Agriculture

In this article we will cover the following topics:

Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems; storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

Starting with Agriculture

Agriculture is a primary activity which includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing livestock. 50% of world's population is engaged in agriculture and 2/3rd of India's population is still dependent on agriculture.

In developed countries less than 10% of the population is engaged in agriculture and it is about 75% in developing countries.

Regional variation are found in the methods of cultivation and in agricultural systems because they have developed in response to their adaptation to the varying environmental conditions.

Types of Agriculture

Different kinds of agriculture are practiced in varying environmental conditions.

Shifting Agriculture

It is a form of primitive agriculture. It represents the first human attempts to grow food foe their subsistence.

The regions where it is still cultivated can be divided into three regions:

1. The largest region extends on the both sides of equator in Africa.

2. Second is the north-eastern part of India and south-east Asia.

3. The third region lies in parts of Central and southern America.

Different names used for Shifting cultivation are :

Jhuming in North-Eastern India, Ladang in Malaysia, chengin in Philippines, Milpa in Central America and Mexico, Konuko in Venenzuela, Roka in Brazil and Masole in Zaire Basin.

Shifting Cultivators clears a small piece of forest by felling trees and cutting the bushes and grasses. These are then burnt and hence it is also called slash and burn agriculture. 

The tropical regions where shifting cultivation is prevalent, they have high temperature and heavy rainfall. Therefore the soil is deficient in organic matter. The soluble soil nutrients are lost due to leaching induced by heavy rainfall. Thus the fertility of soil is lost.

Mainly agricultural food crops are grown for subsistence purpose which is consumed locally hardly producing any surplus. Maize, Casava, Banana, Sweet Potato etc are produced.

Adverse Effects of Shifting Cultivation 

1. It is responsible for deforestation and loss of natural vegetation.

2. It leads to soil erosion  and soil loss.

It cannot be denied that the carrying capacity of shifting cultivation is low. Hence, it is difficult to increase the per hectare and per capita productivity which is very essential in agriculture system.

Sedentary Agriculture

In Sedentary agriculture one or more household live in a group permanently at one place and grow crops. 

Ownership can be collective or privately owned.

Features

1. Farmers adopt a particular cropping pattern and follow soil conservation methods.

2. Crop rotation

3. Livestock farming an integral part

Intensive Agriculture

It refers to a system of crop farming in which on small land holdings by applying higher inputs of capital and labour per hectare of land, yields per hectare is quite high.

The main production is to increase the crop yield. 

In any region food production can be increased in three ways:

1. It can be accomplished by increasing the land under cultivation but availability of land per capita (man - land ratio) is very low in densely populated countries. therefore, expansion of agricultural land is  not possible because of non availability of land.

2. Quantum of total food production can be increased by intensification. 

3. The low value crops are substituted with high value crops so that the farmers get higher returns through sale of these crops.

Extensive Agriculture

It is a large scale farming on large holdings with help of sophisticated agriculture machines. This type of agriculture has been adopted in areas with low density of population  density with high man-land ratio.

One of the basic feature of extensive agriculture is its low per hectare productivity but the total production is very high due to the large ares under cultivation. 

Historically extensive agriculture developed during early nineteenth century. Most of the countries, where extensive farming is done are economically developed. The soil and moisture conditions of the interiors of the Continents i.e. the grasslands are also found to be efficient for growing crops. 

Continentality is the main feature of the climate of these regions.

The main regions of extensive agriculture are prairies of Canada and United States of America, pampas of Argentina, steppes of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and Downs of Australia. 

Size of these farms in this system is large. The farming operations is fully mechanised. Specialisation of one or crop is another important feature of this farming system.

 Extensive farming has a number of advantages over intensive farming:

1. Less labour per unit areas is required to farm large areas, especially since expensive alterations to land (like terracing) are completely absent.
2. Mechanisation can be used more effectively over large, flat areas.
3. Greater efficiency of labour means generally lower product prices.
4. Animal welfare is generally improved because animals are not kept in stifling conditions.
5. Lower requirements of inputs such as fertilizers.
6. If animals are grazed on pastures native to the locality, there is less likely to be problems with exotic species.
7. Local environment and soil are not damaged by overuse of chemicals.

Extensive farming can have the following problems

1.    Yields tend to be much lower than with intensive farming in the short term.

2.    Large land requirements limit the habitat of wild species (in some cases, even very low stocking rates can be dangerous), as is the case with intensive farming

Subsistence Agriculture

this type of agriculture is practiced by the farmer with the sole objective of sustaining their families. The specialisation of the crop is not possible in this syatem as the farmer grows as many crops as required for the household consumption.

