Question

What are different types of farming? What is the cropping pattern in India. Write some major crops.

Answer 1

Different types of farming -

• Primitive subsistence farming - It is a type of farming in which primitive tools are used. It is characterised by small and scattered landholding.

• Intensive subsistence farming - It is done in an area where there is more dense population. Here the farmer use chemical fertilisers and high yielding varieties of seeds. Machines are also used for more production. There is more pressure on the land.

• Commercial farming - The farming done in a large area for commercial purposes. Here more modern machines are used to obtain productivity.

• Plantation farming - It is like commercial farming. A single type of crop is grown in a large area.

Three crop seasons are (cropping pattern)

• Kharif - With one set of monsoon it get started and it continues till beginning of winter season. Some examples are - Rice, Maize, Millets, Cotton, Jute, Urad etc.

• Rabi - Here it is opposite of kharif. It used to start with beginning of the winter and continues till the summer starts. Some examples are - Whear, Barley, Gram, Oil seeds etc.

• Zaid - The short cropping season in between the Kharif and Rabi seasons. The crops that are grown in this season are - Watermelon, Cucumber, Vegetables, Fodder crops.

Major crops are

• Cereals - In India it covers three-fourth of total cropped area. The principal cereals that are grown in India are - Rics, Wheat, Millets, Maize, Pulses.

• Rice - The temperature required is between 20-27 degree Celsius. It required a rainfall above 100 cm.

• Wheat - The temperature required is between 16-22 degree Celsius. It required rainfall between 50-75 cm.
• Millets - Ragi, Jowar, Bajra.
• Beverage crops - Two important beverage crops are Tea and Coffee.
• Fibre Crops - Some important fibre crops grown in India are - Cotton, Jute(Golden fibre), Hemp, Natural Silk.

India produces oil seeds in a large quantity. Oil seeds like - groundnut, coconut, mustard, sesame, cotton seeds, soyabean, sunflower, lineseeds. Most of theses are used in cooking as they are edible(can be consume). India is largest producer and consumer of pulses.

Horticulture - It is the science of growing plants like fruits, vegetables, flowers etc.

Sericulture - The rearing of silkworm is called sericulture. There is silk farming which is the cultivation of silkworm to produce silk.