Agriculture - Latin words

Ager or Agri - Soil /Field

Cultura - Cultivation

Agriculture is a branch of applied science

“The science and art of farming including the work of
cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock”

“It is an art, science and business of producing crops and

livestock for economic purposes”
AGRICULTURE
Activities on the Ground for Raising Intended Crops
for Uplifting Livelihood Through the Use of
Rechargeable Energies.
Agriculture is a productive unit where the gifts of
nature like land, light, water and temperature are
integrated into a single primary unit i.e crop plant
which is essential for human beings.

The secondary productive units of agriculture are

animals including livestock, birds and insects which
feed on the primary units and provide concentrated
products such as meat, milk, wool, eggs, honey, silk
and lac.
There are three main spheres of
agriculture,

Geoponic - Cultivation in Earth

Hydroponic - Cultivation in Water and
Aeroponic - Cultivation in Air.
 Agriculture

Aeroponic Geoponic Hydroponic

Arable farming Animal farming

Agronomy
Cows, buffaloes, horses
Horticulture
Sheep and goats
Pomology and fruit
preservation Poultry

Olericulture Pisciculture

Floriculture Apiculture

Arboriculture Sericulture

Forestry Lac culture

 BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

Seven branches viz.,

Agronomy
Horticulture
Forestry
Animal Science
Fishery Science
Agricultural Engineering and
Home Science
The word Agronomy derived from Greek word
‘Agros’ – Field ‘Nomos’ – To manage
Literally – the art of managing field
Technically – the science and economics of crop
production by management of farm land
 Agronomy is a branch of agricultural science deals
with principles and practices of field management
for the production field crops

Agronomy – Activities on the Ground to Raise

Outspread and Noble crops to Obtain Massive
Yields
Agronomy
It deals with the production of various crops which
includes food crops, fodder crops, fibre crops, sugar,
oil seeds, etc. The aim is to have better food
production without impairing the soil fertility.

Horticulture
Branch of agriculture deals with the production of
flowers, fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, spices,
condiments includes narcotic crops and beverages.

Forestry
It deals with production of large scale cultivation of
perennial trees for supplying wood, timber, rubber,
etc., and also raw materials for industries.
Animal Husbandry
 The animals are being produced, maintained, etc.,
 Maintenance of various types of livestock for
direct energy (work energy).
 The objective is to get maximum output by
feeding, rearing, etc.

Fishery Science
It is for marine fish and inland fishes including
shrimps and prawns.
Agricultural Engineering
 It is an important component for crop production and
horticulture particularly to provide tools and implements.

 It is aiming to produce modified tools to facilitate proper crop

production

Home Science
Application and utilization of agricultural produces in a better
manner.

On integration, all the seven branches, first three is grouped as for

crop production and next two animal management and last two
allied agriculture branches.
 Agriculture as an art, science and business and
Branches of agriculture

Agriculture as an art:
Learning by doing and gaining experience

Art is concerned with skill and experience

It is inherited by seeing parents or elders through experience

Agriculture primarily requires physical skill. Physical skill
is inherited by doing physical work with perfect
execution.
Eg. Opening a straight furrow, Levelling the
field.

Art of agricultural requires secondarily mental skill.

Mental skill: Decision making

Eg. Selection of crops for a particular area
Agriculture as a Science
Science is systematic study

Technology – to get maximum output, science helps to

select a crop suitable to seasons at the appropriate
time
Science of agricultural tries to give reasons. Yield
increase is due to application fertilizer. Yield reduction
also results due to pest and disease attack

Science of agriculture requires primarily mental skill

and secondarily physical skill
Agriculture as Business
Is purely business oriented nowadays

Even when the yield is low and the supply is less,

fetch with demand - more profit
 SCOPE OF AGRICULTURE

Intensification of cropping is needed to feed the

increasing population

Tropical climate with more solar energy - year

round cultivation is possible.

Land availability is more.

Irrigated agriculture can be increased through river
project.

It will create more employment opportunity.

Large extent of waste land available can be brought

under cultivation.
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN TN AND INDIA

 Main occupation for 70% population as against 12%

in USA,16% in Australia and 5% in Britain.

 19.9% of the GDP in 2020-21 from 17.8 in 2019-20

it provides livelihood support to about two thirds of
country's population.

