ICSE Class 10 Geography: Agriculture

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering all key concepts, crop requirements, processing techniques, and agricultural practices from the ICSE Class 10 Geography lecture on Agriculture.

How is agriculture defined in the lecture?

Agriculture is the cultivation of soil in order to grow crops and rear livestock.

What percentage of India's population is employed in agriculture, and what is its contribution to national income (GDP)?

Agriculture employs approximately $58\%$ of the Indian population and contributes $17.1\%$ to the national income (GDP).

What share of India's total export earnings is derived from agricultural products?

Agricultural products account for $13\%$ of India's total export earnings.

What are India's global rankings in milk, vegetable/fruit, and fish/egg/poultry production?

India ranks first in milk production, second in vegetable and fruit production, and third in fish, egg, and poultry production.

What is animal husbandry, and why is it important to agriculture?

Animal husbandry is the scientific method of breeding, rearing, and caring for livestock; it provides farmers with supportive secondary income and effectively utilizes crop residues.

What are the major environmental problems affecting Indian agriculture?

Uncertain monsoon rainfall due to India's tropical monsoon climate, inadequate irrigation facilities, and loss of fertile topsoil through soil erosion.

What is the key difference between subsistence farming and commercial farming?

Subsistence farming involves cultivating small, fragmented landholdings with traditional tools primarily to feed the farmer's family, whereas commercial farming involves large-scale, mechanized cultivation aimed at selling surplus in the market for profit.

What is shifting agriculture (slash and burn), and by what local names is it known?

A practice where farmers clear a forest patch, burn the remaining vegetation to spread ash as fertilizer, cultivate for $2$ to $3\text{ years}$ until soil fertility is lost, and then abandon the land; it is locally known as Jhum, Poonam, or Podu.

How does intensive farming differ from extensive farming?

Intensive farming maximizes output from small landholdings using multiple cropping and heavy inputs of labor and fertilizers; extensive farming utilizes vast tracts of land with high mechanization and lower labor and fertilizer inputs per unit area.

What is plantation farming?

The large-scale, scientific cultivation of a single cash crop (such as tea, coffee, rubber, or apples) on large estates using high capital investment and modern technology.

What is mixed farming, and what is its main advantage?

Mixed farming is the practice of growing crops and rearing livestock simultaneously on the same farm; if crops fail, livestock provides a backup source of livelihood and income.

What are the sowing and harvesting months of the Kharif season?

Kharif crops are sown in June–July with the onset of the monsoon and harvested in October–November.

What are the sowing and harvesting months of the Rabi season?

Rabi crops are sown in October–November with the onset of winter and harvested in March–April.

What is the Zaid cropping season?

A cropping season that runs throughout the year (divided into Zaid Kharif and Zaid Rabi), primarily utilized for growing fruits, vegetables, and oilseeds.

Who is known as the Father of the Indian Green Revolution, and who is considered the Father of the Green Revolution globally?

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is the Father of the Indian Green Revolution, and Dr. Norman Borlaug is considered the Father of the Green Revolution globally.

What was the Green Revolution, and what was its major negative impact?

A dramatic increase in food grain production (especially wheat) introduced in the late 1960s using High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, modern inputs, and irrigation; its major negative impact was land degradation caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

What is the annual financial support provided under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme?

The scheme provides $₹12,000$ per year to eligible farmers as additional income support.

What temperature, rainfall, and soil conditions are required for rice cultivation?

A temperature of $18^\circ\text{C}$ to $32^\circ\text{C}$, rainfall of $150\text{ cm}$ to $300\text{ cm}$ with standing water, and fertile clayey or loamy soil.

What are the two topographical types of rice, and which three crops of rice are grown in West Bengal?

Upland rice (grown on terraced mountain slopes) and Lowland rice (grown in flat, flooded plains); the three varieties grown in West Bengal are Aus, Aman, and Boro.

What is the transplantation method of rice cultivation?

A method where seeds are first grown into seedlings in a nursery and, after $4$ to $5\text{ weeks}$, the saplings are transferred to flooded fields to reduce weed growth, minimize seed wastage, and enhance crop yield.

How does the Japanese method of rice cultivation differ from the traditional Indian method?

It utilizes High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, nursery-grown seedlings planted in rows spaced $25\text{ cm}$ apart with $15\text{ cm}$ between plants, and heavy application of organic manure.

What are the sequential steps in post-harvest processing of rice?

Harvesting (using a sickle), sun-drying to reduce moisture, threshing (beating stalks to separate grain), winnowing (separating husk from grain via airflow), and milling (removing the yellowish outer husk).

What climatic and soil conditions are required for wheat cultivation?

