Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, with 70% of the population engaged in it. Different types of agriculture practiced in India include subsistence and commercial farming, intensive and extensive farming, plantation farming, and mixed farming. Major crops include food crops like rice and wheat, cash crops like cotton and sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, and plantation crops like tea and coffee. Challenges facing Indian agriculture include stagnating production of major crops, high costs of farm inputs, soil exhaustion, depletion of groundwater, impacts of climate change, and effects of globalization.

1. Agriculture

2. Agriculture the backbone of Indian economy
1. 70% of the population earn its livelihood
from agriculture.
2. It satisfies the basic need of man and animal
(food).
3. It is an important source of raw material for
the agro based industries.
4. India’s geographical conditions are
favourable for agriculture.
5. Efforts in science and technology also help in
increasing production.

3. Different type of agriculture
1. Subsistence and commercial farming:
Subsistence farming
a. Farming for own consumption.
b. Entire production used by farmer
and his family.
c. Landholdings are small and
fragmented.
d. Cultivation method old and
simple.
e. Crops grown are mostly cereals,
oilseeds, pulses, vegetables and sugarcane.
Commercial Farming
a. Most of the produce is sold in the market for
earning money.
b. Farmers use inputs like irrigation, chemical
fertilizers, insecticides etc .
c. Major crops grown are cotton, Jute,
sugarcane, groundnut etc.
d. Rice farming in Haryana is mainly for
commercial purpose.

4. 2. Intensive and Extensive farming: (Differentiate between intensive farming and extensive
farming)
a. Intensive farming uses small areas of land
for cultivation.
b. Total production is lower in smaller areas.
c. India mostly uses intensive farming.
d. Japan uses intensive farming because land
for cultivation is limited
a. Extensive farming uses large areas for
cultivation.
b. India extensive farming is used in Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.
c. The main differences between the two are
the amount of production per unit of land.
d. In the U.SA, Canada, and former USSR
extensive farming is used.
e. Total production is high in larger areas.
Extensive farming

5. • 3. Plantation farming:
a. Plantation farming is an artificial form.
b. Single cash crop is grown for sale.
c. Tea, coffee, rubber, banana, spices,
are all examples.
4. Mixed farming:
a. Farming along with animal rearing is called
mixed farming.
b. Farmers using mixed farming are better off.

6. Revolutions
1. Green Revolution: Green revolution helped
the farmers improve their yield with the help
of major technology by using :
a. Improved seeds.
b. Enough supply of water.
c. increased fertilizers.
All these helped in increasing the agricultural
production.

7. 2. White Revolution:
• White revolution helped in increasing the milk production by using technological inputs
are :
• A. crossbreeding of indigenous cows with high milk yielding.
• B. PASTEURIZATION OF MILK FOR KEEPING IT FOR A LONGER DURATION.
• C. COLLECTION OF QUALITY MILK FROM MEMBERS IN RURAL AREAS
• D. Refrigerated transport system which helps sending milk to other places like the
city.

8. 4. Blue Revolution: This refers to big rise in
catching of fresh water and marine fish.
5. Pink Revolution:
this refers to the rise in production of
apples
in the states of Himachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir.
3. Yellow revolution: This is the steady supply
of poultry products.

9. Salient Features of Indian agriculture
• 1. Subsistence Agriculture: Farming for own consumption.
• 2. Pressure of population on Agriculture: 70% of the population directly or indirectly
depends upon the agriculture sector.
• 3. Mechanization of farming: Green Revolution introduced mechanized farming in India but
till today complete mechanization in farming is not achieved.
• 4. Dependence upon monsoon: Though India has started irrigation facilities only one third of
total cropped area is irrigated. The rest still depend on rains for water.
• 5. Variety of crops: India‘s physical features are diverse there is difference in climate, soil and
land forms. India has both a temperate and tropical climate. Due to these factors we have a
variety of crops grown.
• 6. Predominance of food crops : India’s population is large hence to feed the population food
crops are required.
• 5. Seasonal patterns: India has three distinct agricultural or cropping seasons,
Kharif, Rabi and Zaid.
Rice is a Kharif crop while wheat is a Rabi crop.

