QA Agriculture

 Chapter - Agriculture

Q Distinguish between Rabi and Kharif Crops?

Answer :

Rabi Kharif

1. Rabi is sown in October-November.

1. It is sown with the onset of monsoon in

June or early July.

2. The crops depend upon the moisture of

sub-soil.

2. The crops depend upon monsoons.

3. The harvesting of crops is done in

April-May.

3. The harvesting of crops is done in

October-November.

4. The important crops are wheat, gram,

mustard oil seeds, etc.

4. The important crops are rice, millets,

maize, groundnut, jute, etc.

Write main characteristics of ‘slash and burn’ or Primitive Subsistence Farming agriculture.

Answer:

● This type of farming is practised in few pockets of India on small patches of land using primitive tools

and family/community labour.

● Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their families.

● When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. This

type of shifting allows nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through natural processes.

● Land productivity is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modem inputs.

What are the major differences between primitive subsistence farming and commercial farming?

Answer:

Primitive Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming

1. In this mainly cereals and other food crops are grown

by farmers to sustain themselves.

1. In this, crops are mainly grown for commercial

purposes.

2. It is generally done on small land holdings which are

economically not viable.

2. It is practiced on large pieces of land on scientific and

commercial lines.

3. Primitive tools and animals are used for carrying out

agricultural activities.

3. In this type of agriculture, machines and modern

technology are used.

4. In this, modern agricultural inputs, e.g., fertilisers and

irrigation are not widely used.

4. There is higher use of modern agricultural inputs, e.g.,

HYV seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, etc. are used to obtain

higher yields and production.

5. Subsistence Agriculture is called Jhumming in Assam,

Mizoram; Kuruwa in Jharkhand.

E.g., Slash and Burn.

5. The degree of commercialization varies from one

region to another. Rice is a commercial crop in Punjab,

while in Orissa it is subsistence crop. E.g., Plantation

agriculture.

Write the geographical and labour conditions required for the growth of tea.

Answer:

Geographical conditions:

1. It grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.

2. It requires deep, fertile, well drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.

3. It requires warm and moist frost free climate round the year.

4. Frequent showers evenly distributed through the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.

5. Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour.

6. It is processed within tea gardens to restore its freshness.

Define plantation agriculture. Explain any four characteristics of plantation agriculture.

Answer:

Plantation is a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area. The following are

the four characteristics of plantation.

● Plantations have very large areas.

● Capital-intensive inputs are used.

● Migrant labourers are used.

● All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.

● The development of plantations is the result of a well-developed network of transport and

communication, connecting plantations to markets

For geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton.

“Wheat and rice farming in India are fairly different from each other.” Support the statement with

five suitable examples.

Answer:

Q Write the main characteristics of intensive subsistence farming.

Answer:

1 It is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.

2 It is labour intensive farming.

3 Yield per hectare is high because high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used.

4 The size of the land-holdings is small and uneconomical.

5 Farmers take maximum output from the limited land by raising 2-3 crops in a year from the same land,

i.e., multiple cropping is practised.

Q Explain any five features of Indian agriculture.

Answer:

The following are the five features of Indian agriculture.

1 Indian agriculture is mainly of intensive subsistence type.

2 It is mainly practised in areas of high population pressure on land.

3 It is labour-intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining

high yields.

4 Farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternate source of

livelihood, which leads to enormous pressure on agricultural land.

5 The right of inheritance has led to division of land among successive generations and rendered the size

of land holding uneconomical.

Q Explain any five characteristics of commercial farming in India.

Answer:

The following are the five characteristics of commercial farming in India.

1 The main characteristic of commercial farming is the use of high doses of modern inputs, like HYV seeds,

chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides, in order to obtain higher productivity.

2 The degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another, for example rice is a

commercial crop in Punjab and Haryana but in Odisha it is a subsistence crop.

3 Plantation is also a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area.

4 Plantations cover large areas using capital intensive inputs with the help of migrant labourers.

5 In India tea, coffee, rubber, sugar cane and banana are important plantation crops

 Q Describe the main features of Bhoodan-Gramdan.

Answer:

Main features of Bhoodan-Gramdan are as mentioned below :

1 Mahatma Gandhi declared Vinoba Bhave as his spiritual heir. Vinoba Bhave was one of the votaries of Gandhi’s concept of gram swarajya,

2 After Gandhi, he undertook padyatra to spread Gandhiji’s message in the country.

3 During his padyatra in Andhra Pradesh, poor landless villagers demanded some land

for their economic well-being.

4 He promised them to talk to the government but suddenly one Shri Ramchandra Reddy offered 80 acres of land to be distributed among 80 landless villagers.

5 This was the beginning of ‘Bhoodan’.

Thereafter, some zamindars owners of many villages offered to distribute some villages among the landless. Thus Bhoodan became Gramdan.

6 It may be added that some land-owilfers chose to give some part of their land to the poor farmers due to the fear of land ceiling act.

7 This Bhoodan-Gramdan movement is also known as Blood-less Revolution.

 Q Briefly describe the institutional reforms introduced in Indian agriculture.

Answer 

1 Collectivisation, consolidation of land holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari etc. were given priority to bring institutional reforms in the country after independence. 

2 Land reform was the main focus of our first Five Year Plan. The right of inheritance had already led to fragmentation of land holdings necessitating consolidation of land holdings. 

3 The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve Indian agriculture in the 1960's and 1970's. 

4 The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution were some of the strategies initiated to improve a lot of Indian agriculture. 

5 Provision for crop insurance against flood, drought, cyclone, fire and disease, the establishment of Grameen banks,  cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps in this direction. 

6 Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS), are some other schemes introduced by the government of India for the benefit of farmers.