classification of agricultural systems:
i. Scale – farmlands – small (not >4 ha) and large scale agri.
ii. Type of crops cultivated – high or low value crops (egs.)
iii. Livestock combinations – includes mixed farming
iv. Intensity – types and number of crops grown
[Cropping intensity = (Gross cropped area / Net sown area) x 100
v. Means of distribution of farm produce – marketing
vi. Level of mechanization – use of machineries, tractors, etc.

TYPES of Agricultural Systems:

1) Nomadic Herding (Pastoralism) - A type of farming in which herdsmen move from place to
place with the animals (herds) of sheep, camel, yak and goats in search of fodder and water
(Most ancient type)
2) Livestock Ranching - The practice of raising herds of animals on large tracts of land (same land
unlike nomadic farming) - commonly raised grazing animals - cattle and sheep
3) Shifting cultivation - An agricultural system where plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then
abandoned and allowed to revert to their natural vegetation while the cultivator moves on to
another plot. Eg. Slash and burn (Swidden)
4) Subsistence agriculture - occurs when farmers grow food crops to feed themselves and their
families – not for commercialization - In subsistence agriculture - farm output is targeted to
survival and is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus trade
5) Commercial Plantations - Commercial agricultural crops are grown in commercial farms - for
gaining profits by selling crops in international market - practiced in tropical areas with high
annual rainfall and high annual temperature
6) Mediterranean Agriculture - Agriculture which is followed in areas where there is (temperate)
Mediterranean type of climate - Hilly landscapes typically found in Mediterranean climate
encourages farmers to plant variety of crops within one farming area
7) Commercial Grain Farming - farmers grow grains and trade them in the market (for income) -
Wheat, maize, rice are the most common crops - Farmers of Asia, Europe, temperate grasslands
of North America generally practice this type of farming
8) Dairy Farming - Type of agriculture (animal husbandry) that is focused on producing milk – long
term production of milk, which is processed for eventual sale of a dairy products
9) Specialized Horticulture - Branch of plant agriculture (crop science) dealing with garden crops,
generally fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants - intensively cultured and high-value crops -
small-scale gardening (polyhouse), tissue culture, etc.
[Etymology of “horticulture” - Latin meaning "garden cultivation”]

 Tissue culture - growth of tissues or cells in an artificial medium separate from the organism (in
vitro technique) - facilitated via use of liquid, semi-solid or solid growth medium
 Level of farm mechanization is high - Plain topography with large cropped land
 Level of farm mechanization is low - Undulating topography (eg. Hilly areas, slopes)

Topic – NATIONAL SET-UP OF AGRICULTURE IN INDA

 Agriculture – under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MAFW), Govt. of India
 MAFW – 2 departments:
1) DARE – Department of Agricultural Research and Education
2) DAC&FW – Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare

 ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) – under DARE

 Previously named Imperial Council of Agricultural Research – during Colonial period (British rule)
 Establishment of ICAR - July 16, 1929 [Headquarter – New Delhi]
 Current Director General of ICAR – Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
 Current Agriculture Minister of India – Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
 The first state agricultural university in India - G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and
Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) [GB Pant University]
 NARS – National Agricultural Research System – one of the largest and complex systems in the
world with the following set-up (only related to agriculture):
Deemed Universities -4
Research Institutions - 64
National Research Centres - 15
National Bureaus -6
Directorates/Project Directorates - 13
Central Agricultural Universities - 3 (CAU)
State Agricultural Universities - 60 (SAU)

 As of October, 2017 – 4 Deemed, 3 Central, 60 State Agricultural Universities = 67 agrl.

