CBSE CLASS X GEOGRAPHY SA1 AGRICULTURE

GEOGRAPHY SA1 AGRICULTURE 

CHAPTER 4 AGRICULTURE Answer the following questions in 30 words

 1) Mention the impacts of globalisation on agriculture. 
 The impact of globalisation on agriculture: Agriculture is a seasonal activity.The agricultural labourers migrate to cities for jobs in the multi-nationals which provides them opportunities in the off seasons. The indigenous farmers face challenges from the farmers abroad who have better working conditions and improved technology. Globalization opens new markets thus increasing demand for many goods and services produced in India, especially food . so higher prices for food means that farmers receive higher income - it attracts more people for farming and more investors start new agricultural projects. Totally - there is positive impact on agriculture in India due to globalization, though it 's become more profitable to sell abroad than in local markets so domestic prices rise and some people starving. 2) What is globalization?explain? Globalization describes an ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and trade 3)What is the difference between subsistence and commercial farming?? Subsistence Agriculture (i) Farming practices in which crops are cultivated for local consumption. (ii) Farms are small and food crops are cultivated such as rice and wheat. (iii) Old tools and implements are used by the farmers. (iv) Depends on monsoon and there is greater use of manpower. Commercial Agriculture (i) Farming practice in which goods produced are mainly for the market to get cash. (ii) Farms are larger and cash crops are cultivated. Such as cotton, sugar-cane, jute. (iii) Better implements are used and there are proper irrigation facilities. (iv) Less of manpower is used. Cultivation methods change significantly based upon the characteristics of physical environment, technological know-how and socio-cultural practices. Farming varies from subsistence to commercial type. Primitive Subsistence Farming and Intensive Subsistence Farming are two forms of farming. Primitive Subsistence FarmingIntensive Subsistence Farmingpracticed in few pockets of Indiapractised in areas of high population pressure on landprimitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, andmodern machineriesfamily/community labourlabour intensive farmingdepends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditionsArtificial irrigationdoes not use fertilizers or other modern inputs.where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production. Higher doses of modern inputs, e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides 4)Differentiate between rabi and kharif crop. (3-4 points) The Kharif crop is the autumn harvest (also known as the summer or monsoon crop). Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains in July, during the south-west monsoon season. The term Kharif means autumn. Rabi is a summer crop, while kharif is a rainy season crop. The Rabi season crop is of a relatively shorter duration time and hence more fertilizers (inorganic) are used in comparison. Kharif season is about 150 -160 days for paddy (June to November) whereas Rabi is for about 120- 135 days from December to April next yr). Generally the yield in Rabi is higher than in the kharif. Differences between Rabi,Kharif and Zaid (5 differences) in tabular form. Rabi Sown in winter from October to December harvested in summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard. Kharif Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country harvested in September-October. Important crops grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Zaid In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the Zaid season. Some of the crops produced during ‘zaid’ are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber,

 5)Explain geographical condition required for the cultivation of tea .mention two leading tea producing states of india The following are the conditions required for Tea cultivation: Temperature- 10 -30 degrees Centigrade Rainfall- average yearly rainfall of 2,000 mm Altitude- ground level of between 600-2000 meters above sea level Soil- soil with Ph 4.5 to 5 and less acid soil with excellent drainage A carefully chosen source plant can be used for creating new tea seedlings. The soft seedlings develop in a nursery for ten months, which protects them from difficult weather conditions. After they have strengthened, the tea plants continue to develop in open fields that are sheltered by the shade of wide trees. MAJOR TEA PRODUCING STATES IN INDIA: There are three major tea-producing regions in India - Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiris. Over the years, India has mainly been known to produce black tea. However, there is a shift in the trend now as many tea estates have started producing green, white and oolong teas. Besides Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri other tea producing regions in India are the Cachar, Dehradun, Dooars, Kangra, Manipur, Terai and Travancore.

 6)"Agriculture and industry are complementary to each other". justify this statement. Agriculture and industry are complementary to each other. Use of machines can change the pattern of agriculture whereas the raw materials of agriculture are processed in industries to give outputs.

