Land Resources Of Karnataka

Land utilisation

Explanation: Utilising land for different purposes is called land utilisation. Utilising the land for various purposes like construction of roadways, railways, dams, canals and it also includes cultivable land, forest area, fallow land, land for residential purposes and land used for grazing purposes etc.

Gulbarga

Explanation: The largest net area sown is in Gulbarga district. The net area sown in Gulbarga is 8.8% followed by Bijapur (8.3%) and Belagum (8.0%) and lowest in Bangalore.

Jowar

Explanation: ‘Sorghum vulgare’ is the scientific name of jowar crop. It belongs to Gramineae family. Sorghum is the genus of flowering plant in the grass family.

Belagavi

Explanation: The Belagavi district is the largest producer of sugarcane in Karnataka. It is the leading producer of sugarcane in Karnataka followed by Bagalkot.

Nicotine

Explanation: Tobacco contains an intoxicating substance called Nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant and potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid that is naturally produced and used for the treatment caused by tobacco use disorder.

When lands are used for various purposes then it is known as land utilisation. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment. It is also increasing along with the increasing population of the world. Proper use of land helps in economic development.

Different types of land utilization in Karnataka:

*Net area sown

*Forest area

*Land not available for cultivation

*Other uncultivated land

*Fallow land

Net area sown: Gulbarga district has the largest net area sown in Karnataka. Bengaluru is the least net area sown.

Forest area: Uttara Kannada district has large forest area and Vijayapura has least forested area in Karnataka.

Land not available for cultivation: Bengaluru urban district is on top for this purpose and Bidar district is at bottom.

Other uncultivated land: Land which is not used for cultivation. It is used for grazing land and growing trees.

Fallow Land: Land which has not been cultivated for more than two years.

Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture is made of two words one is agri and the second is culture. Agri means plants or crop and culture means to grow. Agriculture is the cultivation of plants, animals and poultry for the purpose of human consumption.

Animal husbandry, poultry, bee-keeping, and sericulture are included under agriculture. 61.4% of the people live in rural areas in Karnataka and they depend on agriculture for their livelihood. It is one of the ancient and primary occupations of Karnataka.

The importance of agriculture in Karnataka:

*It provides food for the people.

*It provides employment to people.

*It provides raw materials to industries.

*It plays an important role in the political and social systems of the Karnataka.

*It helps in the development of tertiary occupations like transport, banking etc.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land for the purpose of agricultural production. It is usually used in areas where rainfall is irregular or drought is expected. It is also used to maintain moisture around plants.

Different types of irrigation system:

*Drip irrigation system

*Sprinkler irrigation system

*Basin irrigation system

*Flat irrigation system

*Ring irrigation system

*Perforated irrigation system

*Furrow irrigation system

The main crops grown under irrigation are paddy and sugarcane. Many crops like wheat, barley, oats, and corns are also irrigated crop.

Mixed farming is a type of farming in which both the growing of crops as well as the raising of livestock is done. It is done in urban area, highly populated area and industrialised area.

Advantage of mixed farming:

*It protects the farmer against the risk of poor prices.

*It is useful in maintaining the soil fertility.

*It is helpful in economic development.

Characteristics of mixed farming are:

*Equal emphasis is given on crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

*Animals like cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry provide the main income along with crops.

*Grass is the most important crop of mixed farming.

The scientific name of ragi is ‘Eleusine coracana’. It is third most important food grain after paddy and jowar. It is cheap grain. It is rich in nutrition. It contains high dietary fiber, calcium and essential amino acids which are beneficial for health.

The uses of ragi:

*It is helpful in reducing weight.

*It is useful for diabetic person.

*It is also used to make cakes, cookies etc.

*It is used to make dosa, idli and many other dishes.

*It is an important source of iron which is important for anaemic person.

*It is also used in conditions of anxiety, depression.

1. Coffee- e) Plantation crop, b) Beverage crop

Explanation: Coffee is a famous plantation and beverage crop in Karnataka. It is second most important beverage crop after tea. It is called as plantation crop because it is grown on hill slopes.

2. Cotton- d) Fibres crop

Explanation: Cotton is a fibre crop because it provides raw material for cotton textiles.

3. Sugarcane- f) Commercial crop

Explanation: Sugarcane is an important commercial crop. About 35 million farmers are engaged in its cultivation and an equal number of agricultural labourers depend upon it for their livelihood.

4. Nippani- c) Tobacco

Explanation: Nippani is a Taluka in Belagavi district. It is known for growing high quality tobacco which is used for manufacturing beedis.

5. Sheep-rearing- a) Mixed farming

Explanation: Mixed farming is a type of farming in which both the growing of crops as well as the raising of livestock is done. For example sheep rearing, silkworm rearing etc.

Various kinds of food grains grown in Karnataka are: Rice, ragi, jowar, maize etc.

Paddy: It is a very important food crop of Karnataka. It is the staple food. It is a tropical crop and kharif crop.

Ragi: The botanical name of ragi is Eleusine coracana. It is cheap grain and it contains a high amount of nutrition. It is also tropical crop and kharif crop.

Jowar: It is second most important crop in Karnataka after paddy. The botanical name of jowar is Sorghum vulgare. It is a tropical crop and rain fed crop.

Maize: Karnataka produces 17% of the total maize production in the country. It is also known as corn and it is a cereal grain.

Bihar lies in the river plains of the basin of the river Ganga. It contains fertile alluvial soil with abundant water resources which makes Bihar agriculture rich and diverse. Crops grown in Bihar are rice, wheat and maize.

Rice: Botanical name of rice is Oryza sativa. It is edible starchy cereal grain. It is cultivated in 37 districts of Bihar.

Wheat: Wheat is a cereal crop. It is a grass widely cultivated for its seed. It is a staple food. It is rich source of various antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Maize: It is also known as corn. It is a cereal crop and second most abundantly produced cereal in the world.