AGRICULTURE
• Agriculture has been the backbone of Indian economy since its independence and in colonial era also.
• Agriculture accounts for 14.1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) at constant (2004-05) prices in 2011-12.
• About 58.2 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
• Agriculture output, however, is influenced by good or bad monsoon conditions; nearly 55 percent of total cropped area is dependent on rainfall.
• Agriculture recorded more than 4% growth in 2006-07 and 2007-08, while it was 2.4% during the 10th plan period and 3.6% during the 11th period.
• The growth target for agriculture in the 12th Five Year Plan remains at 4 per cent as in the 11th Five Year Plan.
• However, Agri-biotech sector witnesses a growth of 30% in the last five years and it is growing steadily.
• India becomes a major grower of transgenic rice and several genetically engineered vegetables in the coming years.
Crop Seasons in India
• India is the top producer of many crops in the world.
• There can be many ways to divide the types of crops.
• Based on the seasons, the crops in India are divided into three types; Rabi, Kharif and Zaid.
➢ Kharif crops
• These crops are also called summer crops.
• They are sown before the onset of the rainy season from May to July and harvested after the rains in September and October.
• Rice and millets are major kharif crops of India.
➢ Rabi Crops
• It is also called winter crops.
• They are sown in the beginning of the winter season from October to December and harvested before the summer season from February to April.
• Wheat, barley and oilseeds are Rabi crops.
➢ Zaid Crops
• These crops are grown in the short periods after the harvest of the kharif and Rabi crops before the next major season.
• They are short-term crops. The crops sown in February to April and harvested in June and July are called the Zaid Rabi crops. Green vegetables are main crops of this season.
• Similarly after the harvest of the kharif crops in September are grown some crops to be harvested before sowing the Rabi crops in November and December.
• They are called zaid kharif crops. Oil seeds and some pulses are commonly grown in this season.
Categories of Crops in India
• The major crops can all be divided into four main categories depending on their usage.
• Food Crops (Wheat, Maize, Rice, Millets and Pulses etc.) Cash Crops (Sugarcane, Tobacco, Cotton, Jute and Oilseeds etc.).
• Plantation Crops (Coffee, Coconut, Tea, and Rubber etc.).
• Horticulture crops (Fruits and Vegetables)
Types of Cultivation
• Depending on the environment, different types of cultivation systems operate in India.
• Most of the cultivation in India is of sedentary type.
• The same land is cultivated year after year under this system.
• This latter practice is common in tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and the north-eastern region. Another type of farming practice common in India is terrace farming.
• This is a practice of the mountainous and hilly regions.
• Step-like terraces are cut on the mountain slopes to obtain narrow strips of flat land for cultivation.
• Width of the terraces depends upon the steepness of the slope is being more on gentler slopes.
• This is a method of preventing soil erosion.
• Mixed farming, mixed cropping, irrigated or wet farming and dry farming are some other typical farming practices in operation in India.
• Most Indian farming is of intensive type.
• This is primarily a result of high pressure of population on land.
• Another important fact about farming in the country is that it lays a great emphasis on cultivation of food grains.
• Rice and Wheat are the chief food grains raised in India.
• The greater emphasis on food grain cultivation is also an indicator of high pressure of population on land and intensive character of farming.
• However, several cash crops are also grown in different parts of the country.
• Cotton, sugarcane, tobacco and tea are some of the important cash crops of India.
Major Crops in India
Rice
• Rice is a tropical crop that can be grown almost throughout the year.
• It depends on atmospheric moisture and rainfall for irrigation.
• India is the 2nd largest producer of rice in the world.
• India has the largest area in the world under rice cultivation.
• Productivity is low compared to wheat because Green Revolution primarily boosted wheat production in India.
• The traditional rice fields are known as paddy fields and require being flooded with 10-12 cm deep water in the early stages.
• Rice requires temperatures between 200 and 300 C and well-distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities.
Wheat
• It is the 2nd most important food crop in India. It is a Rabi crop. India stands second in production of wheat worldwide.
• It is more flexible in terms of climatic and other conditions of growth.
• In India wheat is grown mainly in the northern plains during the cool season and the ideal temperature for its cultivation is about 150to 200C.
• Wheat requires a moderate amount of rainfall of 25 to 75 cm and can be grown even in dry areas with the help of irrigation.
• Well-drained loam and clayey soils are ideal.
• The major wheat-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• Sonalika, Kalyan Sona and Sherbati are some of the high yielding varieties of wheat.
Maize
• It was introduced in India in the 17th century; maize can also be grown over a wide variety of areas.
• Ideal temperature for this crop is about 350C.
• It requires about 75 cm of rainfall and thrives beat on fertile alluvial and red soils having good drainage.
• It can be grown on mountain soils too.
• Alternate spells of rains and sunny weather are ideal for maize.
• The highest cultivation of this crop is found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh.
Bajra
• It is an important millet crop grown in India. It thrives in areas of warm dry climate.
