GRADE 10 – SOCIAL SCIENCE

GEOGRAPHY – LESSON 4 – AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURE = the science or practice of

farming, including cultivation of the soil for the
growing of crops and the rearing of animals to
provide food, wool, and other products.
 Primary economic activity in India – two third
population is engaged in agricultural activities
 Produces the food that we consume
 Produces raw materials for industries
 Some Agricultural products are exported
TYPES OF FARMING: Methods of cultivation
 Depends on characteristics of physical
environment, technology and socio-cultural
practices
 Farming can be subsistence or commercial
SUBSISTENCE FARMING = the practice of
growing crops and raising livestock sufficient only
for one's own use, without any surplus for trade.
COMMERCIAL FARMING = the production of
crops and farm animals for sale, usually with the
use of modern technology
SUBSISTENCE FARMING:
1.PRIMITIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING:
 Practised in few places in India.
 Done on small pieces of land
 Uses primitive tools
 With family members as labourers
 Depend on nature:
o Monsoon for rain
o Natural fertility of soil
o Suitable environmental conditions
 Practice “slash and burn” culture
o Clear a patch of land by burning
o Produce cereals and other food crops
o soil fertility decreases
o shift from there and clear another piece of
land and continue cultivation
o shifting allows nature to replenish the
fertility of the soil naturally
o crop production is low
o does not use fertilisers / inputs
o does not use modern equipments
o existed all over the world
o known by different names in different parts
of the world [refer p.34]

2. INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING:

 Practised in areas of high population
 labour intensive = require a great deal of labour
 uses high doses of biochemical inputs
  irrigation is used
 aims for higher production
 land size becomes uneconomical due to division of
land among successive generations
 absence of alternative source of livelihood
 maximum output is taken from limited land
 results in enormous pressure on agricultural land
COMMERCIAL FARMING:
 Uses higher doses of modern inputs
o HYV seeds
o Chemical fertilizers
o Insecticides
o Pesticides
 Commercial agriculture varies from place to place
PLANTATION = a single crop is grown on a large
area. Plantation covers large tracts of land, using
capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant
labourers.
 Type of commercial farming
 Single crop is grown on a large area
 Grown on large tracts of land
 Capital intensive = Form of agriculture that uses
mechanical goods such as machinery, tools,
vehicles and facilities to produce large amounts
of agricultural goods; a process requiring very little
human labor.
 Uses migrant labourers
  Produce is used as raw materials in industries
 Production is mainly for the market
 Connected by well developed network of transport
and communication
 Connects plantation areas – processing industries –
markets
CROP PATTERNS:
Cropping pattern refers to the proportion of land
under cultivation of different crops at different points of
time. This indicates the time and arrangement of
crops in a particular land area.
 Depends on the physical diversities and plurality
of cultures
 Different types of food crops, fibre crops
vegetables, fruits, spices, condiments, etc. are
grown
 Grown at 3 different times / 3 cropping seasons:
rabi, kharif, zaid
RABI CROPS
 Sown in winter [October to December]
 Harvested in summer [April to June]
 Factors of growth
Precipitation [rain] available due to western
temperate cyclones
Green Revolution
 Important Rabi crops:
 Wheat
Barley

peas
grams
mustard
 states grown in:
Punjab
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Uttarakhand
Uttar Pradesh
KHARIF CROPS
 Sown in summer [April – May]
 Harvested in winter [September – October]
 Factors of growth:
Onset of monsoon
 Important crops:
Paddy [rice]
Maize
Jowar
Bajra
Tur
Moong
Urad
Cotton
Jute
Groundnut
Soyabean
  States grown in: [Rice]
Assam 3 crops of paddy are grown:
West Bengal Aus, Aman, Boro
Odisha
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Punjab
Haryana
ZAID CROPS
 Grown between Rabi and Kharif seasons
 Short season
 During Summer months
 Crops grown:
Watermelon
Muskmelon
Cucumber
Vegetables
 Fodder crops = crops that are cultivated
primarily for animal feed.

Sugarcane – grows in one year

MAJOR CROPS:
 Variety of crops are grown: food and non-food crops
 Grown in different parts of the country
 Factors of variation:
soil
climate
cultivation practices
RICE:
 Staple food crop – majority population
 India – 2nd largest producer after China
 Kharif crop
 Requires high temperature
 High humidity
 Annual rainfall – above 100cm
 Canal Irrigation and Tube wells are used in places
with less rainfall
 Areas grown:
Northern and north eastern plains
Coastal areas
Delta regions
Punjab
Haryana
Western Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
WHEAT
 2nd most important cereal crop
 Main food crop in North and North-western India
 Rabi crop
 Requires cool growing season
 Bright sunshine for ripening
 50 to 75cm of annual rainfall
 Even distribution of rain during growing season
 2 important wheat growing zones:
Ganga-Sutlej plains – north west
Black soil regions of Deccan
 Areas grown:
Punjab
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Rajasthan

MILLETS: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi ….

