NCERT AGRICULTURE

Department of Social Science

GEOGRAPHY(X)

CHAPTER 04

AGRICULTURE

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Q.1.  The land under cultivation is getting reduced day-by-day. Can you imagine its

 Consequences?

Ans. Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy and provides employment and

Livelihood to about two-thirds of its population.

Taking into consideration the importance of agriculture, the reduction of land under cultivation

Has serious consequences. Diversion of land for non-agricultural use like housing, industries,

etc., has resulted in reduction of net sown area and a declining trend in productivity. As such

Food grain as well as commercial crop production is declining. This will lead to:

(a) Food shortage for the rising population.

(b) Rise in price unaffordable for poor people.

(c) Unemployment and loss of livelihood for farmers

(d) Shortage of supply of raw material for agro-industries.

(e) Adverse effect on export trade as agricultural products comprise a major section of

     International trade.

(f) Strain on foreign exchange reserves as more agricultural goods will have to be imported.

Q.2. Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for

    Its growth. Name the areas of its Production?.

Ans. Tea is an important beverage crop of India. India is the leading producer as well as exporter

of tea in the world. Favourable geographical conditions for growth of tea are as follows:

(i) Climate: The tea plant grows well in tropical and subtropical climate. Tea bushes require

Warm (temperature between 10°C to 30°C), moist (annual rainfall above 200 cm) and

Frost-free climate throughout the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed throughout the

Year ensure continuous supply of tender leaves.

(ii) Soil: Deep fertile, well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter are ideal for its

Growth. Hence, rolling topography is favourable for its cultivation.

Tea is grown in big plantations originally introduced by the British. The major tea producing

Areas are in Assam and hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri district in West

Bengal. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh,

Uttarakhand, Meghalaya and Tripura are other tea-producing states.

Q.3. Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced. Describe the

Geographical conditions required for its growth.

Ans. Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of the people in India. It is their main cereal and is

a part of their everyday diet. India is the second largest producer of rice after China. It is grown

on the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. West Bengal,

Assam, Orissa, Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and

Some parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and eastern Madhya Pradesh are the major areas of rice

Production. In Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, rice is grown

As commercial crop with the help of irrigation.

The geographical conditions required for growth of rice are as follows:

(i) It is a kharif crop and requires hot and humid climate for cultivation. Temperature above

     25°C and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm are favourable for growth

     of rice.

(ii) Rich alluvial soils of the floodplains and deltaic areas which are renewed every years are

      Ideal for rice cultivation.

(iii) Rice requires abundant rainfall or good water supply through irrigation and flooded fields

      During the earlier part of its growing season in June-July.

(iv)  Plenty of cheap labour as most of the farming involves manual labour.

Q.4.After Independence what steps were taken by government to increase Agricultural?

Production. What is Green Revolution? What programmes were launched in 1980s and

1990s for improvement of agriculture?

Ans. The government has taken various steps since independence to increase agricultural production

to meet the needs of its growing population.

Collectivisation, consolidation of holding, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc., were

Given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence. Land

Reform is the collective term for these institutional reforms introduced to make farming

Economic and was the main focus of our First Five Years Plan.

The Government embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve Indian

Agriculture in 1960s. Green Revolution involving use of package technology was introduced

In 1960s and 1970s with this initiative. Use of modern inputs like High Yielding Variety

(HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides along with use of farm

Machineries and irrigation, were initiated to increase yield per acre. It led to significant

Improvement in agricultural production. The White Revolution (Operation Flood) was another

Strategy adopted along with it to increase milk production.

Concentration of development in few selected areas due to Green Revolution and other

Problems associated with it led to launching of Comprehensive Land Development

Programmes in 1980s and 1990s. It included both institutional and technical reforms aimed at

Improving agriculture. Some important steps included in the programme are:

(a) Provision of crop insurance against flood, drought, cyclone, fire, diseases.

(b) Establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan

Facilities to farmers at lower rates.

Special weather bulletin and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio

And television. Establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),

Agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture

Development, research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast and

Improvement of rural infrastructure etc., were given priority for improving Indian agriculture

And raising its productivity.

Q.5.   What is plantation farming? What are its main characteristics? Name some plantation

Crops.

Ans. Plantation farming is a type of commercial agriculture in which a single crop is grown on a

Large scale and processed for the purpose of sale. This type of farming is mainly prevalent in

the tropical and sub-tropical areas. In India plantation farming was introduced by the British.

The main characteristics of Plantation farming are as follows:

(i) A single crop is grown on a large area covering large tracts of land.

