1) What is agriculture?

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The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped
into foods, fibres, fuels, and raw materials (such as rubber). Food
classes include cereals (grains), vegetables, fruits, oils, meat, milk, eggs
and fungi.
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2) Explain the Agricultural seasons
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3) Explain various methods of sowing seeds
Already done
4) Harvesting and Processing
 Threshing
 Winnowing
 Milling
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5) How to incorporate solar energy in Agriculture?

6) Mention factors affecting soil fertility.

The following factors affect the soil fertility:
Soil pH - After testing the soil, you determine the existing pH level of the
soil. Along with that, you would discover the nutrients that are available
that can be used for planting crops.
Organic matter - You can also increase the fertility of the soil by
determining the presence of certain organic materials that contain
nutrients in them. These can be reused for the next growing cycle.
Moisture content - The amount of moisture that resides in the soil can
also influence soil fertility. Actual nutrients can be found in the soil
solution and not the solid matrix. Therefore, it's more desirable to use
soil with higher moisture content to increase and ensure its fertility.

Clay content - Through the soil's clay content, the cation exchange
capacity (CEC) is determined. There are more nutrients present in soil
with a higher CEC than its opposite. Low CEC indicates the possibility of
easily losing nutrients by leaching.

Bulk density - Soil fertility also depends on its bulk density. As a rule of
thumb, the soil to be used should not be compacted. Or else, it can
easily obstruct root penetration. If this happens, it's going to be difficult
for the roots to reach the nutrients it needs.

7) How vermicompost increases soil fertility?

Vermicompost (vermi-compost) is the product of the decomposition
process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white
worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing
vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. This process
is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose
is called vermiculture. Vermicompost contains water-soluble nutrients
and is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.[3] It
is used in gardening and sustainable, organic farming. Vermicomposting
can also be applied for treatment of sewage. A variation of the process
is vermifiltration (or vermidigestion) which is used to remove organic
matter, pathogens and oxygen demand from wastewater or directly
from blackwater of flush toilets.

 Improves soil aeration

 Enriches soil with micro-organisms (adding enzymes such
as phosphatase and cellulase)
 Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than
in the soil and organic matter that the worm ingests[44]
 Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil
 Improves water holding capacity

 Enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield

  It helps in root and plant growth
 Enriches soil organisms (adding plant hormones such
as auxins and gibberellic acid)

8) Irrigation
i. Define
Water is an important input for successful agriculture. Water may be
available to crops in the natural course by rainfall or it may be supplied
to the agricultural fields artificially by human efforts. The process of
supplying water to crops by artificial means such as canals, wells, tube-
wells, tanks, etc. from the sources of water such as rivers, ponds, or
underground water is called irrigation.
ii. Conventional methods of irrigation. (wells, canals, tube wells
and tanks)
Well

A well is a small hole dug in the surface of the Earth to obtain water from
subsoil for irrigational and other purposes. It is a traditional method of
irrigation. Wells are usually found in regions having a high groundwater
table.

 Well irrigation is generally found in the alluvial plains where

they can be easily dug because of the soft nature of the soil.
 In India, well irrigation is generally practised in Uttar
Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Tanks
A tank is an artificial reservoir built across a stream to impound water.
Water from the tank is then carried to the fields through narrow
channels. Tanks are used for irrigation in peninsular India including
Maharashtra and Gujarat. Tanks are extensively used in Deccan
because of the following reasons:

 The Deccan has many natural depressions where tanks can

be easily built.
 The rivers of the region are not perennial and become dry
during the summer.
 Wells cannot be dug in the stony regions of the Deccan.
Tanks however can be easily built by making small dams of
 stones in the depressions where rainwater collects. Tank
irrigation is largely practised in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
West Bengal, south Rajasthan and south Bihar.
Canals
Canals are also an important means of irrigation in India. There are two
main types of canals. These are

Inundation Canals: These are long canals directly taken off from large
rivers. They receive water when the river is high enough and especially
when in flood. Thus, these canals have limited use only.

Perennial Canals: These canals are taken out from the perennial rivers
by constructing small dams and barrages to regulate the flow of rivers.
Most canals in India are perennial. Some important canals in India are
Upper Bari Doab, Bist Doab, Sirhind, Bhakra, and Western Yamuna
Canals in Punjab and Haryana and the Indira Gandhi Canal and Bikaner
Canal in Rajasthan. In south India, canals are extensively used for
irrigation. Nagarjuna sagar and Tungabhadra projects are major canals
in the south. One-third of the net irrigated area in Tamil Nadu is under
canal irrigation. The state of Mizoram is solely dependent on canals for
irrigation.

iii. Modern methods of irrigation. (Drip, sprinkle and furrow

irrigation.)
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system
that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to
drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or
buried below the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root
zone and minimize evaporation. Drip irrigation systems distribute water
through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. Depending on
how well designed, installed, maintained, and operated it is, a drip
irrigation system can be more efficient than other types of irrigation
systems, such as surface irrigation or sprinkler irrigation.
Sprinkler irrigation
In sprinkler or overhead irrigation, water is piped to one or more central
locations within the field and distributed by overhead high-pressure
sprinklers or guns. A system using sprinklers, sprays, or guns mounted
overhead on permanently installed risers is often referred to as a solid-
set irrigation system. Sprinklers can also be mounted on moving
platforms connected to the water source by a hose. Automatically
moving wheeled systems known as traveling sprinklers may irrigate
areas such as small farms, sports fields, parks, pastures, and
cemeteries unattended. Most of these use a length of polyethylene
tubing wound on a steel drum. As the tubing is wound on the drum
powered by the irrigation water or a small gas engine, the sprinkler is
pulled across the field. When the sprinkler arrives back at the reel the
system shuts off. This type of system is known to most people as a
"water reel" traveling irrigation sprinkler and they are used extensively
for dust suppression, irrigation, and land application of waste water.
Furrow Irrigation
A Furrow irrigation system is a surface irrigation system. In this method,
furrows are developed in rows during the planting and cultivation
process in which gravity plays the main role and water is efficiently
applied for the plant to grow. Water can infiltrate through furrow irrigation
and reach up to the root of the crop. This irrigation method is very water-
efficient compared to other surface irrigation systems. It is a type of
surface irrigation system. Here gravity plays the main role as water can
infiltrate due to it. In the furrow irrigation system furrow developed
between the crop or tree in rows during the planting
and cultivation process. The size and shape of the furrow are depends
upon which type of crop or plant or tree is grown and the spacing
needed between them. Water infiltrates in soil due to gravity and spread
up to its roots. This method is most suitable for plants or trees grown in
rows.
9) Case Study
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