 Known as coarse grains
 Have high nutritional value
JOWAR:
 3RD most important food crop
 Rain fed crop – grown in moist areas
 Does not need irrigation
 Grown in:
Maharashtra
 Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
BAJRA:
 Grows on sandy soils and shallow black soil
 Grown in:
Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Haryana
RAGI:
 Rich in iron, calcium, micro nutrients, roughage
 Grows in dry regions
 Grows on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow
black soils
 Areas grown:
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Sikkim
Jharkhand
Arunachal Pradesh
MAIZE:
 Used as food and fodder
 Kharif crop
 Requires temperature between 21°C - 27°C
  Grows well in old alluvial soil
 Grown in rabi season also
 Increase in production due to use of HYV seeds,
fertilisers and irrigation
 Areas grown:
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
PULSES:
 Largest producer in the world
 Largest consumer
 Grow in Kharif and Rabi seasons
 Major source of protein
 Need less moisture
 Survive in dry conditions
 Leguminous crops
 Help in fixing nitrogen from air
 Grown in rotation with other crops
 Major pulses:
Tur
Urad
Moong
Masur
Peas
Gram
 Areas grown:
 Madhya Pradesh
Rajasthan
Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh
Karnataka
FOOD CROPS OTHER THAN GRAINS
SUGARCANE:
 Tropical and Sub-Tropical crop
 Grows well in hot and humid climate
 Requires temperature of 21°C - 27°C
 Annual rainfall between 75 to 100cm
 Irrigation required in low rainfall areas
 Grows on variety of soils
 Needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting
 India – 2nd largest producer after Brazil
 Main source of sugar, jaggery, khandsari, molasses
 Areas grown:
Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Bihar
Punjab
Haryana
OIL SEEDS
 Different oil seeds are produced in India
  Oil seeds are grown in 12% of cultivated area
 Main oil seeds produced in India are:
Groundnut
Mustard
Coconut
Sesame
Soyabean
Castor seeds
Cotton seeds
Linseed
Sunflower
 Most oil seeds are edible and used in cooking
 Also used as raw materials to produce:
o Soap
o Cosmetics
o Ointments
GROUNDNUT
 Kharif crop
 Forms 50% of oilseeds produced in India
 India – 2nd largest producer after China and Canada
 Gujarat – largest producer followed by Rajasthan
and Tamil Nadu
RAPESEED [oil rich seed – belongs to mustard family]
 India - 3RD largest producer in the world
LINSEED
 Rabi crop
MUSTARD
  Rabi crop

SESAMUM
 Kharif crop in North India
 Rabi crop in South India
CASTOR SEED
 Grown both as kharif and rabi crop
TEA [Plantation agriculture]
 Important beverage crop
 Introduced in India by British
 India - 2nd largest producer after China
 Grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climate
 Needs deep and well drained soil, rich in humus
and organic matter
 Requires warm and moist, frost-free climate
 Needs frequent showers of rain, evenly distributed
for continuous growth of tender leaves
 Labour intensive industry
 Requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour
 Processed within the tea garden for freshness
COFFEE
 Well known for good quality
 Arabica variety originally from Yemen is in great
demand
 Cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri Hills in
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
HORTICULTURE CROPS
 India – 2nd largest producer of fruits and vegetables
– after China
FRUITS
 India – produces tropical and temperate fruits
 Fruits and areas grown:
Mangoes Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Oranges Nagpur
Cherrapunjee [Meghalaya]
Bananas Kerala
Mizoram
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Lichi & Guava Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Pineapples Meghalaya
Grapes Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Maharashtra
Apples, Pears, Jammu & Kashmir
Apricots and Himachal Pradesh
Walnuts
VEGETABLES
 Important producer of:
Pea
 Cauliflower
Onion
Cabbage
Tomato
Brinjal
Potato
NON-FOOD CROPS
RUBBER:
 Equatorial crop
 Grown in tropical & sub-tropical areas
 Requires moist and humid climate
 Rainfall – more than 200cm’
 Temperature – above 25°C
 Important industrial raw material
 Areas grown:
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Karnataka
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Garo Hills of Meghalaya
FIBRE CROPS
 Four major fibre crops are grown in India
Cotton
Jute
Hemp
Natural Silk
 From crops grown in soil – cotton, jute, hemp
 Natural Silk – obtained from cocoons of silkworms
 Silkworms feed on green leaves of mulberry
[Rearing of silkworms for silk production is
called sericulture.]