(ii) Capital intensive inputs are used.

(iii) Use of managerial staff and technical know-how

(iv)  Cheap, local and migrant labourers are employed.

(v) Require well-developed transport network

(vi)  Produces special market-oriented products.

In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are the main plantation crops.

Q.6. What are millets? Why are millets very important food crops in India?

Ans. Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are the important millets grown in India. They can grow in harsh climatic

Conditions with low rainfall and poor soils. Due to greater roughage content among the

Nutrients present they are called coarse grains.

They are important food crops after rice and wheat. In spite of being coarse grains they have

Very high nutritional value and are known as the poor man’s cereal.

Jowar is the third most important food crop of India with respect to area and production. It is

a rain-fed Kharif crop, mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly need irrigation.

Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and

Madhya Pradesh.

Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer,

Followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium and other micro-nutrients and roughage. It grows in dry

Regions in areas of red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soil. Karnataka is the largest

Producer, followed by Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal

Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Q.7. Define Sericulture and Horticulture. What is India’s position in production of horticulture?

    Crops?

Ans. Silk farming-Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre, is known as Sericulture.

Mulberry trees are planted and silk worms are fed on their green leaves. Silk fibre is obtained

From the cocoons of the silkworms.

Horticulture is a branch of agriculture concerned with the cultivation of garden plants –

Generally fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants which are used for landscaping.

India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India is a producer of tropical

as well as temperate fruits. Tropical fruits like Mangoes, Oranges, Bananas, Lichi, Guava,

Pineapples, Grapes and temperate fruits like Apples, Pears, Apricots, grow in various parts of the

Country and are in great demand all over the world.

About 13 percent of the world’s vegetables are produced by India. India is an important

Producer of Pea, Cauliflower, Onion, Cabbage, Tomato, Brinjal and Potato.

Q.8. Describe the geographical conditions for growth of cotton. Name the major areas of its

Production. Why is West Bengal the leading producer of Jute, the second important fibre?

Crop of India?

Ans. Cotton, Jute, Hemp and Natural silk are the major fibre crops of India. The geographical conditions

Required for the growth of cotton, the most important fibre crop of India are as follows:

Cotton is a Kharif crop and requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost free

Days and bright sunshine for its growth.

Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black soil area of the Deccan plateau. Black soil is also

Known as black cotton soil due to the fact that it is ideal for growth of cotton.

The major cotton-producing states of India are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Jute is the second most important fibre crop of India. West Bengal, especially the Hooghly

Basin of the state, is the leading jute-producing area of the country on account of the well-drained

Fertile soil of the floodplain which are renewed every year. Also the climatic condition

With high temperature during time of growth and sufficient availability of water have favoured

Jute cultivation in the Hooghly basin of West Bengal. Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are

The other jute-producing states.

Q.9. What geographical conditions are required for the cultivation of sugarcane? Name two

Largest producing states of sugarcane.

Ans. Geographical requirement for sugarcane:-

(a) Climate: - It is a tropical crop and it grows well in hot and humid climate with a

Temperatures of 21°C to 27°C.

(b) Rainfall: - Annual rainfall should be between 75 cm and 100 cm, irrigation needed where

     low rainfall takes place.

(c) Soil: - Alluvial soil is best suited other soils also.

Region: - Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are the two largest producers of sugarcane.

Q.10. State any four characteristics of commercial farming in India.

Ans. Four characteristics of Commercial Farming in India are as follows.

(i) Crops are grown on a large scale in large farms or plantations for commercial purposes

     And for export to other countries.

(ii) It is capital intensive farming requiring high application of modern inputs.

(iii) Modern inputs like high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides

      And pesticides are used to obtain higher productivity. Irrigation is applied to meet water

      Requirement.

(iv)  Commercial farming is mainly practised in states with less population pressure like.

      Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and western Uttar Pradesh. Wheat, cotton,

      Sugarcane, oilseeds, tea and coffee are grown under commercial farming.

Q.11. Explain rubber cultivation in India under the following heads.

(a) Importance (b) Geographical conditions (c) Any two rubber producing states

(a) Rubber is an important industrial raw material. Tyres, tubes of vehicles and other rubber

     Products are made from natural rubber.

(b) It is an equatorial crop but grown under special conditions. It is also grown in tropical and

     Sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm

     And temperature above 25°C.

(c) Rubber is mainly grown in Kerala and Tamil Nadu,Karnataka,Andaman,Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Q.12. What are the main Cropping Seasons of India? Distinguish between them.

Ans. There are three cropping seasons in India–RABI, KHARIF AND ZAID.