DPS-MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA, QATAR

GEOGRAPHY NOTES
2022-23
CHAPTER 4: AGRICULTURE

1. What is meant by agriculture?

 The word ‘Agriculture’ is a combination of two Latin words ‘Ager+Cultura.’
 Where ‘Ager’ means ‘Soil’ and ‘Cultura’ means ‘Cultivation.’
 Hence ‘Agriculture’ means the process of cultivating/tilling the soil for growing different crops either for
self-consumption or for commercial purposes.
2. What has led to the change of agricultural practices over time?
Over the years cultivation methods have changed significantly depending upon the characteristics of
physical environment, technological know-how and socio-cultural practices
3. Name the farming in which there is enormous pressure on land due to the uneconomical size of the
land holdings.
Intensive subsistence agriculture
4. Which type of farming is practiced in the areas where the rainfall is low and the crops are grown with
the help of irrigation?
Dry land farming
5. In which type of agriculture single cash crop is grown on a larger area?
Plantation agriculture
6. What is rearing of silkworm for the production of silk fibre is known as?
Sericulture
7. By which name ‘slash and burn agriculture’ is known in the north-eastern states?
Jhooming or Jhoom cultivation
8. Which country is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world?
India
9. Which country is considered as ‘the homeland’ of maize?
USA
10. Which country is considered as ‘the homeland’ of sugarcane?
India
11. Which crops are jointly known as ‘Millets?’
Jowar, Bajra and Ragi
12. Why are pulses an important food item for our people?
Pulses are the major source of protein in our diet, particularly for a vegetarian
13. Why is jute losing market in the modern world?
Because of its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibers and packing materials, particularly nylon
14. What does KCC mean?
Kissan Credit Card
15. Why is jute considered as the golden fiber of our country?
 It helps us to earn valuable foreign exchange
 It can be used to make a variety of products like gunny bags, mats, ropes, carpets and other artifacts.
16. Why is jute losing market in the modern world?


Because of its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibers and packing materials, particularly nylon
17. Give the distribution of Jute production in our country.
Jute Distribution: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are major producing states
18. How is primitive subsistence farming done?
 This type of farming is still practiced in a few pockets of India. Primitive subsistence agriculture is
practiced on small patches of land with help of primitive tools like hoe, Dao and digging sticks, and
with the help of family or community labor.
 This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other
environmental conditions to the crops grown.
 For example- Shifting agriculture and nomadic herding

19. How is ‘Jhuming’ done in the north- eastern parts of India?

 It is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of forested land and burn the trees.
 They mix the ash of the burnt trees in soil to enrich its fertility and produce cereals and other food crops
to sustain their family.
 When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation.
 It is known by different names in different parts of the world such as Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar
district of Chhattisgarh and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

20. By what different names is shifting agriculture known in different parts of the world?
Shifting agriculture is known by different names in different parts of the world such as-
 Milpa---------------Mexico and Central America
 Conuco------------Venezuela
 Roca---------------Brazil
 Masole------------Central Africa
 Ladand------------Indonesia
 Ray----------------Vietnam
21. Name and describe the features of the agricultural type started by the British in Colonial India.
Plantation agriculture:
 The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry
 Plantation covers large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labor.
 All the produce is used as raw materials in respective industries
 In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc. are important plantation crops. Tea in Assam
and North Bengal, coffee in Karnataka, are some of the important plantation crops grown.
22. Mention some important characteristics of the Zaid agricultural season.
 In between Rabi and Kharif season, there is a short growing season during the summer months
known as Zaid.
 Some of the crops produced during this season are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables
and fodder crops.
 These crops are grown only in those areas where water is easily available.
23. Enumerate the climatic conditions required for the maize cultivation in India.
Maize:
Growing season: Kharif crop (in Bihar, maize is grown in Rabi season)
Temperature: between 21-27 degrees centigrade
Soil: grows well in old alluvial soil
States: major maize producing states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh
24. Elaborate the distribution of millets’ production in our country.
Jowar- Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh
Bajra: Rajasthan is the largest producer, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana
Ragi: Karnataka is the largest producer followed by Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and
Sikkim
25. Highlight the essential climatic conditions required for the sugarcane cultivation in India.
Sugarcane:
Climate: with a temperature of 21-27 degrees centigrade
Rainfall: annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm
Soils: it can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labor from sowing to harvesting
Producer States: The largest producer of sugarcane is Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana
26. Describe 4 important characteristics of tea cultivation in India.
Tea:
Climate: The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates.
Tea bush requires warm and moist frost free climate all throughout the year
Soil: deep and fertile well drained soils, rich in humus and organic matter.
Rainfall: frequent showers, evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves
Producer States: Assam is the largest producer followed by West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu etc.
27. Describe 4 important characteristics of horticulture in India.
 India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world
 India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits
 India produces about 13 percent of the world’s vegetables
 It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato
28. Enumerate the essential climatic conditions required for the rubber cultivation in India.

