UJ

Agricultu
nd rearmu livestock t known a
of u II ,t1on on the oil, ra1s111g crop n agri rneaniny :;.OIi and
rd gr c llure ' derived from Latin words ager ~:1r1es thol aro involved in
tO 111ere are three types of economic aci ry, secondary 7 and
P nt to a finished product These are pr ma .

Subsistence Farming
,ulture 1s primary acth it} [l includes growing of
Subsistence farming is practic;ecl to meet the needs of
ru l'- [Link]~ , [Link]:. llm, crs and rearing of livestock.
the farmer's family. It can be classified as intensive
About 50 of the \,orld population is engaged in agriculture,
subsistence and primitive subsistence farming.
a d m lnd1 , 1,,0-thirds of the population depend on it.
These are discussed below
Agnculture depend,; on fa, orable topography of soil and
d1mate The land on "h1ch the cr~1ps are grown b known Intensive Subsistence Farming
arable land In this type of farming, a small plot of land is cultivated
using, simple tools and more labor. It requires climate with
a large number of days having sunshine and fertile soils.
3.1 Farming System
Agnculture or farming system include inputs like seeds, Rice is mainly grown through intensive subsistence
fertilisers. machint:ry and labour and outputs such as farming. Other crops include wheat, maize, pulses and
crops \\OOI, dairy and poultry products. It also involves, oilseeds. It is common in densely populated monsoon
operallons hke ploughing, .-.owing, and harvesting. regions of South, South-East and East Asia.
Farmmg is pract1~ed m , anous w ~·s across the world. On Primitive Subsistence Farming
the basis of the geographical cond tions demand of It includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding. These
produce labour and level of techn logy, farming can be are discussed below
classified mtn tv. o main types. These are subsistence
farming anL commercial farming. • Shifting Cultivation It is practised in thickly forested
areas of the Amazon basin, tropical africa, etc. lt involves
clearing of land by felling of trees and burning them.
Types of Farming

