AGH-111

Q.1 Write need and importance of agricultural heritage

Ans. : Need for studying agriculture heritage
1. Sustainability is present need and future of agriculture
2. Agriculture is way of life and not an occupation
3. To increase awareness among people regarding rich heritage of Indian Agriculture
which is unique than any other civilization
4. To create a sense of pride amongst the people, particularly agricultural students as
our agriculture has sustainable practices for generation
5. To build the future research strategies based on traditional technologies used in
agriculture
Importance for studying agriculture heritage
Agriculture is said to be the best culture and it lot of inherited sustainable practices
passed from one generation to other generation. Agriculture in India is not an occupation;
it is a way of life for many Indian populations. Hence the present day generation should
be aware about our ancient and traditional agricultural system and practices. This will
enable us to build the future research strategy. India has made tremendous progress in
agriculture and its allied fields, but the emphasis on intensive use of inputs without
considering their adverse impact of long term basis has created several problems related
to sustainability of Agriculture. Irrational use of chemical fertilizer, insecticides and
exploration of natural recourse is threatening and increasing erosion of plant and animal
genetic resources. Therefore attention in now shifting to sustainable from of agriculture.
The indigenous technical knowledge provide insight into the sustainable agriculture.
Q.2 Write importance of agriculture in India
Ans. : Importance of Agriculture
Agriculture plays a crucial role in the life of an economy. It is backbone of our
economic systems Agriculture not only provided food and raw material but also
employment opportunities to a very large proportion of population.
1. Source of livelihood: in India the main occupation of our working population is
agriculture. 70 % of our population is directly engaged in agriculture.
2. Contribution to national income : According to National Income Committee, in
1960- 61,52%of national income was contributed by agriculture.
3. Supply of food and fodder : Agriculture sector also provide fodder for livestock.
4. Importance in international trade : It is the agricultural sector that feeds country’s
trade Agricultural products like tea, sugar ,rice ,tobacco, spices etc. constitute the main
items of exports of India
5. Marketable surplus: the development of agricultural sector leads to marketable
surplus.
6. Source of raw material: Agriculture has been the source of raw materials to the leading
industries like cotton and jute textiles, sugar etc, all these depend directly on agriculture.
7. Importance in transport: Agriculture is the main support for railways and roadways
which transport bulk of produce from farm to the market and factories. Internal trade is
mostly in agricultural products.
8. Contribution to foreign exchange resource ; Agriculture sector constitutes an
important place in the country‘s export trade.
9. Vast employment opportunities : the agriculture sector is significant as it provide
greater employment opportunities in the construction of irrigation projects, drainage
systems.
10. Source of saving : Improvement in agriculture can go a long way in increasing
savings . It is seen that rich farmers have started especially after green revolution in the
country .
11. Source of government income : In India ,many state government get sizeable revenue
from the agriculture sector. Land revenue, agriculture income tax, irrigation tax.
 12. Basis of economic development

Q.3 Give the classification of agricultural crop with examples.