Two main forms of subsistence agriculture are

1. The primitive subsistence of agriculture which is synonym to Shifting agriculture
2. The type of farming prevalent in South-east and east Asia. 

The high density of population has forced people to use the land very intensively. Rice is the main crop in this region. In this type of farming greater use of human labour is possible due to high density of population in these areas. Multiple cropping is another feature of intensive agriculture.

Intensive agriculture causes depletion of soil fertility and farmers attempt to maintain it by applying manures, compost, green manures and chemical fertilizers.  Japan uses highest quality of fertillizers per hectare. It has also devised a number of small machines which can be used in these farms. 

Other crops grown are barley, maize, jowar, bajra, soyabeen, oilseeds and pulses. Such varied cropping pattern exists in peninsular plateau of India, north China and Manchuria and north Korea. Jowar and Bajra are important crops of dry regions of the Republic of Myanmar.

Commercial Agriculture

The main aim of commercial agriculture is to sell the produce in the market and therefore the crop specialization is one of its characteristics.

Two major forms of this type of agriculture are:

1.       The commercial grain farming in middle latitudes

2.       Plantation agriculture in tropical region

In most parts of mid-latitude, specialization in wheat production has been attained at a commercial level. Parries’ in North America, Ukraine, western Europe, Argentina in South America, southern parts of Australia and in Punjab, Haryana and plains of western Uttar Pradesh in South Asia have attained such a specialization.

Most of the operations is done by the machines. Though the agriculture in India is not highly specialized but a certain level of commercialization has been achieved.

Plantation Agriculture was historically developed by Europeans during the colonial period. It is well managed and organized system of agriculture in which management and organization can be compared with manufacturing industries. Some main features of Planation are:

1.       Introduced in countries of the tropical regions which had low density of population.

2.       Covers large areas

3.       To produce crops for trade

4.       Plantations mainly owned by local government, corporations or companies.

Tea plantation in Assam hills, Darjeeling and Sri Lanka, rubber plantations of Malaysia and coffee fazenda of Brazil are examples of Plantation agriculture

Majority of Plantations are located near the coasts or banks of navigable rivers. Cheaper means of transport are very essential for this type of agriculture.

Mixed Farming

Mixed Farming is a type in which equal emphasis is laid on crop production and livestock rearing.

Main freatures:

1.       Efficient combination of crops and livestock farming

2.       Not only to produce cereal crops but also the fodder and cash crops on the same scale.

The mixed farming region of the United States of America coincides with its corn belt. Corn is used to feed the animals. Oats, wheat  and grass are other crops which are grown in combination with corn. Now soyabean has also been introduced in this region. It is a protein rich crop and therefore the area is being expanded for taking fodder crop.

In Western Europe mixed farming is done in France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland.  The European Economic Community under its agricultural policy has provided an extensive market to its member countries for their agricultural produces. These countries export milk products, butter and meat.

Dairy Farming

Cattle rearing particularly rearing of milch cows in order to meet demand of milk products in urban areas is Dairy farming.

Dairy Farming in its real form developed in Europe in response to the demand of milk in industrial urban areas. Hence Dairy farming and industrialization are correlated in Europe.

High yielding milch cows now fed world over have all come from Europe. The Holstein-Friesian breed of Netherlands and Germany, Jersy from Channel Islands, Ireshire of Scotland and Brown Swiss of Switzerland are some of the best breeds of Milch Cows.

Features of Dairy Farming

1.       Highly labour intensive

2.       Capital intensive

Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are important European countries where Dairy Farming is practiced. Canada, United States of America and New Zealand are important countries.

Dairy Farming in India has been organized on sound footings in Gujarat through dairy cooperatives and they have been quiet successful. Central Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi and National Dairy Research Institute , Karnal have been conducting research on dairy development. While the most important milch animal in the world is cow it is buffalo in India.

Truck Farming

Cultivation of vegetables for market is known as truck farming. Due to the increased demand of vegetables in urban centers Truck Farming has expanded. With the development of means of transport, area of truck farming has expanded.

It is an intensive farming which is done on small holding with help of irrigation, manure, HYV seeds. 

Refrigeration and storage has made It possible to keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time.

Truck Farming is more developed in the hinterlands of industrial towns of Europe, California and north-eastern part of the United States of America and Mediterranean Region. India has a very long growing season and hence vegetables are grown in every part of the country. Besides,  due to high price of Meat, demand for vegetables is more and hence the importance given to Truck Farming.