7
Commercial Farming
.. r-- t l
Prim1t ve Subsistence Commercial Mixed Plantation
Agriculture Grain Farming Farminq

Nomt1d1c linrd1nq

1
rclttletJ to f'.w.l r ictrori aruJ 1,roduct1011 of
l t I
2 r II urc1 re•,our<.;c>c; ,
Irg r,f tho rr <,tHCC pro,Juu cJ through prun,iry .tC.llv1t1e·, e.g. c1gri<.;ulture. fishing and gathering.
3 . ...
. . rv , to the JJrlcnmy £111d cconddry r,ctor
,, e.g. lndnutacturing steel, baking bread and
s, e.g. tr,rnsport, trade b .
'
· anking, insurance and advertising.
 rhcn, the ashes remai1H.•d ,tt c mix <l w·il
I l SOI 1 lo g1ow
.
.
[Link] like ma1zc and pot,,toc..•s 3.2 Major Crops
,\ ftcr the soil loses its fc..-1 llhl} ' the tr. I · .. l . I I <l
-1 11 ~ ts ,1 lane once an
/\ large vancly of [Link]<, arc grown for fulfilling the needs of
,1 new 1,rnd 1, deart>d Shl1111w cu!r1v,t 1,> 11 · . I · k
c, " , 1s a so nown
the growing population and other purpo<,e<, like supplying
,t:. s~ash a~d burn a_ gricnlturc, Jhumming (North -East raw material for agro ba&ed inclu!'.tries.
[ndi.1), Mdpa (i\lcx1c..o), Roca (Brazil) and Ladang Major food crops are wheat, rice, maize and millets. Jute
(~I.1lav~1.1)
and cotton are major fibre crops and tea and coffee are
• Nomadic Herding It is practised in semi-arid and arid major beverage crops. These are discussed below
rcgio1_1s like .Sahara, .Central Asia, ~ajasthan, and Jammu ■ Wheat It requires moderate temperature and rainfall
Jnd Kashmir. In this type of farming, herdsmen move while growing and bright sunshine at the time of
from place to place with their animals in search of harvest. It grows best in loamy soil.
fodder and water.
Major producers of wheat include the USA, Canada,
Animals like sheep, camel, yak and goats are Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India. It is
commonly reared by herders which provides milk, grown in India in winter season.
meat, wool, hides and other products to their families.
■ Rice It is a major food crop and the staple diet of tropical
Commercial Farming and sub-tropical regions. It requires high temperature,
Commercial farming involves growi9g of crops and humidity and rainfall.
rearing of animals for sale in the market. It requires It grows best in alluvial clayey soil that can retain water.
large cultivated land, large amount of capital, and use China is the top producer of rice, followed by India,
of machines. Japan, Srilanka and Egypt.
• Maize Maize also known as corn requires moderate
It includes commercial grain farming, mixed farming, and
temperature and rainfall. It requires lots of sunshine and
plantation agriculture.
well-drained fertile soils.
These are discussed below It is grown in North America, Brazil, China, Russia,
• Commercial Grain Farming In this farming, crops Canada, India and Mexico.
are grown for commercial purposes, e.g. wheat ■ Millets Millets including jowar, bajra and ragi are hardy
and maize. It is mainly practised ir:1 sparsely crops also known as coarse grains. They require low
populated temperate grasslands of North America, rainfall and high to moderate temperature.
Europe and Asia. They can be grown on less fertile and sandy soils. They
• Mixed Farming It involves growing food and fodder are grown in India, Nigeria, China and Niger.
crops along with rearing of livestock. • Jute It is known as the Golden Fibre. It is grown in
It is practised in regions like Europe, Eastern USA, tropical areas and requires high temperature, heavy
Argentina, South-East Australia, New Zealand and rainfall and humid climate.
South Africa. It grows well in alluvial soil. India and Bangladesh are
• Plantations Farming In this farmihg, single crops like its major producers.
tea, coffee, sugarcane, are grown. Il requires large ■ Cotton It requires high temperature, light rainfall, 210
amount of labor and capital. frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth.
Major plantations are found in tro}~ic~l regions _of It grows best in black and alluvial soils. Its major producers
the world, such as rubber plantatio1hs m Malaysia, are China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt.
coffee plantations in Brazil, and tea. plantations in ■ Tea It is a beverage crop grown on plantations. It requires
India and Sri Lanka. a cool climate and well distributed high rainfall for the
growth of its tender leaves. It is grown well-drained
KNOWLEDGE PWS Organic farming s a type of farming loamy soil.
ii WIich orpnic manure and natural estlcides are used Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka produces the best quality
.....d Df chemicals. of tea in the world.
 A Farm in India
• Coffee It requires a warm and iet climate and well- A kal Indian farml,\nd i, .\bou.t 15 h, dan:~ in ill
drained loamy soil. It is mostly grown on hill slopes.
Th~'PHi h Yielding V.1rictics (H t v~) c,f ~n ,i , .:trt
Brazil is the leading producer o coffee, followed by gd . k 't Thl' t.rn1.l ,, ternle .ind Jt l
urchase trom lll,\r '- ·
Colombia and India. p
crops .
ma .
,ear ~ b,c ~:rro\\n • wh1d 1 ,ur mamh \\ht1t.r
~an
KNOWLEDGE PLUS In about AD ~ 50, Kaldi, an Ar~b goat- and pulses.
herder, discovered the coffee whil tasting the berries of •gr1· ·ultural 1.lffi1.l'r-. . vill.ig1.'f!. ,111'1 f.l\\''
The governmen t "~ ~ . •
evergreen bush on which the goa were feeding. . d . d h •lp the ll• rm~1 s Ill , .H l\>\1 -, farrn ,11. 1" It '
give a VICe an 1.:
· lnJ 1·a \l'•l' ,: lHl\ 1.•n [Link] meth,•<l, ,1f
Usu ally fa rmers m · . • . ,
3.3 Agricultural Devel ppment farming like bullocks for pllHlghmg tir , om\ l.1m11.1 , ta1.r
Agricultural development refers to l~fforts made for . tractors and tubewells on n.•nt.
increasing farm production, in or1f r to meet the growmg In spite of having storage fal.'1htil?s._~l,l\ll' fa r1,ne1, ~r\' ,
demand of increasing population. ].ts ultimate aim is to forced to sell the produce m [Link] \'\ fl\ " hl n tl11 111 .1r1o;r;
increase food security. I is not favourable to them. In recc.:nt p,i,t. th r g \)\ \'rllll h'nt
Agricultural development can be achieved through methods has taken some steps to de, dop st or .1µ1.· ludlilll' ' ·
like
• increasing the cropped area A Farm in the USA
The average size of a farm in the U~ \ ts 11\~I\ h l.11 fl I th 1
• increasing the number of crops grown
that of an Indian farm. A typ1c..\l [Link] ,Ill' m tl1l' L ~ \ 1,
• improving irrigation facilities
about 250 hectares. Adequate measurt>s .11 l ' 1.1!..l' ll ll'
• using fertilisers control pests that can damage the [Link].
• adopting high-yielding variety s, eds
Farmers send soil samples penoditalh to .1 ,,lll 1t·~t111g
• mechanising agriculture
laboratory to check whether the nut1wnh .11 l ' ,utfki l'HI 11
Developing countries with large pof ulations practice not. In case of having a negative result , fu nner ... plJn .i
intensive agriculture in which crops are grown on small scientific fertilisers programme.
holdings. On the other hand, commercial agriculture is
For the proper sprinkling of chemical k1 tilisl·r, .mJ
practised in countries like USA, c + ada a~d Australia, in
pesticides on the field. tanners use- tompuh.•1 pr of:1.11111111
which crops are grown on larger la:ndholdmgs.
which provides a satelhte p1durt ot thl' fidJ . l lh 1.11 nw1•
aNOWLEDGE PLUS Food securi exists when all people in the USA works like a businessm an anJ 1wt h kc a
hawt access to sufficient, safe an nutritious food at all peasant farmer m Ind1., ..
llnl8s.
 I 11111111.,,n,lnl Jm rnln g
" l11volv1 , 1•1ow111e of
( t.: r, ,p ,, n11cl ru,iring
f 1rnIly of r11 11rnt1l1> for sol•
Jyp,.., of I urmh11(

f
Prlm ltlvo
Subsistence
j Int, J <ilVf 'S1Jh•; l1t,•nc1•
Common,h,I
<,mlt1 I unnln,t
Mlxt:d
lm1111t11;
Farming
/\ b l
I ,1rtnln1i
,di plol <JI l,111<1 I',
c ult , , 11 vct II(,lnf~'"ilinpl(•
C;n,pr; mo grown
lor r:ornrnor,:[Link]
f)llq-)O ' ,I)' I, 0 ,f(
<1,owing foo< J
o11uJ lod<Jur
r,rnp , dl<mf' w111l
I
( ~ - nnlrnor, [Link] u, Wll<Ji ll ,Hl(J 1r1 11i10 ro,ir111po t
live.• ,tor,k
Nomadic Hrrdlng \
Hcrdsm,•n rn ovr with t hr•1r
animate; ,n :.,,,:,1rch of foo<J
and re<.1rcu ~he <m. c~m el,
-- Shifting
Cultlvotlon
Plantation r armin g
Single• crop 1<; P,rown
wt11 ch rcqu1rt,. lv rge
ya~ tor rrnfk, m(;d t, wrJol
ClcrJrlng of lancJ l)y .imo1ml of labour ancJ
folllnr! or trees nnc.J capital, e.g. tcu , coffee.
burning them sur,mcan c, C'tt,
• Othr::r names Jhummlne,
m1lpa, roca, r,lash and
burn , ladang