Ans. : Crops may be classified into different groups on the basis of :
I) Climate II) Season III) Life Cycle
IV) Source of water V) Root System VI) Economic importance
VII) Use VIII) Botanical or morphological
I) Classification on the basis of climate :
1.Tropical crop : The crop, which requires warm climate or high temperatures
e.g. rice, sugarcane, groundnut etc.
2.Temperate crop : The crop which requires cool and dry climate or low
temperature e.g. wheat, oats, barley, mustard etc.
II) Classification on the basis of season :
1.Kharif crop : crop grown in monsoon months from June to October – November
e.g. rice, jowar, bajra, groundnut, red gram, green gram, black gram.
2.Rabi crop : crop grown in winter season from October to March e.g. wheat, gram,
oats, linseed, safflower etc.
3.Summer crop : crop grown in summer months from February / March to May / June
e. g. Summer groundnut, green gram, water melon, cucumber
III) Classification on the basis of life of a crop (Life cycle)
1.Seasonal Crop : crop which completes its life cycle in one season i.e. Kharif or rabi
or summer e.g. rice, jowar, bajra, maize, wheat, oats, groundnut etc.
2.Two seasonal crop : crop, which completes its life cycle in two seasons. e.g.
turmeric, ginger, long staple cotton etc.
3. Annual crop : crop which requires one full year to complete its life cycle e.g.
sugarcane
4. Biennial crop : crop which completes its life cycle in two years. e.g. banana, papaya
5.Parennial Crop : crop which lives for several years e.g. mango, guava, orange, grapes
IV) Classification on the basis of source of water :
1.Rainfed crop : The crop which is grown only on rainwater. e.g. rice, jowar, maize,
2.Irrigated crop : e.g sugarcane, turmeric, ginger, irrigated wheat, banana etc.
V) Classification on the basis of root system :
1.Tap rooted corp : The crop whose main root goes deep in the soil, e.g. Cotton
red gram, black gram, green gram, cow pea etc.
2. Adventitious rooted crop : The crop whose roots are fibrous, shallow and spreading,
e.g. sugarcane, rice, jowar, maize, wheat, oats, grasses etc.
VI) Classification on the basis of economic importance :
1. Cash crop : e.g. sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, turmeric, ginger etc.
2. Food crop : e.g. rice, jowar, maize, bajra, wheat, oats etc.,
VII) Classification on the basis of use (Agronomic classification)
 Cereal crop : Grown for their edible starchy grains. e. g. rice, maize, sorghum
 Legume or pulse crops :e. g. Pigeon Pea, Chick Pea, Black gram , Green gram
 Forage or fodder crops : fodder Jowar, maize, bajra, cow pea etc.
 Root crops : e.g., radish, carrot, sugarbeet, turnip etc.,
 5. Tuber crops : e.g., potato, sweet potato.
 Fiber crops : e.g. cotton, sannhemp, jute, deccan hemp
 Sugar crops e.g. sugar cane,
 Oilseeds or oil crops :. e.g. Peanut or groundnut
 Drug crops : e.g. tobacco, opium, Indian hemp (Bhang), Indigo.
 10 Spice crops or spices and condiments :. e.g. turmeric, ginger, chilies, garlic,
onion,
 11. Vegetable crops :. e.g. bringal, tomato, cabbage, okra, leafy vegetables.
 Green manure crops :. e.g., sannhemp, dhaincha, shewari, glyricidia
 VIII) Botanical or Morphological classification :
1. Monocotyledonous plants : e.g. all grasses, cereals like rice, wheat, jowar, maize,
2. Dicototyledonous plants : e.g. all legumes like red gram, black gram, green gram,

Q.4 Explain indigenous diseases and pest management practices in traditional farming system
Ans. : 1. Application of buttermilk @5 lit/40 kg seed of pulses to protect crop from wilt diseases
2. Farmers broadcast common salt @8 kg /ha in field for protect crops from blight disease.
3. Mixed cropping of arhar and jowar to protect crops from wilt disease
4. Planting of marigold after 8-10 line of tomato or chill field to protect crop from mosaic
and nematode.
5. Spreading of cooked rice in field crop attract the birds who eat hairy caterpillar
6. Ash dusting is practiced in vegetable to control the red beetle.
7 . Cutting of upper portion of leaves before transplanting of paddy to prevent the attack
of stem borer.
8. Mixed cropping of onion and sugarcane to control the shoot borer in sugarcane.
9. Gram seed treated with heang for control pod borer and wilt.
10. Spraying of mustard oil in field to control wilt disease in gram.
11. Farmer spray dung solution around the border area crops for saving their crops from
damaged caused by bull.
12. Spraying of fermented solution of 10 liter cow urine + 1.5 kg gum + 1.5 kg mustard oil
+ 200 liter water in field to prevent various disease and pests.
13. To develop yellow color in mango, farmers are using , 1 gm turmeric powder mixed
with 50 gm carbide for 10 kg mango during process of ripening.
14. Extract of garlic 5 kg + tobacco 250 gm + 500 gm neem leaf is used the farmer to
control the yellow mosaic in vegetables.
15. Dry neem leaves used by the farmers in stored grain like wheat and rice for protect
grain from various pests.

Q.5 Write crop voyage in India and world.