Universities
 State with the most agricultural universities in India - Uttar Pradesh with eight agri.
universities (6S, 1D and 1C)
 Objectives of Agriculture Development Policy in India:

 Strategies/instruments used to achieve these objectives:

1) Fixation and announcement of minimum support prices (MSP) for different commodities
before sowing and maturing, arrangements for purchases of farm produce at these prices
in case market price dip below these levels
2) Selective intervention in the market for some commodities under market intervention
scheme of Govt. of India
3) Open market operation by public agencies and cooperatives for some commodities like
raw cotton, oil seeds and copra
4) Buffer stocking of food grains specially wheat and rice
5) Public distribution (PDS) of certain commodities like wheat and rice at subsidized price
6) Levy (tax) of rice mills and sugar factories and distribution of levy sugar at subsidized
prices
7) Imposition of stock limits on traders and processors
8) Regulations of marketing practices in agriculture produce markets
9) Preserving quality and grade standard of agriculture produce markets
10) Creation of infrastructure facilities for improving marketing such as market yards and sub-
yards in primary produce markets roads, communication facilities and dissemination of
market infrastructure
11) Encouraging cooperatives in agricultural development and marketing
12) Regulation of exports and imports
 UNIT V Topic – AGRONOMIC CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS
 Significance of Crop Classification: [Classification - definition]
 More than 600 cultivated plant species in the world
 100 - 200 species - play important role in world trade
 Only 15 plant species - represent the most important economic crops
1) To get acquainted with different crops
2) To understand soil and water requirement for crops
3) habits and habitats of crops
4) To understand climatic requirement of crops
5) To know the economic produce of crops & their uses
6) To know the growing season of crops
7) To know the favourable conditions required for cultivation
(Always underline scientific names while writing; italics while typing)

 Different Bases of crop classification:

1) Agronomic classification
2) Botanical classification - Most important basis of crop classification
3) Special purpose classification – catch, cash, cover, green manure, companion, tuber, and
plantation crops, etc.
4) Classification according to life span
5) Classification according to root depth
6) Classification according to growth habit
7) Classification according to CO2 fixation
8) Classification according to mode of pollination

 Agronomic classification of crops: (fileds crops mainly classified according to economic

importance) [Learn scientific names and families of few examples of each group]
1) Cereals - Larger grains used as staple food – Rice, wheat, maize, barley, oats, etc.
Grains - contain 60 to 70% starch - excellent energy rich foods for humans, source of fat
soluble vitamin E
 Fruit type in case of cereal grains (eg. Rice) – Caryopsis
 Inflorescence of Triticum aestivum – spike
 Inflorescence of Oryza sativa – panicle
 Difference between cereals and millets – grain size [cereals – larger; millets – smaller]
2) Millets - Small grained cereals - Staple food in drier regions of developing (poor) countries - In
India - pearl millet is staple food in Rajasthan

3) Pulses - Seeds of leguminous plants used as food (Dhal) - rich in protein (45-50 %) Economic
portion/part - pod containing grains/seeds
 Wastes/stems/stalk - called ‘haulm’ or ‘stover’ [used as green manure, high value feed] Young
green pods - used as vegetables [Eg. cowpea, lablab, french bean, etc.]
4) Oilseed crops - Crops rich in essential fatty acids (unsaturated fatty acids) – mostly cultivated
for production of vegetable oil (20-40 %) [ Eg. Groundnut, sesame or gingelly, Sunflower,
Castor, Linseed or flax, mustard]
5) Sugar crops - Crops cultivated for sugar - Juice extracted from sugarcane stem - used for
jaggery or sugar production
[Eg. Sugarcane – Saccharum officinarum, sugarbeet – Beta vulgaris]

By-products from sugar industry - molasses, bagasse, pressmud

[Molasses (viscous product) - used for alcohol and yeast formation
Bagasse (dry pulpy residue) - paper making and fuel
Pressmud - used for soil amendment]
6) Fibre crops - Crops cultivated for obtaining natural fibres

 Linum usitatissimum - flax/linseed - Fibre and Oilseed crop

 Crotolaria juncea – sunhemp - Fibre and green manure crop

7) Fodder/forage crops - Refers to vegetative matter, fresh or preserved, which are utilized as
feed for animals - Includes hay (dried), silage (grass/green fodder)
[Eg. Grasses – Bajra, napier grass, guinea grass, fodder sorghum, fodder maize]
8) Spices and condiments - Crop plants or their products used for flavour, taste and adding
colour to fresh or preserved food
[Eg. Ginger, garlic, fenugreek, cumin, turmeric, chillies, onion, coriander]
9) Medicinal crops - Crops used for preparation of medicines
[Eg. Tobacco, mint, aloe vera, tulsi]
10) Beverages - Products of crops used for preparation of mild, agreeable and simulating drinking
[Eg. Tea, coffee, cocoa – plantation crops]

