Class 10 : Social Science (In English) – Lesson 9. Agriculture

EXPLANATION & SUMMARY

🌍 1. Importance of Agriculture in India
🌾 Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy.
👥 About two-thirds of the population still depends on agriculture.
🏭 Provides raw materials to industries (cotton → textile, sugarcane → sugar).
🍚 Ensures food security for 1.4 billion people.
💰 Contributes to export earnings (tea, coffee, spices, cotton, rice).

🚜 2. Types of Farming in India
India’s diverse physical conditions lead to different farming types.
🌱 Primitive Subsistence Farming
Done on small patches with traditional tools (hoes, digging sticks).
Uses family/community labour.
Common in tribal areas.
Includes shifting cultivation (jhum) in Northeast.
🌿 Intensive Subsistence Farming
Small holdings, high population pressure.
High input of labour, irrigation, fertilizers.
Crops: rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds.
🚜 Commercial Farming
Large-scale, mechanised, high-yielding varieties.
Use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation.
Crops: cotton, sugarcane, tea, coffee.

🌾 3. Cropping Patterns in India
Three major crop seasons:
🌦️ Rabi (Winter crops)
Sown: October–December; Harvest: April–June.
Crops: wheat, barley, gram, mustard.
Regions: Punjab, Haryana, UP.
🌧️ Kharif (Monsoon crops)
Sown: June–July; Harvest: Sept–Oct.
Crops: rice, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, sugarcane.
Regions: Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, coastal areas.
🍁 Zaid (Short summer crops)
Between Rabi & Kharif.
Crops: watermelon, cucumber, fodder crops.

🧑‍🌾 4. Major Crops of India
🍚 Rice: Staple food, grows in high temp & rainfall (Assam, West Bengal, coastal areas).
🌾 Wheat: Needs moderate temp & rainfall, fertile soil (Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar).
🌽 Maize: Moderate climate, Karnataka, MP.
🌱 Pulses: Protein-rich, grown in dry conditions (Maharashtra, MP, UP).
🪵 Millets (Jowar, Bajra, Ragi): Hardy crops, low rainfall areas.
🧃 Sugarcane: Tropical, long growing season, Maharashtra, UP.
🧵 Cotton: Black soil, Deccan plateau.
☕ Tea & Coffee: Plantation crops, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka.
🌻 Oilseeds: Groundnut, mustard, sunflower.
🌶️ Spices: Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.

🛰️ 5. Institutional & Technological Reforms
🌾 Green Revolution (1960s–70s): HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilizers → increased foodgrain production.
🛰️ White Revolution: Increase in milk production.
🟢 Bio-technology: GM crops, better yields.
🏛️ Government measures:
Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Subsidies on fertilizers, electricity.
Crop insurance, Kisan Credit Card.
Agricultural universities, research institutes.

🌍 6. Challenges to Indian Agriculture
👥 Small fragmented landholdings.
🌡️ Dependence on monsoon, droughts, floods.
🪓 Overuse of fertilizers → soil degradation.
💧 Declining groundwater levels.
⚔️ Low productivity compared to global standards.
🏭 Impact of globalisation → price fluctuations.

🌱 7. Sustainable Agriculture Practices
♻️ Organic farming (use of compost, biofertilizers).
🚜 Integrated pest management.
💧 Efficient irrigation → drip, sprinklers.
🌳 Agro-forestry and crop rotation.
👥 Farmers’ cooperatives and self-help groups.

📝 Summary
Agriculture is the backbone of India, supporting livelihoods and food security. India practices diverse farming systems — primitive subsistence, intensive subsistence, and commercial. Cropping patterns include Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid. Major crops are rice, wheat, maize, pulses, millets, sugarcane, cotton, tea, coffee, oilseeds, and spices.
Institutional and technological reforms — Green Revolution, MSP, irrigation, and biotechnology — have transformed Indian agriculture. However, challenges like small holdings, overdependence on monsoons, soil degradation, and low productivity persist.
Sustainability requires organic farming, efficient irrigation, crop rotation, and farmer empowerment. Balanced development of agriculture ensures both national food security and farmers’ prosperity.

