Agriculture - IV: Cash Crops (2) PDF

Agriculture -IV: Cash Crops (2) cotton crops exhaust the fertility of soils Syllabus regular application of man...

Agriculture -IV: Cash Crops (2) cotton crops exhaust the fertility of soils Syllabus regular application of manures and rapidly Agriculture to the soils is necessay. The deep andfertilisers mediu " Climatic conditions, soil requirements, black soils of the Deccan and the Malwa Plateae methods of cultivation, processing and and Gujarat are considered ideal for cotto distribution of cotton, jute, tea and coffee. Cultivation. Besides these, the crop is also raiser in fairly large measures on the alluvial soils o theGreat Plains and the red and laterite soils o COTTON the Peninsular regions. Cotton is a cash crop that supplies raw material METHODS OF CULTIVATION to the textile industry in India. India ranks Sowing: Some tillage and manuring is necessa second to the USA in cotton producing area and before the crop is sown. The seeds are sown b ranks fourth in the world production of cotton. broadcast method or by drills. The durationo CLIMATIC CoNDITIONS the crop season in India is 6 to 8 months. Sowin: Temperature: Cotton is a tropical crop and it is is done mostly, before the onset of rains in cast raised in India as a kharif crop. Cotton requires of the kharif long staple varieties and later up uniformly high temperature (during July to to September for the short and medium stapl varieties. Septemnber) between 21°C and 30°C. During October, the day temperature should be above The seedlings must be thinned out wher 26°C, which helps the ripening and bursting necessary,the ground must be regularly hoed an of cotton bolls under the sunny skies. The soil cleared of weeds and the plants must be kep temperature below 20°C reduces root growth free of pests. Where irigation is used the field: thus retarding plant growth. are usually watered every ten to fourteen days A long growing-period of at least 200 frost Harvesting: The crop is harvested in Octobe free days is also necessary for the plant to when the cotton bolls ripen and burst inte mature. The cotton plant is extremely sensitive white, fluffy and shiny bolls of fibre. The crop i to frost and late spring or early autumn frosts can kill the plant and destroy the crop. Rainfal1: Rainfall should be moderate, ranging between 50 to 75cm. Rainfall of more than 85cm destroys the crop. Cotton plant needs sufficient rainfall in the early stages of growth, but a sunny and dry weather is required after fowering. Rainfall uring the boll-opening and harvesting periods is harmful for the plants as it makes them vulnerable to pests and diseases. SoL Cotton grows well in the well-drained clayey soils containing lime and phosphates. Since Cotton Plants 190 Total Geography - X harvestedin three to four pickings as the bolls (v) Short staple: Its staple is smaller than yieldsdecrease with1successive pickings. 19mm. Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, mature; Processing: After harvesting, the cotton crop Haryana and Punjab are its main producers. throughthe following process: pusses DIsTRIBUTION Afterthe cotton has been picked, either by Cotton occupies about 5per cent of the total it is ginned. Ginning is chine or by hand,separate cropped area in India. The chief cotton-grovwing process usedto the fibres or lint areas in India are: (a) in the north-western Deccan the the otton seeds and the short fibres or on the fertile Black Cotton Soils; (b) the central from which adhereto them. A cotton gin is a and southern Deccan of Karnataka and Tamil ints easily separates machine that quickly and This process Nadu; and (c) in the Upper Ganges valley, where ibres from the seeds. much of the cotton is grown with irrigation. the cotton done by hand, wRS earlier used to be About 72per cent of the total area and 60per the cotton first goes cent of the total production of the cotton in the In the ginning prOcess, reduce moisture content through dryers to to country are contributed by four states-Gujarat, ond then through cleaning equipmentair Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and matter. The cotton is then Karnataka. remove foreign its circular saws ponveved to gin stands where spaced ribs that There isa decline in global demand for cotton null the lint through closely passing through. The coupled with erratic rainfall due to climate revent the seed from teeth by rotating change. This has led to a decline ina sowing area the saw int is removed fromcompressed as farmers are opting