CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Revision Notes Chapter 4

CBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 4 Notes – Agriculture

Approximately two-thirds of the population in India is dependent on agriculture as a source of income. It is a primary activity that produces raw components for various industries. Chapter 4 of Geography discusses the topic of Agriculture. In this chapter, you will also find different methods of farming, different cropping patterns and significant crops grown in India. In a nutshell, this CBSE revision note is an insight into a detailed version of India’s agricultural sector. It will give you an idea of the country’s economic activities. 

CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Revision Notes for the Year 2022-23

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Access Class 10 Social Science Chapter 4: Agriculture Notes

Types of Farming

If you take a close look, agriculture is an old-age economic activity. About two-thirds of the population is engaged in agricultural activity. Moreover, agriculture not only produces grains but also produces raw materials for many industries. 

There is a variety in the types of farming. It varies from subsistence to commercial types. However, at present, the following farming systems are used. 

1. Primitive Subsistence Farming

This type of farming is also known as slash and burn agriculture. Primitive subsistence farming is done on small patches using primitive tools like dao, hoe, and digging sticks. The family and community labour are involved in this farming method. Furthermore, nature plays a significant role in this type of farming. There are some factors which affect the production of this type of farming. These are:

• Suitability of environmental conditions
• Fertility 
• Monsoon

The patch of land is cleared in this process, and the food crops are grown. Once the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift to another patch of land and allow the previous patch to replenish and regain nutrients. Again, no modern farming techniques or advanced tools are used for this type of farming. 

1. Intensive Subsistence Farming

This type of farming is usually practised in areas with high land pressure for land production —various biochemical inputs and modern irrigation techniques aid such a product type. 

1. Commercial Farming

In commercial farming, high doses of high-yielding seeds, insecticides, fertilisers, and pesticides are used. Rice is the commercial crop of Haryana. Another type of commercial farming is plantation farming in which one crop is grown over a large area. In India, tea, rubber, coffee, sugarcane, bananas, etc., are some of the essential plantation crops. Tea in Assam and North Bengal and coffee in Karnataka are important plantation crops in these states. 

Cropping Patterns

According to the cropping seasons, there are three crops.

1. Rabi

 Rabi crops are grown in the winter months from October to December. However, they are harvested in the summer season from April to June. Wheat, barley, gram, peas, and mustard are some of the important rabi crops. The states from the north and north-western parts, like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, grow the maximum quantities of wheat and other rabi crops. 

1. Kharif

Kharif crops are grown at the onset of the monsoon and are harvested during September and October. Important crops grown during the season are maize, jowar, paddy, bajra, tur, moong, arhar, urad, jute, cotton, groundnut, and soybean. The critical regions where these crops are grown are West Bengal, Assam, the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala. 

1. Zaid

The short season between Rabi and Kharif crops is known as the zaid season. Watermelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder crops, and muskmelon are some major zaid crops. 

Major Crops

1. Rice

India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China. It is one of the Kharif crops and requires an elevated temperature above 25 degrees, a high rate of humidity and annual rainfall above 100cm. The primary production of rice is primarily found in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal regions, and deltaic regions. 

You will need an annual ra

1. Wheat

infall of about 50 to 75 cm to grow wheat. There are two significant wheat-growing regions in India. These are:

• The Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west
• The black soil region of the Deccan plateau

The most crucial wheat-growing states are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, and some parts of Madhya Pradesh. 

1. Millets

Ragi, jowar, and bajra are the most important millets grown in India. Jowar is a rain-fed crop cultivated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. Some major bajra growing states are:

• Uttar Pradesh
• Maharashtra 
• Rajasthan 
• Haryana 

Ragi grows well on dry, sandy, red and shallow black soils. Some significant ragi-producing states are Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand. 

1. Maize

Maize is another Kharif crop which requires temperatures between 21 degrees and 27 degrees to grow. However, it grows very well on old alluvial soils. Some of the central maize-producing states are Bihar, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. 

1. Pulses

Some major cultivated pulses are urad, masoor, peas, and tur. The growing of pulses helps restore soil fertility as they are nitrogen fixation and leguminous crops. They grow in rotation with the cereal crops. Some of the central pulse-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. 

Food Crops other than Grains

1. Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a tropical as well as a sub-tropical crop. The crop grows well in hot and humid climates ranging from 21 degrees to 27 degrees. For proper cultivation, there is a requirement for good rainfall between 75 to 100 cm. After Brazil, India is the second largest producer of sugarcane. Some central sugarcane-growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Telangana, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. 

1. Oil Seeds

In 2008, India was the second largest producer of groundnuts after China. Twelve percent of the total cropped area is used to cultivate different oil crops. Some of the major oil seeds produced in India are: 

• Mustard
• Coconut
• Groundnut
• Sesame
• Linseed
• Castor seeds 
• Sunflower 
• Cotton seeds 

Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Castor seeds are grown both as rabi and Kharif crops. 

1. Tea

People consider tea to be a labour-intensive industry. India is the third largest producer of tea after China and Turkey. The list of tea-producing states is endless. Here are some significant best ones:

• Hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri
• District of West Bengal 
• Tamil Nadu 
• Kerala 
• Uttar Pradesh
• Meghalaya 
• Tripura 

1. Coffee

In 2008, India alone produced 3.2 percent of the world’s coffee. It is cultivated in the Nilgiris of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. 