Cool temperatures during sowing ($10^\circ\text{C}$ to $15^\circ\text{C}$), warmer temperatures during harvest ($20^\circ\text{C}$ to $25^\circ\text{C}$), moderate rainfall of around $80\text{ cm}$, and well-drained loamy or clayey soil.

Which region is known as the 'Granary of India' or 'Grain Bowl of India'?

The Punjab and Haryana region, due to its exceptionally high wheat production following the Green Revolution.

Why are millets called 'coarse grains' (mota anaj), and what nutritional benefits do they offer?

They are hardy grains of inferior texture compared to rice and wheat, but they are rich in fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, and minerals, making them highly nutritious and easily digestible.

What is Jowar also known as, and what are its ideal growing conditions?

Also called Sorghum or Great Millet, it thrives in dry areas with temperatures of $27^\circ\text{C}$ to $32^\circ\text{C}$, rainfall around $45\text{ cm}$, and black or plateau soils, growing in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.

What are the key characteristics and uses of Bajra (Bullrush millet)?

A short-season Kharif crop suited to sandy and black soils in arid regions with temperatures of $25^\circ\text{C}$ to $30^\circ\text{C}$ and rainfall under $50\text{ cm}$; its stalks are used for livestock fodder and roof thatching.

What is Ragi also called, and why is it referred to as the hardiest crop?

Also called Buckwheat, it is the hardiest crop because it can withstand extreme drought and harsh climates, growing well on red, light black, or sandy soils (with Karnataka as the leading producer).

Why are pulses important for both human nutrition and agriculture?

They are the richest source of vegetable protein for tissue growth and repair, and their root nodules contain Rhizobium bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen, naturally restoring soil fertility.

What are the 'Sett' and 'Ratooning' methods of sugarcane propagation?

The Sett method involves planting cuttings of old sugarcane stems, while Ratooning involves cutting the cane stalk just above ground level at harvest so that new shoots sprout from the remaining stubble.

Why must sugarcane reach the mill within $24\text{ hours}$ of harvesting?

To prevent drying out and a decline in sucrose (sugar) content.

Why is sugarcane cultivation shifting from North India to South India?

South India provides a longer crushing season, a maritime climate free from frost, and superior irrigation facilities.

What are the growing conditions for groundnut, and what is its chief climatic enemy?

It requires temperatures of $20^\circ\text{C}$ to $25^\circ\text{C}$, rainfall of $50\text{ cm}$ to $100\text{ cm}$, and sandy loam soil; its chief climatic enemy is frost.

What climatic conditions are needed for mustard, and how is it commonly cultivated?

It requires a cool climate with temperatures of $10^\circ\text{C}$ to $20^\circ\text{C}$, rainfall of $25\text{ cm}$ to $40\text{ cm}$, and is commonly intercropped alongside wheat or gram in the Ganga-Sutlej basin.

Which Indian state is the leading producer of soybean, and what is the crop's nutritional significance?

Madhya Pradesh is the leading producer; soybean is one of the richest sources of plant protein, used for making soya milk, tofu (soya cheese), and soya sauce.

What are the essential climatic conditions for cotton cultivation?

High temperatures, at least $200$ frost-free days, rainfall of $50\text{ cm}$ to $70\text{ cm}$, and moisture-retentive black lava soil.

What is 'ginning' in cotton processing?

Ginning is the mechanical or manual process of separating the cotton fiber (lint) from the cotton seeds.

Why is jute called the 'Golden Fiber,' and what is the 'retting' process?

Jute is called the 'Golden Fiber' because of its golden-brown color and high export revenue; retting is the submersion of harvested jute stalks in standing water for $20$ to $25\text{ days}$ so bacteria decompose the outer bark, easing fiber extraction.

What is 'fine plucking' in tea harvesting?

The skilled plucking of two tender leaves and an unopened bud from the top of the tea shrub every $10\text{ days}$.

How do Black tea, Green tea, Oolong tea, and Brick tea differ in processing?

Black tea is withered, rolled, fermented, and oven-dried; Green tea is not sun-dried or fermented, but directly oven-dried; Oolong tea is partially dried and partially fermented; Brick tea is made by compressing coarse leaves, stems, and dust into rectangular blocks.

Who introduced coffee to India, and where was it first cultivated?

Baba Budan brought coffee seeds from Arabia in the 17th century and planted them in the Baba Budan Hills of Karnataka.

What are the three varieties of coffee grown in India, and how do they differ?

Coffee Arabica (finest, delicate quality, grown at altitudes above $750\text{ m}$), Coffee Robusta (grown at lower mountain altitudes), and Coffee Liberica (disease-resistant lowland species; Robusta and Liberica are commonly used for instant coffee).