for other crops. into bales, hrushes and then and then combed Thelint (fibres) are washedof fibres known as toform a rope-like mass stiver. and spun to a The sliver is fed to the spindles make cotton yarn. yield oil, the The seeds are crushed to fodder. cattle residue being used as TARIETIES OF CoTTON strength and India, on the basis of length, varieties of cotton ructure of fibre, five main Te grown: Its staple is longer 9Superior long staple:production Sheaf of Jute being carried by a farmer in India an 27 mn. 33% of the total JUTE Emes from this variety. Long staple: The length of staple is Jute is the most important fibre in India, etween 24.5 and 26mm. It is long, fine and obtained from the inner bark of two important iny. It is used for making fine and superior and species, Corchorus Capsularis (white jute)plant ality cloth. It is largely grown in Punjab, Corchorus Olitorius (tossa jute). The jute fibre in the ryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, grows to a height of 2 to 4 metres. Its drawn dhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. inner bark is soft and strong and can be Superior medium staple: The cotton out into yarn of good lengths. of the plein this variety is between 20 and 24mm. The whitejuteaccounts for 75per cent highly Cintributes 37% of India's output. Rajasthan, It is hardy, total area under jute in India.both on lowlands and njab, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar adaptable and grows well Tesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are its uplands. Biain producers. only on uplands as it The tossa juteis grownoccupies about 25per mMedium staple: Its staple is 20 is averse to flooding andin the country. It is used to.5mn About 9per cent FOductionlong. comes from this group. of the total cent of thetotal jute area for manufacturing rough quality cloth, sacks 191 giculure-V: Cash Crops (2) and other packing material. It is now used in the Rainfall: The annual rainfall should than 150cm. About 2.5cm to more be a month during 7.5cm f rain making of many utility products like carpets, distributed in rugs, twine, upholstery, tarpaulins, etc. Jute is Occasional sowing period is sufficient. also referred to as 'golden fibre' as it provides showers (varyi huge revenue to the government. from 2-3cm) at intervals of about a most beneficial for it. However, week. nareg Mesta is inferior substitute for jute. The fibre is a more coarse and not as strong as jute and untimely rains and prolonged droughts incessant harmful. fibre. Bags for rough use are made from mesta. It can withstand drought conditions. Therefore, SoL it is grown where jute cannot be grown. Mesta Jute grows best on the soil enriched by re cultivation is undertaken in some partsof Assam, Bihar, Odisha and Kerala. alluvium brought by river inundation. Loamy soils are most suitable for jute production as CLIMATIC CoNDITIONS the clay particles of loam help to hold the plamt Temperature: Jute requires a hot and humid nutrients preventing them from getting washed away by water. The clayey soil gives the heaviest climate with temperatures between 24°C and yield. Sandy soils produce coarse fibre. 35°C and relative humidity of 90 per cent. India: Cotton and Jute Producing Areas Cotton Jute Tropic of Cancar D ARABIAN BAY SEA OF BENGAL ANDAMAN LAKSHADWE P SEA LAKSH(AINDDIWA)E P ONDIA DNCOBR ANDAMAN SEA INDIAN 0CEAN seALE 2 Cotton and Jute Producing Areas Geography- X Total 192  Temperature Rainfall Soil Leading States 21°C-30C but 50-75cm or Deep black soil Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, not below 20°C. irigation facility. (regur), alluvial Maharashtra and Punjab. 200 frost free days soils and laterite soil. 24C-35C Heavy rainfall of 150cm Light sandy or West Bengal (80.29per cent with 90per cent of clayey, alluvial of the production, over relative humidity. loam. 74.2per cent of the area), Bihar, Assam, Odisha. Ds OF CULTIVATION scraped to remove any remaining pieces of the The fields for growing jute have to be soft vegetable matter. After drying, the fibres are ghly prepared before the crop is soWn loosely spun and woven, and are used in making uary on lowlands and March-June on sacks and bags, carpet, upholstery, etc. s. Sowing of the seeds is done by drilling DISTRIBUTION dcasting. =ting: The crop is harvested from July West Bengal occupies the frst place both in respect of the area (74.2%) and production ember about 8-10months after sowing. (80.29%) ofjute in India Assam, Bihar,Odisha, ely higher yields are obtained from the