1. Horticulture Crops

Presently, India produces 1 percent of the world’s vegetables. In 2008, India was the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables after China. Some fruits and vegetables from Indian states which are currently in great demand are:

• Mangoes of Maharashtra and Telangana
• Oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunji 
• Pineapples of Meghalaya
• Grapes of Andhra Pradesh 
• Walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir 

Non-food Crops

1. Rubber

It grows well in moist and humid climates. Furthermore, rubber requires an annual rainfall of more than 200 cm and a temperature above 25 degrees to grow appropriately. It is grown in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andaman, and Nicobar islands. India is the fourth largest rubber producer in the world. 

1. Fibre Crop

There are three types of fibre crops: silk, cotton, and jute. Silk is obtained from the cocoons, which feed on the mulberry trees. The process of rearing silkworms to produce silk fibre is known as sericulture. Jute is known as the Golden fibre. You will need elevated temperatures to grow this crop. However, it is majorly produced in states like West Bengal, Odisha, Meghalaya, and Assam. 

India is the second largest producer of cotton in the world after China. It grows perfectly in dry areas of black cotton soil in the Deccan plateau. Cotton growth necessitates high temperatures, light rainfall, irrigation, 210 frost-free days, and sunshine. It is one of the Kharif crops which requires 6 to 8 months to mature.  It is grown in states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Telangana. 

Technological and Institutional Reforms

• The prime focus of the First Five-Year Plan of the government was land reform. 
• The Green Revolution and the White Revolution are some of the revolutionary strategies adopted to improve the agricultural sector. 
• Kisan Credit Card and Personal Insurance Accident Schemes are some of the schemes introduced by the Indian government for the benefit of the farmers. 
• In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development program was introduced for institutional and technical reforms. 

Contribution of Agriculture to the National Economy, Employment and Output

• More than half of the Indian population depends on the agriculture sector for sustenance. 
• Agriculture employed approximately 52 percent of the Indian workforce in 2011.
• To improve Indian agriculture, the government focused on establishing the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the veterinary service, animal breeding centres, agricultural universities, weather forecasts and many more. 

Food Security

If any population segment cannot access the agricultural sector, it lacks food security. Generally, rural and remote areas are more prone to natural disasters and lack of food supply. The government’s buffer stock and public distribution system ensures good food availability in such areas. The Food Corporation of India is responsible for procuring the food, while the public distribution system takes care of the availability in each area. 

Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture

Here is how the agriculture sector has affected globalisation. 

• After 1990,  farmers started to face new challenges in the agricultural sector of the international markets. 
• Despite being significant cotton, jute, and tea producer, India could not cope with the developed countries because of highly subsidised agriculture. 
• Organic farming is in demand nowadays as it does not include factory-made chemicals like fertilisers and pesticides for producing crops. 
• Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for producing hybrid varieties of seeds to increase production. 

Important Questions and Answers

1. Describe the various cropping patterns in India. 

There are three major cropping patterns in India. These are:

• Rabi

 Rabi crops are grown in the winter months from October to December. However, they are harvested in the summer season from April to June. Wheat, barley, gram, peas, and mustard are some of the important rabi crops. 

• Kharif

Kharif crops are grown at the onset of the monsoon and harvested during September and October. Important crops grown during the season are maize, jowar, paddy, bajra, tur, moong, arhar, urad, jute, cotton, groundnut, and soybean. 

• Zaid

The short season between rabi and kharif crops is known as the zaid season. Watermelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder crops, and muskmelon are some major zaid crops. 

1. What are the requirements for growing sugarcane?

Sugarcane is a tropical as well as a sub-tropical crop. The crop grows well in hot and humid climates ranging from 21 degrees to 27 degrees. For proper cultivation, there is a requirement for good rainfall of between 75 and 100 cm..

1. Which horticulture crops are in demand in the Indian states?

Some fruits and vegetables from Indian states which are currently in great demand are:

• Mangoes from Maharashtra and Telangana
• Oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunji 
• Pineapples of Meghalaya
• Grapes of Andhra Pradesh 
• Walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir 

1. Elucidate the different types of farming. 

At present, the following farming systems are practised: 

• Primitive Subsistence Farming

This type of farming is also known as slash and burn agriculture. Primitive subsistence farming is done on small patches using primitive tools like dao, hoe, and digging sticks. The family and community labour are involved in this farming method. The patch of land is cleared in this process, and the food crops are grown. Once the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift to another patch of land and allow the previous patch to replenish and regain nutrients. No modern farming techniques or advanced tools are used for this type of farming. 

• Intensive Subsistence Farming

This type of farming is usually practised in areas with high land pressure of land production—various biochemical inputs and modern irrigation techniques aid such a product type. 

• Commercial Farming

In commercial farming, high doses of high-yielding seeds, insecticides, fertilisers, and pesticides are used. For example, rice is the commercial crop of Haryana. Another type of commercial farming is plantation farming in which one crop is grown over a large area.

Technological and Institutional Reforms in Agriculture

The agriculture sector employs more than 60 percent of India’s population. . However, there is a dire need for reforms to improve this vital sector. The Green Revolution and the White Revolution are two reforms adopted to improve the agricultural sector. In addition, Kisan Credit Card and Personal Insurance Accident Schemes are some of the schemes introduced by the Indian government for the benefit of the farmers. 

Class 10 Geography Chapter 4 Notes: Types of Farming (Repeat header)

Cropping Patterns in India (Repeat header)

Major Crops Grown in India (Repeat header)

Technological and Institutional Reforms in Agriculture (Repeat header)

Did You Know?

• According to the reports of 2011, around 52 percent of the Indian workforce was employed in agriculture.
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the veterinary service, animal breeding centres, agricultural universities, weather forecasts and many more were established to improve agricultural conditions. 
• Over the years, farmers have been using the old-age farming technique. However, newer concepts have been developed for the betterment of farmers.