Rrce
Food Crops

• H,gh temperature. hum1d1ty and arnfall

• Grown ,n alluv,al clayey soil
Crops

Agricultural Dcvelo~me,;
• Efforts to increase farm
production
l
Wheat • Adopting HYV seeds
• 'Aoderate temperature and ramf<,11 • Mechanising agriculture
• Grown ,n loamy sotl Beverages • Using fertilisers
Tea
Millet
• Cool climate and high
• Lvw rainfall and high to moderat .
rainfall
t ern perat,.ue
• Grown in well drained
• Grown 1n less fertile and sandy s tis
loamy soil Fibre Crops
Maize Jute
Coffee
• Mod':!ratf.:! temperature and ra,nf 11 • High temperature, heavy
• A warm and wet climate
• <,rown 1n lots of sunshine and we I rainfall, hum,d climate
• Grown in well drained
ara1ned fertile sotls loamy soil • Grown in alluvial soil

...· Cotton
• High temperature, light
rainfall, 210 frost-free
days and bnght sunshine
• Grown in black and
Alluvial soils
 xt Qu ton
of NCERT
NCERT F LDER
Au «i. ('-) lllh.
EXERCISES (Ill) Loading produc r of coff
(O) Br 111 (t, Ir d
0.1 Answer tho follwlnt! quo!Ulom,.
(I) WhOt Is acri cuttum? Ans. (a) Br 111
An s. r he' wo,d agr1c11lt111t i~ dr ,i vc< from I 1111 wwd~ ager or 0.3 Give reason
1p11 fi ll 1111 ug 011 il1 1d t1 il1111 c 11e.1 11 111g u ilt 1vatw11 (I) In India, ar,rlcultur I o prim ry ctlvlty
At,nc 11lr 111 l 1ml11dc, gm w111g ,f lr111 t<., [Link],, vcgetahlt><i,
ll11 wu ~ .ua l re,m 11g ol l1vcs to c.. Ans. Agnc.u I
(IIJ Nome th e factors lnfluoncln ugrtculturc. India h
(two th
Ans. l l1 c l,H Iors 111f11 1c 11 u 11 g ,1gr ic11l 111 r 1111 l11d ( topogr,1p/Jy, r,od
.,gncultur" ri ,
q11,d11 y, di 111 ,1tc ,111d IIH ,1v,11l.1I > lit y ol .11 .dilt l,111d.
cond1t1on
(IIIJ What Is shifting cultlvatlon? t hctl are It~ upport in II 111
disadvantngcs? Dlkth•
(II) Dtffc rcnt crop ar grown In dlff r nl r glon
Ans. Slid1111g c.. ult1 v.,11ou l ll\ Ol \'l'' dt 11111g of I 111<11,y r, lling ol
Ans. J>1ftc 1f
tree~ 011d li111111111: thllll 'J hu1 h t ,t ,Ill , H 1na1111 d ,Ill
1111 xed WII h sod to i r ow er op ~ I it. 111.11n ,md pot.ilo1• ,.
h c.1 n
A ftl I lhl· \Oil loses Jh ltrtilit y, l ll' l.111d J', ab,111d11n1 ·d .111d cl
gcogr II ton fl

11cw l,111d 1s d c, ,r l'd . I hour nd J I ,r I h

I he d1 s,1dv.i 1itagcs cl shdtmg l t t1 v.ilHJ11 ,11 c a~ follo w'l 0 .4 Distlngul h between th f ollowlnfl
• It !tads lo l.u gl cv 1c11t ,,J cld ll'\ l ,111011 (I) Primary ctlvltl ctlvltl
• II le ,d ~ to soil e 111 , 10 11 ,111 d .,, J le,<. . Ans. ml I rll ,
• II 111 1 k c~ thl l.111<1 lfllt I tdl
(Iv) What 1s ptant,1tlon ... grlculturQ? Dlkthl
Pnma") A 11,11 1 rtl r1 A<Ji•dtl
Ans. l'l 1111 ,1111111 ag11ud1ur c ,~ ,11ype 1'' CIJ1n1i1c1u,d l.1r1111ng I
1

~h, II ri s111gl1 • l. lllJl li ke 11·,1, u1f j''l ug- ,rc Jill', [Link] cw,
,ul,l,1, h,111 ,,ia or 111111111 i i, gro II . ft ,u1111n•<; l,tt ge c1 11d
l,if,011r C, [Link]
(v) Name the fibr~ crops ,rnd nm e th,.: cllmcc1tlc con<lltlon•.
required for their growth.
Ans. ll11,;lil,r c u11p ~, 11, (11ll1111,11HIJ II . II I It
I Ire I n .. ,11 il l,f c du11 ,11, i 11111!1111 11 \ 1,,, 111 t I
l111l11 ws (; I g 111\\ I I , ll C

• ( 0111111 ,, H; •Jlll
J ,c
I"!:•I, 1c111p r.i t111 c, lig lil i J 1111 ill 2 111
Ill I IJl C d 1) 11111 I,, 1gl11 1111 "Ill; fr,, JI g l11\\ ll • (II) Sub lstenc
• Jule It rcyu1J c h1 ·h tr. 111pc1 it ,re Ii ' 1 i
hu,n,rl d,rn J I ,
l Ill
r II g 1(11 ~f
II ) r 1 111 C1II a11d nd
0.2 Tick the correct answer.
(1J Horticulture means
) row,11 of fru1ti rnd v g t
b) pnrnrt1v furrrun
le i 0~ 1n of w11
Ans ( " ,n • lrwt nJ v
(II) Golden fibre refers to
t b) otton

138 AD,.oa, Soc al Science Claaa

8
 Q.5 Activity
(i) Collect seeds of wheat rice j NCERT ON PAGE 31 (FOR FUN)
maize, oilseeds and pu,lses owilar, bajra, ragi, 0.6 For Fun
. · va able In the
market. Bring them to the cl
which type of soil they grow. ass and find out In

Ans. The different type of seeds an the soil on which

they grow are as follows
• '":'heat It grows best in loanF soil.
• Ric~ It grows best in alluvi~l clayey soil that
retain water. can

