AGRICULTURE

Q. 1 Write a note on Slash and Burn agriculture.

Ans. 1 a) A plot of land is cleared by felling trees and trees are burnt.
b) The ashes are mixed with the soil to make the soil fertile and the crops like maize, yam, potato and cassava
are grown.
c) After a few years of cropping the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a
new plot.
Q. 2 Differentiate between Primitive Subsistence farming and Intensive Subsistence farming.
Ans. 2 Primitive Subsistence farming
1) In this farming crops are produced for the farmer’s family.
2) Farming is done with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks.
3) Family and community labour are the main workers.
4) This type of farming depends on natural fertility of soil and on monsoon for water.
5) Local crops are grown and the production is generally low.
Intensive Subsistence farming
1) It is practised in the areas of high population.
2) It is labour intensive farming and they hire laborers.
3) High doses of biochemical Input and irrigation are used to get higher production.
4) Land Holdings are small due to division of land.
5) Farmers continue to take maximum output from the Limited land.
Q. 3 What are the features of commercial farming?
Ans. 3 Commercial Farming
1) In this type of farming farmers use high doses of modern inputs like insecticides and pesticides, chemical
fertilizers and HYV seeds.
2) In commercial farming crops are grown for earning profits.
3) Plantation is also a kind of commercial farming where a single crop is grown over a large area.
Q. 4 Explain the features of plantation farming.
Ans. 4 Plantation farming
1) In plantation farming a single crop is grown on a large area.
2) It covers large tracts of land using capital intensive inputs with the help of migrant labourers.
3) All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
4) Since the production is mainly for the markets ,a well developed network of transportation and
communication is required.
5) In India tea coffee rubber banana extra are important plantation crops.
6) The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
Q. 5 Make a table of cropping seasons/patterns .
Ans.5 TABLE OF CROPPING SEASONS

Rabi Season Kharif Season Zaid Season

Sowing and Harvesting Sowing – October to Sowing – Onset of A very short season
time December monsoon during summer months
Harvesting – April to June Harvesting – September to
October

Crops Wheat, Barley, Peas, Gram Rice, Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Watermelon,
and Mustard Pulses, Groundnut and muskmelon, cucumber,
Soybean vegetables and fodder
crops

Areas (States) Punjab, Haryana, Assam, West Bengal,

Himachal Pradesh, Coasts of Orissa, Andhra
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil
Pradesh, Rajasthan Nadu and Maharashtra

Q.6 Why pulses are important for India?

Ans.6 Pulses –
a ) India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses.
b ) It is a major source of protein in vegetarian diets.
c ) It is a legume which helps in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from air.
d ) Major pulses are – Tur, Urad, Moong, Masur, Peas, Gram, etc.
e ) Major pulses producing states are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka .

Q.7 Write a note on oil seeds of India .

Ans.7 Oilseeds –
i) India is the largest producer of oilseeds.
ii) Some of these are used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.
iii) Major oil seeds are – Groundnut, Mustard, Sesame (Til), Soybean, Castor seed, Linseed, Sunflower, etc.
iv) Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra are the major oil seeds producing states

Q.8 Briefly describe the horticulture crops of india.

Ans.8 Horticulture Crops
1. India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.
2. India produces tropical as well as temperate fruits like ... Mangoes, Bananas, Apples, Pears, Pineapples,
Grapes, apricots etc...
3. India produces about 13 percent of the world’s vegetables.
4. India produces pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal potato etc....

Q. 9 State the steps taken by the Indian Government to improve the condition of Indian Agriculture
through Technological and Institutional Reforms.
Ans .9 TECHNOLOGICAL REFORMS
 1. Use of the latest tools and equipment on a large scale.
2. Farmers are using good methods of irrigation to reduce wastage.
3. Use of insecticides and pesticides so that crops can be protected.
4. Farmers are using fertilizers and manure to increase their productivity.
5. Use of hybrid seeds (HYV seeds) also improved the quality of crops.

INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
1. The law of land reforms was enacted by the government.
2. The green revolution improved the crop production level in India.
3. Provision for crop insurance against natural disasters.
4. Establishment of Gramin banks and Cooperative banks for loan requirements.
5. Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other schemes
introduced by the government.
6. Regular announcement of weather bulletin for agricultural activity planning.
7. Minimum support prices by the government to check exploitation of farmers by middlemen.
8. Setting up agricultural universities for agricultural research.

Q10. What do you understand by food security? What steps are been taken by the government to
achieve it?
Ans10. Food is a basic need and every citizen of the country should have access to food which provides minimum
nutritional level. If any segment of our population does not have this access, that segment suffers from lack of food
security. In order to ensure availability of food to all sections of society our government carefully designed a national
food security system.
It consists of two components (a) buffer stock and (b) public distribution system (PDS).
1) PDS is a programme which provides food grains and other essential commodities at subsidized prices in rural
and urban areas.
2) Food Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for procuring and stocking food grains, whereas distribution is
ensured by public distribution system (PDS). The FCI procures food grains from the farmers at the government
announced minimum support price (MSP).
3) The FCI procures food grains from the farmers at the government announced minimum support price (MSP).
The government used to provide subsidies on agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, power and water.
Q11. What are the problems in achieving food security?
Ans 11. Problem in achieving Food Security-
1) Excessive and imprudent use of fertilizers and water has led to waterlogging, salinity and depletion of essential
micronutrients in the soil.
2) The high MSP, subsidies in input and committed FCI purchases have distorted the cropping pattern. Wheat and
paddy crops are being grown more for the MSP they get.
3) There has been a gradual shift from cultivation of food crops to cultivation of fruits, vegetables, oil-seeds and
industrial crops.
4) The competition for land between non-agricultural uses such as housing etc. and agriculture has resulted in
reduction in the net sown area.
5) Fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, which once showed dramatic results, are now being held responsible for
degrading the soils.
6) Periodic scarcity of water has led to reduction in area under irrigation. Inefficient water management has led to
water logging and salinity.
TABLE OF CROPS

Crops Temp ⁰C Rainfall Soil Areas Special Features

(cm)

Rice Above Above 100 Clayey loam West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, •2nd largest producer after China
25⁰C and alluvial Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, •Staple food crop of India
Haryana •It’s a kharif crop
Wheat 20⁰C to 50 to 75 Loamy, alluvial Punjab, Haryana, Uttar •2nd most important cereal crop
24⁰C or black Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya •It’s a rabi crop
Pradesh, Rajasthan

Millets Moderate 30 to 60 Black, sandy Jowar – Maharashtra and •Are called coarse grain crops
to High loam or poor Karnataka •High nutritional value
alluvial Bajra – Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh
Ragi – Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu

Maize 21⁰C to Good Old alluvial, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, •Used as food and fodder
27⁰C rainfall red or black Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, •It’s a kharif crop
Madhya Pradesh

Sugarcane 21⁰C to 75 to 100 Deep fertile Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, •2nd largest producer after Brazil
27⁰C alluvial and Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu •Bagasse – paper, cardboard
black •Molasses – wine, smoking
tobacco

Tea 20⁰C to 150 to 300 Sandy loam, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, •Moist and frost free climate
30⁰C rich in humus Tamil Nadu favorable
•Cheap and skilled labourers
needed
•Processed within tea gardens
for maximum freshness

Rubber Above Above 200 Mountain, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, •One of the major producer of
25⁰C loamy Karnataka, Andaman and natural rubber
Nicobar, Meghalaya

Cotton 20⁰C to 60 to 85 Black, alluvial Gujarat, Maharashtra, •India is the largest producer of
30⁰C Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, cotton
Punjab, Haryana •Requires 210 frost free days

Jute Above 160 to 200 Alluvial of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, •Known as golden fiber
25⁰C flood plain Orissa, Meghalaya •Largest producer of jute
•Foreign exchange earner