India-agriculture

The best soil for the cultivation of paddy is fertile riverine alluvial soil. It consists of clay and loam which is useful for making mud from soil easily.

There is no water logging in mountain slopes and they are well drained after rainfall which are the requirements of tea and coffee crops.

Millets are drought-resistant and dry crops plant. It can be grown with less rainfall.

Cash crop is used for commercial purpose and is not used by grower unlike food crops (wheat and rice) which can be used by the grower.

Staple food crops are the crops which are eaten daily and in large quantities. For example rice and wheat.

For plantation of crop different agricultural systems are practiced in India depending on geographical factors. Major determinant factors are Land forms, Climate, Soil types and Water. Different crops are grown based on these factors like wheat requires moderate temperature and rice requires high temperature, cotton is grown in black soil and rice is grown in alluvial soil.

There are four types of agriculture:

• Primitive agriculture: It is practiced in forest areas where heavy rainfall occurs.

• Subsistence agriculture: It is primarily practiced for self-consumption and the rest is sold in local markets. Example: wheat, rice etc.

• Commercial agriculture: It is grown for commercial purpose to export in foreign countries. Example: cotton, jute etc.

• Plantation agriculture: A single crop is grown in the large area which is further used by industry. Example: tea, coffee etc.

There are three agricultural seasons in india:

• Kharif: Kharif crops are sown in June and harvested in the early days of November. Examples are Paddy, Maize, Millet, Jute, Sugarcane, Cotton etc.

• Rabi: Rabi crops are sown in November and harvested in March. Examples are Wheat, Tobacco, Pulses, Mustard, Linseed, Grains etc.

• Zaid: Zaid crops are sown in March and harvested in June. Examples are Fruit, vegetables, cucumber etc.

Millets are drought resistant and dry crops plant. They are cultivated in poor soils and their nutritional content is higher than other crops. Millets are mainly grown in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Cotton is a fiber crop and raw material for textile industries. Cotton grows well in black soil. The tropical and subtropical climate is the best suited for the crop. It is grown in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

Plantation crops are the crops which are grown in the large area as an interface of agriculture and industry. It acts as a raw material for industries. Tea, coffee and rubber are examples of the plantation crops. It is grown in the hilly area of northeastern states, West Bengal, The Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Cardamom hills of south India.

Following are the benefits of adopting Bio-Technology in agriculture:

• It is safe and sustainable for the environment as it does not use many pesticides and insecticides.

• It is very cost effective method of farming and reduces the production cost.

• It makes crops more resistant to insects, pests and diseases.

• It minimizes the use of water with the help of technology for better irrigation.

• Farmers can get more income because of the increase in the yield of the crop per hectare.

• Indian Agriculture is highly dependent on monsoon as there are not methods of manual irrigation everywhere. Good monsoon rains result in more yield than a bad monsoon. Monsoon is unreliable and uncertain. It also directly affects the lives of farmers and the economy of India.

• Due to increase in population every year, land cultivation areas are getting covered by industries and urban housing for people. It is also degrading the quality of the soil.

• Previous developments in agriculture are not sustainable for the environment. Technologies have to not only enhance the yield her hectare but also ensure that it does not harm the natural resources and environment.

I recently visited a paddy field in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. These are the steps involved in the cultivation of rice:

• Selection of seed quality: There are many types of rice seeds based on its texture, taste and fragrance.

• Land Preparation: It is done for allowing rice plants to develop a good root system. Plowing and tilling makes the soil optimum for growing rice.

• Crop Establishment: Two methods to sow the rice seeds are transplanting and direct seeding.

• Water Management: It is very important step in rice cultivation to reduce the water stress and increase the yield. Proper channeling and land levelling are done to distribute the water evenly.

• Nutrient Management: Every growth stage requires a different level of nutrients. It is also necessary to conserve organic matter of the soil.

• Crop Health Management: It is done to protect the land from the attack of insects, weeds and diseases.

• Harvesting: The mature rice crops are harvested at this stage using different techniques. The objective is to maximize the yield by minimizing the grain damage.