Components of Agriculture Online Test 10th Social Science Lesson 4 Questions in English

Soil is the uppermost layer of the land surface, usually composed of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, air and water. Grains in the soil are of three categories namely, clay, silt, and sand.

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) set up in 1953 divides the soils of India into the following eight major groups.1.Alluvial soil 2.Black soil 3.Red soil 4.Laterite soil 5.Forest and Mountain soil 6.Arid and desert soil 7.Slaine and alkaline soil 8.Peaty and Marshy soil.

Alluvial soil chemical property is Rich in potash, phosphoric acid, lime and carbon compounds but poor in nitrogen.

The chemical property of Red soil is Rich in minerals such as iron and magnesium. Deficient in nitrogen, humus, phosphoric acid and lime.

Black soil is Derived from basalts of Deccan trap in India. They are found in Maharashtra and Malwa plateaus, Kathiawar peninsula, Telangana and Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh and northern part of Karnataka.

Laterite soil are formed in the regions where alternate wet and hot dry conditions prevail. It is formed by the process of leaching. They are found in Assam hills, hill summits of Kerala and Karnataka and eastern Ghats and region of Odisha.

The Chemical property of Laterite soil is Composed mainly of hydrated oxides of iron and aluminium.

Black soil Consist of calcium and magnesium carbonates, high quantities of iron, aluminium, lime and magnesia. Rich in potash lime, Aluminium calcium and magnesium poor in Nitrogen Phosphoric acid and humus.

The Nature of Red soil is Sticky when wet High degree of moisture retentivity.

The nature of Laterite soil is More acidic on higher areas poor in high level, cannot retain moisture while plains they consist of heavy loam and clay and easily retain moisture.

Peaty and Marshy soil are formed in humid regions from the organic matter. It is found in the areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity Peaty soils are black, heavy and highly acidic.

The chemical property of saline and alkaline soil is - liberate sodium, magnesium and calcium salts and sulphurous acid.

The nature of Forest and Mountain soil is light, sandy, thin and found with the pieces of rock. Their character changes with the parent rocks. Very rich in humus. slow decomposition makes it acidic.

The Nature of Red soil is Light texture, porous friable presence of limited soluble salts Clay fraction of the red soils generally consists of Kaolinitic minerals.

Alluvial soil is formed by sediments deposited by streams and rivers when they slowly loose.

Red soil is formed by decomposition of ancient crystalline rocks like granites and gneisses and from rock type.

The Nature of Alluvial soil is Sandy-loam-silt-clay profile shows no marked differentiation.

Soil degradation is an acute problem in India. According to a 2015 report of the Indian institute of remote sensing (IIRS). They estimated the amount of soil erosion that occurred in India was 147 million hectares.

The main problems of the Indian soils are i) soil erosion ii) Degradation of Soil, iii) Water-logging, iv) Saline and Alkaline, and v) Salt Flats.

Methods of Conservation and Management of Soil 1. Afforestation 2. Constructing Dams and Barrages 3. Prevention of Overgrazing 4. Improved methods of Agricultural practices

The types of soil erosion are sheet erosion, Rill erosion, Gully erosion, Ravine and Bad land.

Watering of agricultural plants through artificial means is called irrigation. Being a hot country with seasonal and irregular rainfall, it always needs irrigation to carry out agricultural activities during dry period.

The main sources of irrigation used in different parts of the country are • Canal irrigation • Well irrigation and • Tank irrigation.

In India, different sources of irrigation are used depending upon the topography, soils, rainfall, availability of surface or groundwater, nature of river (whether perennial or non-perennial), requirements of crops etc.

Percentage of area under canal irrigation in our country is 24% (source: Statistical year book 2017 during 2013-2014). Canals are the effective source of irrigation in areas of Low-level relief, deep, fertile soils, perennial source of water and extensive command area.

In Inundation Canals water is taken out directly from the rivers without making any kind of barrage or dam. Such canals are useful for the diversion of flood water from the rivers and remain operational during rainy season.

In India the total area under canal irrigation is about 15.8 million hectares in 2014. About 60 percent of the canal irrigated area falls in the northern plains of India.