• Jowar (Sorghum) and Baj Ja (Pearl Millet) They

can be grown on less fertile and sandy soils.
• Ragi (Finger Millet) Ragi grows in well-drained
s~ndy loai:11 soil and can also grow in rock and
hilly terram. y
• ~aize Maize gr~ws in well chained, loamy soil
with good organic content. ~t requires fertile soil
for optimal growth.
• Oilseeds (e.g. sunflower, soybean, groundnut)
i!b
Many of the oilseeds grow well-drained loamy
or sandy loam soils.
• Pulses (e.g., lentils, chickpeas, mung beans)
Pulses grow in well-drained loamy soils with Across Down
good organic matter. 1. Crop that needs 1. Coarse grains are also
well-drained fertile called (7)
(ii) Find out the difference between the life style of soil, moderate
farmers in the USA and India on the basis of temperature and lots of
pictures collected from magazines, books, sunshine (5)
newspapers and the lnterne-t. 2. Increasing production 3. Cultivation involving slash
through use of HYV and burn (8)
Ans. The differences of lifestyle of farmers in the USA and seeds, chemical
India are fertilisers and
pesticides (10, 5)
Lifestyle of Farmers in Lifes1re of Farmers in US~ 4. USA, Canada, Russia, 5. Growing of crops, fruits
India Australia are maJor and vegetables (11)
------ In the USA the farmers have
It is characterised by producers of this crop (5)
small-scale farming, with a significantly much larger 10. Type of farming to meet 6. Tea,coffee,sugarcane
majority of farmers owning farms. family needs (11) and rubber are grown in
relatively small plots of (11)
land. 13. Rearing of animals for sale 7. Requires 210 frost- free
- Farmers in U~~aged (9) days for growth (6)
Farmers in India are
in corrf 1ercial agric~t~~e, 14. Growing grapes for wines 8. Growing of flowers (12)
engaged in subsistence
with a f~cus on max.1m1smg (11)
agriculture. Commercial
produ rtion and profit. 9. Also called 'Golden Fibre·
farming is also prevalent in
(4)
certain areas. Also known as paddy (4)
They eriploy advan~ed . 11.
Their i;chnology adoption 12. Activity concerned with
varies; some use tractors, techn~logies, includi~g soil
testin computer-assisted extraction of natural
drip irrigation and mobile
apps, while others rely on
plann·b~, an~- the use of
resources (7)

chemi~~ fertilisers and

traditional methods Ans. 1. Maize, Millets 2. Commercial grain
pestici~Jes. _
3. Shifting 4. Wheat
The~:-often face challenges
They H~ve access to
automated grain storage and 5. Agriculture 6. Plantations
related to a lack of storage
efficie t market agencies. 7. Cotton 8. Horticulture
facilities. This leads to
selling produce in the 9. Jute l 0. Subsistence
mandi even when market 11. Rice 12. Primary
conditions may not be 13. Livestock 14. Viticulture
favourable.

Chapter 3 · Agriculture 13
 lncludlng Competency Based

REVIEW EXERCISE Questions

Part I
Sujata, a student of class VIII Is talking <Jbout a
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) 10.
crop which requires moderato temper..tturG
1. Which type of activity agriculture is? Dlluh• and rainfall. She sayc; that In lndla It Is i!rc,wn
(J 1 Pnn an .id1v1t} In winter in loamy soil. Which crop she wuc.,
(bl 'i• uindaf) .ict1vity
talking about? Comp.t•ncy 11..,
(I,) Wlwat
(1..) ft'rl11f) activity (a) Rice
(d) ;-...one of the above (d) M,dzc·
(c) Millets
2. .. ....... activity is concerned with processing and 11. Which among tho following le; not a mlllot crop''
manufacturing. (a) Jowar (b) Jtav1
(a) Primary (b) Secondary (c) Wheat (d) HaJra
(c) Tertiary (d) None of these
12. Cultivation of grape~ is also known a~ ......... .
3. ......... percentage of population in the world depends (a) viticulture (b) l1oit1c.ultt1rt>
on agriculture. (d) JJh(tCllfturt.!
(c) scriculturc
(a) 20 (bJ 50
(c) 75 (d) 35 13. Growing vegetables, flower'>, fruit~ and [Link],Jtlw.1
plants for commercial use I<; known a'> Plkthi
4. The land on which crops are grown is known as
(a) viticulture (b) hurtkulture
(a) Arablt:: land (b) Wet land
(c) scriculturc (d) pi<;c:icultun·
(c) Dry land (dJ None of these
5. The type of agriculture largely practiced in India is 14. Identify the type of farming from th,3 Information
(a) subsistence farming given below. Compet•ncy Baud
(b) extensive farming (i) In this farming, cultiva1cd arc,J ,., lmi~<!.
(c) commercial farming (ii) Machines are u!::.ed to do mo•,t of 1tic worf.t
(d) mixed farming
(iii) It i~ mainly popular in North America , Lump<: :Jric1
6. Slash and burn practice of agriculture is also known Asia.
as Codes
(a) mtern,ive farming (b) extensive farming (a) Shifting (h) No111:[Link]
(c) shifting farming (d) nomadic farming (c) Commercial (d) Pla11tati,,n
7. Factors Influencing the crop cultivation is/are
(a) temperature (b) fertile soil
15. Consider the following stat,~monts and choo~e th,-
correct option. '
( c) ramfall (d) A11 of these
I. Man~factunng St(:cl, briking br<J<J<J, ...md
8. The two most important staple food crops of the
world are weaving cloth arc exarnpl,:!.> c,f ',H <md H/
activities. •• '
(a) rag1 and bajra
(I..J rke and wheat
(b) tea and coffee
(d) milieu. and maize II. :~:i:;~~~~:lti<:', provide <,uppurt to the [Link]/
my ,[Link]•, ttiro1Jt1t 1, ,,r . t ,,
9 • ......... is grown In winter. It requires rainfall during tra nsportat1·0 • . , , ✓ 10: , •,uc,; ' ,, ->
n, ' rd <J<. [Link]<1r1u ·
growing season and bright sunshine at the time of advertising. ' r.,, tw,ur:mc,e ar,d
harvest.
Codes
(a) R1n~ (b) Watermelon
(a) Bolh I and II (b) {Jnly JJ
(cl \\'[Link] (d) Hajra
(c) Only Ir
(d) '."'"ll' 11f tli1•• !!

