I. KEY WORDS:
1. Chemical fertiliser: Fertilizers that are prepared by using petro - chemicals are called chemical fertilizers.
2. Green revolution: It is a specific programme introduced to increase the productivity of agriculture by using high yielding variety of seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern machinery, and better water management.
3. Organic material: The material obtained from degrading all the biological waste in the compost pit can be termed as organic material
4. Dryland agriculture: The agriculture carried on the lands which cannot easily be irrigated is known as dryland agriculture
5. Modern farming practices: Use of High Yielding Varieties of seeds, fertilizers and use of machinery etc. are modern farming practices.
6. Foreign trade policy: The trade ( exports and imports) relations with other countries of one.
II. IMPROVE YOUR LEARNING:
1. Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for its growth.
A.
A.
1. Tea is an important beverage crop.
2. The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub - tropical climates.
3. Fertile, well - drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter is essential.
4. Tea bushes require warm and moist frost - free climate all through the year.
5. Frequent showers are necessary.
3. Fertile, well - drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter is essential.
4. Tea bushes require warm and moist frost - free climate all through the year.
5. Frequent showers are necessary.
2. The land under cultivation has been reducing day by day. Can you imagine its consequences?
A.
1. The land under cultivation has been reducing due to the competition for land between non - agricultural uses such as housing, etc.
2. As a result the productivity of India has started showing a declining trend.
3. That would lead to the scarcity of food grains in future and in turn poverty and drought situation would prevail in our country.
3. On an outline map of India, show the millet producing areas.
A.
4. What is Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How is it being implemented in your area.
A.
1. A minimum support price is a price at which the farmers can sell their grain to the government.
2. The government decides the MSP, so as to cover the cost of cultivation and allow a little bit of profit to the farmer.
3. Because of the MSP, farmers are not forced to sell their grains at cheaper prices to the traders.
4. In our area farmers are selling their products in the markets.
5. Explain all the ways in which the Indian government supported the Green Revolution.
A.
1. The Green Revolution was initially introduced in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
2. Use of High Yielding Varieties seeds to the Indian soils and chemical fertilizers.
3. Use of machinery such as tractors and others besides irrigation facilities.
4. Cooperative societies are setup to provide credit to farmers to buy raw materials such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, machinery required for modern farming.
6. Do you think it is important for India to be self - sufficient in food grains production ? Discuss.
A.
1. A large portion of our children and poor communities are unable to get adequate nutrition.
2. If drought situations prevailed government forced to import food grains.
3. To avoid these kind of situations we should be self - sufficient in food grain production.
4. A large stock of food grains has built-up through Food Corporation of India.
5. It could be used in case of shortage and to avoid drought and famine situations in our country.
7. How is dry land agriculture different from irrigated agriculture ?
A
1. In the total cultivable land 45% which cannot be irrigated and depends on rainfall is known as dryland in our country.
2. Unlike the cultivation of irrigated lands, dryland farming poses different challenges.
3. Jawar, Bajra, groundnut, Ragi, cotton, soybean, turmeric, and grams are the main crops in the drylands.
4. All food and commercial crops are grown in irrigated areas.
Hence farming in dryland is different from other areas.
8. Can you recall incidents such as pesticides being found in soft drinks ? How is this related to the use of pesticides ? Discuss.
A.
1. The use of pesticides is polluting underground water.
2. The soft drink factories use this underground water for making soft drinks.
3. Hence undissolved pesticides are seen in soft drinks.
9. Why are chemical fertilizers used in new farming methods? How could use of fertilizers make soil less fertile? What are the alternative ways of enriching soils.
A.
1. It was accompained by the use of chemical fertilizers, machinery etc.
3. Chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which dissolve in water.
3. These chemicals are immediately available to plants, but may not retain in the soil for long.
4. They may be leaked from the soil and pollute ground water, rivers and lakes.
5. Chemical fertilizers can also kill bacteria and other organisms in soil.
6. The soil will be less fertile than ever before.
7. Manure and compost contain humus and living organisms that slowly release minerals as they decompose.
10. How has the Green Revolution in some areas resulted in short- term gains but long- term losses to farmers?
A.