Perennial Canals are developed from perennial rivers by constructing barrage to regulate the flow of water. In our country, most of the canals fall under this category. These canals are useful for irrigation.

A well is a hole or trough, usually vertical, excavated in the earth for bringing groundwater to the surface. Well irrigation is the most important source of irrigation as it contributes about 62 percent of net irrigated area in India.

Tube wells are developed in the areas of low water table, sufficient power supply and soft subsurface geological units. Tube wells are predominant in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

A tank is a natural or man-made hollow on the surface developed by constructing a small bund around it across a stream. It is used to collect and store water for irrigation and other purposes. It also includes irrigation from lakes and ponds.

The tank irrigation is popular in the peninsular India due to the following reasons: • The undulating relief and hard rocks make difficult to dig canals and wells. • Natural depressions serve as reservoirs. • Absence of perennial rivers. • Impermeable rock structure which do not permit percolation. • The scattered nature of population and agricultural fields

Open wells type of irrigation is widely practiced in the areas where groundwater is sufficiently available. The areas are in Ganga Plains, the deltaic region of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery and parts of Narmada and Tapti valley.

As per the Irrigation – Statistical Year Book India – 2017, the following states are the top five with respect to the percentage of areas under well irrigation during 2013-14. 1) Uttar Pradesh – 26.6 2) Madhya Pradesh – 14.6 3) Rajasthan – 13.1 4) Gujarat – 7.8 5) Punjab – 7.1

Forest and mountain soils are deficient in potash, Phosphorus and lime. They are distributed in the coniferous forest belts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim

Arid and dessert soil are light in colour, low humus, friable structure, low in moisture. Crop grow in this soil are millets, barley, cotton, maize and pulses.

Centre-pivot irrigation (sometimes called central pivot irrigation), also called waterwheel and circle irrigation, is a method of crop irrigation in which equipment rotates around a pivot and crops are watered with sprinklers.

Drip irrigation System is used to watering like drops at near the roots of plant. It will cover a tiny area at plant, but suitable for big trees and horticulture plants too which used to grow bigger.

Rain gun used to spread water like rain as in name and used to serve for crops which used to grow up-to 4 feet or high also but we have to adjust sprinklers height as per crop size. typical usage of Rain guns are in sugarcane, maize crops.

Bhakra-Nangal Project (highest gravity dam in the world) in the river Sutlej produce 1500 MW of Hydropower which is highest in India. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are the benefit state of the project.

Multipurpose River Valley Projects is a scientific management of water resources in our country. Construction of dam across rivers is aimed at many purposes. Generally, majority of multipurpose projects are combination of irrigation and hydro-power which are the major aims of the projects.

Indira Gandhi Canal Project is built on river satlaj. The state benefit from this project are Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

Hirakud dam is the longest dam in the world which built across Mahanadi. The state Orissa benefited from this project.

The chemical property of Peaty and marshy soils deficient in potash and phosphate. Contain considerable amount of soluble salts and 10-40 per cent of organic matter; and high proportion of vegetable matter.

The nature of Alkaline and saline soil Consists of un decomposed rock and mineral fragments which on weathering.

Mountain and Forest soil are formed due to mechanical weathering caused by snow, rain, temperature variation.

Agriculture in India is determined by a set of factors. Some of the important factors: 1. Physical factors: relief, climate and soil. 2. Institutional factors: Size of farm holdings and land reforms. 3. Infrastructural factors: Irrigation, power, transport, market, insurance. 4. Technological factors: High yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and machinery.

Shifting Farming is performed by tribal people in a piece of forest land after clearing the trees through felling and burning the trunks and branches.

Intensive farming is an agricultural intensification and mechanization system that aims to maximize yields from available land through various means, such as heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Agriculture is the process of producing food for people, fodder for cattle, fibre and many other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Though India is industrially a fast -developing nation, still the agriculture in India employs more than 50 percent of the population of the country and accounts for about 25 percent of the national income.

