AGRICULTURE for NABARD Gr A/B 2018

TOPIC
BASICS OF AGRICULTURE – PART I

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
What Agriculture means? .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Derivation of word Agriculture .................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Branches of Agriculture .......................................................................................................................... 3
Branches ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Important Chronological Events in Agriculture ........................................................................................ 4
4. Important Agriculture Institutes ............................................................................................................. 5
National & International......................................................................................................................................... 5-8
5. Importance of Agriculture in Economy .................................................................................................... 9
Basics of GVA, Capital formation, GCF, NCF ............................................................................................................. 9
Some current Statistics .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Important take away from Economic Survey ...................................................................................................... 10-12
6. Agro Climatic Zone ............................................................................................................................... 13
Classification of ACZ by Planning Commission) .................................................................................................. 13-17
ICAR Classification..................................................................................................................................................... 18
7. Agro ecological Zones of India (AEZ) .......................................................................................................... 18-19

8. Crops Classification............................................................................................................................... 19
Based on ontogeny (Life cycle) ................................................................................................................................ 19
Based on economic use (Agronomic) ...................................................................................................................... 19
Based on Botany (Scientific) .................................................................................................................................... 20
Based on seasons ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Based on climate ..................................................................................................................................................... 21

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1 Introduction:

“Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own”
Samuel Johnson

The dual economy model of Sir Arthur Lewis explores the inter relationship between the agriculture
and industrial sectors during the process of economic development of a country. Lewis model shows
that economic development always entails movement of labour from agriculture sector to the more
productive industrial sector and the agriculture sector becomes over time a less important part of the
economy in terms of its share of GDP. However, the dual economy model does not undermine the
significance of agriculture sector in developing economies. Development must happen along with rapid
productivity growth in agriculture, ensuring rising farm incomes and adequate food supplies for the
people. “Lines from Economic survey 2016-17”

What Agriculture means?

AGRICULTURE: Agriculture is defined as an art, science and business of producing crops and
livestock for economic purposes.

Derivation of word Agriculture

AGER Soil CULTURA Cultivation Origin: Latin

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2 BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is mainly divided into following seven branches-

1. Agronomy
2. Horticulture- Fruits- Pomology; Vegetables- Olericulture
3. Forestry- Silviculture
4. Animal husbandry
5. Fishery science- Pisciculture
6. Agricultural Engineering and
7. Home science

Q. Which of the following system is related to Vegetable cultivation and forest tree management?
[NABARD-2017]

Answer: Olericulture + Silviculture

3 IMPORTANT CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS IN AGRICULTURE

Francis Bacon (1561-1624 A.D) Found the water as nutrient of plants

G.R.Glanber (1604-1668 A.D) Salt peter(KNO3) as nutrient and not

water

Jethrotull (1674-1741 A.D) FATHER of TILLAGE Fine soil particle as plant nutrient

Priestly (1730-1799 A.D) Discovered the oxygen

Francis Home (1775 A.D) Water, air, salts, fire and oil form the
plant nutrients

Thomas Jefferson (1793 AD) Developed mould board plough

Theodore de-Saussure Found that plants absorb CO2 from air &
release O2; soil

Justus van Liebig (1804- 1873) supply N2

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) ‘Upper Bari Doab Canal’ in Punjab was

constructed. Improvement of agriculture
started only in his period.

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 In Lord Curzon (1898-1905). His period is called ‘Great Canal system of Western Punjab’
as ‘Golden period of agriculture’. was constructed.

1928-RCA Royal Commission on Agriculture was

setup and was responsible for giving
recommendation to dug canals, lay roads.

1880 - Department of Agriculture was 1903 - Imperial Agricultural Research

established Institute (IARI) was started at Pusa, Bihar.

1912 - Sugarcane Breeding Institute(SBI) was 1929 - Imperial Council of Agricultural

established in Coimbatore Research at New Delhi (then ICAR) after
independence becomes ICAR.

1936 - Due to earth quake in Bihar, IARI was

shifted to New Delhi and the place was called
with

1965-67 - Green revolution in India due to

introduction of HYV –Wheat, rice, use of
fertilizers, construction of Dams and use of
pesticides

ICAR (Imperial Council of Agricultural Research) Based upon the recommendation of

was started in 1929 Royal Commission.

In 1962, a Land Grant College was started in It is the first Agriculture university
Pantnagar (UP).

