Agriculture and Crop Production

Agriculture

• Agriculture is the science of growing crops and rearing animals for human use, which began about 12,000 years ago.
• Today, nearly 40% of the world's workforce is employed in agriculture, with a higher percentage in India (around 60%).
• Agriculture has undergone tremendous advances, including the development of new varieties of plants and animals, use of fertilizers, pesticides, and labour-saving machines.

Crop Production

• Crop production deals with the production of vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
• A large number of plants grown at the same place for food is called a crop.
• Cereals, such as wheat and rice, are the most important crops in the world and provide staple food for people.

Types of Crops

• Crops can be classified according to their purpose, including:
  • Food crops (grown for human and animal consumption)
  • Plantation crops (grown in large estates, often for sale in distant markets)
  • Cash crops (grown mainly for profit)
• Examples of crops grown in India include cereals, pulses, oil seeds, root crops, tuber crops, sugar crops, plantation crops, and fibre crops.

Seasonal Crops

• In India, there are two main seasons for cultivating crops: kharif and rabi.
• Kharif crops, such as paddy, require a lot of water and are sown at the beginning of the south-west monsoon.
• Rabi crops, such as wheat, are sown at the beginning of the winter season and harvested by March/April.

Methods of Crop Production

• Modern agriculture is carried out in a scientific and systematic way, recognizing that crops require oxygen, sunlight, water, nutrients, and protection from weeds and pests.
• The step-by-step methods of agriculture include:
  • Preparation of soil
  • Seed selection and sowing
  • Manuring
  • Irrigation
  • Weeding
  • Protection from pests and diseases
  • Harvesting, threshing, and winnowing
  • Storage
• Preparation of soil involves tilling or ploughing, which helps to loosen the soil, allowing roots to grow deeper and absorb nutrients.