 Provides employment to 52.1% of the total

workforce
It is the source of 4fs.-FOOD, FIBER, FUEL and
FODDER

It is a way of life- It comes from parent to child. Customs

and festivals also connected with agriculture.

It is the primary source of economy- it contributes more

than 50% to the nations economy as against 5%in
USA,7%in Canada,13% in Australia .

Development of industry, trade, transport etc are based

on agriculture.

 It involves in foreign trade -14.7 per cent of the total

export earnings by export of tea, coffee, tobacco and
indirectly through product export
 Supplies raw materials to the industries-cotton, sugarcane
jute etc

Favorable agriculture increase purchase power, brings

peace, harmony, wealth etc and elevates the community to
better social cultural and economic life.

Agriculture changes brown (bare soil) to green (growing

crop) to golden (mature crop) through bumper harvest.
REVOLUTIONS IN AGRICULTURE
Through white revolution, milk production quadrupled
from 17 million tonnes at independence to 108.5 million
tonnes.

Through blue revolution, fish production rose from 0.75

million tonnes to nearly 7.6 million tonnes during the last
five decades.

Through yellow revolution oil seed production increased

5 times (from 5 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes) since
independence.
Similarly, the egg production increased from 2 billion at
independence to 28 billion,

 sugarcane production from 57 million tonnes to 282

million tonnes,

cotton production from 3 million bales to 32 million

bales which shows our sign of progress.

India is the largest producer of fruits in the world. India
is the second largest producer of milk and vegetable.
Development of Scientific
Agriculture
 Agricultural Development
Development of agriculture is connected with
human civilization.

Civilization is from Latin word “civitas” meaning

“city”.

1)Hunting  2) Pastoral  3)Crop culture

4)Trade
 Agricultural Development
Hunting and gathering:

Crop culture stage:

Trade:

Infrastructure Improvement:
 Stages In Agricultural Development
Agriculture started before 10,000 years.

Hunting and Gathering - first stage of human

activity

Woman- the first to cultivate useful plants.

 Sticks used for land preparation. Small grains

grown first.
1. Shifting cultivation:
Primitive method of farming. Part of the forest
was cut down, stubbles burnt, garden formed.
 when the field lost it’s fertility, pest diseases and
weed infestation, they shifted to another place.
Less population- more land.

Also known as” Assartage system” meaning

cultivation of land still it is completely worn out.
2 Settled farming or subsidiary farming:
Groups with more population settled at better places
permanently and cultivated.
 Primitive tools were used.
 Agriculture was Subsidiary to gathering & hunting.

3.Subsistence farming:
Advanced form of primitive agriculture-
“Grow it and eat it”. Livestock were reared.
Gathering & hunting become subsidiary occupation
4. Mixed farming.

 Farming comprises of field crop and

livestock.

 Fields were used for cropping and later for

grazing

5. Advanced farming:
 Selection of crops, green manuring with
legumes, crop rotation etc were undertaken.
6.Morden agriculture: (18th century )
Exotic crops and animals, Crop sequences,
implements introduced.
7. Scientific agriculture : 19th century .
R&D in basic science used in agriculture.
Agriculture was considered as teaching science.
Laboratories, farm, research stations, extension
activities introduced.
8.Present day agriculture:
It is becoming a business.
Several enterprises
dairy, poultry, fishery, piggery, sericulture,
apiary.

