Agriculture PDF

# Agriculture Agriculture refers to the process of preparing the land for the cultivation of crops, and to the rearing of livestock. Agriculture (also called farming) is one of the oldest occupations known to humans. It is a **primary activity**. Nearly 50% of the people of the world are engaged in...

# Agriculture Agriculture refers to the process of preparing the land for the cultivation of crops, and to the rearing of livestock. Agriculture (also called farming) is one of the oldest occupations known to humans. It is a **primary activity**. Nearly 50% of the people of the world are engaged in agriculture. In India, two-thirds of the people depend on agriculture directly or indirectly for their livelihood. ## Factors Influencing Agriculture Agricultural development depends on different factors such as soil, climate, irrigation, size of land holding and techniques and methods of farming. ### Climate Climate controls the pattern of agriculture around the world. The temperature and the amount of rainfall a place gets are important determining factors. Certain crops need hot and wet climates to grow (like rice), while certain crops grow in dryer cooler climates (like wheat). ### Soil The kind of soil found in a place affects the kind of crops grown there. Clayey soils retain water, which is suitable for crops like rice and cotton. Fertile alluvial soil is ideal for agriculture and supports most kinds of crops. River banks which have deposits of alluvial soil therefore are the most heavily cultivated areas around the world. Sandy soils which allow water to seep through rapidly are more suited to grow crops like groundnut and millets. ### Relief Flat land like plains, valleys, the flat top of plateaus and deltas are better suited for agriculture than mountainous terrain. Hilly areas are more suited for cattle rearing, and for crops which need well drained soils like tea and coffee. ### Other Factors Other factors like availability of irrigation facilities, size of land holdings, transport facilities, nearness of market, availability of loans, etc., also influence the nature of agriculture practiced in an area. ## Farm System Agriculture is a productive system by itself. What are the inputs for agricultural development? What are the outputs? ## Explore Some More... All human occupations can be classified as primary, secondary or tertiary. Primary activities those which are involved with extracting raw materials from nature, such as agriculture, fishing, food gathering, hunting, lumbering and herding. Secondary activities are connected with manufacturing finished goods by processing the raw materials got from nature. Some of the secondary activities are the manufacture of steel, textiles, bread, machines, etc. Tertiary activities are connected with the provision of support services to all the sectors and people of the economy. Some of the tertiary activities are transport, trade, banking, insurance, education, hospitality, health services, advertising, etc. ## Activities involved in Harvesting There are several important activities which a farmer has to do, to harvest a good crop. The farmer has to **plough** the field, **sow** the seeds, **irrigate** the land, **apply fertilisers**, **guard** the crop from **pests**, **weed** out unwanted plants, **harvest**, **store**, and then **transport** the crop to the market for selling. ## Cropping Seasons in India In India there are two cropping seasons - kharif and rabi. The kharif crop is a summer and monsoon crop. The crop is sown by April-May and is harvested by October. Paddy or rice is the main kharif crop. The rabi season lasts through the winter months. Crops are sown between October and February and harvested by June. Wheat is the main rabi crop. ## Major Food Crops of the World ### Rice Rice is one of the major food crops of the world. It is the staple diet of most people in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. This kharif crop needs high temperatures of about 25°C, high humidity and an annual rainfall of above 100 cm. It grows best in alluvial clayey soils, which can retain water. China leads in the production of rice followed by India, Indonesia and Bangladesh. As the climatic condition is favourable in the eastern parts of India, and in Bangladesh, two or three crops are grown here in an year. ### Wheat Wheat requires moderate temperature and rainfall during the growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening and harvest. In India, it is grown in winter. It requires temperatures below 25°C and about 50 to 75 cm rainfall. It thrives best in well drained loamy soil. It is a staple crop, and the second most important crop of India. Wheat is grown on a very large scale in China, India, Russia, USA, France and Australia. ### Millets Millets can be grown on less fertile and sandy soil. They are also known as coarse grains. Millets can grow even in low rainfall regions with high to moderate temperature. They have high nutritional value. Jowar, bajra and ragi are millets commonly grown in India. Ragi is rich in iron, calcium, other micro-nutrients and roughage. Other countries where millets are grown are Nigeria, China and Niger. ### Maize Maize is both a food crop and fodder crop. It requires moderate temperature (21°C to 27°C), moderate rainfall (75 cm) and lots of sunshine for growth. It needs well-drained fertile soil. Maize is grown abundantly in USA, Brazil, China, Ukraine, Indonesia and Argentina. ### Cotton Cotton requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost-free days a year, and bright sunshine for its growth. It grows best on black soil. The crop requires about 6 to 8 months for maturing. China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt are the leading producers of cotton. It is the main raw material for the cotton textile industry. ### Jute Jute is also known as the ‘Golden Fibre'. It grows well on well drained, fertile alluvial soil. It requires high temperature during the growing season, heavy rainfall and a humid climate. This crop is grown mainly in river deltas in tropical regions of the world. The leading producers of jute are India and Bangladesh. ### Coffee Coffee, a beverage crop, requires a warm and wet climate and well drained loamy soil. Hill slopes are more suitable for the growth of this crop. Brazil is the leading producer of this crop followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Indian coffee is well-known for its quality in the world. ### Tea Tea, one of the main beverage crops, is also a plantation crop. It requires a cool, frost-free climate with abundant rainfall, well distributed throughout the year, for a good crop. It also needs well drained loamy soils and gentle slopes that can be terraced for cultivation. It is a labour intensive crop and requires a large number of skilled labour to pluck the leaves. Tea was introduced to India by the British. China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka produce some of the best quality tea in the world.