CLASS-VIII

GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER-4
AGRICULTUR
E
 • Agriculture

Agriculture • Farm System

• Types of Farming –

• Subsistence & Commercial Farming

• Agriculture Development

• Farms in India

• Farms In U.S.A

• Major Crops
• Transformation from a plant to a finished product involves three types of economic
activities.
• These are primary, secondary and tertiary activities.

From a plant To a finished product

1. Primary Activities 2. Secondary Activities 3. Tertiary Activities

Primary activities include all Secondary activities are Tertiary activities provide support
those connected with concerned with the processing of to the primary and secondary
extraction and production of these resources. Manufacturing sectors through services.
natural resources. Agriculture, of steel, baking of bread and Transport, trade, banking,
fishing and gathering are good weaving of cloth are examples of insurance and advertising are
examples. this activity. examples of tertiary activities.
Agriculture
• The science and art of cultivation on the soil,
raising crops and rearing livestock.

• It is also called farming.

• Agriculture is a primary activity.

• It includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock.

• The word agriculture is derived from Latin words Ager or Agri meaning soil and culture
meaning, cultivation.

• In the world, 50 per cent of persons are engaged in agricultural activity.

• Two-thirds of India’s population is still dependent on agriculture.

 Agriculture
• Favorable topography of soil and climate are vital for
agricultural activity.

• The land on which the crops are grown is known as arable Arable land is any land capable
of being ploughed and used to
land. grow crops.

In the map you can see that

agricultural activity is
concentrated in those regions of
the world where suitable factors
for the growing of crops exist.
 Factors Decide the type of Framing in a Region:

Demand for Produce Labour Geographical Conditions Level of Technology

Agri

Seri
+ Culture

Pisci

Viti

Horti
 Pisciculture Sericulture

• Breeding of fish in specially constructed • Sericulture Commercial rearing of

tanks and ponds. silkworms.

• It may supplement the income of

the farmer.
 Viticulture Horticulture Apiculture

• Growing vegetables, • Cultivation of grapes. • It is the practice of keeping

flowers and fruits for and maintaining bees and
commercial use. their hives.
Farm System
Process Process

Process Process

Process

Inputs Processes Outputs

• Agriculture or farming can be looked at as a system.

• The important inputs are seeds, fertilizers, machinery and labour.

• Some of the operations involved are ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and
harvesting.

• The outputs from the system include crops, wool, dairy and poultry products.
 Types of farming:
• Farming is practised in different ways across the world depending upon the
geographical conditions and level of technology.

• Mainly it is classified as subsistence and commercial farming.

1. Subsistence Farming 2. Commercial Farming

1. Subsistence Farming
• Subsistence farming is done to meet the needs of the farmers family.

• Low level of technology and more manual labour is used.

• Size of the farm is generally small.

• It is further classified as intensive subsistence farming and primitive subsistence farming.

1. Intensive Subsistence Farming 2. Primitive Subsistence Farming

1. Shifting Cultivation 2. Nomadic Herding

1. Intensive Subsistence Farming

• It is a type of a subsistence agriculture.

• Intensive subsistence farming is prevalent in populated areas like south, southeast
Asia.
• Intensive subsistence agriculture is done on small plot with simple tools.
• Done by farmer and his family as labour.
• Produce is used mainly by farmer so food grains are grown.
• In areas of moderate climate and fertile soil, sometimes two crops are grown.
• Rice is the main crop.
• Other crops are wheat, maize, pulses are cultivated.
• Done mainly in thickly populated areas of South, South East and East Asia.
1. Intensive Subsistence Farming
2. Primitive Subsistence Farming

• Another type of subsistence agriculture is primitive subsistence.

• It includes Nomadic and Shifting cultivation.

1. Shifting Cultivation 2. Nomadic Herding

1. Shifting Cultivation
• In shifting agriculture a plot of land is cleared by felling trees and burning them.

• The ashes are then mixed with soil which works as a fertilizers.

• After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned. Cultivators move to a new plot.

• It is practised in areas of heavy rainfall and quick generation of vegetation. It is

mainly done in Amazon basin, tropical Africa, South East Asia and North East India.

• Crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. This is also known as slash
and burn agriculture.
1. Shifting Cultivation

Shifting cultivation is known by

different names in different parts
of the world.
• Jhumming - North-East India
• Milpa -Mexico
• Roca - Brazil.
• Ladang - Malaysia
2. Nomadic Herding

• In Nomadic herding, herdsman move from place to place.

• They move on defined route with their animals for fodder and water.

• This is due to seasonal change and terrain.

• Animals like sheep, camel, yak and goats are reared. They provide meat, milk, wool,
hides [Link] headers and their families.

• It is mainly practised in semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and parts of
Rajasthan and Jammu Kashmir.
2. Nomadic Herding
2. Commercial Farming
2. Commercial Farming
• In Commercial farming crops are grown and animals reared for sale.

• Large area and capital is used. Work is mainly done by machines. It includes,

1. Commercial Grain
Farming

2. Mixed farming

3. Plantation agriculture
1. Commercial Grain Farming
• In this type of farming crops are grown for commercial purpose for selling in the
market.

• Wheat and maize are the main crops.

• Practised in temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia. These are
sparsely populated areas.

• Farm lands are big spreading over 100 of hectares.

• Generally single crop is grown due to severe climatic conditions.

1. Commercial Grain Farming
2. Mixed farming
• Mixed farming is farming type in which land is
used for growing crops, food crops, fodder crops
and rearing of livestock.

• It is practised in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina,

southeast Australia, New Zealand and South
Africa.
2. Mixed farming
3. Plantation agriculture
• Plantation are another type of commercial farming.

• Cultivation is done in a Specialised form on the lines of factory production.

• Cultivation is done on large farms with machines.

• Single crop like rubber, tea, coffee, sugar cane, cotton extra grown.

• Large amount of labour and capital is required.

• Generally done in areas of high temperature and rainfall.

• Processed on the farms on nearby factories.

• Main areas are rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka.
 • In this type of farming, organic manure and natural pesticides are used
instead of chemicals.
Organic Farming
• No genetic modification is done to increase the yield of the crop.
Agriculture Development
• Agriculture development refers to the efforts made to increase farm production in
order to meet the growing demand of increasing population.

• Agriculture development can be achieved in many ways such as:

• Increasing the cropped area.

• Numbers of crops grown.

• Improving irrigational facilities.

• Use of fertilizers.

• Use of HYV seeds.

• Mechanization of agriculture.
Food security exists when all people, at all
times, have access to sufficient, safe and
nutritious food to meet their dietary needs
and food preferences for an active and
healthy life.
 Agriculture has developed at different place in the world:

Developing Countries Developed Countries

• Developing countries, like India with
large population, practice intensive • In countries like USA, Canada and
agriculture. Australia commercial agriculture
is done on large land holding.
• land holding is small and crops are
grown for mostly for subsistence.
 V/S
Farmers in India Farmers in U.S.A
A Farm in India
• Farmer like munna lal have small tractor of land about 1.5 hectares.

• He purchases high yielding varieties of seeds from the market every alternate year.

• The land is fertile and he grows at least two crops in a year which are normally
wheat or rice and pulses.

• He takes advice of his friends and elders as well as Government agricultural officers
regarding farming practice.

• He takes tractor on rent for ploughing his field. Some of his friends still use
traditional method of using blocks for ploughing.

• There is a tube well in the nearby field which he takes on rent to irrigate his field.

• He has two buffaloes and few hens.

• He is a member of cooperative society which also advise him on:

• On the type of fodder for his animal.

• Safety measures to protect the health of the livestock.

• All the members of the family help in various farming activities.

• Sometimes, he takes credit form a bank or agriculture cooperative society. This loan
is taken to buy HYV seeds and implements.

• He sells his produce in the mandi located in the nearby town.

• Majority of farmers do not have storage facilities. They are forced to sell the produce
at the time when market rates are not favourable.

