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MPPSC

DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Geography

Lecture – 27
Indian Agriculture Part 4 And El Nino,
La Nina
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Indian Agriculture Part 4 And El Nino, La Nina

Organic Farming

❖ The FSSAI defines 'organic farming' as a farm design and management approach that

eliminates the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, and genetically

modified organisms.

❖ Organic farm produce comes from organic agriculture, while organic food meets

organic production criteria.

❖ India has the highest number of organic producers and the 9th largest area for

organic farming.

❖ Sikkim became the first state in the world to become completely organic in 2016.

❖ North East India is known for its organic practices and lower reliance on chemicals

compared to other regions of the country.

❖ India's primary organic exports have included flax seeds, sesame, soybeans, tea,

medicinal plants, rice, and pulses.

❖ Organic exports increased by approximately 50% from 2018 to 2019.

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Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)

❖ The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, which was started in 2015, is an elaborated

component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of the large initiative National Mission

of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).

❖ PKVY promotes organic farming by clustering organic villages and offering

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification.

Vermicompost and Green manure

❖ Vermicompost – Compost is a type of manure that is high in organic matter and

nutrients. Vermicompost is compost made with earthworms to speed up the

decomposition of plant and animal waste.

❖ Green manure – Green manure is the manure produced by decomposing green plants

in the field. For example, sun hemp is cultivated in fields, ploughed, and allowed to

degrade in the field to make green manure.

Agriculture land reform

❖ Land reform entails agricultural equity, as well as a change in land ownership. Land

reform typically refers to the redistribution of land from the rich to the poor. It

entails managing the operation, ownership, sales, leasing, and inheritance of land.

❖ In a country like India, where there is massive deficiency and irregular land patterns,

and a large proportion of the rural population lives below the poverty line, there are

compelling economic and political debates over land reforms.

Post-Independence Land Reforms in India (1950-1972)

❖ The Abolition of the Zamindari System: Eliminating the middleman layer that existed

between the state and the cultivators.

❖ Tenancy Reforms: Place to provide renters ownership, tenure security, and rent

control.
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❖ Fixing Ceiling on Landholdings: Preventing land concentration and promoting a more

equitable distribution of resources. Land Ceiling laws were applied to family holdings

as well as individual holdings depending upon the region/state.

➢ Exemptions for categories such as Educational institutions, Charitable trusts,

Religious institutions.

❖ Land Consolidation: Also known as land pooling or land readjustment is a land

reform strategy which aims at reorganizing fragmented agricultural landholdings into

larger, more manageable units.

Land Reforms in India (1972-85)

❖ Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP): Launched in 1973;

➢ Aimed to address the specific needs of drought-prone areas, including initiatives

focused on barren land management.

❖ Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP): Launched in 1978:

➢ Focused on integrated rural development, with a component dedicated to land

development and watershed management.

❖ National Rural Employment Programme: Launched in 1980;

➢ Aimed to create rural employment opportunities while addressing land-related

issues;

➢ Included initiatives for wasteland development, soil conservation, and

afforestation.

Green Revolution

❖ The term ‘Green Revolution’ refers to the new agricultural technology developed

during the 1950s and 1960s by a team of agricultural experts at the International

Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement in Mexico and at the International Rice

Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.

❖ The main focus areas of the Green Revolution in India were:

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➢ Farm Mechanization by substituting the use of cattle with modern tractors and

other machinery.

➢ the use of hybrid varieties of seeds for better yield, and

➢ Irrigation using the new dams constructed post-independence for better

irrigation.

❖ During the 1960s, when the country was on the brink of a mass famine and faced

severe food shortages, Swaminathan collaborated with fellow scientist Norman

Borlaug and others to develop high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.

Benefit of the Green Revolution

❖ Increase in production and productivity of food grains

❖ Increase in farmer’s income

❖ Rural development

❖ Reduction in poverty due to increased income for farmers and agricultural labor.