In Subsistence Farming, agricultural land holding is small. As the farmers are poor, they can’t apply the modern inputs which cost more. They grow crops with the help of family members and consumes almost the entire farm produce with little surplus to sell in the market. Preference is given to food crops. In addition to the food crops, sugarcane, oilseeds, cotton, jute and tobacco are also cultivated.

In shift Agriculture Once the land is cleared, crops are grown for two to three years and the land will get abandoned as the fertility of the soil decreases. The farmers then move to new areas and the process will be repeated. They cultivate some grains and vegetable crops using the manual labour. It is also called as “Slash and burn” cultivation.

Dry Farming This type of farming is practiced in arid areas where irrigation facilities are lacking. Crops cultivated in these areas can withstand dry conditions.

The crops grown generally with the help of irrigation are also grown under dry farming. In such circumstances, the yields are generally low. Most of the areas under dry cultivation entertain only one crop per year. This is practiced in drier parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc.

In Intensive Farming, intensification and mechanization has also been applied to the raising of livestock with billions of animals, such as cows, pigs and chickens, being held indoors. They have become known as factory farms.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Micro Irrigation with the objective to enhance water use efficiency in the agriculture sector by promoting appropriate technological interventions like drip & sprinkler irrigation technologies and encourage the farmers to use water saving and conservation technologies.

Terrace Cultivation is practiced specially in hilly areas, where lands are of sloping nature. The hill and mountain slopes are cut to form terraces and the land is used in the same way as in permanent agriculture. Since the availability of flat land is limited, terraces are made to provide small patches of level land.

The major crops of India are divided into four major categories as follows: 1. Food crops (wheat, maize, rice, millets, pulses etc.). 2. Cash crops (sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, jute, oilseeds etc.). 3. Plantation crops (tea, coffee and rubber). 4. Horticulture crops (fruits, flowers and vegetables).

Due to its large population, Indian agriculture is largely dominated by the food crops. Food crops include cereals and pulses, amongst which rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, barley, ragi, gram and tur are important.

Rice is an indigenous crop. India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.

It is mainly a tropical crop, growing mainly with mean temperatures of 24°C and annual rainfall of 150 cm. Due to increased use of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds (CR Dhan 205, AR Dhan 306, CRR 451 etc.), many of the indigenous varieties were disappeared`.

Rice in India is sown in three ways: i) Broadcasting, ii) Ploughing or drilling, and iii) Transplanting. It also needs abundant supply of cheap labour. Deep fertile clayey or loamy soils are suited well for rice cultivation

Wheat is the second most important food crop of the country, after rice. It accounts for 22 percent of the total area and 34 percent of the total production of food grains in the country.

West Bengal is the top rice producer of India followed by Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, and Haryana.

Wheat requires 10-15°C at the time of sowing and 20-25°C at the time of ripening of grains. The black soil tract of the Deccan covering parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat also contribute a major wheat production.

Jowar is the third important food crop of our country. Its grains are rich in carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins.

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are the two leading producers of Barley. Besides, being poor man’s diet, it is used for making barley water, beer and whiskey.

Jowar is an indigenous plant of Africa. The plant has a tendency to grow in adverse climatic conditions. Its grains are rich in carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Bajra is also an indigenous plant of Africa.

Pulses include a large number of crops which are mostly leguminous and rich in vegetable protein. They are used as human food and feeding cattle. They fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and hence are usually rotated with other crops. India is the largest producer of pulses.

The crops which are cultivated for commercial purpose are called cash crops. These crops include sugarcane, tobacco, fibre crops (cotton, jute, and mesta) and oilseeds.

At the state level, Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of sugarcane followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Sugarcane is the most important cash crop of India and is the second largest producer in the world. Besides providing sugar, gur and khandsari, it supplies molasses for alcohol industry and bagasse for paper industry. India is ranked third in sugar production in the world after Cuba and Brazil.

Cotton is the most important cash crop of India. It provides raw material to the largest industry of India. India ranks second next to China in the production of cotton.

Jute is a tropical fibre crops, grows well in the alluvial Soil. It provides raw material for Jute industry. It is used for manufacturing of gunny bags, carpets, hessian, ropes and strings, rugs, clothes, tarpaulins, upholstery etc

West Bengal is the leading state both in cultivation and production of jute. The other cultivators of jute are Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya.

