Introduction to Agriculture

Comprehensive practice flashcards for Introduction to Agriculture covering definitions, history, timeline of Indian agriculture, branches, research institutes, international organizations, fathers of disciplines, revolutions, and important agricultural days.

What are the Latin root words from which 'Agriculture' is derived, and what are their meanings?

It is derived from the Latin word 'Ager' meaning 'Land or Soil' and 'Culture' meaning 'cultivation'.

When and where did modern farming begin?

Modern farming began around the 18th century in what is generally referred to as 'The British Agricultural Revolution'.

Which crops were introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 16th Century A.D.?

Potato, Sweet Potato, Arrow Root, Cassava, Tomato, Chillis, Pumpkin, Papaya, Pineapple, Guava, Custardapple, Groundnut, Cashewnut, Tobacco, American cotton, and rubber.

When was the grafting technique in horticulture introduced to India?

1550 A.D., introduced by the Portuguese.

Who chaired the First Irrigation Commission appointed in India in 1901?

Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff.

Where was the Imperial (now Indian) Agricultural Research Institute originally established in 1905, and when was it shifted to New Delhi?

It was established at Pusa, Bihar in 1905 and shifted to New Delhi in 1936.

What fungus caused the brown spot disease in rice associated with the Great Bengal Famine of 1943?

Cochliobolus miyabeanus (formerly known as Helminthosporium oryzae).

What was the first agricultural university established in India, and on what pattern was it modeled?

G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology at Pantnagar (established in 1960), modeled on the pattern of the land grant system of the USA.

On whose committee recommendation was the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) established on 1st November 1973?

G. Gadkar report.

Which committee recommended Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), and where was the first KVK established in 1974?

Recommended by the Mohan Singh Mehta committee; the first KVK was established at Pondicherry under TNAU, Coimbatore.

When was the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) established?

12th July 1982.

Under whose chairmanship was the National Commission on Farmers constituted on November 18, 2004?

Professor M.S. Swaminathan.

What are the seven main branches of agriculture?

1. Agronomy
2. Horticulture
3. Forestry
4. Animal husbandry
5. Fishery science
6. Agricultural Engineering
7. Home science

How is Arboriculture defined in horticulture?

The study of, and the selection, planting, care, and removal of, individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.

What is Olericulture?

The branch of horticulture that includes the production and marketing of vegetables (e.g., Brinjal, Tomato).

What is Pomology?

The branch of horticulture focused on the production and marketing of fruits (e.g., Apples, Mangoes).

What is Viticulture?

The production and marketing of grapes.

What is Oenology?

All aspects of wine and winemaking.

What are the 4 Deemed Universities under ICAR?

1. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
2. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana
3. Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh
4. Central Institute on Fisheries Education, Mumbai

What are the 6 National Bureaus under ICAR and their locations?

1. National Bureau of Plant Genetics Resources, New Delhi
2. National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Micro-organisms, Mau, Uttar Pradesh
3. National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore, Karnataka
4. National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur, Maharashtra
5. National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana
6. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Where is the International Potato Research Institute (CIP) located?

Lima, Peru, South America.

Where is CIMMYT (International Centre for Maize and Wheat Development) located?

Londress, Mexico.

Where is ICRISAT located?

Patancheru in Hyderabad, India.

Where is the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) located?

Los Banos, Philippines.

Who is considered the Father of Agronomy?

Peter Decrescenzi.

Who is known as the Father of Green Revolution in India?

M.S. Swaminathan.

Who is considered the Father of Modern Horticulture in India?

Dr. K.C. Chadha.

Who developed Golden Rice?

Dr. Ingo Potrykus.

Who is credited with developing Hybrid Cotton?

C.T. Patel.

Who led the White Revolution / Operation Flood in India?

Verghese Kurien.

What is the focus of the Red Revolution and who is considered its father?

Focuses on Meat Production / Tomato Production; fathered by Vishal Tewari.

What is the focus of the Pink Revolution and who is considered its father?

Focuses on Onion Production / Pharmaceuticals / Prawn Production; fathered by Durgesh Patel.

Who is called the Mother of the Silver Revolution in India?

Indira Gandhi.

Who coined the term 'Protein Revolution'?

Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley.

Who is considered the Father of the Golden Revolution in India?

Nirpakh Tutej.

When is World Pulses Day celebrated?

February 10.

Why is National Agricultural Education Day celebrated on December 3?

To commemorate the birth anniversary of India's first Agriculture Minister, Mr. Rajendra Prasad.

When is World Soil Day observed?

December 5.

On what date is National Farmers' Day / Kisan Diwas observed, and whose birth anniversary does it mark?

December 23; marks the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh.