Cheatsheet

Agriculture · Geography Ch.4 · Quick Reference

Types of Farming

Primitive Subsistence — slash & burn, primitive tools, monsoon-dependent
Intensive Subsistence — labour-intensive, high inputs, small plots
Commercial Farming — HYV seeds, fertilisers, crops for market
Plantation — single crop on large area (tea, coffee, rubber)

Slash & burn names: Jhumming (NE India), Milpa (Mexico), Roca (Brazil), Ladang (Malaysia).

Cropping Seasons

Season	Time	Crops
Rabi	Sown Oct–Dec, harvest Apr–Jun	Wheat, gram, peas, mustard, barley
Kharif	Sown Jun–Jul, harvest Sep–Oct	Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, jute
Zaid	Summer (short)	Watermelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder

Winter western disturbances help Rabi crops in NW India. Sugarcane takes almost a year.

Major Food Crops

Rice — kharif; needs >25°C, high humidity, >100 cm rain; staple food
Wheat — rabi; cool growing season, 50–75 cm rain; NW plains
Millets — jowar, bajra, ragi (coarse grains); ragi rich in iron & calcium
Maize — both kharif & rabi; needs old alluvial soil
Pulses — India = largest producer & consumer; fix nitrogen in soil

Cash & Fibre Crops

Crop	Soil / Condition	Areas
Sugarcane	Hot & humid, 21–27°C	UP, Maharashtra, TN
Cotton	Black soil, 210 frost-free days	Maharashtra, Gujarat
Jute	Fertile flood-plain soil	WB, Bihar, Assam
Tea/Coffee	Plantation crops	Assam, WB, Nilgiris

Jute = "golden fibre". India believed to be the original home of cotton.

Reforms & Technology

Green Revolution — HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilisers (1960s)
White Revolution (Operation Flood) — boosted milk production
Land reforms — abolition of zamindari, "land to the tiller"
Collectivisation & consolidation of holdings
KCC (Kissan Credit Card), PAIS, crop insurance, MSP

Globalisation

Indian spices, muslin & cotton textiles traded worldwide since ancient times
British exported cotton/indigo as raw material — ruined farmers
Champaran (1917) — Gandhiji vs forced indigo cultivation
Today: competition from subsidised farm goods of developed nations
Shift to horticulture (fruits, vegetables, flowers), organic farming

Food Security & Future

Agriculture supports ~2/3 of India's population
Share in GDP declining, but livelihood role remains huge
Bhoodan–Gramdan — Vinoba Bhave's "blood-less revolution"
Organic farming — reduces chemicals, protects soil & health
Need sustainable, profitable farming for the future

Important Exam Points — Quick Recall

Jhumming — slash & burn farming in NE India
Rabi — wheat, gram, mustard | Kharif — rice, cotton, jute | Zaid — summer crops
Rice — staple; India 2nd largest producer after China
Cotton — needs black soil & 210 frost-free days; kharif crop
Jute — "golden fibre" of West Bengal
India — largest producer & consumer of pulses
Green Revolution — HYV seeds made India self-sufficient in food
Operation Flood = White Revolution (milk)
Bhoodan–Gramdan — led by Vinoba Bhave; began at Pochampalli
Champaran, 1917 — Gandhiji's movement against forced indigo cultivation