Uttar Pradesh and Tripura account for most of oWn during the winter season. A delay in the remaining jute produced in India. also adds to yields but usualy produces ibre. West Bengal: In West Bengal, the jute crop is grown in Murshidabad, Dinajpur, Hooghly, en plants attain the height of 2-4m and 24 Parganas, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Malda and eture these are cut, bundled and put in Burdwan. It is grOWn on both the old and new for retting. After 20 to 25 days the bark is alluvial soils, which have been deposited by irom the plant by hand and ibre is then Ganga and Brahmaputra during ioods in the ei irom the pith. It is then rinsed, washed, delta The hot darmp clímate and alluvial, loarny end pressed into bales. soils provide excellent conditions for the growth sing: Jute is harvested by hand, by pulling of jute in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. stem. It is dried and stripped of unwanted Assam: Cultivation of jute in Assam is and is put in water andallowed to rot. concentrated along Brahmaputra and Suma TOcESs, known as retting, was once done by river valleys in the districts of Goalpara, Tezpur, gng the jute into ponds and streams but Kamrup, Darrang. Nowgong and Sibsagar. rione in special tanks. Retting softens the Bihar: Major production comes from Purnea, berik and facilitates the eariy removability Saharsa and Darbhanga districts. Ebre ithin. Chemical additives help in the Odisha: Jute is raised in Cuttack, Puri and Eoperation The feshy part of the stem is ally decomposed and the ibres are then Bolangir districts. Sitar et Beng 29 Jute Productio in Ina Jute Products curg-E Cash Crsgs 2) 93  Uttar Pradesh: Kheri, Sitapur and Bahraich dry weather at any time of the year. It have abundant rainfall-at least Tnust are the important producers. distributed throughout the year. In areas, the annualIrainfall 150cm, Assam teawell averages TEA and 375cm, while in Duars and between 125em 500cm.DarTjheeeliteang Tea is an important beverage liked by both districts it ranges from 250cm to the aristocrats and the common man. This is areas in south receive still heavy rainfall because of its unique taste and certain inherent qualities as a tranquilliser and mild stimnulant. Sot A Japanese folklore states that tea was Tea plant requires well drained, deep friable discovered by an Indian Buddhist Monk, who loams or forest land rich in organic matter. The visited China in about AD 500. However, it was soil should be gently rolled so as to prevent Major Robert Bruce who discovered in 1823 waterlogging. Therefore, to avoid water logging that indigenous tea bushes grew wild on the which is harmful for the growth of tea bushes hillsides of Upper Assam. Commercial planting tea is grown on hill slopes. The soil must be of tea began around 1840, when tea seeds were deep and have a moderately open texture. Virgin imported from China and planted on the plains forest soils containing a good amount of iron and of North-East India (in Assam and Darjeeling). humus, are the best ones. Nitrogenous fertilisers Gradually, tea plantation, which was largely like ammonium sulphate increase the yield. confined to Upper Assam, began to spread to other parts of India and new areas were opened METHODS OF CULTIVATION up to tea. Prominent among these are the Duars Tea gardens are laid out on cleared hill slopes and Terai in North Bengal and the foothills of under the shade of trees raised in advance. Belts Uttarakhand, the Himalayas, around Garhwal of trees like silver oak to serve as wind barriers and Kumaon. Europeans established tea gardens are also raised on the borders. Tea is cultivated in the Nilgiris in South India. in two ways: (i) From seeds: Tea plants can be raised from tea seeds. High quality seeds are sown in well prepared nurseries. The saplings are transplanted within a year in the proposed tea gardens at the distance of one metre on all four sides. also be (iü) From cuttings: Tea shrubs can yielding high grown in nurseries from cuttings of lplanting varieties. This is known as the clonal When the saplngs method of propagation of tea.transplanted in the are 20cm high, they are cultivation ot te tea garden. This method of yield asthe new ensures high quality and better motherplant plant has all the qualities of the Tea Plantation been taken. from which the cuttings have slopesbecause CLIMATIc CONDITIONS Tea gardens are set upon hillrequiredclimatic Temperature: Tea is a shade loving plant and the the high attitude provides protectthe crop from develops more