CLASS VIII

SOCIAL SCIENCE

CHAPTER 5 ; AGRICULTURE

REFERENCE NOTES

Meaning of Agriculture:-

Agriculture means cultivation of land. In wider terms, agriculture is the science and art of
raising crops, rearing of livestock, forestry and fishing.

Beginning of Agriculture:-

 Food is the basic requirement of human beings for their survival. This requirement of
food has led to the development of agriculture.
 Earlier, human beings were dependent upon food gathering, hunting and fishing for
their survival.
 Gradually, they started growing crops along the river valleys which led to the
beginning of agriculture. It helped ancient civilizations to flourish along the river
valleys.

Importance of Agriculture:-

1. Most of the population of the world depends on agriculture for its livelihood. It is a
major occupation of people in the developing countries of the world. India is an
agricultural country. Hence, agriculture is the backbone of our country's economic
development.
2. Agriculture supplies food to the people, creates huge market for tractors, threshers,
harvesters, fertilizers, pesticides and other industrial products.
3. It helps in providing employment, and eradicating poverty.
4. It also helps in enhancing trade and earning foreign exchange.
5. Agriculture also plays an important role in strengthening global relations by
encouraging international trade of agricultural products.
PHYSICAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS:-

1. Relief: -

 Plains are most suitable for agriculture than the highlands.

 Density of population is generally high in plains. This helps in providing cheap
labour and market for farm products.
 It becomes easier to use modern equipment on plain regions whereas it is difficult to
use machines on rugged topography. The river basins and deltas are suitable for
agriculture than mountainous regions.
2. Climate:-

 Agriculture is highly sensitive to climate variability. Each crop has its own
requirement of temperature and rainfall. That is why, the variation in climatic
conditions supports different crop patterns.
 For example, wheat is a crop of temperate region and rice grows well in tropical
regions.
 Growing season is long in equatorial and tropical regions as compared to the same in
temperate regions.

3. Soil:-

 Soil rich in mineral and organic matter support agriculture. Chemical composition
and fertility of soil differs from place to place which leads to variation in soil type.
 Each crop has its own requirement of soil. According to the soil type, a large variety
of crops are grown in different parts of the world.
 Alluvial soil and black soil are the most fertile soils for agriculture.

ECONOMIC FACTORS:-

1. Size of land holdings:-

 The size of farms affects the agricultural pattern and the yield per unit hectare.
 In the densely populated areas of the developing countries, the farm size is generally
small due to growing rural population and the law of succession which leads to
fragmentation of land.
 The small fields are mostly not economical.

2. Labour:-

 The availability of labour has great influence on cropping pattern of a region. The
labour requirement varies with different crops.
 In many parts of India, seasonal unemployment exists in rural areas, whereas during
the periods of sowing and harvesting, there could be shortage of labour.
 The farmers of Punjab greatly depend on migrant labourers for growing wheat and
rice crops.
3. Capital:-

 All agricultural inputs, like the HYV seeds, means of irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides,
hiring labour, machines, land lease, fodder, fuel, power and veterinary services,
require capital.
 The cultivation of commercial crops using new technologies requires more capital
than required in the traditional way of cultivation.

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE
 Classification of agriculture is based upon
 varying environmental conditions,
 terrain,
 climate, and
 economic background.

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

 Subsistence Agriculture is the earliest  It is a specialized form of agriculture

type of farming which is carried out at which is practiced on very large size
small scale by a farmer to grow food farms. It is also called crop
for personal or community specialization.
consumption.

 In this type of agriculture, farmers  Farmers select and sow a single crop
grow a wide range of crops based on according to the natural (geographical)
the needs of their families or the and market conditions of the region.
community.

 Many farmers trade their excess crops  Commercial Agriculture is done on a

and livestock for buying required very large scale with the purpose of
goods. selling the produce in the market to
make profits.

 This type of agriculture is common in  This type of agriculture is common in

less developed parts of the world. more developed parts of the world.

 Subsistence agriculture includes  This type of agriculture is broadly

nomadic herding, shifting agriculture divided into extensive agriculture,
and intensive subsistence agriculture. plantation agriculture, livestock
ranching and dairy farming.
 BASIS NOMADIC HERDING SHIFTING AGRICULTURE

1. Meaning  People migrate along with  Shifting agriculture is also

their animals from one place to called slash and burn
another in search of fodder for agriculture. After the soil loses
their animals. its fertility, the land is
abandoned and the cultivators
move to a new plot.
2. Feature  They rear cattle, sheep, goats,  People cultivate the land with
camels and yaks for milk, skin, simple tools. Per hectare yield
meat and wool. is low. People who follow
shifting agriculture lead a
settled life.