⚡ Quick Recap
🌾 Agriculture = backbone of Indian economy.
🚜 Farming types = Primitive, Intensive, Commercial.
🌧️ Cropping seasons = Rabi, Kharif, Zaid.
🌱 Major crops = rice, wheat, millets, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, tea, coffee.
🛰️ Reforms = Green Revolution, MSP, subsidies, biotechnology.
⚔️ Challenges = monsoon dependence, small holdings, low productivity.
♻️ Way forward = sustainable farming, organic methods, efficient irrigation.

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QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK

Question 1. Multiple choice questions
(i) Which one of the following describes a system of agriculture where a single crop is grown on a large area?
(a) Shifting Agriculture
(b) Plantation Agriculture
(c) Horticulture
(d) Intensive Agriculture
Answer:
🟢 (b) Plantation Agriculture

(ii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Rice
(b) Gram
(c) Millets
(d) Cotton
Answer:
🟢 (b) Gram

(iii) Which one of the following is a leguminous crop?
(a) Pulses
(b) Jawar
(c) Millets
(d) Sesamum
Answer:
🟢 (a) Pulses

Question 2. Answer the following questions in 30 words.
(i) Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for its growth.
Answer:
☕ Tea is an important beverage crop.
🌧️ Requires warm and humid climate (20–30°C, rainfall above 150 cm).
⛰️ Grows best on hill slopes with well-drained loamy soil.
📍 Main areas: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.

(ii) Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced.
Answer:
🍚 Rice is the staple food crop of India.
🌧️ Needs high temperature (above 25°C) and rainfall above 100 cm.
📍 Major producers: Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab.

(iii) Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government in the interest of farmers.
Answer:
🏛️ Land reforms → abolition of zamindari, land ceiling.
🌾 Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
🚜 Provision of subsidies on fertilizers, electricity, irrigation.
🏦 Kisan Credit Card (KCC) & crop insurance schemes.
🧑‍🏫 Setting up agricultural universities and research centres.

Question 3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural production.
Answer:
🌱 Green Revolution → introduction of HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, mechanisation.
🐄 White Revolution → increase in milk production through Operation Flood.
🌿 Subsidies & Support → MSP, input subsidies, crop insurance.
🧑‍🏫 Research & Education → ICAR, agricultural universities.
🛰️ Technology Mission → on oilseeds, pulses, horticulture, cotton.
💧 Irrigation schemes → command area development, tube wells.
👥 Farmer training programmes to adopt modern techniques.
👉 These initiatives have significantly increased foodgrain production and ensured food security.

(ii) Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.
Answer:
🌡️ Temperature: High temperature above 25°C.
🌧️ Rainfall: More than 100 cm annual rainfall; needs standing water.
🧱 Soil: Alluvial soils of river valleys, clayey soil that retains water.
👩‍🌾 Labour: Intensive manual labour for transplanting and harvesting.
📍 Regions: Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Eastern UP, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala; also grown with irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, Western UP.

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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMS

🔵 Q1. Which farming type uses primitive tools and depends on family labour?
🟡 Options:
(A) Commercial Farming
(B) Primitive Subsistence Farming
(C) Plantation Farming
(D) Mixed Farming
🟢 Answer: (B) Primitive Subsistence Farming

🔵 Q2. Which is a plantation crop?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rice
(B) Wheat
(C) Tea
(D) Maize
🟢 Answer: (C) Tea

🔵 Q3. Which crop is called the staple food crop of India?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rice
(B) Cotton
(C) Jute
(D) Tea
🟢 Answer: (A) Rice

🔵 Q4. Which of these is a rabi crop?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rice
(B) Cotton
(C) Gram
(D) Jowar
🟢 Answer: (C) Gram

🔵 Q5. Which is a leguminous crop?
🟡 Options:
(A) Jawar
(B) Pulses
(C) Millets
(D) Sesamum
🟢 Answer: (B) Pulses

