MEANING OF AGRICULTURE-

Agriculture is the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing

crops, and raising livestock. Agriculture
encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries, and for
estry for food and non-food products.

2 FEATURES OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE-

Dependency on monsoon
Agriculture in India mainly depends on the monsoon. If the monsoon is
good, the production will be higher and if the monsoon is less than
average then the crops fail
Indian agriculture is mainly dependent upon the monsoon which is
uncertain, unreliable, and irregular. Only one-third of the cropped area is
provided by perennial irrigation and the remaining two-thirds of the cropped
area has to bear the brunt of the vagaries of the monsoons.
Traditional methods of production:

In India methods of production of agriculture along with equipment are

traditional. Traditional technology is the main cause of low productivity.

Most farmers are tradition-bound, uneducated, and conservative and

their risk-taking capacity is very low. They are generally not able to
purchase new seeds, fertilizers, tools, technology, and develop
irrigation in their fields due to their economic conditions

TWO PROBLEMS FACED BY INDIAN FARMERS-

Lack of Marketing and Storage facilities:

Problems faced by farmers in agricultural marketing include transportation

costs, price fluctuation, etc. Lack of storage facilities in rural areas has
been a limiting factor for post-harvest losses. Nearly 16% of fruits and
vegetables, 10% of oilseeds, 9% of pulses, and 6% of cereals produced
are being wasted every year due to the same. farmers are ready to sell the
products immediately after harvest even at lower prices which benefits
them too

Poor irrigation facilities

In India, irrigation facilities are limited, and the majority of farmers are still
dependent on rainfall.

80% of water consumption in India is for irrigation in agriculture. Depletion

of the groundwater table is a major factor affecting agriculture. Good
irrigation helps farmers to carry out timely agricultural activities. Declining of
the groundwater table can be noticed in recent times due to its over-
exploitation as 65% of irrigation uses groundwater sources.

Information on crops

Sugarcane Rice

Type Cash Crop Food Crop

Crop Growing Season January to March Depending upon the

regions

Amount of Rainfall, 2000 to 3000 1,000 to 1,500 mm yearly

mm yearly

Type of soil Soil must be rich in grows best on loam to clay

nitrogen, phosphorus, loam soils that turn into
and calcium. soft mud when puddles
 develop cracks on drying.

Ideal temperature 21°C to 27°C 20 C to 40 C

Time of Sowing January to March May to November

Time of Harvesting December to March Sept to October

Technique for sowing Flatbed method Broadcasting method:

the seeds
The land is plowed,
harrowed, and leveled Seeds are sown and
and flatbeds are broadcast by hand. This
prepared. One set is method is practiced in
laid down in the those areas which are
flatbed end to end in a comparatively dry and less
row. 60-90 cm fertile and do not have
distance is kept much labor to work in the
between 2 rows. fields.

Technique of Ridge and Furrow Paddy harvesting activities

harvesting the crop Method include reaping, stacking,
handling, threshing,
In this method, 08-10 cleaning, and hauling.
cm deep furrows are
prepared in a row of
90 cm. It is suitable
where sufficient
manure and water are
available and the land
is fertile.

Two states/ regions Maharashtra and West Bengal and kerela

where the crop is Karnataka
grown
Sustainable Agriculture technique:
Natural Farming is a chemical-free and climate-resilient farming
system rooted in Indian tradition enriched with a modern understanding of
ecology, resource recycling, and on-farm resource optimization. Natural
farming includes:
• No external inputs,
• Local seeds
• On-farm produced microbial formulation for seed treatment (such as
bijamrita),
• Mixed cropping,
• Managing diversity on the farm through the integration of trees
• Management of pests through diversity and local on-farm-made botanical
concoctions (such as neemastra, agniastra, neem ark, dashparni ark, etc);

Natural Farming aims at

Preserve natural flora and fauna
• restore soil health and fertility and soil’s biological life
• Maintain diversity in crop production
• Efficient utilization of land and natural resources (light, air, water)
• Reduce input cost of agricultural production

Natural farming is the fastest-growing sustainable agricultural practice in

India and has been adopted by around 800,000 farmers. Many states have
taken up initiatives for natural farming promotion Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
and Tamil Nadu are among the leading states. As of now more than 10
lakh ha. the area is covered under natural farming in India.