3. Region  It is common in parts of  It is prevalent in dense forests

Central and Western Asia, East of tropical Africa, South-East
and South-West Africa and Asia and some parts of North-
Northern Eurasia. East India.

4. Examples  In India, Bhotiyas and Gujjars  Crops like cassava, maize,

are the nomadic tribes of sweet potato and tapioca are
Himalayas. grown in this type of farming.
 BASIS INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE
1. Region  It is practiced on small plots  It is practiced on a large scale
of land in thickly populated on big land holdings in
parts of the world like the sparsely populated regions,
Monsoon regions of South, where land is available in
South-East and East Asia. abundance and the input of
labour is less.

2. Production  This type of agriculture is  Total production is large but

characterized by high output per hectare yield is low.
per unit of land. Proper storage facilities are
required to store the yield.

3. Land use  There is intensive use of land,  Farmers mostly raise one or
multiple cropping and the two crops a year for
peasants utilize every bit of marketing. Corn, oats, wheat
tillable land for agriculture. are the main crops of
extensive agriculture.

4.  Agriculture is done by using  Agriculture is done by using

Mechanisation manual labour. There is little modern machines.
use of farm machinery,
manures and fertilizers.

5. Examples  It is practiced in developing  It is practiced in developed

countries like China, India, countries like Australia,
Japan, Malaysia, Korea Canada, Russia and USA.
Philippines and Taiwan.
 BASIS PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

1. Meaning  Plantation is a large farm or estate usually in a tropical or subtropical

country. It is a very well organized system of agriculture wherein a
single crop farming is done.

2. Region  Plantation agriculture is commonly practiced in hot and humid regions

of the world. Under the system, benefit of single crop is obtained
continuously for several years.

3.  Crops are grown for sale in distant markets rather than local
Production consumption. Most of the processing work is done at the plantation
site itself

4. Features  It requires use capital investment, scientific method of farming,

transport facilities, efficient management and skilled but low-cost
labour in large number.

5. Examples  It includes crops like coffee, rubber and tea.

BASIS LIVESTOCK RANCHING

1. Meaning  Livestock ranching is a part of commercial agriculture. It is the

commercial grazing of farm animals over an extensive area.

2. Region  This activity is common to the grasslands of America, South Africa,

Australia and New Zealand.

3.  The ranches are usually fenced with barbed wire. The livestock
Production products such as meat, wool, hides, skins, etc., are exported to different
parts of the world.

4. Features  It is adapted in arid and semi-arid temperate regions where the soil is
too poor to support crops, and the population is sparse.

5. Examples  The major types of livestock are sheep, cattle, goats and horses.
 BASIS DAIRY FARMING

1. Meaning It is a specialised form of agriculture for the large scale production of milk. it
is a labour intensive activity.

2. Examples Worldwide, India is the largest milk producer and New Zealand is the largest
cow milk exporter.

MIXED FARMING:-

 When animals are reared along with the cultivation of land, it is known as mixed
farming.
 Both food crops and fodder are cultivated. This gives a boost to the income of
farmers.
 It is common in Argentina, Eastern USA, New Zealand, South Africa, South-East Asia,
India, South-East Australia, Western Europe.

MAJOR CROPS OF THE WORLD (ON THE BASIS OF THEIR USE)

CEREALS FIBRE CROPS BEVERAGES

RICE
COTTON TEA
WHEAT
MAIZE
JUTE COFFEE
MILLETS
 CEREALS

BASIS RICE WHEAT MAIZE MILLETS

SOIL TYPE Alluvial, loamy Loamy soil. Well-drained Soils of poor

and clayey Alluvial soil. quality.
soils.

TEMPERATURE 24o C or above At the time of 21o to 27o C. 18o to 32o C.

with minor sowing- 10o to
variations 15o C;
during sowing, At the time of
growing and harvesting- 20o
harvesting to 25o C.
seasons.

RAINFALL Above 100 cm. 75-100 cm 50-100 cm 30- 75 cm.

with frost-free
harvest period.

AREAS Deltas, river Mid-latitudinal

valleys, coastal and sub-
plains and tropical _____ ______
terraced fields regions;
in mountainous Main crop of
regions. temperate
regions.