140 AJll•Ola Social Science Class 8

 16. consu1c, the following stntcrne t 5
correct option. n und chooso tho Assertion-Reason
1 Wheal 1eq u1res moc1erme lC",
" PCn:iturcs Rn<1 1. Ac;-.ertlon (,\) Chinn, USA lnd1,1, [Link]!,l,'ln 81.1211 .11,a
,if q 1n1 e minfall durrno tli e g rr,ypt are the k•n,1ine, proc1l1c,•rs ot l'\,,ttlm.
rowing sens1)11 n·
t>
II ,-i • tmg11t sunsI,,ne nt thr- t11np of ha~ es.1.' " Rcn~on (R) Br ,1111 1s the 11•.idmg produ\·er of< i>fll't'
ii r ,cl r:. cllso known as tlie Golc1t n f ibcr.' tnllowt'd b\ Columbt.l ,ind lndi,1 .
Codt•s
Codes
( d 11<,1h I u1d II (h) Unh
11 (cJ) Bott1 -'\ .rnd R ar1} true c1111.l R 1~ tht'• co11~ct
(l)()nl r l ld)N(lneofth1•~l C\planat1on of A
Armngc the followlng countries In terms of c ff (b) Both A c1nd R ,,re t1u(1, but His not the rorrf•ct
production eo ° cxplonation ot A
I. Utdlll II Indra Ill Columbia (C) A IS true, but R IS fcllSe
Codes (d) A is false, but R IS trllC'
( .I) lll II' I (b)[Link] 2 Assertion (A) Developing countmis with l,H gl.'
(I ) '· II , 111 (J) I. Ill, 11 populations usuall~ practice intensive,,~, ,culturt->
where crops are grown on small holdings mostl~ for
Answers subsistence.
1. (fl) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (a) Reason (R) Larger holdings are more sultnblP tor
6. (C) 7. (d) 8. {C) 9. (C) 10. (b) commercial agriculture In the USA, C.1n.1da, ,ind
11 (C) 12. (a) 13. (b) 14. (C) 15. (a) Australia.
16. (C) 17. (d) Codes
(a) Both A and Rare true and R Is the corrt'Ct
Match the Following explanation of A
(b) Both A and Rare true, but R IS not th€' COi lt'C'l
explanation of A
1. list I List II
(c) A Is true. but Q Is tatse
A Cotton 1. A type of commercial (d) A IS false, but R IS true
farming
- - Ans. 1. (b) Both A .md R .ire trul', but R ts nul lhl· ~ lll n'll
B Millets 2. Golden fibre e,[Link] of A
-------
C Plantation 3. 210 frost free days 2. tb) Both A .mJ R .ue true. but R 1:. t\\ll tlw lllrll'(I
---
D Jute 4. Low rainfall, high to e,[Link] f1f \
moderate temperature
Fill in the Blanks
Codes
A R C D ,\ B C D 1. Favourable topography of soil and ......... ~re essentlc\l
(,l) -1 2 3 (b) -1 2 ~ 1 for agricultural actI\ It)
1 (d) 3 -t 2
ld 2 J 4 2. In .......... no genetic mod1f1cat1on Is done to increase
the t ,eld of the crop.
2. List I List II 3. Prim1t1\'e subsistence agriculture includes shitting
The staple diet of the cultivation and .. .. ..
A. Rice 1.
tropical and sub-tropical 4. In commerc1al grain farming, crops are grown for .........
reg,ons purpose .

B. 2 Loam\ soil 5. .............. and ..... "......... are frber crops.

Wheat
3. Sand, soil 6. .................... Is the commercial rearing of s1lkwo1ms.
C. Millets
7. Cotton gro"s best in ............... and .......... soil.
Codes
A B C Ans. 1. dimate l. organk farming
A B C
(a) l 3 2 (h) 3 I -
~