🔵 Q6. Which state is the leading producer of wheat in India?
🟡 Options:
(A) Kerala
(B) Punjab
(C) Assam
(D) Tamil Nadu
🟢 Answer: (B) Punjab

🔵 Q7. Which crop requires black soil and a long frost-free period?
🟡 Options:
(A) Cotton
(B) Rice
(C) Wheat
(D) Bajra
🟢 Answer: (A) Cotton

🔵 Q8. Which season grows watermelon and cucumber?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rabi
(B) Kharif
(C) Zaid
(D) All seasons
🟢 Answer: (C) Zaid

🔵 Q9. Which of these is a millet crop?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rice
(B) Bajra
(C) Gram
(D) Sugarcane
🟢 Answer: (B) Bajra

🔵 Q10. Coffee plantations are mainly found in:
🟡 Options:
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Kerala and Karnataka
(C) Punjab and Haryana
(D) Bihar and UP
🟢 Answer: (B) Kerala and Karnataka

🔵 Q11. Which is India’s second most important food crop after rice?
🟡 Options:
(A) Wheat
(B) Maize
(C) Pulses
(D) Sugarcane
🟢 Answer: (A) Wheat

🔵 Q12. Which crop is used for making sugar, jaggery, and khandsari?
🟡 Options:
(A) Tea
(B) Rice
(C) Sugarcane
(D) Maize
🟢 Answer: (C) Sugarcane

🔵 Q13. Which state is the largest producer of rice in India?
🟡 Options:
(A) Punjab
(B) Assam
(C) West Bengal
(D) Haryana
🟢 Answer: (C) West Bengal

🔵 Q14. Which crop is also called a “golden fibre”?
🟡 Options:
(A) Cotton
(B) Jute
(C) Oilseeds
(D) Maize
🟢 Answer: (B) Jute

🔵 Q15. Which crop requires 210 frost-free days and rainfall between 50–100 cm?
🟡 Options:
(A) Rice
(B) Maize
(C) Cotton
(D) Pulses
🟢 Answer: (C) Cotton

🔵 Q16. Which state is the leading producer of sugarcane?
🟡 Options:
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Kerala
(C) Punjab
(D) Assam
🟢 Answer: (A) Uttar Pradesh

🔵 Q17. Which oilseed crop is grown in both rabi and kharif seasons?
🟡 Options:
(A) Groundnut
(B) Mustard
(C) Sunflower
(D) Soyabean
🟢 Answer: (C) Sunflower

🔵 Q18. Which crop needs well-drained loamy soil and a warm moist climate?
🟡 Options:
(A) Wheat
(B) Tea
(C) Cotton
(D) Bajra
🟢 Answer: (B) Tea

🔵 Q19. Which region practices shifting cultivation known as “Jhum”?
🟡 Options:
(A) Northeast India
(B) Punjab–Haryana
(C) Deccan Plateau
(D) Rajasthan Desert
🟢 Answer: (A) Northeast India

🔵 Q20. Name one important beverage crop of India. State its climatic requirements.
🟢 Answer:
☕ Tea.
🌡️ Warm, humid climate (20–30°C).
🌧️ Rainfall above 150 cm.
⛰️ Hill slopes, well-drained loamy soil.

🔵 Q21. Name one staple food crop of India and its major producing states.
🟢 Answer:
🍚 Rice — staple food crop.
📍 Produced in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab.

🔵 Q22. State two institutional reforms introduced to support farmers.
🟢 Answer:
🏛️ Abolition of Zamindari and land ceiling.
🌾 Minimum Support Price (MSP) and crop insurance.

🔵 Q23. Mention two problems faced by Indian farmers today.
🟢 Answer:
🌡️ Dependence on monsoon.
⚔️ Small fragmented landholdings and low productivity.


🌟 SECTION C — Short Answer (3 marks each)

🔵 Q24. Differentiate between subsistence farming and commercial farming.
🟢 Answer:
🌱 Subsistence farming → small holdings, family labour, low productivity, for self-consumption.
🚜 Commercial farming → large farms, machines, HYV seeds, cash crops for market.