 7)Find out the different region of India practicing the following types of farming - i) intensive subsistence farming ii) plantation iii) primitive subsistence farming iv) commercial farming v)mixed farming (((give the answer in the following points or in a systamatic way))) - nutrition - crops grown - types of soil - climate - rainfall -area or regions 1. Intensive Subsistence Farming- Crop Rice,Temperature- High temperature, above 25 C Rainfall - Annual rainfall above 100 cm Climatic Conditions- High humidity Areas -,,Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram 2. Plantation- Tea, Coffee.,Temperature- 28 TO 32 C Rainfall - 127 cm, Climate- Tropical sub tropical climate Areas- Assam, West Bengal, 3. Primitive Subsistence farming-Crops- Dry Paddy, wheat , High temperature, above 25 C Rainfall - Annual rainfall above 100 cm, Climatic Conditions- High humidity, Areas- Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland 4. Commercial Farming- Crops-Rice,Temperature- High temperature, above 25 C Rainfall - Annual rainfall above 100 cm Climatic Conditions- High humidity Areas found - Grown in the plains of north, north east, coastal areas and deltaic region, punjab haryana , rajasthan 5. Mixed Farming- Crops- Pearl Millets, Peas Temperature- above 23C, Rainfall - annual rainfall above 50 cm Climatic conditions- Some may require moist weather some dry weather like ragi . Areas- Rajasthan, Maharashtra

 8)There can be no food security without the security of small farmers.explain Big farmers always have an edge over small farmers. Big farmers have adequate facility of water and storage of grains etc. However, small farmers is not provided even with these basics properly which act as a disincentive to farmers. Thus farmers are adversely affected with such uncertainties in the market. They suffer dual disadvantage of buying HYV seeds and fertilizers at a high price and lack bargaining power which causes distress sale. The cases of farmer suicides are rising at an alarming rate. Therefore, there can be no food security without the security of small farmers. 

 9) Who profits from jute cultivation according to the jute growers lament? Explain.Find out reasons for the low proportion of Net Sown Area in some states. The reasons for low net sown area are : competition of land for non agricultural sources and agricultural sources. excessive use of fertilizers and pesticide which are slowly turning the land barren. scarcity of water which have led to reduction in irrigated area. Due to paucity of time it would not be possible for us to solve all your queries. We are providing solution to one of your queries.

 10)Describe any five important technological and institutional reforms introduced by the Indian government in the interest of the farmers Collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after Independence. Land reform was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan. The right of inheritance had already lead to fragmentation of land holdings necessitating consolidation of holdings. The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve Indian agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s. The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian agriculture.Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps in this direction. Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the farmers.

 11)In pagno44 in the box of bhoodan-gramdan, it is given that- ".... many landowners chose to provide some part of of their land to the poor farmers due to the fear of land ceiling act..." so what is ceiling act???? CEILING ACT Earlier, and even during the British rule, land was in the hands of wealthy people like zamindars, landlords, etc Farmers who did not have any land, have to till and cultivate the lands of wealthy landlords and received meagre earnings Hence, certain steps and measures were taken by political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave They introduced Gramdhan movement by which surplus lands from landlords were distributed among landless farmers A fixed amount of land should be possessed by farmers and this was termed as land ceiling An act on land ceiling was also enacted for the benefit of poor landless farmers If anyone possessed the prescribed amount of land, the surplus would be taken by the Government Hence, many land owners gave away some portion of their land to poor peasants for fear of this land ceiling act This message has been removed. This message has been removed. 

12)Explain Organic farming and its importance Organic Farming is a type of farming which uses organic wastes like crop,animal,aquatic wastes along with bio fertilizers and other biological materials for the purpose of cultivation. Importance of Organic farming: a. It helps to maintain the fertility of soil. b. It does not use any harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. c. Organic farming helps to release nutrients to crops and ensures sustainable production. d. It helps in enhancing agro-ecosystem health particularly bio diversity. Organic farming :the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as rotation, green, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge, and nonmaterial.Organic farming enhances natural resources, preserves the environment's balance and guarantees tastier products. It does not contain any chemical and so it produces safe and healthy food. In organic farming you can observe all stages from production to table.Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved. 

13)What is the importance of pulses in our economy? Why are pulses grown as a rotation crop? Name two major pulse producing states in India. India is one of the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world. Therefore, pulses are important for Indian economy. Except arhar all pulses are leguminous plants which help in regaining soil fertility therefore they are grown in rotation with other plants. Major pulse growing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. 

 14)What are the changes in cropping patterns in india in last decade? The two major changes in the cropping pattern in the last decade are 1.Among cereals, wheat and paddy are being grown more because of the high MSP that these crops fetch. 2.There is a gradual and noticeable shift from growing food grains to cultivation of fruits, vegetables, oil-seeds and industrial crops. 