Ans. : Definition :crop voyage
“A course of travel or passage of crop ,especially a long journey by water to a distant place
is known as crop voyage.
“A journey of crop from one place to another by land is known as crop voyage”
Crops has very limited mobility and consequently rely upon a variety of medium to
transport their Propagates, including both abiotic and biotic vectors. Seed can be dispersed
away from the parent crop individually or collectively, as well as dispersed in both space
and time .The patterns of seed dispersal and determined in large part by the dispersal
mechanism and this has important implications for the demographic and genetic structure of
plant populations ,as well as migration patterns and species interactions. Their are five main
modes of seed dispersal : gravity, wind, ballistic, water and by animals. Some plants are
Serotinous and only disperse their seeds in response to environmental Stimulus.
Agriculture is one of the most momentous invention of humanity .it generated a surplus of
food as a consequence of which a sizeable fraction of societies were able to engage in
economic activities other than agriculture. Thus, agriculture is considered to have been a
pre-requisite for the development of many civilizations throughout the world. It originated
independently and at similar times (around 10000 years ago) in different areas on several
Continents, notably south-east Asia (India) south America, near east and china. Selection
resulting from the civilization and harvesting of plants by humans induced genetic
modification in this plants resulting in their domestication .crop plants are unable to
disperse their seeds and lack seed Dormancy. They also have smaller plants but larger
harvested organs (fruits, seeds, leaves) and content lower amount of toxic
compounds .Flowering time is also less Susceptible to environmental influence, mainly day
length .The crop voyage in any agricultural region is actually an assemblage originating
throughout the world. During their evolution under cultivation, plants have been subjected
to three reductions in genetic diversity .therefore, wild progenitors and primitive cultivars in
the areas of origin are source of additional genetic diversity to further improve elite
cultivars of our major crop plants.
Knowledge of the crop voyage is mainly important in order to avoid genetic erosion, the
loss of germ Plasm due to the loss of ecotypes and land races ,loss of habitat (such as
rainforests),and increased urbanization. Germplasm preservation Is accomplished through
gene banks (largely seed collections but now frozen stem sections) and preservation of
natural habitats (especially in centers of origin).

Crop voyage: India

I Main center (Hindustan): Includes Assam and Burma,
Cereals and legumes: Rice, chickpea, pigeon pea, mung bean, rice bean, cowpea
Vegetables and tubers: Brinjal, cucumber, raddish, taro, yam.
Fruits: mango, orange, tangerine, citron, tamarind
Sugar, oil, and fiber plants: sugarcane coconut, sesamum safflower, cotton, jute,
Spices, stimulant, dyes, and miscellaneous: hemp, black pepper, babul, sandalwood,
II) Central Asiatic center: includes northwest India Afghanistan, Tajikistani,
Uzbekistan
Grains and legumes: common wheat, club wheat , shot wheat , pea , lentil , horse
bean , chickpea , mung bean, mustard, linseed, sesame .
Fiber plants: hemp, cotton.
Vegetables: onion, garlic, spinach, carrot.
Fruits: pear, almond, grape, apple.

Crop voyage: World

Crop voyage is a lengthy process that becomes several thousand years ago and still
continues the major event in the voyage of crop with a relatively modern one. The discovery
or conquest of Americas in 1492 has had a major influence on the crop distribution of old
world. This is the so called “Columbian exchange”
1. Chinese center : Soybean, Proso millet, Italian millet, Barnyard millet
2. Near east: Lentil, Chickpea, Pea, Barley, Walnut, Almond
3. America: Potato, Summer squash, Corn(maize), Whole dried corn, Pumpkin,
Tobacco
Q.6 Writes Neolithic agriculture development in India
Ans. : The Neolithic age began between 9000 to 7500 BC. Neolithic revolution occurred in western
Asia between 9500 and 8500 years ago mainly in the Fertile curved. This revolution
brought a major change in the techniques of food production which gave man control over
his environment and saved him from the unsafe life of mere hunting and gathering of wild
berries and roots. For the first time, he lived in settled villages and apart from security from
need. He had free time time to think and study.
The main feature of Neolithic culture in India :
1. Economic and technological development in India
2. Use of refined stone axes for cleaning the greenery
3. Handmade pottery for storing food grins
4. Invented textile, unite and basketry
5. Cultivation of rice and banana crops
6. Cultivation of millets and pulses in India
7. Discovery of silk
The significance future of Bronze Age:
1. Invention of Plough
2. Agriculture Area shifted from hilly area to lower river valley
3. Food and water are stored for subsequent purpose.
4. Cannels are dug
5. Irrigated farming started in India
6. Sowing of seed by dibbling with a pointed sticks
7. Use of wheels
8. Salinity and water logging problems were noticed due to cannel irrigation
The significance future of Iron Age:
1. The harvesting tool was used as sickles
2. Oil seed, Pulse and sugarcane crop are cultivated
3. Iron plough and hoe were used