Criticism

❖ Environmental Challenges:

➢ Decline in Soil Fertility due to the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

➢ Depletion of Groundwater Resources due to significant increase in water

consumption for irrigation.

➢ Reduction of Biodiversity and Ecosystem due to its focus on a few high-yielding

varieties of crops, especially monocropping of wheat and rice.

❖ Economy challenges

➢ Debt trap due to the high cost of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.

➢ High production costs as the Green Revolution has made agriculture more

capital-intensive.

➢ Regional disparities as benefits mainly concentrated in Punjab, Haryana and

Western UP regions.
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➢ Rise in Inequality as small and marginal farmers have not been able to compete

with large farmers who have access to more resources.

❖ Social Challenges:

➢ Health: The overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to health

problems for farmers and consumers.

➢ Farmers’ suicide: The debt burden and other challenges faced by farmers have led

to a high rate of suicide in many areas.

➢ Drug abuse in Punjab: Many farmers turned to drugs to cope with the stress and

challenges of modern agriculture.

Evergreen Revolution

❖ MS Swaminathan proposed the concept of an “Evergreen Revolution” as an

alternative to the Green Revolution in 1990.

❖ It refers to long-term productivity growth without causing environmental and social

harm.

❖ This practice incorporating ecological principles into the creation and adoption of

technology.

❖ Key Pillars of the “evergreen revolution”:

➢ Long-Term Detriments Acknowledgment

➢ Balancing Productivity and Ecology.

➢ Efficient irrigation methods

➢ Watershed management

➢ Drought-tolerant crop development,

➢ Sustainable Agricultural Practices.

➢ Mitigating Ecological Perils.

➢ Preserving Indigenous Crop Varieties.

➢ Productivity in Perpetuity.
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➢ Shift Towards Sustainable Agriculture.

Cropping seasons

❖ Agriculture employs roughly two-thirds of India's population.

❖ It is a primary activity that yields food grains and raw materials for industries.

❖ Because India is such a large country, it has a diverse range of food and non-food

crops that are grown during three major cropping seasons: rabi, kharif, and zaid.

❖ The southwest monsoon kicks off the Kharif season, which supports tropical

cultivation.

❖ Rabi season is for winter crops, which require less water to grow.

❖ While Zaid season falls between Rabi and Kharif.

Season Sowing Harvesting Major crops States

time time

Kharif June-July October- Rice, Soybean, Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions

November Jowar, Maize, of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,

Groundnuts, pulses Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and

Maharashtra

Rabi October- March Wheat, Gram, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal

November barley, Masoor, Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,

Linseed, Mustard Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh

Zaid March- June Watermelon, Most of the northern and

April Cucumber, Melons, northwestern states

etc

Major Food Crops

Rice

❖ Temperature ranges between 22 and 32°C, with high humidity.

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❖ Rainfall averages 150-300 cm.

❖ Soil Type: Deep clayey loamy soil.

❖ The top rice-producing states are- West Bengal > Uttar Pradesh > Punjab > Tamil

Nadu> Andhra Pradesh > Bihar.

❖ It is a staple food crop for the majority of Indians.

❖ India is the world's second-largest rice producer, after China.

❖ In states such as Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha, three crops of paddy are grown

each year. These are Aus, Amman, and Boro.

❖ The National Food Security Mission, Hybrid Rice Seed Production, and Rashtriya

Krishi Vikas Yojana are a few government initiatives that support rice cultivation.

In news

❖ Chinnaur Chawal of Balaghat got GI tag

Wheat

❖ Temperature: 10-15°C (sowing) to 21-26°C (ripening and harvesting) in bright

sunlight.

❖ Rainfall: approximately 75-100 cm.

❖ Soil Type: Well-drained fertile loamy and

clayey loamy (Ganga-Satluj plains and

Deccan's black soil region)

❖ The top wheat-producing states are Uttar

Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,

and Rajasthan.

❖ India is the second-largest producer after

China.

❖ This is the second most important cereal crop

and the primary food crop in north and northwestern India.