10. Major crops of India :
Sl.No.
Types of
crops
Meaning Major Crops
1 Food crops
Crops that are used for human
consumption
Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millet
and Pulses
2 Cash crops
Crops that are grown for sale either in raw
form or in semi-processed form
Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane,
Tobacco and oilseeds
3
Plantation
crops
Crops which are grown on plantation
covering large estates
Tea, coffee, Coconut and
Rubber
4 Horticulture
Sections of agriculture in which Fruits and
Vegetables are grown
Fruits and Vegetables

11. Food Crops: Rice
• 1. Most important food crop of India.
• 2. A Kharif or summer crop.
• 3.Covers about 1/3rd of total cultivation area of the country and provides food to more than half of the
Indian population.
• Temperature Hot and humid conditions Degree 32C – 22C
• Rainfall 150-300cm Places like Punjab, Haryana and Western
Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is less rice is grown with the help of irrigation
• Soil Grown in varied soil.
Best grown in deep clayey and loamy soil.
In Kuttinad (Kerala)it is grown below sea level
and in Kashmir and north eastern India it is grown on hill terraces
• Labour easily available labour
• Distribution Karnataka, AndhraPradesh,Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Maharashtra, Gujarat
West Bengal Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhatisgarh,
Bihar,, Uttar Pradesh
Punjab, Harayana, Madhya PradeshUttarakhand and Kashmir valley

14. Food Crop : Wheat
• 1. Second most important food crop of India.
• 2. It is a Rabi or winter crop.
• 3. Sowing in October-November and harvesting in March-April.
4. Staple food of people in the North and North West India.
• Temperature Requires cool climate
10 degree C to 15 degree C during sowing
and 21 degree C to 26 degree C at harvesting
• Rainfall 75cm to 100cm.
Light shower during ripening helps increase the
yield.
Can be grown with help of irrigation also.
• Soil Plain areas, well drained fertile and loamy and
clayey soil best suited.
• Labour Extensive and highly mechanized
less labour required
• Distribution The Ganga –Satluj plains and the Deccan
U.P, Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat and Maharashtra.

16. Food Crop : Millets
• 1. Short duration warm weather crops.
• 2. Coarse grain crops used for food and fodder.
3. Kharif crop.
• 4. Sowing in May- august and harvested in October -November.
5. Consumed by poor people.
• 6. Local names :Jawar Bajra, Ragi, Korra, Kutki, Kodon, Bauti, Rajgira.
• Temperature 27 degrre C to 32 degree C
• Rainfall Dry land crop. 50cm to 100cm is ideal.
• Soil Can be grown in inferior alluvial or loamy soil.
Sandy soils and shallow black soil.
• Distribution Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Haryana.

18. Cash Crop : Sugarcane
• Sugarcane
• 1. Belongs to bamboo family and indigenous to India.
2. Kharif crop.
• 3. Main source of sugar, gur and khandsari.
• 4. raw material for alcohol.
• 5. Bagasse the crushed cane residue used for paper, substitute for petroleum and
other chemical products.
• 6. used as fodder.
• Temperature 21 degrre C to 27 degree C
• Rainfall 75cm - 100cm
• Soil any soil that can retain moisture.
Deep rich loamy soil ideal.
Rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus neither acidic nor
alkaline.
Flat plain and level plateau helps irrigation and transportaion.
Requires heavy manures and fertilizers.
Plenty of Labour required
Largest area under cultivation second largest producer
after Brazil.
The Satluj- Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar.
The black soil from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Krishna river valley

20. Cash crop : Cotton
• 1. Most important fibre crop in India nad the world.
2. Provides raw material for textile industry.
• 3. Seed used for vanaspati oil.
• 4. Seed used as fodder for better milk production.
5. Kharif crop.
• 6. Grown ins tropical and sub tropical areas.
• Temperature 21 degreeC to 30 degreeC
• Rainfall 1.Areas having 210 frost free days.
2. 50cm -100 cm.
3. High rainfall in the beginning and sunny and dry
at ripening time.
• Soil 1.Black soils of the Deccan and Malwa plateau.
2.Also grown in the alluvial soil of Satluj-Ganga palin and
3.laterite soils of the peninsular region
• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required. Picking not yet
mechanized.
• Distribution India has the largest area under cultivation.
Third largest producer after China and the USA.
Main states Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