Oil seeds, the premier source of fat in the Indian diet are derived from number of crops like groundnut, rapeseed, mustard, sesame, linseed, sunflower, castor seed, cotton seed, Niger seed etc.

Sugarcane provides raw material for the sugar industry which is the second largest industrial category of our country.

Gujarat is India’s largest oilseeds producing state. Other major producer of oilseed are followed by Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

In groundnut production, India is the second largest producer in the world after China.

Plantation crops are cultivated for the purpose of exports. These are cultivated in large estates on hilly slopes. Tea, coffee, rubber and spices are the major plantation crops of India.

Tea is an evergreen plant that mainly grows in tropical and subtropical climates. Tea is a labour intensive and grows faster under light shade. Tea plants require high rainfall but its root cannot tolerate water logging.

Two major varieties of tea are cultivated in India. They are i) Bohea originated from China and ii) Assamica from India. A number of hybrid varieties have been developed by mixing these two.

Assam is the larger producer of tea in India. Other states are Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal. India is the second largest producer of tea after China in the world.

Coffee is grown in shade and it grows effectively in the altitudes between 1,000 and 1,500 m above mean sea level. India is the 7th largest producer of coffee globally.

Karnataka is the leading producer of coffee in India. It produces 71% in India, and 2.5 % in the world. There are two main varieties of coffee. They are i) Arabica (High quality-cultivated more in India) and ii) Robusta (Inferior quality).

Rubber plantation were first established in Kerala in 1902. It needs hot and wet climatic conditions (temperature above 20°C and rainfall above 300cm). Most of the land under rubber belongs to small land holders.

India has been world famous for its spices since ancient times. Pepper, chillies, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, clove and areca nut are the major spices cultivated in India.

Kerala is the leading producer of spices in India. These spices mostly used for flavouring or tampering cooked food and for preparing medicines, dyes etc.

Horticulture refers to the cultivation of fruits, flowers and vegetables. India is in the second position in the production of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are important supplement to the human diet. India contributes about 13% of the world’s production of vegetables

Livestock is an integral component of the farming system in India. The livestock sector is socially and economically very significant due to its multi-functional outputs and contribution to socio-cultural security.

Livestock sector contributes approximately 4 percent of national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 25.6 percent to agriculture GDP.

Top five Distribution of Livestock in India in 2012 is 1. Uttar Pradesh – 687.2Lakhs 2. Rajasthan – 577.3Lakhs 3. Andhra Pradesh – 561.0Lakhs 4. Madhya Pradesh – 363.3Lakhs 5. Bihar – 329.4Lakhs

Cattle constitute 37.3 percent of livestock population in India. India has second largest cattle population after Brazil at World level.

Among the states, Madhya Pradesh leads with 10.3 percent followed by Uttar Pradesh (10.2 percent) and West Bengal (8.7 percent). Cattle population in India belongs to different breeds. These include: 1) Milch Breed, 2) Draught breed, and 3) Mixed or General breed.

The goat is the poor man’s cow providing milk, meat, skin and hair. It is the main source of meat for the country.

As per 19th Livestock Census, conducted in 2012 (Government of India, 2014), India’s livestock sector is one of the largest in the world with 11.6 percent of world livestock population, which consists of cattle (37.3 percent), goats (26.4 percent), buffaloes (21.2 percent), sheep (12.7 percent) and pigs (2.0 percent) etc

While looking at the current status of goat population among Indian states, Rajasthan records first with 16 percent followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

First Livestock Census in India was conducted with the title of Dairy Cattle Census in 1919. Following this, the 19th Livestock census was conducted in October 2012 and it takes place at every five years.

Buffaloes are an important source of milk supply for India. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of buffaloes (28.2%) followed by Rajasthan (9.6%) and Andhra Pradesh (7.9%).

According to State / UT Animal Husbandry Department, during 2016-17, the total production of milk in our nation is 163.7 million tonnes.