vigorously under light shade.The conditions and the slopes water during ideal maximum monthly temperature is 24°C to annual inundations and stagnant 30°C. When the maximum temperature in shade the rains. falls below 24°C or the minimum temperature buush below 18°C, the growth is retarded. However, Harvesting ofthe the pruning maintain high hunídity, heavy dew and morning fog are Plucking of Leaves: The order to toone good for the rapid development of young leaves. starts after two years in plant limited frequent. Rainfall: The tea plants grow well in a humid height and diameter of the much mnore climate, and cannot stand long spells of metre. In India, picking is Geography- X Total 194  Important Cash Crops of India Crops Temperature Rainfall Soil Distribution 24°C-30°C at least forest soil; 1. Assam: the Brahmaputra valley, Surma valley 150cm rich in humus 2. West Bengal: the Duars, Darjeeling and iron. 3. Tamil Nadu: highest yield per hectare 4. Kerala Coffee 15°C-28°C 150-200 cm well drained, 1. Karnataka 70.4 % of total production; but does friable loamy 2. Kerala 21.7 % of total production; and not tolerate soil, rich in vegetable 3. Tamil Nadu 5.8% of total production. frost or heat mould. At lower elevations, tea is picked every ten 4. Drying: Further fermentation is checked S during the growing season and at higher by roasting and drying the leaves over a fire or itudes, every fifteen days. Picking goes on all in an oven until they are black in colour. Atime during the south-west monsoon season 5. Blending: Expert blenders and tea-tasters emearly April to mid-November. On an average further blend the various grades of tea to give it ere are between sixteen and twenty pickings special aroma and make many proprietary brands. rear. Frequent pruning encourages the rapid oduction of fresh leaves and shoots. (B) Green Tea The tea shrub continues to be productive Green tea is not dried in the sun but in ovens after r about 50 years, after which restocking is the leaves are steamned in large vats and crushed ecessary. in machines. It is not fermented. This variety of Tea-picking is a skilful job, requiring patience tea is consumed in China and the Far East. End judgement. It is usually done by women In the preparation of Green Tea the picked Fho are better pickers and can be employed at leaves are heated immediately by roasting them latively cheaper rates. Two tender leaves and a over hot iron pans and are later rolled. There is ud or shoot (known asfine plucking) are usually no fermentation process and the leaves remain ucked from each stem. green even when they are dried, graded and Processing: There are four types of tea. Each one packed. Green teas are highly lavoured and processed differently. These types are: are stronger stimulants because of their higher tannin or tannic acid content. They are usually (A) Black Tea taken without milk or sugar after brewing with is processed by drying the leaves, crushing boiling water. hem in a machine and fermenting them. This ta is taken with milk and sugar in India. (C) Oolong Tea In processing Black Tea the following steps This variety of tea is greenish-brown and is Ce taken: prepared by partially drying and fermenting the 1. Withering: The gathered leaves are first leaves. From the tea gardens, a high grade semi Dithered or dried in the sun for a day or two to fermented Oolong Tea is produced. Much of it is etract moisture. shipped tothe United States. 2. Rolling: They are then rolled mechanically (D) Brick Tea Ween steel rollers to break up the fibres. In this variety the inferior and coarser leaves, stems he leaves are dried again or baked lightly over and tea-dust are compressed into rectangular Carcoal fires, until they become reddish brown blocks of brick tea. Such tea is normally consumed ncolour. in Russia and Tibet. 3. Permentation: The leaves are allowed to ETment and this reduces the amount of tannic DIsTRIBUTION cd in the tea by half, but does not imnpair its India has the world's largest area under tea and Bavour. it produces 28.3 per cent of the world production. giculture --V: Cash Crops (2) 195 At present, India is the fourth largest exporter of in the country. Nilgiris district is the tea after Kenya, China and Sri Lanka. producer. Other producers include foremost (a) Assam-Assam is the largest producer Kanyakumari, Madurai, etc. Coinbatore, of tea contributing 53.2per cent of the total (d) Kerala--Kerala is the fourth area and 51% of the tea produced in India. It largest producer of tea in India. The important producers