Agriculture And Crops

Name: Mohammed Ashfan Ahmad Mallick

Grade: 8
Agriculture And Its Types

• The science and art of cultivation on the soil, raising crops and
rearing livestock is called Agriculture or Farming.
• Agriculture is classified into different branches, some of these
branches are as follows:-
 The commercial rearing of silkworms for the production of the
natural fibre, silk is called Sericulture.
 The Breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks and ponds is
called Pisciculture
 The Cultivation of grapes in a large scale for producing grape
products such as vine, juice etc. is called Viticulture
 The science of growing vegetables, flowers, fruits and decorative
plants over a large scale for commercial use is called Horticulture.
 Main Crops Of India
• A huge variety of crops are grown to meet the requirement of the growing population. Major food
crops are wheat, rice, maize and millets. Jute, coir and cotton are fibre crops. Important beverage
crops are tea and coffee.
• Some main crops are:-
 Rice: It is the major food crop of the world. It is the staple crop grown in the tropical and sub-
tropical regions. Rice needs high temperature, humidity and rainfall. It grows best in alluvial-
clayey soil, which has a good water-holding capacity. China is the leading producer of rice in the
world.
 Jute: It was also known as the ‘Golden Fibre’. It grows well in alluvial soil and requires high
temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate. This crop is grown in the tropical areas. India
(West Bengal) is the leading producer of jute in the world.
 Sugar: It is a sweet product that is obtained from sugarcane and sweet beets. The sugar is
colorless or white. It is mostly used to sweeten food and beverages. Brazil is the leading producer
of sugar in the world.
 Tea: It is a beverage crop grown on plantations. This requires cool climate and well distributed
high rainfall throughout the year for the growth of its tender leaves. It grows in loamy soil and is
commonly used as a refreshment beverage. It requires quite a large amount of labour for picking
its leaves. In India, tea crops are mostly produced in the state of Assam.
 Maize: It requires moderate temperature, rainfall and lots of sunshine. It needs well-drained
fertile soils. Maize is also known as corn. Various colourful varieties of maize are found across
the world.
 Cotton: It requires high temperature, light rainfall, bright sunshine for its growth. It grows best
on black and alluvial soils. Cotton is obtained from this plant through its buds.