NCERT Class 8 Chapter 4. Agriculture

a                                          Chapter 4. Agriculture

 

 

 

Excercises 1.
 Answer the following questions.
 (i) What is agriculture?
Answer :Agriculture is the primary activity which includes growing of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock. It is also known as farming.
 (ii) Name the factors influencing agriculture.
Answer Various factors influencing agriculture are
- Favourable topography, Soil and Climate.
(iii) What is shifting cultivation? What are its disadvantages?
Answer: Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn cultivation is a type of farming activity which involves clearing a plot of land by felling trees, burning the felled trees, mixing the ashes with soil, and then growing crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava on the cleared land. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves on to a new plot.
 Disadvantages.
 1) Deforestation
 2)After some time the land loses its fertility.
3) Soil erosion.
4) Cause Pollution
(iv) What is plantation agriculture?
Answer :Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where a single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton is grown. Large amount of labour and capital is required in this type of farming. The produce is either processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world, like rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka, etc.
 (v) Name the fibre crops and name the climatic conditions required for their growth.
Answer Jute & cotton are known as fiber crops. The climatic conditions required for their growth are: 1) Jute (Golden Fiber): High temperature more than 25°C, heavy rainfall, warm and humid climate. 2) Cotton: High temperature around 30 - 40°C, low rainfall and most importantly 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine. Means lot of cloud-free sunny days is essential for cotton growing.
2. Tick the correct answer. 
(i) Horticulture means
(a) Growing of fruits and vegetables
 (b) Primitive farming
(c) Growing of wheat
► (a) Growing of fruits and vegetables
 (ii) Golden fibre refers to
(a) Tea
(b) Cotton
(c) Jute
► (c) Jute
(iii) Leading producer of coffee
(a) Brazil
(b) India
(c) Russia
► (a) Brazil

3.Give reasons. 

(i) In India agriculture is a primary activity. 
Answer: Two-third of India's population is dependent upon agriculture. Hence, in India, agriculture is a primary activity.
(ii) Different crops are grown in different regions.
Answer Different crops are grown in different regions because growing of crops depends upon the geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour and level of technology. Favourable topography of soil, climates also play an important role in selection of crops to be grown .

4. Distinguish between the following.
 (i) Primary activities and tertiary activities
Primary activities 
1)Connected with the extraction and production of natural resources
2)Example: Agriculture, fishing

Tertiary activities
1)Provide support to the primary and secondary sectors
2)Example: Services such as banking and transport

(ii) Subsistence farming and intensive farming

Subsistence farming
1)Practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family; involves the use of low levels of technology and household labour for producing a small output.
Intensive farming
1)A type of subsistence farming; involves the annual cultivation of a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour

 

Extra question

What are the different kinds of cultivation?

Ans:

i. Agriculture is cultivation on the soil – growing crops and rearing livestock.
ii. Sericulture is rearing of silk worms to extract silk.
iii. Pisciculture is breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks and ponds.
iv. Viticulture is cultivation of grapes.
v. Horticulture is growing vegetables, flowers and fruits for commercial use.

Important words  :

• Primary Activities: Activities which involve direct extraction and production of natural resources are called primary activities: For example agricultural farming, sericulture, pesciculture, etc.
• Secondary Activities: Activities which are concerned with the processing of natural resources are called secondary activities.
• Tertiary Activities: Activities which fall neither in the primary category nor the secondary category are called tertiary activities. They do not use natural resources directly.
• Shifting Cultivation: Shifting cultivation is the form of agriculture in which a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with soil and crops are grown. After some time, the land is abandoned and the farmers move to a different place.
• Nomadic Herding: Nomadic herding refers to the practice in which herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water.
• Commercial Farming: Commercial farming is the practice in which crops are grown exclusively for commercial purpose, i.e. for sale in the market.
• Commercial Grain Farming: It is a class of commercial farming in which crops like wheat and maize are grown for commercial purpose.
• Mixed Farming: It is a type of commercial farming in which land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock.
• Plantations: These are a type of commercial farming where only a single crop (like tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton) is grown.
• Food Crops: Crops like rice, wheat, maize, millets are called food crops.
• Fibre Crops: Crops like jute and cotton are called fibre crops. Their usage is not as food.
• Beverage Crops: Tea and coffee are called beverage crops.
• Agricultural Development: Agricultural development refers to the effort to increase farm production so as to meet growing demand of increasing population.
• Mechanisation: This refers to the process of using machines more than human labour.

Shifting cultivation is known by different names in different parts of the world Jhumming - North-East India Milpa -Mexico Roca - Brazil. Ladang - Malaysia

Organic Farming: In this type of farming,  organic manure and natural pesticides are used instead of chemicals. No genetic modification is done  to increase the yield of the crop.

Map. Skill

Locate and label the following:

A : Countries leading in the production of (1)Rice  (3) coffee (4) Coffee  (5) Tea

B: Regions Of mixed farming . Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.