Agriculture Cheatsheet

Cheatsheet Content

1. Introduction to Agriculture Definition: Agriculture is deeply connected to our daily lives. It is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of soil for growing crops and rearing animals to provide food, wool and other products. Etymology: The term 'agriculture' is derived from Latin words – 'ager' meaning 'field' and 'cultura' meaning 'to cultivate'. Hence, agriculture refers to the cultivation of field. Some agricultural products are directly used for consumption, while others are processed in industries to be used. We observe different types of agricultural practices in the world. 2. Types of Crops 2.1 Food Crops Mainly grown for providing food to people. Undergo no/minimum processing in industries as they are consumed directly. Food crops are mainly grown for providing food to the people. Types of Food crops Examples Cereals Rice, Wheat and Maize Millets Jowar, Bajra and Ragi Pulses Gram, Tur and Masur Spices Cardamom, Pepper and Chillies 2.2 Cash Crops Mainly grown for earning profits. Processed to develop a desired finished product, which can be sold in the market. Examples: Oilseeds like groundnut and mustard, cotton, jute, sugarcane. Sugarcane is grown to make sugar. Cash crops are mainly grown for earning cash or profits. Jute is mainly produced in the regions of Bangladesh and India. 3. Green Revolution The term Green Revolution was coined in the late 1960s. The yield in farms was increased by introducing high-yielding variety seeds, pesticides and other management techniques. This is mainly done to increase the production of food grains. As the population in India and other Asian developing countries, they face acute shortage of food grains. Dr Norman Borlaug was an American agronomist and humanitarian. His initiatives contributed to the extensive increase in agricultural production termed as Green Revolution. India started growing wheat in large quantities through Green Revolution. Earlier, India used to import wheat from USA, but after implementing the Green Revolution techniques, India not only became self-reliant but also one of the leading producers and exporters of wheat in the world. Due to Green Revolution, the production of food grains started on a large scale. This also improved the agricultural techniques as farmers worked towards understanding the importance of seasons, soil type and more. Farmers were supported and trained by various organisations all over the world to tackle the issue of food shortage. Positive effects: Farmers started using pesticides and insecticides to protect crops. Traditional farming techniques were replaced by machinery. The regions of India were not just subsistence markets. They transformed into commercial markets. The farmers were introduced to HYV (high-yielding varieties) of seeds. The use of chemical fertilisers was encouraged for better quality and quantity of production. 4. Types of Agricultural Practices 4.1 Subsistence Farming This type of agriculture is popular in countries with higher population. Subsistence farming is the practice of growing crops and raising livestock for personal consumption without producing a significant surplus for trade. In subsistence farming, the agricultural produce is limited to a region, a group or a community. Features: The farmers are poor and own a small piece of land. They grow mainly food crops like rice and vegetables. They use natural fertilisers and depend mainly on monsoon seasons. They use traditional equipment to cultivate. Can be conducted in three different ways: Shifting cultivation Intensive farming Extensive farming 4.1.1 Shifting Cultivation Popularly known as the slash-and-burn method. In this type of cultivation, the farmers clear a patch of land by cutting and burning the trees and bushes. The land is then used to grow crops. Usually, the seeds are scattered on the land and left to grow. The farmers depend on monsoon for water. The soil is fertile for some years before losing its natural fertility. Once the land becomes infertile, the farmers move to some other region to clear the next patch of land. This type of farming reduces forest cover and soil fertility, and it increases air pollution in the region. Different parts of the world: Swidden in Africa/Amazon basin Milpa in Central America Tavy in Africa Jhum in North East India 4.1.2 Intensive Farming In this type of farming, a large number of labourers are involved in getting maximum yield from a small landholding. Farmers use high-yield varieties of seeds and apply plenty of fertilisers and pesticides to increase productivity. The farmers mainly grow crops to cater to their daily needs of grains, vegetables, etc. 4.1.3 Extensive Farming Practised in areas of low population and large landholdings. This type of farming is practised where the use of labour is less and most of the work is done by machines. 4.2 Commercial Farming Unlike intensive farming, the farmers cultivate a limited variety of crops, which results in better yields. Crops in commercial farming are cultivated to be sold to ensure maximum production. An agricultural produce can be sold in the farmers' homeland or abroad. The main aim is to grow crops to earn profits. Farms do not depend on the size of the farms. The farms could be small or large. Farmers grow crops on a large scale by using high-yield seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, modern machineries and irrigation techniques. Certain crops require labour during the harvesting and sowing process. Crops like fruits and vegetables are mainly grown for trading purposes using this practice. The type of commercial farming is conducted through the plantation method. The crop seeds are not directly sown in fields. Its saplings are planted. Hence, this method is called plantation farming. 5. Major Crop-producing Regions Rice: A staple crop in most regions in the world. In India, the Gangetic Plains are popular for cultivating rice. China is the world's largest producer of rice. Most South Asian countries, such as Thailand and Bangladesh, grow rice. Brazil and Japan are also two of the major producers of rice. Wheat: The most important crop in Northern India. Wheat is the principal cereal of USA. The largest producer of wheat is China. Sugarcane: A tropical crop. India is the second-largest producer of sugarcane, after Brazil. Cotton: Mainly grown in China, India and Pakistan. China is the largest producer and consumer of cotton. India and USA are the second and third-largest producers of cotton, respectively. Tea: Produced on a large scale in the hilly regions of China, the leading producer of the world. The other regions where tea is produced on a large scale are India and Kenya. Rubber: Grown in Thailand, Indonesia and China. Thailand ranks first, whereas India ranks fourth in its production. 6. Other Important Concepts The water-deficient fields were given an extension of irrigation facilities.