Agriculture-General Background

Objective of the session

At the end of the session the participants will be able to understand and learn;
1. Various activities which come under agriculture
2. About classification of crops, seasonal crops( annual
crops)like cereals, pulses, oil seeds, commercial crops,
vegetables, flowers, aromatic and medicinal plants and
Perennial crops like plantation and horticultural crops etc.
3. About allied activities to agriculture.
4. Seasons of cultivation.
5. Various sources of irrigation to agriculture.
6. Various types of soil suitable to agriculture.
7. Categories farmers as per their land holding.
8. The measurement of land i.e. the meaning of acre
and hectare.
 Agriculture-General Background
The Term Agriculture includes-
-Cultivation of field crops/Annual crops
-Horticulture
-Nursery activity
-Allied activities like dairy farming,
poultry etc.
-Forestry
-Fisheries (Both marine and Inland)
 Agriculture-General Background
Crop Cultivation
A. Seasonal Crops:
Cereals- Ex- Rice, Wheat, Jowar, Maize, Ragi, Bajra etc.
Pulses: Red gram(Tur), Bengal Gram (chana),
GreenGram, Blackgram(Urad) etc.
Oil Seeds: Sun flower, Ground Nut, Cotton seed,
Mustard, Sesamum etc.
Commercial crops: Sugar cane, Tobacco, Cotton,
Jute,Jatropa,
Vegetables: Brijal, Bhendi, Tomato, Potato,Onion, etc.
Flowers:Crysanthimum, Maigold, Carnation, Aster etc.
Medicinal & aroatic crops: Dhavanum, Pachouli,
Lemon grass, etc.
 Agriculture-General Background
B. Perennial Crops :
Fruit crops: Mango, Apple, banana, chikkoo(Sapota),
Pomgeranate,Grapes,Ber,Orange,
Custardapple, papaya, pineapple etc.
TraditionalPlantation Crops: Tea, Coffee & Rubber
Other Plantation crops: Coconut, Cashew,
Spices: Cardamom, Nutmug ,Clove, Cinnamon , etc.
Vegetables: Bread fruit, Chow-chow, Drum Stick
Flowers : Champaka, Parijatha, Bakula
 Agriculture-General Background
Cash /Commercial Crops:
Oil palm, Jatropa, Sandle wood and other farm forestry
crops.
Agriculture-General Background
Horticulture includes:
1.Cultivation of Fruit crops (Pomology)
2.Cultivation of Vegetables (Olericulture)
3.Cultivation of Flowers (Floriculture)
4. Cultivation of Plantation crops
5.Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
 Agriculture-General Background
Allied activities:
Dairy farming, Poultry( Broiler/layer)
Sericulture, bee-keeping(Apiculture), piggery,
sheep and goat rearing, Rabbit rearing, Emu
rearing, Mushroom Cultivation, Fisheries
(Pisciculture) etc.
Agriculture-General Background
Other related activities:
Farm Forestry
High- Tech Agriculture :
Poly hose, Green Hose cultivation,
Tissue culture, Hatcheries, Oyster farming
etc.
Agriculture-General Background
Seasons of cultivation:
Kharief: June to October
Rabi : November to February
Summer or Zaid: March to May
Agriculture-General Background
Sources of Irrigation:
Open well
Tube/Bore well
Tank
River/Stream
canal
 Agriculture-General Background
Types of Soils:
Sandy soil
Black Soil
Red loamy soil
Alluvial soil
Laterite soil
 Agriculture-General Background
Measurement of land:
A.1 acre = 40 guntas
1 gunta = 11 yardX 11 yard or 33ftx33ft i.e.1089 sq.ft
1acre = 1089x40=43560 sq.ft
1 acre = 100 cent
1cent = 435.6 sq ft
B.1 hectare= 100mtsX100 mts i.e
10000 sq mts
Agriculture-General Background
Categories of Farmer:
Marginal Farmer: land holding up to1.25 acres of
irrigated land or 2.5 acres of dry land
Small Farmer: land holding up to 2.5 acres of
irrigated land or 5.00 acres of dry land
Agriculture labourer: a person who has no land
holding, but has a homestead and derive more
than 50% of the income from agriculture wages
 Agriculture-General Background
Categories of Farmer:
Lease hold cultivator: A farmer cultivating land on lease for a
specified period( either on oral or written agreement)
belonging to other farmer for consideration of agreed lease
amount.
Tenant Farmer: One who cultivates land of other farmer for a
long period as tenant and pays annual rent as per agreement
and the right of cultivation as tenant is recorded in the land
records
Share Croppers: One who cultivates others farm on
agreement to share the crop after harvest with the land
owner on agreed ratio.