🔵 Q25. What are the features of primitive subsistence farming?
🟢 Answer:
👩‍🌾 Done with traditional tools (hoe, dao, digging stick).
🌳 Small patches, shifting cultivation (jhum).
👥 Community/family labour.

🔵 Q26. Name three millets and write one feature of each.
🟢 Answer:
🌾 Jowar — rich in iron, calcium.
🌾 Bajra — hardy crop, grows in low rainfall, sandy soils.
🌾 Ragi — highly nutritious, drought-resistant.

🔵 Q27. Mention three technological reforms in Indian agriculture.
🟢 Answer:
🛰️ Use of HYV seeds.
🚜 Mechanisation — tractors, harvesters, pump sets.
💧 Improved irrigation facilities.

🔵 Q28. Why is agriculture called the backbone of Indian economy? (Any three points)
🟢 Answer:
🌾 Provides food for 1.4 billion people.
🏭 Supplies raw materials to industries (cotton, sugarcane).
💰 Major contributor to exports (tea, coffee, spices).


🌟 SECTION D — Long Answer (5 marks each)

🔵 Q29. Explain the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.
🟢 Answer:
🌡️ Temperature: above 25°C.
🌧️ Rainfall: more than 100 cm; needs standing water.
🧱 Soil: clayey alluvial soils that hold water.
👩‍🌾 Labour: intensive manual labour required.
📍 Regions: Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Eastern UP, coastal states; also Punjab & Haryana with irrigation.

🔵 Q30. Describe the geographical conditions and major states for wheat.
🟢 Answer:
🌡️ Temperature: 10–15°C (sowing), 21–26°C (ripening).
🌧️ Rainfall: 50–100 cm, well-distributed.
🧱 Soil: well-drained fertile alluvial soil.
📍 States: Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP.

🔵 Q31. Describe the initiatives taken by the government to increase agricultural production.
🟢 Answer:
🌱 Green Revolution → HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation.
🐄 White Revolution → dairy development.
🏛️ Land reforms & MSP.
🧑‍🏫 Agricultural research institutes.
💧 Irrigation projects & Kisan Credit Card.

🔵 Q32. Suggest five measures for sustainable agriculture in India.
🟢 Answer:
♻️ Organic farming.
🚜 Crop rotation and mixed farming.
🌳 Agro-forestry.
💧 Efficient irrigation (drip, sprinklers).
👥 Farmer cooperatives and training.


🌟 SECTION E — Case/Source-Based (4 marks each; 1+1+2)

🔵 Q33. Case: A tribal family in Meghalaya clears a forest patch, burns it, cultivates for 2 years, then moves.
(i) Which farming type is this? (1)
(ii) Name this practice in Northeast India. (1)
(iii) Mention two drawbacks of this farming. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) Primitive subsistence farming.
(ii) Jhum cultivation.
(iii) Soil fertility loss, deforestation.

🔵 Q34. Case: A farmer in Punjab uses HYV seeds, fertilizers, tube-well irrigation, and sells wheat in market.
(i) Which type of farming? (1)
(ii) Which revolution promoted this? (1)
(iii) Write two merits of this farming. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) Intensive commercial farming.
(ii) Green Revolution.
(iii) High productivity, ensures food security.

🔵 Q35. Source: “Tea plantations in Assam provide livelihood to lakhs of workers.”
(i) What type of farming is this? (1)
(ii) Name two features of plantation farming. (1)
(iii) Mention two problems faced in this farming. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) Plantation agriculture.
(ii) Large estates, single crop grown with migrant labour.
(iii) Fluctuating global prices, long gestation period.


🌟 SECTION F — Map/Skill-Based (5 marks)

🔵 Q36. On an outline map of India, locate and label any four major rice-producing states.
🟢 Answer:
West Bengal
Assam
Odisha
Punjab

🔵 Q37. For visually impaired candidates: Write the names of any four major wheat-producing states.
🟢 Answer:
Punjab
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh

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ONE PAGE REVISION SHEET

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MISCONCEPTIONS “ALERTS”

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MIND MAPS

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