_,
3. nomadic herdmg. 4 comm~rl ia.l
(cl .2 3 l (d) -
~

5. Cotton. Jllt~ t', s~n~ultu1e

Ans. l. (d) 2. td) - . black. allU\ial

Chapter 3 · Agncutture 141

 Case Based Question
True/False
_ Read the Gl~Nl passog,1 ond nn~wer tho following
1. j !W't crops a·t: tro . cs L ,\ as ur,lb e land. 1
C~•tefltyl
quo~tlons. ~
2. ~ >-rg2--:1agr~ ... jaact,.[Link] Ar,ncultural ctcwlopn11Jllt refer~ to of fort~ marJo to
incre~~C" fHrm pro<lul t1on tn order to tnt•,.l tt,,,
3. ~ !}'Pe of c • v • on .. v.t- ch a cot of land 1s clt~art>d gIowIng d1'n1,md or in1 re,"IStnU populnt1on. 1his c,111
b)- 'e r:g t e trees and bum rg them ~ called shtftmg be nrhicvect in rn,my WdYS sud1 us mer, •:-i•,lng the
c:.r ,a• n. c1oppcd nre,1, the number of crop•, grown. unp_roving
4. Coffee does not requ re \'iaml and -...et cumate and 11 ngJt1on rnc11it1us, llSU ol 1111 t1l1Lors lHld high y1eldin1t
"'e [Link] ed loamy soil. vrn icty or setids. Tile rncch,H11sr1tI011 ot ag11cu1ture Is
5. Ma re 1s a so knov. n as corn. ::ilso nno1t1er ;,ispoct ol agri<'ulturol cJevulopmont.
Tile llltinrnto nini of [Link] duvclopniont 1s to
Am. J.1rue 1. Fal,e 3. Tnie-
incrf'rlSt~ food ~ccurily
4 False 5. True
Agriculture lklS dewloµ<'d in dtllt'H'rll plt1CC$ Ill
Picture Based Questions diftercnt pur ts ot thl' world. Dt>V(\loping coun_trtcs
With large popul,1tIons usunlly pt,KllCl' llllf'rlSIVe
1. Image shown below is of women In rice field. What agriculture wllt•re crops ore grown on •,111.111
are the key environmental factors required for rice holdings mostly tor subsIstcncl'. LargPr l1olcJ1ngs
cultivation? me rnort' su1t.1bln for commorclal t1gr icullwo .is
in tile USA, Crinnda nnd Auc;[Link],1.
(I) Which of tho tollowlng Is un aspect of achieving
agricultural dovolopment?
(.1) Mc .. [Link],.1111111
(h) U,l' ol k11il1,,1l11111
(c.) lmprnVl" irrig.1l1on
(d) All nl tlw ,,hovl
(II) Which type of Dgrlculture Is typlcnlly pmctlced In
USA?
(.i) Com me, l 1ul .1g1 tll1lt111 c
(a) Low temperature, low humidity, and no r.1intJII (b) lntt·11s1n• .[Link]·
(b) High temperature, high humidity, and ramfall (d Fxtl'll,1vc .1g1 inilturc
(c) Moderate temperature, low humidity, and r,1infall (d) S11b,1sknu· .1g1 icuhurc
(<l) High temperature, low humidity, and no r,untall (Ill) Which fnctors could lnfluenco the succes'i of
2. Image shown below is of wheat farm. In which ogrlcultural development In both developing and
season is wheat grown in India? developed countries?
(,1) l 'l11n11 lc drn11gt>
(b) ( ;ovcmllll'lll p11lil."1c~
(c) Av,1il,1hility ol high y1cldtnK !i ' cd'i
(d) l ulturnl pre1l'1e11r.:t·!'i
(Iv) Why Is Intensive agriculture practiced In developing
countries?
(.1) l u teed lurge populat11,11
(h) It i-. lc!.s W:'ltcr 1.1mliuming
(c) 'I II maint,11n soil fc1111ity
(d) It is p,ofitalilc
Ans (i) ( d) All of the ahove
(a) Summer (b) Winter (c) Spring (d) Fall
(ii) (a} Cum111crci,1I agric uhurc
Ans. I. (h) High temperature, high humidity, and rainfall
(iii) (c) Availability ol high yll'ldrng sccdli
2. (b) Winter
(iv) (a) To feed l.1rgc p1,pulation

142 Alliii one SociaJ Science Class 8

 Part 11
.
very Short Answer Type Q uest,on
. s
. .
1. How did the word agricult ure originate?
Short Answer Type Questions
. · 1. Name the inputs, outputs and processes of
Ans. The word 'agricultur e' is d enved
. ' ager ' meaning . from
, t
wo Latin agriculture in general. Also mention the various
word s 1.e. 1 operations involved.
soi and culture' Dlkaha
meaning cultivation .
Ans. The inputs in agriculture are seed~. fertiliser, machinery
2, What are tertiary activities? and labour, etc.
Ans. Tertiary activities are those which .
The pr~cesses involved in the agricultural operations are
primary and secondary activit" thProVIde support to ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting.
. ies rough services
3. What 1s a farm system? · The outputs from the system include crops, wool, dairy
~~a
Ans. [Link] . ul
is a system of a gnc and poultry products.
. . tural practices
com ming various elements and resources 2. What is meant by subsistenc e farming? Explain the
· types of subsistence farming.
4. What is arable land?
Ans. Subsistence farming is practiced to meet the needs of the
Ans. Arable land is the land on which
al kn ul crops are grown It is farmer's family.
so own as c livable land or tilled land. .
The types of subsistence farming are as follows
5. Enumerate the areas of nomadic herding. Intensive Subsistence Farming In this type of farming, a
g
Ans. Nomadic herding
.
.
is practised in ari·d regions ofS ah ara small plot of land is cultivated using, simple tools and
Central Asia and some parts in India like Ra·asthan, , more labor.
Jammu and Kashmir. J
Primitive Subsistence Farming It includes shifting
6. What is the main feature of plantation agriculture? cultivation and nomadic herding.
Shifting cultivation involves clearing of land by felling of
Ans. The ma~ fea_ture of !'lantation agriculture is the large trees and burning them. The ash that remains is mixed
n scale cultivation of smgle crop with significant labour
. with the soil to regain fertility.
and capital need.
In nomadic herding, herdsmen move from place to place
7. What is mixed farming? with their animals in search of fodder and water.
Ans. In mixed farming, land is used for growing food and 3. Nomadic herding is a traditional form of livestock
fodder crops and rearing livestocks. It is mainly managem ent practiced by nomadic or semi-nomadic
practiced in USA, Argentina , etc. communit ies. Explain this type of farming.
Competency Baaed
8. Name the major agricultural crops.
d Ans. Nomadic herding is a traditional form of livestock
Ans. The major agricultur al crops are rice, wheat, millets 1nanagement practiced by nomadic or semi-nomadic
and maize. communiti es.
9. Which countries are known for rice productions? In this method, herders continuous ly move their
Ans. China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Banglades h and Egypt livestock, including sheep, camels, yaks and goats, from
are known for rice productio n. one grazing area to another in search of fodder and water.
These herders have defined migratory routes and adapt to
10. Name the golden fibre. Where is it grown?
the seasonal availability of resources.
Ans. Jute is known as golden fibre. It is grown mainly in
Nomadic herding provides essential products such as
India and Banglades h. milk, meat, wool, hides and other resources for the
11. What is piscicultu re? herders' families and is commonly practiced in arid and
Ans. Breeding of fish in specially constructe d tanks and semi-arid regions, including the Sahara, Central Asia,
ponds is known as piscicultu re. Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

12. Which countries are known for wheat productions? 4. Shifting cultivation is considered to be primitive and
destructive to environment. Yet it is still prevalent in the
Ans. The USA, Canada, Argentina , Russia, Ukra~ne, India
North-Eastern regions of the country. Competen cy•••
and Australia are known for wheat productio n.
(i) What do you mean by shifting cultivation?
13. Which two countries lead in the productio n of jute?
Ans. India and Banglades h are the leading producers of jute.