Q.7 Explain agricultural concerns and future prospects

Ans. : Indian agriculture concerns
1. Small and fragmented land –holding
2. Seeds
3. Manures, fertilizers and biocides
4. Irrigation
5. Low productivity
6. Subsistent in character in majority
7. Seed replacement rate
8. Traditional bound
9. Lack of diversification
10. Lack of mechanization
11. Regional variation
12. Farmers education
13. Transportation and other infrastructure
14. Contribution in GDP low but high percentage of employment rate
15. Lack of marketing and storage facilities
16. Sustainability in agriculture
17. Providing loan in wrong way
Important salient features of Indian agriculture
1. Rainbow revolution hold the key (overall agricultural revolution)
2. Per drop more crop
 3. Opening up of the markets
4. R &D is the future
5. Increasing produce per hectare
6. Greater penetration of crop protection measures
7. Reducing dependence on monsoon
8. Moving people out of agriculture
9. Subsistence agriculture
10. Pressure of population on agriculture
11. Mechanization of farming
12. Dependence upon monsoon
13. Variety of crops
14. Predominance of food crops
15. Seasonal patterns

Q.8 Write present status of modern agriculture and farmer in society.

Ans. : The green revolution in India was a period when agriculture in India increased its yields due
to improved agronomic technology .Green Revolution allowed developing countries like
India, to overcome poor agriculture productivity. It started in India in the early 1960 s and
led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana & Uttar Pradesh
during the early phase .The main development was higher yielding varieties of wheat,
which were developed by many scientists, including Indian geneticist M.S . Swaminathan,
American Agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug and others such as Vasantrao Naik in
Maharashtra
In part by developing rust resistant strains of wheat. The introduction of high
yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of chemical fertilizers and irrigation led to
the increase in production needed to make the country self sufficient in food grains ,thus
improving agriculture in India .The methods adopted included the use of high yielding
varieties ( HYVs) of seeds with modern farming methods.
The production of wheat has produced the best result in fueling self sufficiency of
India. Along with high yielding seeds and irrigation facilities, the enthusiasm of farmers
mobilized the idea of agricultural revolution .due to the rise in use of chemical pesticides
and fertilizers there was a negative effects on the soil and the land such as land degradation.
In the 21st century, farmers are likely to know as much or more, about world events
as they do about the pest or bacteria that are eating their crops or affecting their cattle.
Farming is not an occupation for those who like security but it is the ultimate lifestyle.
Farmers enjoy having variety in their work, providing the world with the food and fiber and
being their own bosses. Moreover , today’s farmers often incorporate the latest break
through in science and technology into their farming practices .Modern farmers also are
more likely than farmers in the past to be female older than the average worker .But in
many ways, 21st century farmers are not so different from farmers who preceded them .
They are hardworking, independent care takers of land and animals and jacks of all trades.
Successful farming in the 21st century requires knowledge not only of the latest techniques
for raising crops and farm animals but also of how to operate a successful business

Q.9 Explain chronological agriculture technology development in Indian agriculture