 15)On the page 43, there states a line which says, ' Thus, collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after Independence.'Explain Agriculture is the occupation of more than 70% of the population at the time of independence. Since a large amount of population had been engaged in agriculture it was important to introduce reforms in agriculture sector where abolition of zamindari system, consolidation and collectivization of land holdings were given priorities. Zamindari system was a total exploitation against farmers. Also, land holdings were biased i.e. large chunks of land were owned by rich farmers or zamindars and small farmers usually had meager incomes or in the worst case they were landless. Therefore, these two fallacies demanded institutional reforms. Land reforms were introduced after 1951 as a major part of institutional reforms to streamline agricultural sector. 

 16)Fill the following table Name of crop category:rabi/kharif temprature rainfall climatic conditions Area found 1] rice 2] millets 3] maize 4] sugarcane 5] tea 6] rubber 7] cotton Rice Type- Kharif crop Temperature- High temperature, above 25 C Rainfall - Annual rainfall above 100 cm Climatic Conditions- High humidity Areas found - Grown in the plains of north, north east, coastal areas and deltaic region, punjab haryana , rajasthan Millets Type- Kharif crop Temperature- above 23C, Rainfall - annual rainfall above 50 cm Climatic conditions- Some may require moist weather some dry weather like ragi , Areas- UP., KARNATAKA, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat Maize- Type - Kharif Crop, Temerature- 21 to 27C, Rainfall 50 to 75cm, Climate- Considerable moisture and heat, Areas - UP, Bihar, MP Sugarcane Type Zaid crop, Temperature- 21 to 27C, Rainfall- 75 to 100cm, Climate- Hot and humid climate, Areas- UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka,Punjab,Haryana Tea Type Plantation, Temperature- 28 TO 32 C Rainfall- 127 cm, Climate- Tropical sub tropical climate Areas- Assam, West Bengal,HP Rubber Type- Equatorial crop, Temperature - Above 25C, Rainfall- 200 to 250 cm Climate- High atmospheric humidity Areas- Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Cotton Type- kharif crop, Temperature- above 21 C Rainfall- 50 to 100cm Climate- Neither wet nor dry Areas Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, MP


 17)What are the problems of green revolution in terms of 1.small and fragmented land holdings 2.poor quality of seeds 3.lack of proper use of fertilizers 4.pest and diseases 5.old methods and techniques 6.traditional subsistence nature of agriculture 7.eratic and excessive pressure on land 8.low yield 9. floods and drought (*) Green Revolution has turned out to be partial revolution and has benefited some states and only large farmers. The problems associated with green revolution are: a. Small farmers with fragmented land holdings cannot avail the benefit of green revolution as using HYV of seeds requires huge amount of capital. b. It requires excessive usage of chemical fertilizers to retain the increased production, which affects the fertility of the soil. c. It also requires good irrigation facility hence it reduces the ground water level due to continuous use of ground water. d. Double cropping is also an essential feature of green revolution which requires excessive water and good irrigation facility, since most of the farmers in India are dependent on monsoons to meet their irrigational requirements not everybody could avail its benefit. f. Corresponding to the fact that it requires huge capital investment farmers are compelled to borrow huge amount of loans and become victims of indebtedness. g. It requires sophisticated tools and equipment's thus replacing manual labour with capital intensive or machinery leading to unemployment and increased migration from rural to urban ares. h. Because of multiple cropping or crop rotation the quality of land has gone down and yield has suffered. i. Excessive flood or drought like situation creates a problem because either it completely washes out the production or severely affects it, as it requires a certain degree of water for good production.

18)Why are farmers committing suicides in several states of the country? Reasons for farmers committing suicide are: a. Farmers with small plots of land lack adequate capital to develop and take loans from money lenders in rural areas which they are unable to pay back because of high rate of interests They become victims of indebtedness and suffer. b. They generally have small production and do not get adequate return for their crops. c. Worst affected groups are the landless farmers who are poverty stricken who suffer from food and nutrition insecurity as they have no land to depend upon. d. Crop failure due to climatic conditions worsens their plight and compel them to commit suicide. f. Most of the farmers lack savings and pressure to bear burden of large families also leads to suicide. 