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❖ The success of the Green Revolution helped to increase the production of Rabi crops,

particularly wheat.

❖ Macro Management Mode of Agriculture, National Food Security Mission, and

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana are a few government initiatives that promote wheat

cultivation.

India has exported 4,693,264.09 MT of wheat to the world for the worth of Rs.

11,826.90 crores/ 1,519.69 USD Million during the year 2022-23.

Major Export Destinations (2022-23): Bangladesh, Indonesia, Korea Rep., United Arab

Emts and Yemen Republic.

Millets (Nutri-Cereals)

❖ Temperature: 27–32°C

❖ Rainfall averages 50-100 cm.

❖ Soil Type: Can be grown in poor alluvial or loamy soil because they are less susceptible

to soil deficiencies.

➢ Jowar- Rain-fed crop grown in moist areas with less or no irrigation.

➢ Bajra's soils are sandy and shallow black.

➢ Ragi soil types include red, black, sandy, loamy, and shallow black. (Dry regions)

❖ The top states producing millets are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya

Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

❖ Jowar: Maharashtra > Karnataka > Madhya Pradesh > Tamil Nadu > Andhra

Pradesh.

❖ Bajra: Rajasthan > Uttar Pradesh > Gujarat > Madhya Pradesh > Haryana.

❖ These are also known as coarse grains, and they are highly nutritious. Ragi is high in

iron, calcium, other micronutrients, and roughage.

❖ Jowar is the third most important food crop in terms of area and production.
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❖ The National Agricultural Insurance Scheme and the Initiative for Nutritional Security

through Intensive Millets Promotion are examples of government efforts to promote

millet production.

❖ Millets were one of the first crops to be domesticated. Millets were consumed by the

Indus Valley people around 3,000 BC, according to evidence.

❖ Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the largest millet crop. Its major producers include the

United States, China, Australia, and India.

❖ In its 2023-24 budget, the central government announced plans to make India a

global hub for millet production.

❖ The Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) in Hyderabad will be supported as a

center of excellence for the international exchange of best practices, research, and

technologies.

Pulses

❖ Temperature: 20–27°C

❖ Rainfall averages 25-60 cm.

❖ Soil Type: Sandy loamy soil.

❖ The top pulse-producing states

are Madhya Pradesh,

Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar

Pradesh, and Karnataka.

❖ India is the world's leading producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of

global consumption), and importer of pulses (14%).

❖ Pulses cover approximately 20% of the land area and account for 7-10% of total

foodgrain production in the country.

❖ Tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas, and gram are among the most widely grown

pulses in India.
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❖ Pulses grow well during both the Rabi and Kharif seasons. However, Rabi crops

(harvested between April and June) are widely grown, accounting for 60% of total

production.

❖ All of these crops, except arhar, are leguminous and contribute to soil fertility

restoration by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. As a result, they are most

commonly grown in rotation with other crops.

❖ The National Food Security Mission for Pulses, Pulses Development Scheme,

Technological Mission on Pulses, Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan

(PM-AASHA) Scheme: are just a few of the government's initiatives to boost pulse

production.

Cotton

Cotton production is related to the Silver Fibre Revolution. The Ministry of Agriculture,

Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, and the Government of India are the

central agencies for Mini Mission II. The scheme is being implemented in nine major

cotton-producing regions in the states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

❖ Temperature: 21-30°C.

❖ Rainfall averages 50-100 cm.

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❖ Soil Type: Well-drained black cotton soil from the Deccan plateau.

❖ Top cotton-producing states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Rajasthan, and

Karnataka.

❖ The cotton plant is believed to have originated in India. Cotton is one of the most

important raw materials for the cotton textile industry.Cotton requires 210 frost-

free days and bright sunlight for growth.

❖ It is a kharif crop, which takes 6 to 8 months to mature.

❖ The Silver Fibre Revolution and the Technology Mission on Cotton are government

initiatives aimed at increasing cotton production in India.

❖ Cotton has been genetically modified as BT Cotton to combat environmental stress

and pest attacks.

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