COTTON
 India – original home of cotton plant
 Main raw material for cotton textile industry
 India – 2nd largest producer after China
 Grows well in drier parts of black soil of Deccan
plateau
 Requires high temperature
 Light rainfall or irrigation
 210 frost free days
 Bright sunshine during growing period
 Kharif crop
 Matures in 6 to 8 months
 Areas grown:
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Madhya Pradesh
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
JUTE:
  Known as golden fibre
 Grows well in well-drained fertile soils of flood
plains – where soils are renewed every year
 Requires high temperature during growth
 Used for making:
Gunny bags
Mats
Ropes
Yarn
Carpets
Other Artefacts
 Losing markets to synthetic fibre [nylon] and
packing materials due to high cost
 Areas grown:
West Bengal
Bihar
Assam
Odisha
Meghalaya
TECHNOLOGICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
NEED FOR TECHNICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL
REFORMS:
Sustained use of land without compatible technological
changes has slowed down the pace of development
Farmers depend more on monsoon and natural fertility
of land for cultivation
Growing population laid more pressure on land
Right of inheritance led to fragmentation of land
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS:
Collectivisation – collective farming
Consolidation of land holdings
Co-operation and abolition of zamindari system
Land Reforms implemented during First five year plan
Land Reform laws were passed – implementation of
these laws was slow
Agricultural Reforms were introduced:
1960s and 1970s:
Green Revolution – use of technology and bio chemicals
White Revolution – to increase milk production
But concentration of reforms was in selected areas
1980s and 1990s:
Introduction of comprehensive land development
programme [institutional and technical reforms]
Crop insurance against:
- Drought
- Flood
- Cyclone
- Fire
- Disease
Establishment of
- Grameen banks [loans without collateral]
- Co-operative societies
- Banks [loans at low interest rates]
Schemes were introduced:
- Kissan Credit Card
- Personal Accident Insurance Scheme
- Special weather bulletins
- Agricultural programmes on radio & TV
- Minimum Support Price
- Remunerative and Procurement Price
fixed – to check exploitation by middlemen
BHOODAN – GRAMDAN
- Initiated by Vinoba Bhave
- Also known as bloodless revolution
- Landowners donated land to landless
- Zamindars donated villages to landless
- Land Ceiling Act resulted in donation of
land to poor land owners
CONTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURE TO NATIONAL
ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT AND OUTPUT
- Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian
economy
- 52% of population dependent on
agriculture for sustenance
- GDP shows a declining trend
- Decelerating growth rate in agriculture
- Decline and stagnation in agriculture will
lead to decline in other economic activities
- Decline in employment opportunities
- International competition is a challenge
- Reduction in import duties
- Subsidy on fertilisers reduced
 - Cost of production has increased
- Reduction in public investment
- Leading to downfall in employment in
agriculture
- Land under agriculture is decreasing
 Government has tried to modernise agriculture
 Established Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
agricultural universities, veterinary services, animal
breeding centres, horticulture development,
research and development in meteorology and
weather forecast, etc.
 Improvement in rural infrastructure was essential
IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON AGRICULTURE
 Indian spices are exported to different countries
 Farmers encouraged to grow these crops
 Cotton belts attracted British
 Good quality Cotton exported as raw material to
textile industries abroad
 Farmers forced to grow indigo for textile industries
abroad instead of food crops – led to Champaran
movement
 Our agricultural products not able to compete with
developed countries
 Other countries have subsidised agriculture
(cheaper)
 Condition of marginal and small farmers should be
improved
 Green Revolution has caused land degeneration
due to overuse of chemicals
  Aspiring towards “gene revolution” – genetic
engineering [to invent new HYV seeds]
 Organic farming practised more – without fertilisers
and pesticides – does not affect environment
 Indian farmers have a bleak future
 833 million rural farmers depend on 250 million
hectares of agricultural land
 Farmers should diversify cropping pattern from
cereals to high value crops – to increase income
and reduce environmental degradation
 Fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables,
jatropha, jojoba need less irrigation than rice or
sugarcane
 Diverse climate can be used to grow a wide range
of high value crops
 Growing high value crops will result in importing
food
 Will lead to successful economy as India would be
exporting high value crops and importing cereals
ASSIGNMENT
Read the lesson and mark the key words
Mark the answers to questions on p.46

Do the Project work [q.no. 1]:

Prepare a paragraph on – Necessity of literacy
among farmers – 5 points in your rough note.

Q.No.2 – Do the map work and file it – you will

need to submit it.
Mark the answers for Activity given on p. 47
Q.No. 3 – page 47 – Answer in about 120
words: (i), (ii), (iii) – Prepare answers in your
rough note.