Chapter 3 : Agriculture 143

 ns
Long Answer Type Questio
']

l's clea riug of lan d by ~

Ans. Shi ftin g l ult1v,1tion involv rcia l far min g?
fdli ng of lrL•t•, .m<l bur nm g
the m. The n, the 1. What are the types of com me
l
,OJI to gro w l far min g inc lud e com me rcia
.,~hl'~ ll'lll ,tltl L'U ,\re rnix ed with Ans. The typ es of com me rcia
and pot ato es. Aft er the soil loses ing mix ed farm ing , and pla
nta tion
l rnp s llk l' m,n 7t' gra in farm
n c<l and a new lan d sed bel ow
tis IL-1 t1lit y. the [Link] h ,tba ndo agr icu ltur e. The se are dis cus
cro ps are gro wn for
is dl'< lll'd • In com mer cial gra in farm ing
g cultivation known In and mai ze are com mo n
(II) By what nam e Is shi ftin com mer cial pur pos es. \Vh eat
Ma jor are as °'\here
North-East region ? com mer cial ly gro wn grains.
pra ctic ed are tem per ate
Ans. Shi ttin g u1lt1v,1t1on is kno
wn as ]hu mm ing com me rcia l gra in farm ing is
ion of Ind ia. Eur ope and Asia.
rnlt1v,\lion in No rth- Eas t reg gra ssla nds of No rth Am eric a,
is use d for gro win g food and
5. Define the followlng. • In mix ed farm ing , the lan d
Dlksha stock. It is pra ctic ed m
(I) Food security fod der cro ps and rea ring live
ent ina . sou th-e ast
Eur ope , the Eas tern USA, Arg
(II) Organic far min g Sou th Africa.
all peo ple , at all tim es, hav e Aus tral ia, New Zea lan d and
~ns. (i) Foo d sec urit y me ans me rcia l farm ing wh ere
,Kccss lo suf fici ent , safe and
nut riti ous foo d to me et • Pla nta tion s are a typ e of com
arc ane , cashew, rub ber ,
the ir die tary nee ds and foo d
pre fere nce s for an active single cro ps of tea, coffee, sug
Large am oun ts ofl abo ur
,m<l hea lthy life. ban ana or cot ton are gro wn .
jor pla nta tion s are fou nd in
c ma nur e and nat ura l and capital are req uire d. Ma
(ii) Org ani c farm ing , org ani rld.
che mic als. No the trop ical reg ion s of the wo
pes tici des are use d ins tea d of
inc rea se the yie ld are its
gl'n etk mo difi cat ion is don
e to
2. Wh at is shi ftin g cultivation ? Wh at
of the cro p. advantages?
Define the following kno wn as sla sh- and -bu rn
6. Ans. Shi ftin g cul tiva tion , also
(ii) Pisciculture far min g pra ctic e in wh ich
(i) Sericulture agr icu ltur e, is a trad itio nal
(iv) Horticulture and bur nin g veg eta tion to
(iii) Viticulture farm ers cle ar lan d by cut ting
tion .
com me rcia l rea ring of silk cre ate fields for cro p cul tiva
~ns . (i) Sericulture It is the ftin g cul tiva tion ,He
the inc om e of the farm er. Som e of the adv ant age s of shi
wo rms . It ma y sup ple me nt
edi ng of fish in spe cial ly tes biod.h'ersity as it allows the
(ii) Pisciculture It is the bre • Shifting cul tiva tion pro mo
ow per iod s.
con stru cte d tan ks and pon ds. forest to reg ene rate dur ing fall
cul tiva tion of gra pes . shi ftin g cul tiva tion retu rns
(iii) Vit icu ltu re It inv olv e the • Bur nin g pla nt ma teri al in
(iv) Horticulture It inv olv es gro
win g veg etab les, flowers nut rien ts to the soil, enh anc ing
soil fertility. -I
me tho d wh en pra ctic ed in low
and frui ts for com me rcia l use
. • It is a sus tain abl e farm ing
the lan d can rec ove r during
about agricultural pop ula tion den sity are as, as
7. Wh at do you understand
icultural development the fallow per iod .
development? Why is agr al con diti ons and is
required? • It can be ada pte d to sui t loc
reg ion s.
ent refe rs to effo rts ma de to well-suited for hilly or fore sted
Ans. Ag ricu ltur al dev elo pm ext ern al mp uts suc h as
ord er to me et the gro win g • It ofte n req uire s min ima l
inc rea se farm pro duc tion in
dem and of inc rea sin g pop ula
tion . fertilisers and pesticides.
uir ed for the foll ow ing ps to be gro wn in different
Ag ricu ltur al dev elo pm ent req • It allows for a var iety of cro
live liho ods
rea son s cycles, div ersi fyin g farm ers'
icu ltur al dev elo pm ent ate con diti ons
• Meeting Food Dem and Agr
pop ula tion 's nee d for
3. Wh at are fibe r crops and the clim
addresses the inc rea sing global req uire d for the ir gro wth ?
mo re food. tiva ted for the ir fibe rs, wh ich
Ans. Fib er cro ps are pla nts cul
• Improving Food Security
Agr icu ltur al dev elo pm ent , suc h a~ textile~ and paper
are use d in var iou s ind ust nes
rea sing pro duc tion and
enh anc es food sec urit y by inc pro duc tio n.
stabilising the food supply. Th e clim atic con dit ion s req
uir ed for the ir gro wth \Jf) '
elihoods Agr icu ltur al fibe r cro p. for e~a mp le,
• Economic Growth and Liv dep end ing on the spe cifi c
ic gro wth and pro vid es
dev elo pm ent fosters eco nom Climatic Cond itions for Co tto n Gr ow th
elo pin g cou ntri es by
livelihoods. especially in dev ate
ty and gen era ting rela ted • Co tton req uire s a war m clim
r,tising agr icu ltur al pro duc tivi re~ and brig ht ,um hm e.
job opp ortu niti es. • It req uire s hig h tem per atu