1. The green revolution helped farmers to produce higher level of food grains and non - food grains. There was no major increase in the land used to cultivation.
2. In 1960 a farmer was able to produce an average of only 287 kgs of foodgrains be it paddy or wheat on one acre of cultivable land.
3. Today the same farmer in same size of land is able to produce 800 kgs per acre.
4. But in long term it brought some losses to farmers. It brought several environmental imbalances. It required plenty of water and so on.
11. What could be the effects of foreign trade on farmers’ income?
A.
1. Foreign trade could cause farmers income to fluctuate a lot.
2. In certain time and for certain crops the farmers might gain from exports.
3. Farmers could lose because of cheap imports and fall in the prices of a products.
4. Small farmers without much savings will not be able to bear this loss.
12. In earlier classes, we had studied about land distribution. How does the following image reflect this idea? Write a para-graph about this in the context of Indian agriculture.
A.
1. In earlier days the distribution of the land is uneven.
2. 70% of the farmers were small land holdings less than 2 hectares.
3. The small farmers cannot produce enough to meet even their basic requirements.
4. They are unable to get the financial support after independence this system were abolished under land ceiling act was also implemented.
5. Even after independence the land reforms were implemented the situation has not been changed much.
13. Read the paragraph under the title Fertirer Problems on page 70 and comment on.
A.
1. The main environmental problem associated with fertilizer use is contamination of water with nitrates and phosphates.
2. Elevated nitrogen levels in drinking water.
3. Environmental pollution is a significant problem. But while most of the focus is placed on polluting industries, toxins like mercury and small particle traffic pollution,
2. Elevated nitrogen levels in drinking water.
3. Environmental pollution is a significant problem. But while most of the focus is placed on polluting industries, toxins like mercury and small particle traffic pollution,
4. A major source of environmental devastation is caused by modern food production, chemical dependent farming methods.
III. SHORT ANSWERS:
1. What are called Bio - chemical?
A.
Biochemical fertilizers are prepared by using biological material Often they are used to enrich the soil.
2. What do you mean Tropical climate?
A.
The hot climate which can be experienced within the tropics.
3. Environmental problems
A.
Problems related to our environment are called environmental problems
4. What is Environmental imbalances?
A.
Any disturbance created to our natural surroundings in which we live or exist. eg: Reduction in ground water levels.
5. What are the types of Subsistence Farming?
A.
There are two types of subsistence farming . They are:
1. Simple subsistence farming:
* Farmers are practised on small patches
of land with primitive tools.
* Family/community members are working.
* This type of farming depends nature such as Rainfall, fertility of the soil.
2. Intensive Subsistence farming.
* It is practised in areas with high population density on land.
* It is labour intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used.
6. What is Shifting Agriculture ?
A.
1. Agriculture is practised on small patches of land especially in tribal areas.
2. This type of agriculture is called ' Slash and burn agriculture ' or ' Shifting agriculture '
7. Write about cropping seasons in India.
A.
1. India has three crop seasons - i) Kharif ii) Rabi and iii) Zaid.
2. Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon. Paddy is Important crops grown
during this season.
3. Rabi crops are sown in winter from October. Wheat is the important rabi crop.
4. Zaid is short season during the summer months. watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber,
vegetables and fodder crops are growing.
8. Write about the importance of Agriculture?
A.
1. Agriculture is the ancient and important occupation in our country.
A.
1. Agriculture is the ancient and important occupation in our country.
2. Food security of the nation depending upon the agriculture.
3. Nearly half of the workers in India are in agriculture.
4. 70% of working women are engaged in Agriculture.
5. It provides food and fooder.
6. It provides raw materials to most industries.
7. It is not only an occupation but also the life of society.
8 as many practices involve socio - cultural festivals.
9. It is back bone of Indian economy provides nearly 54% of share in GDP of our country.