 19)What steps can the farmers make to improve their economic condition? The farmers can take following steps to improve their conditions: a. Farmers can engage themselves in collective farming whereby small farmers with small land holdings can collectively cultivate and increase production. b. Collective farming can also help them to avail the benefits of multiple cropping whereby they can grow kharif, rabi crops. c. Indian farmers must also diversify their cropping patters from cereals to high value crops which need much less irrigation and will increase their income. They must focus on growing fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables, bio diesel crops like jojoba. d. Small farmers and landless farmers can involve themselves in non farming activities like dairy farming, can open their small business outlets selling grocery or household products, can work in small scale manufacturing units like converting sugarcane into jaggery. e. It is important for farmers to aware of the governments schemes and must avail its benefits, like availability of cheap loans, minimum procurement price, help line services available in the agrarian sector etc. The productivity of most agricultural crops (wit h the exception of maize, sugarcane and rice) is significantly below the national average and has potential for further improvement.6. In spite of favourable conditions for horticultural crops,cereal crops dominate the states agriculture with more than 54% of the gross cultivated area under cereals.Horticulture crops cover only about 12% (16.30 lakh hectares) of net cropped area.7. Livestock production and dairy farming constitute about26 per cent of the States ASDP (State Domestic Product from Agriculture).8. The growth of the Sericulture sector, which employs over one million persons has remained stagnant for several years inspite of its potential for expansion.9. The agricultural marketing sector has not developed adequately to ensure stable and remunerative prices for agricultural produce 


 20)Why are millets used by low income group people ? Millet is a crop that can be grown in regions with scarcity of water. It has a wide variety of crops like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), kodo millet (kodon), foxtail millet (kakum), little millet (kutki), proso millet (barri) and barnyard millet (sanwe). Low income group people who do not own large plots of land or who cannot provide irrigation facilities to their fields can find this to be an economical.  

21)Mention the features of Green Revolution? The main features of the green revolution are as follows: 1. it provide high variety yielding seeds 2. it provided chemical fertilisers for improving the conditions of the soil for the cultivation of variou crops. 3. it provided machineries for harvesting, threshing etc 4. it provided pesticides and insecticides 5. it also gave news irrigational methods 1. Green Revolution is the term given to the introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. It was brought to India by the initiative of Indian government. Genetically modified high-yielding wheat was first introduced to India in 1960 by Dr. Norman Borlaug It is also rightly credited to M. S. Swaminathan and his team who contributed towards the success of green revolution in India...2. Major components of green revolution are development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers. 


 22) What is green revolution ? Green revolution-Norman Ernest Borlauglaid the groundwork for Green Revolution, the agricultural technological advance that promised to alleviate world hunger. Great increase in production of food grains (especially wheat and rice) that resulted in introduction of high-yielding and disease resistant variety. It was characterized by expansion of irrigation practices, use of various farm tools or equipment and machines, use of fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides and hybrid seeds.


 23)What is white revolution? White revolution-Dr. Verghese Kurien knownas father of White Revolution or Operation flooda program started by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)in 1970 made India the largest producer of the milk in the world. Operation Flood's objectives included: Increase milk production ("a flood of milk"), increase rural incomes and improving the living standards of the rural poor.

  24)What is Kharif crop? Crops that are sown in the rainy season are called kharif crops. The Kharif crop is the autumn harvest (also known as the summer or monsoon crop) in India and Pakistan . The term Kharif means "autumn" in Arabic Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains in July, during the south-west monsoon season. The main monsoon season in India runs from June to September and the southwest summer monsoon occur due to a low pressure area that 's caused by the extreme heat of the Thar Desert and adjoining areas, during summer.e.g.---millets ,paddy, maize, moong etc etc. 


 25)What is Rabi crop? Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December. Harvested in summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.

 26)Identify from the following the crop which takes almost a year to grow ? (a) Wheat (b) Sugarcane (c) Cotton (d) Rice

 27)Explain the challenges faced by the Indian farmers from international coompetition? The challenges faced by Indian farmers are : 1. they face a big competition from the subsidised rate of agriculture in developed countries. 2. the green revolution has confined development of millets and horticultural crops. 3. many farmers in India still rely on rain and its availabilities are uncertain. 4. developed countries use high modern input for agriculture thereby increasing production whereas Indian farmers do not. 5. large population of India has led to smaller and smaller land holdings.

