Study Notes

Introduction to Agriculture
Introduction to Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture consists of two Latin words I.e.,

Agric/Ager→ Soil + Cultura→ Cultivation = Agriculture

Thus, Agriculture is an art and science both in which we study all the human activities related to use of
soil.

Branches of Agriculture:

2. Horticulture
3. Animal
1. Agronomy Latin word 4. Entomology
Husbandry:
Greek word Hortus=Enclosed Greek word
Practice of
Agros= Field area Entomon= insect
breeding,
Nomos=To Cultura= Logos= Discourse
farming and care
Manage Cultivation Study of insects
of farm animals
i) Pomology
Latin+ Greek
Ponum= Fruit 5. Plant Pathology: study of diseases in
Logos= Discourse plants and their management

ii) Olericulture 6. Nematology: Study of nematodes

Latin word
Oleris= Pot herb 7. Plant Physiology: Study of physiology
Culture= (all internal activities) of plants
Cultivation
9. Soil Science
Latin word 8. Plant breeding & Genetics
iii) Floriculture=
Solum= Ground/
Latin word
Floor

i) Pedology
11. Agricultural Statistics
Greek word 10. Agriculture
Pedon= Soil or Extension
12. Agricultural Economics
Earth Latin word
ii) Edaphology Ex= out
13. Biotechnology
tensio= Stretching
14. Agriculture Microbiology

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Introduction to Agriculture

History of Agriculture

According to time, Order of Animal Domestication

I. II. III. IV. V.

Dog Sheep Goat Cattle and Pigs Fowl, Buffalo,

Domestication Elephant

10000 B.C. 8700 B.C. 7700 B.C. 6000 B.C. 2200 B.C.

According to time, Order of Agriculture (Crop Cultivation)

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.

Wheat and Maize Potato Silk moth Chickpea, Rice Sorghum Sugarcane
Barley Domestication Mustard,
Cultivation Cotton

7500 B.C. 4400 B.C. 3500 B.C. 2700 B.C. 2300 B.C. 2200 B.C. 1725 B.C. 1500 B.C.

• 15th Century A.D. Cultivation of sweet orange, sour orange, wild brinjal, Pomegranate.

• 16th Century A.D. Portuguese introduced Potato, Sweet Potato, Arrow root, Cassava,
Tomato, Chillies, Papaya, Pumpkin, Pineapple, Guava, Custard apple, Cashewnut,
Groundnut, Tobacco, Rubber, American cotton in India.

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Introduction to Agriculture

Revolution in Agriculture

Revolution Related to

Green Revolution Food grain production

White Revolution Milk production

Yellow Revolution Oilseed production

Grey Revolution Manures and Fertilizers

Blue Revolution Fish production

Red Revolution Meat/ Tomato production

Round Revolution Potato production

Silver Revolution Egg production/ poultry

Pink Revolution Prawn production

Golden Revolution Fruit production

Brown Revolution Leather, Cocoa

Black Revolution Bio-fuel (Jatropha) production

Rainbow Revolution Agriculture

Evergreen Revolution Productivity improvement in perpetuity

without ecological and social harm

e- Revolution Use of digital technologies

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Introduction to Agriculture

PM Modi’s Tricolour Revolution

White Revolution Cattle Welfare

Blue Revolution For Fishermen’s welfare; Cleaning Seas

and Rivers, conserving water
Saffron Revolution Solar Energy

Important Years related to Agriculture

National and International Years
• 2015 – International Year of Soils
• 2016 – International Year of Pulses
• 2017 – International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
• 2018 – National Year of Millets
• 2019 – International Year of Indigenous Languages
• 2020 – International Year of Plant Health
• 2021 – International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
• 2022 – International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture
• 2023 – International Year of Millets

Important Days related to Agriculture

• National Farmers Day (Kisan Diwas) - 23rd December
• National Milk Day- 26th November
• World Animal Day- 4th October
• World Wildlife Week- 1-7 October
• National Women Farmers Day/ International day for Women Farmers - 15th October
• World Food Day – 16th October
• ICAR Day – 16th July
• National Agriculture Day – 1st July
• Panchayati Raj Day – 24th April
• World Soil Day – 5th December
• World Coconut Day- 2nd September
• World Ozone Day- 16th September
• World Bamboo Day- 18th September

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Introduction to Agriculture

Research Stations
• Rice – IRRI, Los Banos/ CRRI, Cuttak
• Wheat – CIMMYT, Mexico / ICARDA, Syria / IIW&BR, Karnal
• Maize – IIMR, New Delhi
• Sorghum – DSR, Hyderabad
• Millets – IIMR, Hyderabad
• Pulses – IIPR, Kanpur
• Oilseeds – IIOR, Hyderabad
• Rapeseed and Mustard – DRMR, Bharatpur
• Cotton – CICR, Nagpur, CIRCT, Mumbai
• Jute – CRIJAF, Barrackpore
• Sugarcane – IISR, Lucknow / SBI, Coimbatore
• Fodder Crops – IGFRI, Jhansi
• Tobacco – CTRI, Hyderabad

Important Agencies related to Agriculture in India

• NAFED - National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd of India (NAFED) is an apex
organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India, under Ministry of Agriculture,
Government of India, was established on the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October
1958.
• APEDA - Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority is an apex
body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, responsible for the export
promotion of agricultural products. Headquarter is in New Delhi. Founded in 1986.
• MPEDA – Marine Products Export Development Authority, It was constituted on 24 August 1972.
Headquarter – Kochi.
• FCI - The Food Corporation of India is an organization created and run by the Government of
India. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,
Government of India. Headquarter – New Delhi, Founded on 14th January 1965.
• CCI - The Cotton Corporation of India Limited or CCI is a Government of India agency, engaged in
diverse activities related to trade, procurement, and export of cotton. CCI is a public sector agency
responsible for equitable distribution of cotton among the different constituents of the industry and
aid imports of cotton. Founded on 31st July 1970 with its Headquarter in Mumbai.
• Directorate for Women in Agriculture – Bhuvneshwar, Orissa.

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Introduction to Agriculture

Fathers of Different Agricultural Disciplines

Science Father

Pietro de Crescenzi
Agronomy
Dokuchaev
Pedology
M.H. Marigowda
Horticulture (India)
Koppen
Agroclimatology
Gregor John Mendel
Genetics
Anton de Bary
Plant Pathology
E.J. Butler
Plant Pathology (India)
P.A. Micheli
Mycology
Aristotle
Zoology
Theophrastus
Botany
A.V. Leeuwenhoek
Microbiology
Louis Pasteur
Modern Microbiology
Linnaeus
Taxonomy
Rudolf Steiner
Biodynamic Farming
Albert Howard
Organic Farming
Masanobu Fukuoka
Natural Farming
Adam Smith
Economics
J.P. Leagens
Extension
Extension (India) K.N. Singh

Justus Von Leibig

Biochemistry and Agricultural Chemistry