REGIONS IN China(leading Temperate Called corn India, Nigeria,

THE WORLD producer), grasslands of in the USA; Niger, China, Mali,
India, North Burkina Faso,
Indonesia, America, USA, China, Sudan, Ethiopia.
Bangladesh, South America Brazil, India,
Vietnam, and Central Argentina,
Thailand, Eurasia, China, Ukraine,
 Myanmar and India, Russia, Mexico,
Japan. USA, France, Indonesia,
Canada, France, South
Germany, Africa.
Pakistan,
Australia,
Ukraine.

REGIONS IN Second largest Northern and Called makka Includes coarse

INDIA producer- West Central in India; grains like jowar,
Bengal, Uttar regions; bajra and
Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya ragi.(These are used
Andhra Punjab, Pradesh, both as food grain
Pradesh, Madhya Andhra and fodder).
Telangana, Pradesh, Pradesh, Jowar-
Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Maharasthra,
Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Karnataka, Madhya
Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Pradesh, Andhra
Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh. Pradesh, Telangana.
Bajra-
Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Haryana.
Ragi- Karnataka,
Rajasthan, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Odisha,
Maharashtra,
Uttrakhand,
Gujarat, Goa.
 FIBRE CROPS

BASIS COTTON JUTE

SOIL TYPE  Alluvial soil and black soil.  Alluvial soil found in river
delta;
 Grows well in flood plains.

TEMPERATURE  Crop of tropical and sub-  More than 25o C.

tropical regions;
 30o- 40o C

RAINFALL  60-100 cm;  More than 150 cm.

 During the harvesting
period weather should be
dry, frost free and sunny.

AREAS IN THE  China, India, USA,  India, Bangladesh, China,

WORLD Pakistan, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Thailand,
Uzbekistan, Turkey, Myanmar, Brazil.
Australia.

AREAS IN  Gujarat, Maharashtra,  Leading producer;

INDIA Andhra Pradesh, Punjab,  Ganga-Brahmaputra delta of
Haryana West Bengal, Assam, Bihar,
Meghalaya, Odisha.

FEATURE  Cheap and efficient labour  The demand for jute is

is required for plucking continuously decreasing
cotton balls. because of its high cost and
 It is mainly grown under easy availability of cheap
irrigation. synthetic substitutes.
 BEVERAGES

BASIS TEA COFFEE

SOIL TYPE Deep well-drained, fertile alluvial Well-drained, fertile soil in the
soil. hilly slopes.

TEMPERATURE Grows well in hot and humid Needs hot and humid climate.
conditions of the tropical and sub- 15o- 28o C.
tropical regions;
20o – 30o C.

RAINFALL 150-300 cm; 150-200 cm.

Hilly slopes ideal for cultivation. Irrigation required where the
annual rainfall is less than 100 cm.

AREAS IN THE China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Brazil (leading producer),
WORLD Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia,
Japan, Iran, Argentina. Ethiopia, India, Honduras, Uganda,
Mexico.

AREAS IN INDIA Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Hilly regions of Karnataka, Kerala,
Bengal. Tamil Nadu.
 Reasons for the introduction of new techniques in agriculture

 Food is essential for the growth of all human beings. With the growth of population
in the world, the demand of food has also increased.
 Earlier, people had surplus food because the population was less than the production.
With the passage of time, population explosion has increased the pressure on land to
produce more food.
 Due to this, the people had to develop new techniques of agriculture so that
productivity could be increased. The farmers started using HYV of seeds, fertilizers,
pesticides, insecticides and modern equipments.

Biotechnology

Meaning:- Biotechnology involves the use of living organisms and bio-processes in

engineering, technology, medicine, etc. Genetically modified crops are developed through
biotechnology.

Advantages:-

 It also covers genetic engineering, cell and tissue, culture technologies,

manufacturing of drugs, environmental management, etc.
 In this, the higher yield is produced by introducing foreign genes from different
species.
 It has more nutritional value, better flavour and colour in the food. Scientist believe
that genetically modified crops can help the environment by reducing the problem
of pesticides.
 COMPARISON BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL FARMS IN THE USA AND INDIA

BASIS A FARM IN THE A FARM IN

USA/DEVELOPED COUNTRY INDIA/DEVELOPING COUNTRY
1. Size of farm Large farms but yield per hectare is
Small land holdings but yield per
comparatively low. hectare is high.
2. Capital High capital investment. Comparatively low capital investment
which is mainly borrowed from
banks, money lenders.
3. Market Produce is meant for national and Produce is meant for local markets
international markets as storage due to lack of storage facilities.
facilities are adequate.
4. Labour Skilled. Unskilled.

5. Extensive use of tractors, combined Traditional methods, limited use of

Mechanization harvesters and threshers. machines, still using bullocks to
plough the fields.
6. Technology Extensive use of advanced Marginal use of modern technology.
technology.

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