Topic – BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS

 Taxonomy - The science of naming, defining and classifying groups of biological organisms on
the basis of shared/similar characteristics
 Father of Taxonomy – Carolous Linnaeus
 Botanical classification - helps in categorizing plants in terms of class, order, family, genus and
species
 Heirarchical System of Classification (Levels):
Linnaeus’s Heirarchical System of Classification
Largest to smallest level (Or taxon)
Each level is called a taxon (taxa – plural)
Species: organisms that look alike and interbreed under natural conditions – most specific
 Suffix (end of the word) in crop family names – “eae”
 Rice Green gram Cotton Squash Mustard Wheat
Plantae Plantae Plantae Plantae Plantae Plantae
Angiosperm Angiosperm Angiosperm Angiosperm Angiosperm Angiosperm
Monocot Dicot Dicot Dicot Dicot Monocot
Poales Fabales Malvales Cucurbitales Brassicales Poales
Poaceae Fabaceae Malvaceae Cucurbitaceae Brassicaceae Poaceae
Oryza Vigna Gossypium Cucurbita Brassica Triticum
sativa radiata Hirsutum maxima juncea aestivum
[Learn for other common crops also]

 Monocots and dicots:
 Binomial (Binary) system of Nomenclature:
The formal system of scientifically naming species of all living organisms that scientists use -
composed of two parts
Developed by Swedish botanist Carolous Linnaeus
Mentioned in book “Systema Naturae” (meaning “The System of Nature” in 1735)

Important Points (Rules of Binomial Nomenclature):

1) Each crop plant has two names – “genus” and “species” – written in small letters
(generic and specific epithet)
Genus name - starts with capital letter, written first
Species name – all small letters
2) Name of the man (author) who first gave the accepted name is indicated by a letter or
abbreviation)
Eg. Wheat - Triticum aestivum L. Letter “L.” signifies the author name – “Linnaeus”
Sometimes – renaming of crops done by another scientist
In this case - crop name is followed by the initial of the first person (between brackets)
followed by the initial or name of the second scientist
Eg. Soybean - Glycine max (L.) Merr.
3) Scientific names must be underlined or italicized to be differentiated from other words
Eg. Oryza sativa or Oryza sativa (Italics or underline)

 Characteristics of Grass family (Poaceae):

Important characteristics (monocot): [Draw diagrams wherever possible, give examples –

common and scientific names]
1) Mostly winter annuals or perennials
2) Almost all are herbaceous plants (no woody stems)
3) Stems - usually hollow, cylindrical, made up of nodes and internodes (eg. Culm of rice)
4) Leaves - alternative with parallel veins - Basal portions of leaf sheath encloses stem - the
sheath being open on side opposite to leaf blade - Where the leaf blade joins leaf sheath -
peculiar appendage present known as “ligule” (papery structure) and “auricle” (hair-like)
5) Roots – fibrous - new roots are formed each year – types
6) Flowers - perfect and collected in inflorescence at top of plant
7) Grains (seeds) – may be free (wheat) or enclosed (rice, oats)

 Characteristics of legume family (Fabaceae):

Important characteristics (dicot): [Draw diagrams wherever possible, give examples –

common and scientific names]
1) It ranks next to grass family – based on importance
2) May be annual, biennial or perennial
3) Leaves - alternate compound, stipulate with netted veins
4) Flowers - butterfly-like (Papilionaceous flowers)
5) Fruits - pod that contains one to several seeds
6) Seeds - usually without an endosperm - two cotyledons thick and full of stored food
7) Roots -
Rhizobium - ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N) in their bodies - eventually in plant
residues

UNIT VI

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