Ans. : In India is broadly classified into five different periods before India’s independence
1. Early history (Before 15000 BC)
2. Vedic period : Post Maha Janapadas period (500 BCE – 200CE)
3. Early Common Era: High middle Ages (200-1200 CE)
4. Late middle ages: Early Modern Era (1200-1757 CE)
5. Colonial British Era (1757-1947 CE)
  A number of irrigation canals are located on Sutlej river.
 Few Indian commercial crops such as cotton , indigo, opium and rice made it to the
global market under the British raj in India
 The second half of the 19th century saw some increase in land under cultivation and
agricultural production expanded at an average rate of about 1 percent per year by
the later 19th century
 Agricultural prices of some commodities raise to about three times between 1870-
1920.
 1880: Famine Commission report was submitted which was base for inception of
agricultural department.
 1881: Separate Department of Agriculture at centre for Famine Relief operations
 1892-1903: Appointment of Imperial Agricultural Chemist, Imperial Mycologist and
Imperial entomologist –Base for Beginning of inducting the scientist in agriculture.
 1901-1905: To enhance agricultural education, establishment of agricultural colleges
at Pune, Kanpur, Sabour , Nagpur, Coimbatore And Lyallpur ( Now in Pakistan).
 1905: Establishment of Imperial Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa
(Bihar).
 1951: Five year plans of India oriented towards Agricultural development.
 1957: All India Coordinated Maize Improvement Project was initiated (First
coordinated
 project)to exploit maize research
 1966: Green Revolution In India
 1986: Yellow revolution ( Oilseed)
 1970: Operation Flood (Dairy)
 1973: Blue Revolution (Fishing)
 1979: NARP- National Agricultural Research Project was launched.
 1982 National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development
 1998 : Kisan Credit Cards are offered to farmers in India
 2006: National Agricultural Innovative Project (NAIP) was launched.
 2007: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
 2015: Soil Health Card Scheme is a scheme launched by Government of India
 2016: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Q.10 Write short notes (Any two)

Ans.: A) Soil types of India : The soil of India are classified into six broad groups
1) Alluvial Soils 2) Red soil 3) Black soil 4) Desert soil 5) Lateritic soil
6) Forest and mountain soil
1) Alluvial Soils: This soil includes sands deltaic and calcareous alluvial soil. These soil are
suitable for all types of crops 2) Red soil: These soil include the red loam and red sandy
soils. These soil are suitable for crops like rice, ragi, tobacco, groundnut and sugarcane 3)
Black soil: These soil include shallow, medium and black soils. These soil are suitable for
crops like cotton, cereals, oil seed, sugarcane 4) Desert soil: These soil include the regosols
and litho sols. These soil are suitable for millet crops 5) Lateritic soil : These soil are
suitable for crops like ragi, sugarcane and tapioca 6) Forest and mountain soil: These soils
are suitable for crops like tea, coffee, species, tropical fruit maize, barley and wheat
B) Local knowledge used to predict drought and weather pattern in ancient agriculture:
Local knowledge used to predict drought and weather pattern as below
SN Predictors / signs Description
1. Pigeon feathers Pigeon lying on the ground by spreading its feathers, the
indication of drought
2. Sound of wild cat If the wild cat make the sound with Dhul/Mul and people
as to the wild cat and response with dhul then drought
may occur
3. Ants upward movement If ant starts to move upward from down, rain may come
4. Red colour in the west sky If the sky shows bright red colour in the west sky during
sunset, drought may come in the following year
5. Sun lights kid If sunny days show illusion like roder baccha, drought
may occur
6. Thunder in the east sky If frequent thunder happen in the east sky at night . This
indicates drought in the next year
7. Abundance of termites When large number of termites found in the mound,
drought is the immense issue for the year
8. Visibility of black ant Appearance of black ants and storing grain and eggs in
safer places indicate that the rain follows for the couple
of days
9. Hoppers fly If hopper fly randomly, drought may occur
10. Dark cloud in the west sky The appearance of dark clouds on the west , the
immediate hails storm accompanied by thunder
11. Rainbow If rainbow come in the sky, there would be chance of
drought and if it comes in the western
C) National agricultural setup in India. : Mandate of ICAR - Sustainable growth of Indian
agriculture by interfacing education, research and extension initiatives complemented with
efficient and effective institutional, infrastructural and policy support, that will create a proper
fit between the humanity and its habitat. Vision 2050 of ICAR: Lead India to attaining
sustainable food, nutritional, environmental and livelihoods security through agricultural
research and education.
Q.11 Filling in the blanks
1. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) started in the
year ….
2. …..is the most ancient literary work of India
3. Development of Agriculture stages as Stone Age, Bronze Age and ….Age
4. ICRISAT is located at ……

Q.12 Do as directed
1. Define agricultural heritage: -
2. Write full from of ICAR-
3. Yellow revolution concern with-
4. Use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides in Indian agriculture at 18th century-
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