Agriculture….

When we hear the word “agriculture” what comes to our mind..??I think nature , greenery , farmer , etc . Actually agriculture is a primary activity which includes growing crops , fruits ,vegetables , etc . Farmers have to do farming or agriculture to earn some money for their livelihood .

Arable Land…..The land on which the crops are grown is known as arable land . In farming the important inputs are : seeds , fertilisers , machinery and labour .

Types of farming...Farming can be classified into two main types : •Subsistence farming .•Commercial farming .Subsistence Farming : This type of farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family . Low levels of technology and household labor are used to produce on small output .Subsistence farming can be further classified as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence farming .

•Intensive subsistence agricultureIn intensive subsistence agriculture the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour . Rice is the main crop . Other examples are wheat , maize , pulses and oilseeds . Intensive subsistence agriculture is prevalent in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south , southeast and east Asia .

Primitive Subsistence Farming…Primitive subsistence farming includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding .•Shifting cultivation : Shifting cultivation is practised in thickly forested areas of Amazon basin , tropical Africa , parts of southeast Asia and northeast India .Shifting cultivation is also known as jhumming , milpa , roca ,ladang ,etc .

•Nomadic herding : Nomadic herding is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara , Central Asia and some parts of India like Rajasthan and Jammu Kashmir . In this type of farming , herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water , along defined routes . Sheep , camel , yaks and goats are most commonly reared .

Commercial Farming : In commercial farming crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in market . Commercial farming includes commercial grain farming , mixed farming & plantation agriculture .Commercial grain farming : In it crops are grownfor commercial purpose . Wheat and maize are common commercially grown grains .Mixed Farming : In it the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock .It is grown in Europe , Argentina .

Plantation Agriculture : Plantation is a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea , coffee , cashew , etc . Large amount of labour and capital are required .

Major crops : A variety of crops are grown to meet the requirement of the growing population . Crops also supply raw materials for agro based industries . Major crops are rice , wheat , millets , maize , cotton , jute , coffee , tea .

Farm in India : In India farming is done by the traditional methods , by the bullocks , etc .But at some places tractors are also used . Due to agricultural development in India irrigation is done by different methods like drip irrigation , sprinkler system ,etc .Farm in USA : The average size of a farm in the USA is much larger than that of an Indian farm .They use tractors , seed drills ,leveller , combine harvester and thresher to perform various agricultural practices .

Thankyou….