Q. First Agriculture University of India? [Nabard 2017 PRELIMS]

Ans. Pantnagar, 1962

4 IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

CRI Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack ODISHA

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 IIPR Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur

CTRI Central Tobacco Research Institute, Rajahmundry ANDHRAPRADESH

IISR Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow

SBI Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore

CICR Central Institute of Cotton Research, Nagpur

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 CRIJAF Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore

IGFRI Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi

IIHR Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore

CISTH Central Institute of Sub Tropical Horticulture, Lucknow

CITH Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar

CIAH Central Institute of Arid Horticulture, Bikaner

IIVR Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi

CPRI Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla

CTCRI Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Trivandrum

CPCRI Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod

CARI Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair

IISR Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut KOZIKODE, KERALA

CSWCRTI Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training

Institute, Dehradun

IISS Indian Institute of Soil Sciences, Bhopal

CSSRI Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal

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 CRIDAP Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad

CRIDAP

CAZRI Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur

NIASM National Institue of Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon,

Maharashtra

CIAE Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal

CIPHET Central Institute on Post harvest Engineering and Technology,

Ludhiana

IINRG Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Ranchi

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 CIRCT Central Institute of Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai

IASRI Indian Agricultural Statistical Research Institute, New Delhi

CSWRI Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar,

Rajasthan

CIRG Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom

Makhdoom,Farah,Mathura (UP)

CIRB Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hissar

NIANP National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore

CARI Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar UTTAR PRADESH

CMFRI
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi
Chennai

CIBA Central Institute Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai

Important
International
Institutions on
Agricultural
Research

AVRDC- Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre, Taiwan

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 CIP - Centro International da la Papa ( International potato research
institute (Lima, Peru, South America)

CIMMYT - Centro International de Mejoramiento de Maizy

Trigo.(International Centre for maize and Wheat development
(Londress, Mexico)

IITA - International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadon in Nigeria,

Africa)

ICARDA – International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

(Aleppo, Syria) ICRISAT – International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi Arid Tropics (Pattancheru in Hyderabad, India)

IIMI- International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo,

SRILANKA IRRI – International Rice Research Institute (Los
Banos, Philippines)

ISNAR- International Service In National Agricultural Research The

Hague, Netherlands WARDA - West African Rice Development
Association Ivory coast, Africa. IBPGR - International Board for
Plant Genetic Resources, Rome, Italy

CGIAR – Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research,

Washington D.C

FAO ITALY
Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome Meteorological

WMO- World Organization, Vienna.

GENEVA,Swiss
METEROLOGICAL
IFPRI- The International Food Policy Research Institute

IMPACT- International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural

Commodities and Trade

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 IFAD- The International Fund for Agricultural Development (Rome,

Italy)

Q. Expand IMPACT [NABARD-2017]

Ans. International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade

5 IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN INDIAN ECONOMY

5.1 BASICS of GVA, Capital formation, GCF, NCF

 Gross value added (GVA) is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an
area, industry or sector of an economy, in economics. In national accounts GVA is output
minus intermediate consumption; it is a balancing item of the national accounts' production
account.

 Capital Formation: Capital refers to the stock of all the produced means of production that
an economy possesses at a point of time. Capital includes only those means of production
which are produced by man. For example – Plant and machinery tools and instruments. The
capital formation means addition to the existing stock of capital. Capital formation may be
defined as the process of adding to the stock of capital per year.

 Gross Capital Formation: It means gross investment. It includes both replacement

investment and net investment.

 Net Capital Formation: It means increase in net investment only. Net investment is
estimated by deducting depreciation from gross investment.

5.2 SOME CURRENT STATISTICS

 While, Agriculture and allied sector shares 17.32% and GVA is around of 23.82 lakh crore
INR.

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  At 2011-12 prices, composition of Agriculture & allied, Industry, and Services sector are
15.11%, 31.12%, and 53.77%, respectively.

At current prices GVA %

2014- 2015- %s
Sector 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2016-17
2015 16 share

GVA Agriculture 1,501,81 1,680,79 1,932,69 2,172, 17.32

2,067,935 2,382,289
(Crore) Sector 6 8 2 910

At 2011-12 Prices

Agriculture 1,501,81 1,524,39 1,609,06 1,616, 15.11

1,604,259 1,687,064
sector 6 8 1 461 %

5.3 Important statistics from Economic survey

 Area under Rainfed Agriculture- 55%

 The area coverage under wheat and coarse cereals increased by 2.97 lakh hectares to 307.15
lakh hectares and by 2.94 lakh hectares to 246.83 lakh hectares in 2016-17 compared to
2015-16 respectively.

 The largest increase was recorded under pulses which is around43.66 lakh hectares
(around 17.5 percent) more over 2015-16.

 As per the third Advance Estimates released on 9th May, 2017, food grains production during
2016-17 is estimated at 273.38 million tonnes compared to 251.57million tonnes during
2015-16.

 The average farm size in India is small (1.15 ha) and has shown a steady declining The small
85%
and marginal land holdings (less than 2.0 ha) account for 72 percent of land holdings.

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 Important Takeaway-
 Growth in 2015-16 was 0.7% and for 2016-17 Preliminary estimate its 4.9% (PE)
 Share in total GVA 2015-16 is 17.5%
 GCF of Agri sector 6.9%

Important takeaway-
 Highest Growth rate in area recorded in pulses- 17.52%

 Rice shows a declining trend of -1.33%

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  Total food grain area as per advance estimate 2016-17 is estimated to be 127.6 mha with
production of 273.38 mt

Q. Which crop has shown highest growth in area? [NABARD-2017]

Ans. PULSES

Important Takeaway-
 Avg. yield of rice was 2400 kg/ha and it is expected to be 2543 kg/ha for 2016-17

Labour participation
 54.6% of the population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities (census 2011)

Export
 Agricultural export constitutes 10 per cent of the country's exports and is the fourth-
largest exported principal commodity

NOTE:
1. It is advisable to go through all tables once so that important values if appears in examination
can be answered.
2. More important points from economic survey will be covered in a separate chapter dealing with
current agriculture.