22. Cash Crops:Oilseeds
• 1. Most important commercial crops in India.
• 2. India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world.
3. Oil removed from oilseed used for cooking.
• 4.Oil usedas raw material for manufacturing hydrogenated oils, paints, varnishes, soaps,
lubricants etc. 5. Oil-cake used for fodder and
manure.
• 6. Groundnut most important oilseed of India.
• Temperature Best in tropical climate 20 degree C to 30
degreeC
• Rainfall 50cm - 75 cm.Frost, prolonged drought,
continous rain and stagnant water can harm the crop.
Dry winter needed at time of ripening.
• Soil Well drained light sandy loamy. Red, Yellow and
black soils are well suited.
• Distribution India largest producer of groundnut in the world.
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat main producers 60%
Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka 30%

23. Pulses :Gram
• 1.Provides proteins.
• 2.Good for cattle feed.
• 3.They fix the atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.
4. Rotated with other crops to maintain and restore fertility of soil.
• 5.Tur, Urd, mung, masur, matar etc .
• 6.Rabi crop , cultivated as single or mixed crop with wheat, barley,
linseed or mustard.
• Temperature Mild cool and dry climate.
20 degree C to 25 degree C.
• Rainfall 40- 45 cm
• Soil Loamy soil
• Distribution 90% production from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra.

24. Plantation crop:Tea
• 1. India famous for its tea gardens.
• 2. Made by the tender sprouts of tea plants by drying them.
3. India leading producer of tea.
• 4.China and Srilanka are second and third.
• Temperature Hot and wet climate. 20degreeC to 30
degree C.
• Rainfall 150cm to 300cm
• Soil Well drained, deep, friable loamy soi.
Soil rich in humus and iron. Shade loving plant
• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required.
• Distribution Assam leading producer 50% in India.
Brahmaputra and Surma valleys in Assam.
Darjeeling, Siliguri Cooch Bihar.
Tamil Nadu 3rd largest producer- Nilgiri hills

26. Plantation crop: Coffee
• Indigenous to Ethiopia.
• Temperature Hot and humid climate. 15degreeC and
28degreeC.
Grown under shady trees.
Strong sunshine, high temperature above
30degreeC, frost, snowfall will harm the cultivation.
• Rainfall 150cm to 250cm
• Soil Well drained, rich, friable, loamy containing humus and
minerals like iron and calcium. Soil should be properly
manured to retain fertility to increase production.
• Labour Cheap and efficient labour required.
• Distribution Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the main states
of coffee production.

27. The major Challenges faced by Indian agriculture.
• 1. Stagnation in Production of Major crops: The production of some
major food crops like rice, wheat has been stagnating ( not growing).
If this continues there will be a gap between demand and supply
because the population of the country is growing .
• 2. High cost of Farm inputs: Farm inputs like fertilizer, pesticides,
HYV seeds, farm labour cost have increased. Farmers with small or
medium farm lands are at a disadvantage since they cannot afford
these inputs and so their production does not increase.
• 3. Soil Exhaustion: Soil exhaustion means losing the nutrient value of
the soil. Using the land over and over again for production has led to
soil exhaustion.
• 4. Depletion of fresh Ground water: For irrigation the ground water
has been used a lot. So over usage of water for irrigation has led to
the ground water being depleted ( getting less).

28. • 5. Adverse impact of Global Climatic change: (How could
climate change affect agriculture in India?)
• 70% of Indian population depends on agriculture directly
or indirectly. Due to climate change the temperature is
increasing, sea level is increasing and agriculture lands
are salty waters, there are more cyclones, and rainfalls
are irregular and unsteady. All these factors affect the
production of major food crops like rice and wheat.
• 6. Impact of globalisation: Due to globalisation our
farmers are facing completion from products from other
countries who uses highly mechanized methods and so
their costs are less.
• Subsidies and protection to farmers have reduced.
Increasing in input cost and falling output prices have
affected our farmers.