• It requires annual rainfall of about 45 cm and temperature ranging between 250C and 300C.
• This crop is generally grown on poor soils. Sandy loams with good drainage are ideal. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana are the chief producers of bajra.
Cotton
• Cotton is the most important fibre crop and cotton seed is used as a vegetable oil and a part of fodder for milch cattle for better milk production.
• Cotton is a Kharif crop and grows in tropical and subtropical areas. Cotton requires modest rainfall and in India, it is one of the predominant rain fed crops.
• Cotton requires a uniformly high temperature (21°C to 30°C).
• It grows in areas having at least 210 frost free days in a year. Optimum soil for cotton is the black soils of Deccan and Malwa plateau.
• Also grows well in alluvial soils of the Sutlej-Ganga plain and red and laterite soils of the peninsular region.
• Cotton growing is known as less mechanised farming in India and therefore needs cheap labour.
• Main cotton producing areas are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Coarse Cereals and Millets
• Coarse Cereals and Millets are shorter duration warm weather (Kharif) crops used both as food and fodder. Important millets are Jawar, Bajra, and Ragi etc.
• The areas under these crops have fallen drastically in recent years in India.
• The coarse cereals and millets are grown in areas with high temperature and are called dry land crops because can be grown in areas with 50-100 cm rainfall.
• The coarse cereal crops are less sensitive to soil deficiencies.
• They can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil.
• Top three states with a maximum production of total coarse cereals are Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
Barley
• This is a crop grown in wheat-producing areas of the poor soil and in the areas of lower precipitation.
• Although the geographical conditions required for its cultivation are similar to those of wheat, it has more tolerance for adverse environmental conditions.
• The major producers are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
• This is grown mainly as a dry crop.
Pulses
• Mainly dry crops, they are grown in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana in the north and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south.
• Gram is one of the leading crops of this group. Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are important producers of gram.
Groundnut
• Groundnut is the most important oil seed in India. Grown as both as kharif and Rabi crop but 90-95% of the total area is devoted to kharif crop.
• Groundnut thrives best in the tropical climate and requires 20°C to 30°C temperature. 50-75 cm rainfall is favourable for groundnut cultivation.
• Groundnut is highly susceptible to frost, drought, continuous rain and stagnant water. It needs dry winder at the time of ripening.
• Well drained light sandy loams, red, yellow and black soils are well suited for its cultivation.
• Groundnut accounts for half of the major oilseeds produced in India. India is the second largest producer of groundnut (After China).
• Top three states producing ground nut are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Jute
• Jute fibre is obtained from the best of the plants and has been the highest foreign exchange-earning crop of India. Jute needs a warm, humid climate with temperatures of 25 0C to 350C and rainfall of 100 to 200 cm.
• It is an exhaustive crop like sugarcane and lowers soil fertility rapidly.
• Therefore rich delta and alluvial soils that receive fresh silt regularly are most suitable.
• The chief jute producing states are West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa and Tripura.
• Jute cultivation in India has recently suffered due to reduced demand as a result of increasing competition of jute with artificial fibres and packaging materials. Tea
• India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world.
• Tea is grown in 16 states in India. Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala account for about 95 per cent of total tea production.
Coffee
• Coffee needs hot and humid climate with temperature varying between 15°C and 28°C. It is generally grown under shady trees.
• Strong sun shine, high temperature above 30°C, frost and snowfall are harmful for coffee cultivation.
• Dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening of berries. Rainfall between 150 and 250 cm is favourable for coffee cultivation.
• Well drained, rich friable loamy soil with humus and minerals are ideal for coffee cultivation.
• Coffee also needs cheap and skilled labour.
• Major coffee producing states of India are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Oilseeds
• Most oilseeds are grown as dry crops in association with other crops.
• The main oilseeds grown in India are groundnut, coconut, linseed, sesame, mustard, rapeseed, castor seed and coconut.
• The smaller oilseeds are grown in the north, mainly in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, and the larger seeds in the south mainly Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• The leading producers of groundnuts are Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, of soybeans Madhya Pradesh, of mustard and rapeseed Rajasthan, and of sunflower Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• Coconuts are grown in the southern coastal region in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Gujarat is the leading producer of castor seed and Chhattisgarh of linseed.
Rubber
• Rubber requires high temperatures of around 35°C and more than 200 cm rainfall.
• Kerala is the largest producer, accounting for more than 90% of total production followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Silk
• Although India produces many varieties of raw silk, the mulberry and tussar are the most important. • The chief producers are Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. • Bihar leads in the production of tussar silk.
Tobacco
• Tobacco requires temperatures of 15°C to 40°C and rainfall of over 50 cm or irrigation facilities.
• Fertile soils with good drainage are ideal as it is an exhaustive crop.
• The major producers of tobacco are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Bihar.
• The two popular varieties of tobacco grown in India are Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica.
• Virginia tobacco used for making categories is grown in Andhra Pradesh.
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