What type of country is India -

“Agricultural or industrial ? Why ?

Give one reason.

India is an agricultural country because

two-thirds of its population is engaged
in agricultural activities. Agriculture is a
primary activity, which produces most
of the food for people.
 What are agro-based industries ?
Name any two.

• Agro-based industries are based on

agricultural raw materials.
• The examples are cotton textile and jute.
• development.
 What is other name of primitive
subsistence farming ?

• It is known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture..

 State any one feature of primitive
subsistence agriculture.

• Primitive subsistence agriculture is practiced

on small patches of land with the help of
primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks
and family/community labour.
 What are the different names of ‘slash
and bum’ agriculture in different
countries ? Name any two.
• Mexico – Milpa
• Venzuela – Conuco
• Brazil – Roca
• Central Africa -Masole
• Indonesia – Ladang
• Vietnam – Ray
 State any feature of Intensive
Subsistence Farming.

• It is labour intensive farming, where high

doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are
used for obtaining higher production.
 What is the main characteristic of
commercial farming ?

• Use of higher doses of modern inputs

i.e., HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers,
insecticides and pesticides in order to
obtain higher productivity.
State any one example of a crop which
may be commercial in one region and
may provide subsistence in another
region.

• Rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and

Punjab but in Orissa, it is a subsistence crop.
 Mention any two plantation crops in
India.
• Tea, coffee and rubber.
 What is a plantation crop ?

• In plantation crop, a single crop is grown

on a large area. Plantations cover large
tracts of land, using capital intensive
inputs, with the help of migrant
labourers..
 Mention India’s cropping seasons.
• India has three cropping seasons e.g., rabi,
kharif and zaid.
 When does the zaid season fall ?.

• Zaid season falls in between the rabi and

kharif seasons during summer months.
What is the position of rice production
of India in the world ?
• India is the second largest producer of rice in
the world after China.
 In the areas of less rainfall how does
rice grow ?

• In the areas of less rainfall i.e., less than 100

cm, rice grows with the help of irrigation.
 Which are important wheat-growing
zones in India ?
• There are two important wheat growing zones
in the country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in the
north-west and black soil region of the
Deccan.
 Name important millets.
• Important millets are jowar, bajra and ragi.
 Which state is the largest producer of
jowar ?
• Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar.
 What type of soil is required for the
growth of bajra ??
• Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow
black soil.
 State one feature of ragi.
• Ragi is a crop of dry regions and grows well on
red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black
soils.
 State one of features of maize.
• It is a crop which is used both as food and
fodder.
• It is a kharif crop.
 What is the position of India in the
production of pulses in the world ?
• India is the largest producer as well as the
consumer of pulses in the world.
What are rabi crops ? In which period
of the year are they sown and
harvested in India ? [CBSE 2017]
• Rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and
mustard.
• Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to
December. These are harvested in
summer from April to June.
 Explain causes for land degradation.
• Mining : Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is
complete leaving deep scars and traces of over burdening.
• Deforestation : In states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Orissa deforestation due to mining have caused severe
land degradation.
• Overgrazing : In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra overgrazing is the main reason for land degradation.
• Over-irrigation : In the states of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar
Pradesh, over-irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to
water logging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
• The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement
industry generate dust in the atmosphere. It retards the process of
infiltration of water into soil after it settles down on the land. Thus
industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land
and water pollution in many parts of the country.
 Describe the features of black soil.
Name the places where it is found in
India.
• This soil is black in colour,
• It is also known as regur soil.
• It is ideal for growing cotton and is known as black cotton soil also,
• It is believed that climatic condition along with parent rock material are
the important factors for the formation of black soil,
• It is made of clayey material,
• It can hold moisture,
• It is rich in soil nutrients such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash
and lime,
• It is poor in phosphoric contents, It develops deep cracks during hot
weather which helps in the proper aeration of the soil,
• These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled
immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
• Places : It is found in Deccan trap (Basalt)
region spread over northwest Deccan plateau
and is made up of lava flows. They cover the
plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa,
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and extend
in the south-east direction along the Godavari
and the Krishna valleys.
 Describe the features of red and
yellow soils. Mention the places where
they are found in India.
• These soils develop reddish colour due to diffusion of iron
in crystalline and metamorphic rocks,
• It looks yellow in a hydrated form.
• They are highly porous and fertile when they are fine
grained and deep.
• (2) Places : Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in
areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of
the Deccan plateau. They are also found in parts of Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and
along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
 Describe features of laterite soil.
Mention the places where they are
found in India.
• Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’
which means brick. It develops in areas with high
temperature and heavy rainfall
• Humus content of the soil is low.
• They lack in elements of fertility and are of low value
for crop production,
• They are composed of little clay and much gravel of red
sandstones,
• They are suitable for cultivation with manures and
fertilizers
Describe the features of Arid soils and
Forest soils. Mention the places where
they are found in India

• hey range from red to brown in colour.

• They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature,
• In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is
obtained by evaporating the water. Due to the dry climate, high
temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and
moisture,
• The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by kankar because of
increasing calcium content downward.
• These soils can become cultivable if irrigation facilities are made
available as has been in the case of western Rajasthan.