State Government is conducting Livestock Census with the help of Department of Animal Husbandry at state level and Regional Joint Director at District level under the guidelines of Government of India Ministry of Agriculture and farmers welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries.

According to State / UT Animal Husbandry Department, during 2016-17, the leading producer was Uttar Pradesh with 27.6 million tonnes (16.8 percent) followed by Rajasthan with 19.4 million tonnes (11.8 percent) and Madhya Pradesh with 13.4 million tonnes (8.2 percent) in total milk production.

The Livestock Census in the country started in the year 1919 – 1920. Since then it has been conducted once in every 5 years. So far 19 livestock census has been conducted.

While looking at the meat, the total production is 7.4 million tonnes. Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer with 1.3 million tonnes, where Maharashtra and West Bengal are estimated with 0.8 million tonnes and 0.7 million tonnes

While looking at the meat, the total production is 7.4 million tonnes. Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer with 1.3 million tonnes, where Maharashtra and West Bengal are estimated with 0.8 million tonnes and 0.7 million tonnes The total wool production of our nation is 43.5 million kilograms. The leading state in the wool production is Rajasthan with 14.3 million kilograms followed by Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka with 6.6 million kilograms

Fisheries in India are a very important economic activity and a flourishing sector with varied resources and potentials. Fishing in India is a major industry in its coastal states, employing over 14 million people. India occupies second place among the fish producing nations of the world after China.

The length of Indian coastline is 7,517 km including the coastline of the islands, however the mainland’s length is 6,100 km.

Marine or Sea Fisheries includes coastal, off-shore and deep-sea fisheries mainly on the continental shelf up-to a depth of 200 m. Among the coastal states, Kerala leads in the marine fish production in India.

Rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs, ponds, tanks etc. are the sources of fresh water and provide fresh water fisheries. About 50 percent of the country’s total fish production comes from the inland fisheries.

India produces about 3 percent of World’s fish. Fishing also helps in augmenting food supply, generating employment, raising nutritional level and earning valuable foreign exchange. In 2014-15, the total inland or fresh water fish production was 65.77 lakh tonnes and the total marine fish production was 34.91 lakh tonnes.

Marine or Sea Fisheries includes coastal, off-shore and deep-sea fisheries mainly on the continental shelf up-to a depth of 200 m. Among the coastal states, Kerala leads in the marine fish production in India.

In India, the important varieties of fishes caught by the fisherman are Cat fish, Herrings, Mackerels, Perches, Eels, Mullets etc.

The problem of small and fragmented holdings is more serious in densely populated and intensively cultivated states in India. About 67 percent of operational land holdings in India are marginal holdings (< 1 hectare).

Seed is a critical and basic input for attaining higher crop yields and sustained growth in agricultural production. Unfortunately, good quality seeds are out of reach for many small and marginal farmers due to their high price.

Indian soils have been used for growing crops over thousands of years without caring much for replenishing. This has led to depletion and exhaustion of soils resulting low productivity. Only one-third of the cropped area falls under irrigated area. To make agriculture reliable, irrigation facility has to be developed.

Large tracts of fertile land suffer from soil erosion by wind and water. Such kind of areas must be properly treated and restored to its original fertility.

Major issues faced by farmers in India are • Infertile Soil • Lack of Irrigation • Lack of mechanization • Soil erosion • Agricultural marketing •Inadequate storage facilities • Inadequate transport • Scarcity of capital

Most of the agricultural operations in larger parts are carried on by human hand using simple and conventional tools. In rural India, agricultural marketing continues in a bad-shape. Due to the absence of sound marketing facility, the farmers have to depend on local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm products which is sold at low price.

White revolution is linked with Milk products.

Yellow revolution is linked with oil seed production and Blue revolution is linked with Fish production. Brown revolution is linked with Leather / Cocoa / Non-Conventional Products and golden fibre revolution is linked with Jute production. Golden revolution is linked with Fruits / Honey Production / Horticulture Development and silver Fibre production is related to cotton.

Red Revolution is related to Meat Production / Tomato Production.

Kharif (June – September), Rabi (October – March), and Zaid (April – June) are the three cropping seasons of India.