1ttl A l. _. Social Science Class 8

 • ltgro\\\lllfcg101 1,w11h21oor11 1 1 ,r
< H roq Ii t'l' da} s. (I) What Is th e average size of a farm in USA?
• I 1gh1 1<11t1lil ll h prl'foa rul Ju, 111 ,, 111
,.. 1: grow111g se,1~11 11 ol u,tt on Ans . 'J ht' nn:ragc ~1,c of alarm in \JSA is about r ,o
Cl11natk Condit lon 1- fo r Jute Growth hectares.
• / 111c rt'lJ lll l'l'' J t1op1l,1I din iat,·. (II) What machines are used in these farms for
• 11 rHllls lugh IC'mper. 1tur('s • he,• \•,> r ,1111 1,1II .int1a performing agricultural operations? Where
h111111d i.11 111 .i lt·. are the grains stored?
• ll t\ t } P• ~.1lh-1•ro \\ 11 in ,In" \\'ll li ,110 nsoon Ans. Tractor~. \Ced dnlh ln- d kr, comh ined
st·a~on~
harvester and thresher arc used to perform
4. An agrlculturallst Is writing an article for a journal on the various agricultural operation-, in the~e farm s.
pattern of farming in different regions of the world. Take the
· ·
f arming The grain s arc stored m th e automah.:d grain
example of lndlan farming system and Am erican
between them, storage or despatched to market agencies.
system and discuss the major differences
that could be discussed in article. Competency Bated
Case Based Question
Ans. Ditkrcnl regions of th~ world practice different types of
forming sr,tcm accordmg to their geographical location, 1. Read the given passage below and answer the
ai:ce~Mbrl1t} of resources and various other factors. for questions.
example, the differences between the Indian farming system In commercial farming, crops are grown and
and American farming system are follows animals are reared for sale in the market. The
• Indian farms are generally small. They mainly vary from 1 to area cultivated and the amount of capital used
5 hectare. is large. Most of the work is done by machines.
Commercial farming includes commercial grain
While average size of farm in America is larger than that of an
farming, mixed farming and plantation
Indian farm. A typical farm size in the USA is about 250 hectares.
agriculture. In commercial grain farming crops
• Indian farmers resides in the main village while American are grown for commercial purposes.
farmers generally resides in the farm.
Wheat and maize are common commercially
• Indian farmers grow at least two crops in a year which are grown grains. Major areas where commercial
normally wheat or rice and pulses. While USA farmers grow grain farming is practiced are temperate
many types of crops such as corn, soyabean, wheat and cotton. grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia.
• Indian farmer generally produces crops for self consumption. These areas are sparsely populated with large
They sol<l some part of cultivation in mandi located in nearby farms spreading over hundreds of hectares.
town . American farmers store grains in the automated grain Severe winters restrict the growing season and
only a single crop can be grown.
storage or despatch them to the market agencies.
(i) What does commercial farming primarily
focused on?
Picture Based Question
Ans. Commercial farming is primarily focused on
1. Look at the picture given below of a farm in USA and growing crops and raising animals for sale in the
answer the following questions. market.
(ii) Name the crops that are commonly grown
in commercial grain farming.
Ans. Wheat and maize are commonly grown in
commercial grain farming.
(iii) Name the major areas where commercial
grain farming is located.
Ans. The maJor areas for commercial gram farming
are temperate grasslands in North America,
Europe, and Asia.

Chapter 3 : Agriculture 145

 Map Based Question hy the agricultural activiti es are
. of Arable land. Explain w
1. The map below represents t ~e world distn~utlon
r,;o;f;t;
concentrated in th€'s~· r:~g~lolL ;;);
he~~w~:o~rl;d:. ===j~='~=~~~:==~==~~~!2!l::;::::~ 1~4~0~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ \ ; ~
... ~_::_::_::.::7
p,;;

10

'

FACIF,L.
UClAN
r INDIAN
,

d PACffl C
OCC:f,N
'U

r:;J
O C EAN

~ OUTH AT LANTIC;
Troi of( ~ orn
OCEAN

0
JO

□ ARABLE LAt s o l u T IH E R N O C E A N
[O

180W 180 E

·
· these reg10ns
Ans. Thi-' agricultural activities are concentrated m o f th e wor ld b ecau se they provide topography of soi\ ,md
cit mate for the growth of the crops.

ASSESSMENT EX, RCISE

■ Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
r 6. Leading producer of tea
(a) Brazil (b) Sntanka
1. An activity which 1s related directly to the extraction and
(c) India (d) Russia
production of natural resources is called
(a) Secondary activity (b) Prim ry activity
(c) Tertiary act1v1ty (d) None of these
r■ Subjective Questions (VSA, SA & LA)
2. Shifting cultivation is known as ~ilpa in which country? 7. Give two example of secondary activity.
(a) Asia (b) Mexic f 8. Name the land on which crops are grown .
(c) Brazil (d) Malayf a
9. Which types of favourable conditions requ1rnd in
3. Which crops called beverage era s? agricultural practices?
(a) Tea (b) Whea
(c) Rice (d) Cotto
10. What do you mean by horticulture?
11. Name two fibre crops.
4. Paddy is another name of which rops?
(al Wheat (b) Rice 12. Write a short note on Nomadic Herding.
(c) Tea (d) Cotto
13. Explain Commercial farming.
5. Which one of the following is the ingle crop?
(a) Banana (b) Jute 14. Differentiate substansive farming and intensive lomllllG
(C ) Rice (d) Wheat 15. Discuss, farming and its types in dr~ta1I.
16. Discuss agricultural development.