Chapter 9 - Agriculture
1. Select the proper option for the following statements.
(1) In which of the following type of farming are the crops rotated?
(a) Intensive
(b) Plantation
(c) Commercial
(d) All of these
Ans: (a) Intensive.
(2) Agriculture requires the following:
(a) Only ploughing
(b) Use of animals, implements, machines and manpower
(c) Use of only manpower
(d) Just cultivate the crop
Ans: (b) Use of animals, implements, machines and manpower.
(3) In India, agriculture has developed because….
(a) There are two seasons of agriculture in India.
(b) Majority of the people depend on agriculture.
(c) Traditional agriculture is practised in India.
(d) In India factors like climate, soils, water, etc. are conducive.
Ans: (d) In India factors like climate, soils, water, etc. are conducive.
(4) It is necessary that modern methods and technology be used in agriculture in India because….
(a) There are factories producing improved seeds.
(b) There are industries producing fertilizers.
(c) Population is growing and there are agro-based industries.
(d) Modern means and machines are available.
Ans: (c) Population is growing and there are agro based industries .
2. Give short answers for the following questions.
(1) Describe the importance of irrigation for agriculture.
Ans:
a) Supplying water to the crops artificially is called irrigation.
b) A regular supply of water is essential for the growth of crops.
c) The distribution of the seasonal monsoon in India is quite uneven.
d) Groundwater is obtained for irrigational purposes by digging wells, boring wells, ponds, etc.
e) This water is supplied to the farms by using electric pumps or with the help of canals.
f) With various techniques of irrigation facilities, crops are grown on a large scale.
(2) Give a comparative account of any two methods of irrigation.
Ans: The two methods of irrigation are well irrigation and Canal irrigation.
| Well irrigation | Canal irrigation |
|---|---|
In this type of irrigation groundwater is obtained by digging wells, bore wells, etc. | Internal irrigation the stored water in the dam is supplied to the surrounding region with the help of canals. |
Less area are needed for digging wells. | Vast area are required for constructing dams for staff. |
Wells are owned by a person. | Dams are owned by the government. |
Water in the wells can be used easily and flexibly. | Water in dams may not be used easily and flexibly. |
Well irrigation is less costly. | Canal irrigation is expensive. |
(3) Mention the major types of farming and give information about intensive farming and extensive grain farming.
Ans:
The two major types of farming are intensive farming and extensive farming.
1. Intensive farming
a) Getting maximum production from a minimum area is called “intensive farming.”
b) Intensive farming is a type of subsistence farming.
c) Due to the large population and limited availability of land, the holding per head is small.
d) This type of farming is mostly seen in developing regions.
e) Farm production is sufficient only for the requirements of the family.
f) In this type of farming, the cultivator and his family are totally dependent on farming. As farm production is low, the economic condition of cultivation is also poor.
g) In this type of farming, mostly animate energy is used.
h) Cereals and vegetables are also grown to some extent.
2. Extensive grain farming
a) Getting maximum production from a large farm area is called extensive farming.
b) In this type of farming, farm size is greater than 200 hectares.
c) Due to the large farm size and sparse population in the region, this type of farming is carried out with the help of helicopters or planes.
d) Monocrop cultivation is the striking characteristic of this type of farming.
e) The main crops are wheat and corn, but other crops like barley, oats, and soyabeans are also cultivated to some extent.
f) Heavy capital investment is necessary for this type of farming. Since huge expenditures are needed for the purchase of machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, godowns, transport costs, etc.
g) Droughts, attacks by pests (such as locusts) and market fluctuations are the problems of extensive grain farming.
h) This type of farming is carried out in the temperate grassland regions.
(4) Describe the characteristics of plantation farming.
Ans:
The characteristics of plantation farming are as follows:
a) Farm size in plantation agriculture is 40 hectares or above.
b) It is practised in hilly tracks, where local manpower becomes important because use of machines is not possible.
c) This is a single crop cultivation that does not produce food grains because only commercial crops like rubber, coffee, coconut, cocoa, and spices are planted.
d) This type of farming, which began and spread mostly during the colonial period, is practised in the tropics in India and other South Asian countries, Africa, South and Central America, etc.
e) Due to the long duration of crops, the use of scientific methods, exportable production, processing, etc., large-scale capital investment is needed.
f) Climate, manpower, deterioration of the environment, economic problems, and managerial problems are the major issues faced by this type of agriculture.
(5) Which are the crops cultivated in your area? What are the geographical reasons for that?
Ans:
The major crops that are cultivated in India are rice, coconut, mango, jackfruit, etc.
a) Favorable climatic conditions like high humidity, high temperature, high rainfall, and alluvial soil are the factors that prevail here.
b) Hence, rice and fruits like coconut, mango, jackfruit, etc. are largely grown in the Konkan region.
(6) Why is the agriculture in India seasonal in nature? What are the difficulties for perennial agriculture?
Ans:
Reasons for the seasonal nature of agriculture in India are:
a) Most of the farming in India is dependent on monsoon.
b) The monsoon is seasonal in India, as it rains only in the months of June to September.
c) The rainfall is highly variable, and its distribution is quite uneven in India.
Difficulties for perennial agriculture:
a) Non-availability of regular water supply throughout the year
b) Variations in climatic conditions
c) Lack of capital
d) Lack of transportation and storage facilities
e) Lack of marketing facilities