• In recent years government has taken some steps to develop storage facility.
A Farm in U.S.A
• Farm size is much larger about 250 hectares.
• Farmer generally resides in the farm.
• Farmers grow crops like corn, soybean wheat, cotton and sugarcane.
• Joe has about 300 actors of land.
• He ensures that adequate measures taken to fulfil soil and water requirements as per the
crop.
• He takes measures for pest control.
• Soil samples are regularly sent for testing nutrients.
• All this help the farmers to have a scientific fertilizers program for their farmers.
• With satellite images they work on the use of fertilizers and pesticides in their farm.
• Latest technology like levellers tractor, harvester, threshers are used.
• There is automated grain storage facility.
• There it can be said that farmer in USA works like a businessman.
 MAJOR CROPS
FOOD CROPS FIBERS CROPS BEVERAGE CROPS PLANTATION CROPS

RICE JUTE TEA RUBBER

WHEAT COTTON COFFEE SUGAR CANE

MILLETS HEMP COCONUTS

MAIZE FLAX
Rice :
Uses-
• Rice is the major food crop of the world.
• Rice is used as a staple diet all over the world.
• About one-half of the world population including the whole of East Asia use rice as their staple food.
• We use bran and husk as fodder and also as fuel.

Geographical requirements-
• Cultivation of rice requires high temperature.
• High humidity and rainfall.
• It grows best in alluvial soil, which can retain water.

Producing Countries:
• China leads in production of rice.
• India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Egypt,
• Bangladesh are other major countries
• In India West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana
produce paddy in large quantities.
Wheat
Uses:
• Wheat is second staple crop of people.
• It is used as food mainly. Its husk is fed to animals.

Geographical requirements:
• It is the main crop of the temperate regions.
• It requires moderate temperature and rainfall during grow season.
• At the time of harvest it requires bright sunshine.
• Well drained loamy soil is the most suitable soil for its cultivation.
In India, it is grown in winter.

Producing countries:
• The United States of America, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India produce wheat in large
quantities.
• European countries and Canada consume all their production within the region. These countries do not export
wheat.
Cotton
Geographical requirements:
• Cotton is grown well in the areas of high temperature of 30 degree Celsius to 40 degree
Celsius.
• It requires 210 Frost free sunny days and uniformly high temperature.
• Alluvial and black soils are best suited for cotton growth.

Major producing Countries

• China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt are major cotton producing countries.
Millets
Uses:
• Millets is the name given to coarse grains like jowar, bajara, ragi.
• It is used as food as well as fodder.

Geographical requirements:
• Can be grown in less fertile and Sandy soils.
• Needs low rainfall and high temperature.
• Requires adequate rainfall.

Producing countries:
• Mainly grown in India Nigeria, China and Niger.
Maize
• Maize is also known as corn or Makka.
• It has many colourful varieties in the world.

Geographical requirements:
• For its growth it requires moderate rainfall and temperature.
• It requires lots of sunshine during its growth.
• It needs well drained fertile soil.

Producing countries:
It is mainly grown in North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India and
Mexico.
Do you know?
Maize is also known as
corn. Various colorful
varieties of maize are found
across the world.
Jute:
Geographical requirements-
• Jute is also called golden fibre of India.
• It grows well on alluvial soil.
• it requires warm and humid climate and heavy
rainfall.

Major producing countries-

• Jute is grown intensively in India and Bangladesh.
• The together produce 88 percentage of the world's
production of jute.
Coffee
• Coffee requires wet and warm climate.

Geographical requirements:
• Well drained loamy soil is required for its production.
• Hill slopes are most suitable.

Major producing countries-

• It is mainly cultivated as a plantation crop in Brazil, Colombia and India.

It is said that in AD 850, Kaldi, an Arab goat herder, one day

observed the queer antics of his flock. The flock had felt it on
the evergreen wild plants.
He tasted the berries of the evergreen bush.
On experiencing a sense of exhilaration, he told his discovery
to the world.
Tea:
• Tea is obtained after processing of the young leaves of the tea plant.
• It has many varieties.

Geographical requirements:
• Tea plants require cool climate and well distributed rainfall throughout
the year.
• Tea grows well in well-drained loamy soil and gentle slopes.
Labour in large number is required to pick the leaves.

Major producing countries:

• Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka produce the best quality of tea in the
world.
THANK YOU