 28)Which type of farming is jhumming ? Explain . what are the different names given to it in different parts of India? Jhumming is the local name of shifting cultivation practiced in north - eastern regions of India. Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming , until the soil loses fertility. Once the land becomes inadequate for crop production, it is left to be reclaimed by natural vegetation, or sometimes converted to a different long-term cyclical farming practice. Other names of shifting cultivation round the world- Milpa (Mexico and Central America ) Conuca (Venezuela) Roca (Brazil) Masole (Central Africa) Ladang (Indonesia) Ray (Vietnam) Other names of shifting cultivation in India- Bewar or Dahiya (Madhya Pradesh) Podu or Penda (Amdhra Pradesh) Pama Dabi or Koman or Bringa (Odisha) Kumari (Western Ghats) Valre or Watre (South - east Rajasthan) Khil (Himalan belt) Kuruwa (Jharkhand) Jhumming (North - East India) 29)Why there is low agricultural output in India despite 65%of the population is depended on agriculture? Several reasons are responsible behind the low agricultural output of despite high dependency on agricultural sector: Obsolete techniques of production Lack of credit facilities to the farmers dependence on erratic monsoon for irrigation Small and scattered holdings 

 30)What is Bamboo drip irrigation system Bamboo Drip Irrigation System · Practised in Meghalaya. · A 200-year old system. · Water from the streams is tapped using bamboo pipes and used for irrigating the roots of plants. · Long bamboo pipes are connected with each other to form a chain from the stream to the crops. · Water flows through the pipes and drops directly at the site of the plant.


 31) What is leguminous plant?Why Pulses are called so? Leguminous plants belong to the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae). The fruits of this plant are called legumes. Well-known examples of legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts generally termed as pulses. Legume plants are notable for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. This ability in them is due a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with bacteria (rhizobia) found in root nodules of these plants. These plants are used in a crop rotation to replenish soil nitrogen. 

 32)When agriculture declines other jobs are also declined . explain with reasons.. Industries are dependent on agricultural produce. Thus if the proper supply of raw materials are hindered, then people associated with that in the secondary sector and the tertiary sector will also be affected. 34)List the types of farming practiced in India Following are the farming practices of India: Irrigation agriculture Shifting Cultivation Commercial agriculture Plantation Farming Ley farming Crop Rotaion Terrace farming

 Answer the following questions in 30 words

33) Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for its growth.

ANS: Tea is an important beverage crop. To grow well, the tea plant needs tropical or sub tropical climates, and deep and fertile well-drained soil which is rich in humus and organic matter.

 34) Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced

 ANS: Rice is a staple food crop of India. It grows in the plains of north and north-east India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions

35)  Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government in the interest of farmers.

 ANS: The various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers are − Minimum Support Price policy, provision for crop insurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilizers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme. 

36)  The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine its consequences?

ANS: A declining area of land under cultivation coupled with increasing population can lead to serious food grain shortages. This would in turn increase imports of food grains, thereby causing the economy to reel under huge debts.

 Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

37) Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural production.

ANS: To ensure increase in agricultural production, the government prioritized collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari system. 'Land reform' was the main focus of the First Five Year Plans. In the 1960s and 1970s, agricultural reforms were the order of the day. The Green Revolution and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were aimed at improving Indian agricultural productivity. During the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated. Under this, various technical and institutional reforms were introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers, e.g., Minimum Support Price policy, provision for crop insurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilizers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card, Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, and special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes like 'Krishi Darshan' on national television. 

38)  Describe the impact of globalization on Indian agriculture.

 (ii) The impact of globalization on Indian agriculture has been felt since colonial times. Raw cotton and spices were important export items from India. In 1917, Indian farmers revolted in Champaran against being forced to grow indigo in place of food grains, in order to supply dye to Britain’s flourishing textile industry. Thus, globalization has had its boons and banes for Indian agriculture.  Post liberalization, Indian farmers face new challenges in the form of competition from highly subsidized agriculture of developed nations. This prompts the need for making Indian agriculture successful and profitable by improving the conditions of small and marginal farmers, countering the negative effects of Green Revolution, developing and promoting organic farming, and diversifying cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops.  

39)  Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.

ANS: a) Rice is a Kharif crop grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. B)  It requires high temperatures (above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. c) In areas with less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation via canals and tube wells. d) Major rice producing states are Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

40) Differentiate b/w Kharif and Rabi seasons.

ANS: Kharif season starts with the onset of monsoon and continues till the beginning of winter.(june-july to October-November) where as Rabi season starts with the beginning of winter and continues till the beginning of summer (October- November to March –April) Crops such as rice, maize, millets, cotton etc  are grown in Kharif season and wheat, barley, gram and oilseeds etc are grown during the rabi seasons.

41) Explain slash and burn agriculture.

ANS: 1) Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain themselves. 2) When the fertility of the soil decreases, the farmers shift and clear another fresh patch of land to cultivate. 3) Dry paddy, maize, millets, vegetables are commonly grown in this type of farming.