6 AGROCLIMATIC ZONES (ACZ)

An agro-climatic zone is a land unit uniform in respect of climate and length of growing period
(LGP) which is climatically suitable for a certain range of crops and cultivars (FAO, 1983).

6.1 Classification of ACZ by Planning Commission

Planning Commission of India (1989) divided country into different agro climatic regions based on
homogeneity in rainfall, temperature, topography, cropping and farming systems and water
resources. India is divided into 15 agro-climatic regions.

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 Map: Overall view of AGROCLIMATIC ZONES as per Planning commission

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 NOTE: It is advisable to go through table once if similar question is asked this year you can answer
easily.

6.2 ICAR - CLASSIFICATION

The State Agricultural Universities were advised to divide each state into sub-zones, under the
National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) under ICAR. Based on the rainfall pattern, cropping
pattern and administrative units, 127 agro-climatic zones are classified. The zones of state are given
below.

Q. Number of ACZ as per ICAR classification? [NABARD-2017]

Ans. 127
Q. Maximum no. of ACZ is present in which state? [NABARD-2017]
Ans. Madhya Pradesh (12)

7 Agro ecological Zones of India (AEZ)

An ecological region is characterized by distinct ecological responses to macroclimate as
expressed in vegetation and reflected in soils, fauna and aquatic systems. Therefore, an agro
ecological region is the land unit on the earth’s surface carved out of agro-climatic region when
superimposed on different landform and soil conditions that act as modifiers of climate and
length of growing period (LGP).

National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS & LUP) of the ICAR has delineated
20 agro-ecological regions (AERs) in the country using the FAO 1978 concept of superimposition
of length of growing periods and bio-climate maps on soil physiographic map.

 The major advantage of LGP based criteria is that the LGP is the direct indicative of
moisture availability of a given landform rather than the total rainfall.

 Agro-ecosystems approach allows crop planning based on length of growing period rather
than the quantity of rainfall.

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 System LGP Major areas

Arid ecosystem Less than 90 days Western Himalayas,

Deccan plateau,

Semiarid ecosystem 90-105 days Central high lands,

Gujarat plains,
Kathiawar peninsula,

Sub humid ecosystem 150-180 days or 180-210 Eastern plateau

days (Chotanagpur) and
Eastern ghats hot sub-
humid eco-region,

Humid-Perhumid 210+ Bengal and Assam plain

ecosystem hot sub-humid

Coastal ecosystem 210+ Eastern coastal plain,

Western ghat

Island ecosystem 210+ Andaman Nicobar and

Lakshadeep,

LGP in different AER’s

Note: It is more important to remember LGP rather than areas in case of AER

8 Crop Classification
1. Based on ontogeny (Life cycle)
2. Based on economic use (Agronomic)
3. Based on Botany (Scientific)
4. Based on seasons
5. Based on climate

8.1 Based on ONTOGENY (Life cycle)

Ontogeny is the origination and development of an organism; usually from the time of fertilization
of the egg to the organism’s mature form—although the term can be used to refer to the study of
the entirety of an organism's lifespan.

Annual Wheat, rice, maize, mustard

Biennial Sugar beet, beet root,

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 Perennial Napier fodder grass, coconut,

8.2 Based on economic use (Agronomic)

How the agricultural produced is classified based on economic usage-
Group Example Remark

Cereal Rice, wheat, maize, barley,

oats

Pulse Black gram(v. mungo),Green

gram (V. radiata)

Oil seed Groundnut Pod- 50% oil, HAULM-cattle

feed

Millet Sorghum, pearl millet, Finger Minor millet-Fox tail millet,

millet little millet, kodo millet

Forage

Fibre Cotton seed fibre – cotton;

Stem/ bast fibre – Jute,

mesta; leaf fibre – Agave,
pineapple.

Medicinal Aloe vera, Rauwolfia

Beverage Tea, coffee, cocoa

8.3 Based on Climatic Condition

The crops are classified according to their growing geographical regions

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 TROPICAL

• Coconut, sugarcane

TEMPERATE

• Wheat, barley

SUB TROPICAL

• Rice, cotton

POLAR

• All pines, pasture grasses

What does Term Tropic, Sub tropic Temperate & Polar Mean?

8.4 Based on Seasons

The Crops based on these criteria are majorly divided into three groups

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 • Sowing- June-July Harvesting-September–October
• Climate-warm wet weather shorter day length for flowering. Ex. Rice,
Kharif maize, castor, groundnut. C MSG RAM

• Sowing-October–November Harvesting-January-February
• Climate- cold dry weather longer day length for flowering. Ex Wheat, mustard,
Rabi barley, oats, potato, bengal gram, berseem, cabbage and cauliflower.
Red & WBC Low hain to Mustard juice piyo

• Sowing - February–March Harvesting-May–June

• Climate – dry weather day length for flowering.
Zaid Ex.Black gram, greengram, seasame,cowpea

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