produces about 1/6th of the tea produced in the include Kottayarm, Kollam, Thiruvananthapurarn. world. In Assam there are two main areas of tea Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur production: (i) the Brahmaputra valley, and (ii) districts. the Surma valley. (e) Others-Other minor producers of tea (b) West BengalWest Bengal is the second include Ratnagiri, Satara (Maharashtra); Purmea largest producer of tea in the country. Here tea (Bihar); Hazaribagh and Ranchi (Jharkhand): is grown in (i) the Duars, and (ii) the Darjeeling Almora and Garhwal districts (Uttarakhand); Hills. Kangra Valley (Himachal Pradesh); Mysore, (c) Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu accounts for Coorg, Shimoga (Karnataka); Tripura and 15.90per cent of the total production of tea Arunachal Pradesh. India: Tea and Coffee Producing Areas Tea E8E2 Coffee Troplc of Cancer N D ARABIAN SEA BAY OF BENGAL VDAMA LAKSHADWE(INDIA)EP AKSHADWEEP NEEPSER (INDIA) WANDNCoB ANDAMAN SEA INDIAN OCEAN sCALE 124 000 000 L 196 Tea and Coffee Producing Areas Geography- X Total  COFFEE introduced in India by a oee plant was century. Bababudan, during the l7th and the from Arabia rought the seeds raised in the seedlings from these were Coffee cultivation dan Hills in Karmataka. ne more firmly established during the it also 19th century when r decades of the Karnataka. dto several Nadu.other districts in a and Tamil ties ofCoffee Coffee Berries of coffee grown in India are the arieties SoIL drained ing grown in the lower cultivation requires rich, well Coffee Robusta: It is metres) districts Coffee loamy soil, containing a good deal of to 610 friable oilcakes, ion between 300 Arabica does not cattle manure, Coffee vegetable mould. Usually are used as manures. uth India, where yields bonemeal and fertilisers It is also more hardy but arid e well. even in It can survive METHODS OF CULTIVATION er quality coffee.disease resistant. Etions and it is Coffee is propagated from seeds or This is a hardy and Sowing: months, the Coffee Liberica:suited and after a few to lowland rather cuttings in a nursery the ield. Plants are species, of transplanted to annually ase resistant conditions. It gives heavy yields saplings are They are prunedbearing of upland liberica positioned 3m apart. robusta and ensure heavy coffee. Both and to erate quality making instant to ease pickingThe tree is kept to a height of 1.5 particularly suitable for greater importance. coffee berries. slopes so that thus gaining Coffee plants are grown on ee and are coffee but to 2.5m. Arabica: It is the finest other water does not stagnate. susceptible to L)Coffee susceptible to leafandof the coffee plant is and crops: Since shade of erydelicategrown in over 60 per cent Cover rays it is planted under the are from 750 to direct sun which eases. It is slopes ranging silver oak and jackfruit trees aunder coffee on are Chicks, trees such as Other coffee plantation. are also high. Its main varieties Blue before the vines 00 metres Margogipe, BourbonAmarillo, planted cardamom and pepper beans, orange, income. rgs, Kents, producessuperiorquality like extra It antain, etc. ranging from 500 to 600kg. interplanted to generate begin in Harvesting of coffee may done bectare yield Harvesting: planting but is usually done after CuIMATIc CoNDITIONS third year warm the fourth or fifth year. Coffee pickingis the plant requires in the the ripe berries from mperature: Coffee moderate supply of hand by removing picking of both ripe and and a by mate (15-28'C) must be a fairly long spell stalk. Indiscriminate coffee beans ofinferior in isture, but there beans to ripen. It cannot unripe berries results prices. dry weather for the temperatures, i.e., quality which fetch low very high snowfall Andfrost nor sunshine and iOve 30°C. Strong plant. Its cultivation, Processing processing coffee, to the mean methods of the Dry th are harmful restricted to areas where the There are two Parchment methodandmethod. erefore, is temperaturedoes not exceed 28°C. namely, the Wet In the Wet parchment before method. removed nual period of growth, the plant Parchment of the beans is fermenting. rainfall. covering ainfall: During the annual to 200cm ofdistributed it can the fruit dried and then pulping,After this the quires 150cm they are takes place. rainfall is well rainfall. drying lowever,if the 325cm of washing and use. grown in areas having causes serious beans are ready to en be either coffee 197 prolonged drought yield heavily. the lamage or reduces Agricalture-IV: Cash Crops (2)