India is said to be the land of farmers and these farmers are mostly living in the rural India. They are practising farming and are helping the country. Hence, the agriculture in the country is very important.
Various types of agricultural activities are found in different parts of the country. Agriculture is categorised into different types on the basis of purpose of farming.
Types of Agriculture
1. Subsistence farming: Produce from the farm or field generally used for self consumption.
2. Commercial farming: Most of the produces are sold in the market for earning money.
3. Extensive farming: When a single crop is cultivated over an extensive area, it is called extensive farming.
4. Intensive farming: A single piece of land is used for farming many times in a year to get maximum return.
5. Plantation farming: A single type of farming well managed and the produce is sold in the market.
6. Mixed farming: It is a situation in which both raising crops and rearing animals are done simultaneously.
Major Crops in India
Rice
Temperature: 22º to 32ºC
Rainfall: 150-300 cm
Soil: Deep clayey and loamy
Distribution: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Odisha, U.P., Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra
Wheat
Temperature: 10º to 15ºC at sowing; 21º to 26ºC at harvesting
Rainfall: 75 cm and Irrigation
Soil: loamy and clayey loamy
Distribution: U.P., Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, M.P., Gujarat and Maharashtra
Millets
Temperature: 27º to 32ºC
Rainfall: 50 to 100 cm
Soil: Alluvial and loamy
Distribution: M.P., Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, A.P., Haryana, Punjab
Pulses
Temperature: 20º to 25ºC
Rainfall: 40-45 cm
Soil: loamy
Distribution: M.P., U.P., Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra
Sugarcane
Temperature: 21º to 27ºC
Rainfall: 75 to 150 cm
Soil: loamy
Distribution: Sutluj-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar, Black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu, Coastal A.P. and Krishna Valley
Cotton
Temperature: 21º to 30ºC
Rainfall: 50 to 150 cm
Soil: Black, Alluvial, red and laterite
Distribution: Punjab, Maharashtra, Haryana
Groundnut
Temperature: 20º to 30ºC
Rainfall: 50 to 75 cm
Soil: Sandy loamy, red & black
Distribution: A.P., Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha
Tea
Temperature: 20º to 30ºC
Rainfall: 150 to 300 cm
Soil: fertile loamy
Distribution: Brahmaputra and Surma valleys of Assam, Darjeeling, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu
Coffee
Temperature: 15º to 28ºC
Rainfall: 150 to 250 cm
Soil: loamy
Distribution: South Indian hills
Salient features of Indian Agriculture
- Subsistence agriculture
- Pressure of population on agriculture
- Mechanisation of farming
- Dependence upon monsoon
- Variety of corps
- Predominance of food crops
- Seasonal patterns
Challenges before Indian Agriculture
- High cost of farm inputs
- Soil exhaustion
- Stagnation in production of major crops
- Impacts of globalisation
- Depletion of fresh groundwater
- Providing food security
- Adverse impact of global climatic change
- Farmers suicide