Ch – 4 Agriculture – Priya's Learning Centre

The economic activities are of three types: primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary activities include all those connected with extraction and production of natural resources. Eg: Agriculture, Mining.
Secondary activities are concerned with the processing of natural resources. Eg: Weaving, Steel manufacturing.
Tertiary activities provide support to the primary and secondary sectors through services. Eg: Banking, Trade.
The word agriculture is derived from Latin words ager or agri meaning soil and culture meaning, cultivation or tilling of soil.
Agriculture is the science and art of cultivation on the soil, raising crops and rearing livestock and it is also called Farming.
Agriculture includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock.
Favourable topography of soil and climate are vital for agricultural activity.
The land on which the crops are grown is known as Arable land.
Commercial rearing of silkworms is known as Sericulture.
Breeding of fishes in tanks or ponds is known as Pisciculture.
Cultivation of grapes is known as Viticulture.
Growing of fruits, vegetables and flowers for commercial use is known as Horticulture.
The physical inputs in the farm system include sunshine, temperature, soil, rainfall and slope.
The human inputs in the farm system include storage, labour, machinery and chemicals.
The type of farming which is done using organic manure and natural pesticides is known as Organic Farming.
Types of Farming
Type of farming depends on the geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour and level of technology.
Mainly two types of farming are there: subsistence and commercial farming.
- Subsistence Farming
- Practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family.
- Low levels of technology is used
- Household labour is used
- Small output
- Subsistence farming is of two types: Intensive Subsistence farming and Primitive Subsistence farming.
  - Intensive Subsistence Farming
  - Farmer grows a crop over a small plot of land using simple agricultural tools and more labour.
  - If the weather conditions and soil fertility remains good throughout the year, more than one crop can be grown in the same plot.
  - Crops grown – rice, wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds.
  - Prevalent in – areas with thick population and monsoon regions like south, south east and east Asia.
  - Primitive Subsistence Farming
  - It includes two types: Shifting Cultivation and Nomadic Herding
    - Shifting Cultivation
    - In this type of farming, a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them.
    - The ashes are then mixed with the soil.
    - After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot.
    - Prevalent in – Amazon basin, Tropical Africa, parts of southeast Asia and Northeast India.
    - Crops grown – Maize, Corn, Potatoes, Cassava.
    - It is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
    - The other names of shifting cultivation in different lands are :
    - Jhumming – Northeast India
    - Milpa – Mexico
    - Roca – Brazil
    - Landang – Malaysia
    - Nomadic Herding
    - In this type of farming, herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water, along defined routes.
    - This type of movement arises in response to climatic constraints and terrain.
    - Animals reared – sheep, camel, yak, goats.
    - Prevalent in – Semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara desert, parts of Rajasthan, and Jammu-Kashmir.
- Commercial Farming
- In this type, crops are grown and animals are reared for commercial purposes.
- Huge amount of capital is involved.
- Machines are used to do most of the work.
- Cultivated area is large.
- Prevalent in – Areas with sparse population and large farms like temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia.
- The two types of commercial farming are Mixed Farming and Plantation.
  - Mixed Farming
  - In this, land is used for growing food and fodder and rearing livestock.
  - Prevalent in – Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
  - Plantations
  - In this, single type of crop is grown using large amount of labour and capital.
  - Output is processes in farm itself or nearby factories.
  - A good network of transportation is required.
  - Crops grown – Tea, Coffee, Sugarcane, Cashew, Banana, Cotton.
  - Prevalent in – Malaysia, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka.
Major Crops:
Rice:
Major food crop of the world.
Staple diet of tropical and sub-tropical regions.
Requires high temperature, high humidity and rainfall.
Grows best in alluvial and clayey soil.
Most produced by China, followed by India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt.
Wheat:
Requires moderate temperature and rainfall during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest.
Grows best in loamy soil.
Produced in USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India.
Millets:
Also known as ‘coarse grains’.
Requires low rainfall and high to moderate temperature and adequate rainfall.
Grows best in less fertile and sandy soil.
Produced by India, Niger, China and Nigeria.
In India jowar, bajra and ragi are grown.
Maize:
Requires moderate temperature, rainfall and lots of sunshine.
Grows best in well drained fertile soils.
Produced by North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India and Mexico.
Cotton:
Requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost free days and bright sunshine.
Grows best in black and alluvial soils.
Produced by China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt.
Jute:
Also known as ‘Golden Fibre’.
Requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate.
Grows best in alluvial soil.
Produced mostly by India and Bangladesh.
Coffee:
Requires warm and wet climate.
Grows best in well drained loamy soil,
Produced by Brazil, Columbia and India.
Tea:
Requires cool climate and well distribute rainfall throughout the year.
Grows best in well-drained loamy soil and gentle slopes.
Produced by Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka.
Indian Farmer:
Mostly uses traditional equipment.
Irrigation is done through tube wells or nearby water sources.
All members of the family work together in the farm.
Takes credit from banks or local moneylenders to buy seeds and other equipment.
Uses organic manure and pesticides.
Sells produce in local market.
Lack of proper storage facility; force them to sell their produce at lower price.
USA Farmer:
Their farm size is much larger than ours.
Some of the major crops grown are corn, wheat, soya bean, etc.
Uses high-level technology in fields.
Uses chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Uses machines instead of manual labourers.
Grains are stored in automated grain storage or despatched to market agencies.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Published by Priya Prakash

Leave a Reply Cancel reply