Rubber:
Climate: it grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas
Rainfall: more than 200 cm
Temperature: above 25 degrees centigrade
Producer States: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar islands
29. Highlight the essential climatic conditions required for cotton cultivation in India.
Cotton:
Soil: Black cotton soil of Deccan plateau
Growing season: Kharif crop
Climate: it requires high temperature
210 frost free days and bright sunshine for its growth
Rainfall: 50-100 cm of rainfall
Producer States: Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat

30. Describe the essential climatic conditions required for jute cultivation in India.
Climate: It is a tropical crop and also known as ‘Golden Fibre’ because of its colour.
Temperature: It requires above 24-35 degree centigrade for its proper growth.
Rainfall: It needs 150-200 cm rainfall for its growth.
Soil: Well-drained fertile soils are suitable for jute cultivation.
Producer States: West Bengal is the largest producer of jute followed by Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh
and Odisha etc.
31. Differentiate between subsistence and commercial agriculture.
PARAMETERS SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE
METHODOLOGY It is practiced on small patches of land with
the help of primitive tools like hoe, digging
sticks and family labour.
OBJECTIVE Farmers and his family produce cereals for
themselves and for the local market.
DISTRIBUTION It is practiced in thickly populated areas.
CROPS GROWN Cereals like wheat, rice and millets are mainly
grown.
EXAMPLES It includes shifting agriculture, primitive
subsistence agriculture, intensive subsistence
farming and nomadic herding etc.
32. Why do we need to expand Green Revolution in India?
 Green Revolution refers to the phenomenal increase in agricultural production with the use of HYV
seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides etc.
 Though we have succeeded in growing food grains in large quantity yet we need to increase it further
with the rising population.
 The dietary needs are increasing with the rising population.
 The agro-based industries would require more raw materials to meet the needs of the rising
population.
 The area under cultivation is decreasing due to rising population that’s why we need to expand green
revolution as it could only meet our agricultural needs from the continuously decreasing area under
cultivation.\
33. Distinguish between Rabi season and Kharif season.
PARAMETERS RABI
ETYMOLOGY ‘Rabi’ is an ‘Arabic’ word which means
‘Spring.’
SOWING AND Rabi crops are sown in winter from
HARVESTING October to December and harvested in
PERIOD
March-April (Spring).
CROPS GROWN Some of the important crops of this season
are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard
DISTRIBUTION Though these crops are grown in large
parts of India, states from the north and
north western parts such as Punjab,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal
etc are important for the production of
wheat and other rabi crops
COMMERCIAL
AGRICULTURE
The main characteristic of this type
of farming is the use of higher
inputs of modern inputs e.g. high
yielding variety of seeds (HYVs),
chemical fertilizers, insecticides and
pesticides in order to obtain higher
productivity.
Crops are grown on a large scale
with a view to export them to other
countries.
It is practiced in sparsely populates
areas.
Wheat, cotton and sugarcane etc.
are grown on a large scale.
It includes plantation agriculture,
ranching and commercial grain
farming etc.
KHARIF
‘Kharif’ is also‘Arabic’ word
which means ‘Autumn.’
Kharif crops are grown with the
onset of monsoon in different
parts of the country and then
harvested in September-October
(Autumn).
Important crops grown in this
season are paddy, maize, jowar
and bajra
Some of the most important rice
growing regions are Assam,
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala and Maharashtra
34. Compare the essential geographical conditions required for rice and wheat cultivation.

PARAMETERS RICE WHEAT

Growing Season It is grown in Kharif season It is grown in Rabi season.
Temperature It requires high temperatures It requires 10 degree centigrade at
above 25 degree centigrade. the time of sowing and 20-25
degree centigrade along with
bright sunshine at the time of
harvest.
Rainfall It requires high humidity with annual It requires 50-75 cm of annual
rainfall above 100 cm. rainfall evenly distributed over the
growing season
Soil It grows in a wide variety of soils Loamy soil is the best suitable soil
that varies from alluvial soils to for wheat cultivation.
that of black soil
Distribution Rice is grown in the plains of There are two important wheat
north and north eastern India, growing zones in the country: the
coastal areas and the deltaic Ganga-Sutlej plains in the North
regions. West and the black soil region of
the Deccan.
The largest producer West Bengal is the largest rice Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat
producing state in India whereas producing state in India whereas
China is the largest producer of China is the largest producer of
rice in the world. wheat in the world.