Resulted in green revolution (agriculture),

White revolution (milk), Yellow revolution
(oil seed) Blue revolution(fish) .
In pre scientific agriculture 6 persons produced the
food for them and other 4 persons. In scientific
agriculture 5 persons produces food for them and for
other 95 persons
 Important Events in the History of Agriculture
Period Events
Earlier than Hunting & gathering
10000 BC
8700 BC Domestication of sheep
7700 BC Domestication of goat
7500 BC Cultivation of crops- Wheat & Barley
6000 BC Domestication of cattle and pigs
4400 BC Cultivation of Maize
3500 BC Cultivation of Potato
3400 BC Wheel was invented
3000 BC Bronze used for making tools
2900 BC Plough was invented, irrigated farming started
2700 BC Silk Moth domesticated In China
 Period Events
2300 BC Cultivation of chickpea, cotton, mustard, Pear
2200 BC Cultivation of rice
1800 BC Cultivation of Finger Millets (Ragi)
1725 BC Cultivation of Sorghum
1700 BC Taming of horses
1500 BC Cultivation of sugarcane, irrigation from wells
1400 BC Use of iron
1000 BC Use of iron plough
15 Century AD Cultivation of orange, brinjal, pomegranate
16 Century AD Introduction of several crops to India i.e potato, sweet
potato, tapioca, tomato, chillies, pumpkin, papaya,
pineapple, guava, custard apple, cashewnut, groundnut,
tobacco, rubber, american cotton by Portuguese.
National institutions for Agricultural Research
 Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
 Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
 Central Institute for Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Lucknow, U.P.
 Central Potato Research Institute, Simla, H.P.
 Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied fibres, Barrackpore,
W.B.
 Central Agricultural Research Institute for Andaman and Group of
Islands, Portblair
 Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, M.P.
 Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod, Kerala.
 Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, A.P.
 Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Orissa.
 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute,
Dehradun, U.P.
 Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Trivandrum, Kerala.
 Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana.
 Central Tobacco Research Institute, Rajahmundry, A.P.
 Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
 Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad, A.P.
 Directorate of Rich Research, Hyderabad, A.P.
 Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal, Haryana
 Directorate of Water Management Research, Rahuri, Maharashtra

 Indian Agricultural Research Institute (Deemed University), Pusa,

New Delhi.
 Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, U.P.
 Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, U.P.
 Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, M.P.
 Indian Institute of Pulse Research, Kanpur, U.P.
 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Meghalaya.
 ICAR Research Complex in Goa, Goa.
 Indian Agricultural Statistics Institute, New Delhi.
 Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore,
Karnataka.
 Indian Lac Research Institute, Ranchi, Bihar.
 Jute Technological Research Laboratory, Calcutta, W.B.
 National Center for Mushroom Research and Training, Solan,
H.P.
 National Research Centre for Agro-forestry, Jhansi, U.P.
 National Research Centre for Cashew, Puttur, Karnataka.
 National Research Centre for Groundnut, Junagadh, Gujarat.
 National Research Centre on Soybean, Indore, ,M.P.
 National Research Centre on Citrus, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
 National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, Faridabad,
Haryana.
 National Research Centre for Sorghum, Hyderabad, A.P.
 National Centre for Weed Science, Jabalpur, M.P.
 National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi.
 National Research Centre for Spices, Calicut, Kerala.
 National Research Centre for Arid Horticulture, Bikaner,
Rajasthan.
 National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning,
Nagpur, Maharashtra.
 National Research Centre on Rapeseed and Mustard,
Bharatpur, Rajasthan
 National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, LBS Centre
for Bio and Plant Protection, Pusa, New Delhi.
 National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy
Research, Library Avenue, New Delhi.
 National Biotechnological Centre for Crop Science, Pusa, New
Delhi.
 National Research Centre for Oil Palm, West Godavari, A. P.
 National Research Centre for Onion and Garlic, Pune.
 Nuclear Research Laboratory, Pusa, New Delhi.
Project Directorate for Cropping Systems, Meerut,
U.P.
Plant Quarentine Region station, Nation Bureau of
plant Genetic resources, Hyderabad, A.P.
Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, T.N.

Vivekananda Parvtia Krishi Anusandhana Shala,

Almora, U.P.

Water Technology center for Eastern Region,

Bhubaneshwar, Orissa
Important International Institutions on Agricultural Research

AVRDC- Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre,

Taiwan
CIAT – Centro International de Agricultura Tropical , Cali,
Colombia
CIP – Centro International da la Papa ( International potato
research institute (Lima, Peru, South America)
CIMMYT – Centro International de Mejoramiento de Maizy Trigo.
(International Centre for maize and Wheat development
(Londress, Mexico)
IITA –International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadon in
Nigeria, Africa)

ICARDA – International Center for Agricultural Research in the

Dry Areas (Aleppo, Syria)
ICRISAT – International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid
Tropics (Hyderabad, India)
IIMI- International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo,
Srilanka

IRRI – International Rice Research Institute (Los Banos, Philippines)
ISNAR- International Service In National Agricultural Research The
Hague, Netherlands
WARDA - West African Rice Development Association, Ivory coast,
Africa.
IBPGR - International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, Rome, Italy

CGIAR – Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research,

Washington
FAO – Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome

WMO- World Meteorological Organization, Vienna,

 “A man without food

for three days will quarrel,

for a week will fight and
for a month or so will die”d