INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURE

INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURE
SATHISHKUMAR MANI, M.Sc. (Hort.),
Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture Engineering, Kongunadu College
of Engineering and Technology.

 Agriculture helps to meet the basic needs of humans and their civilization by
providing food, clothing, shelters, medicine and recreation.
 It is a protective unit where the free gifts of nature namely land, air,
temperature and rainwater etc., are integrated into the single primary unit
indispensable for human beings.
 Agriculture provides food, feed, fibre, fuel, furniture, raw materials for
factories etc.
 The term agriculture is derived from Latin words “Ager and Cultura”.
‘Ager’ means land or field and ‘Cultura’ means cultivation. Therefore, the
term agriculture means cultivation of land.
 Agriculture is defined as the art, the science and the business of producing
crops and the livestock for man’s use, employment and economic purposes.
 Agriculture is a very broad term encompassing all aspects of crop production,
livestock farming, fisheries, forestry etc.
 Agriculture is the cultivation of lands for production of crops for a regular
supply of food and other needs for progress of the nation.

History of Agriculture:
The history of agriculture began thousands of years ago. After gathering
wild grains beginning at least 1,05,000 years ago, nascent farmers began to plant
them around 11,500 years ago. Pigs, sheep, and cattle were domesticated over
10,000 years ago. They switched from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to
permanent settlements and farming. Agriculture begun at the period of ‘Neolithic
Revolution’.
Some examples for crop domestication:
 The wild progenitors of crops including wheat, barley and peas are traced to
the Near East Region.
 Cereals were grown in Syria as long as 9,000 years ago.
 Though the transition from wild harvesting was gradual, the switch from a
nomadic to a settled way of life is marked by the appearance of early Neolithic
villages with grinding stones for grain.
 The origins of rice and millet farming date to around 6,000 B.C.E. The
world’s oldest known rice paddy fields, discovered in eastern China in
2007, reveal evidence of ancient cultivation techniques such as flood and fire
control.

World’s oldest rice paddy field discovered in China

Agricultural scenes of threshing, a grain store, harvesting with sickles,
digging, tree-cutting and ploughing from the tomb of Nakht, 18th
Dynasty Thebes.

History of Indian Agriculture:
 Indian agriculture has long, old and beyond memory history which begins the
Indus valley civilization.
 Indian agriculture began by 9000 BCE as a result of early cultivation of plants,
and domestication of crops and animals.
Early History:
 Wild Oryza rice appeared in the Belan and Ganges valley regions of northern
India as early as 4530 BCE and 5440 BCE respectively.
 Agricultural activity during the second millennium BC included rice
cultivation in the Kashmir and Harrappan regions. Mixed farming was the
basis of the Indus valley economy.
 Irrigation was developed in the Indus Valley Civilization by around 4500
BCE.
 Sophisticated irrigation and water storage systems were developed by the
Indus Valley Civilization, including artificial reservoirs at Girnar dated to
3000 BCE.
 Archeological evidence of an animal-drawn plough dates back to 2500 BC in
the Indus Valley civilization.

Vedic Period History:
 The Mauryan Empire (322 – 185 BCE) categorized soils and made
meteorological observations for agricultural use. Other Mauryan facilitation
included construction and maintenance of dams, and provision of horse-drawn
chariots – quicker than traditional bullock carts.
Early Common Era:
 Water storage systems were designed (Tamil People) during this period.
 Kallanai (1st – 2nd century CE), a dam built on river Kaveri during this period,
is considered the as one of the oldest water-regulation structures in the world still
in use.
 In this period, Indian people were involved in the spice trading to the
Mediterranean region.
 Crystallized sugar was discovered by the time of the Guptas (320 – 550 CE).
 Chola Empire (875 – 1279), the Chola rule land was transferred and collective
holding of land by a group of people slowly gave way to individual plots of
land, each with their own irrigation system.
 The Cholas also had bureaucrats which oversaw the distribution of water –
Particularly the distribution of water by tank and channel network to the drier
areas.

Early Modern Era:
 In this period, Agricultural zones were broadly divided into those producing
rice, wheat or millets.
 The Encyclopedia Britannica details the many crops introduced to India during
this period of extensive global discourse.
 Examples:
 New species of fruit, such as the pineapple, papaya, and cashew nut, also
were introduced by the Portuguese.
 Indian crops, such as Cotton, Sugar, and Citric fruits – spread visibly
throughout North Africa, Islamic Spain, and the Middle East.
Colonial British Era (1757 – 1947 CE):
 In this period, British Raj made many reforms in the agriculture system in
India.
 Examples:
 In 1857 a Rampur canal on river Sutlej was constructed and a number of
irrigation canals are located on the Sutlej river.
 Few Indian commercial crops – such as Cotton, Indigo, Opium, and Rice –
made it to the global market under the British Raj in India.

Republic of India (947 CE onwards):
 Five-year plans of India – Oriented towards agricultural development – soon
followed.
 The many ‘production revolutions’ initiated from 1960’s onwards included
Green Revolution in India.
In india, population is increasing while area under cultivation is inelastic or even
shrinking.
Total Geographical area 328.848 Million ha.
Area under cultivation 143.00 Million ha.
Total cropped area 179.750 Million ha.
Area not available for
cultivation
161.300 Million ha.
Area under forest 66.400 Million ha.

Agricultural Revolutions in India:
Agriculture revolution refers to the significant changes in agriculture
when there are inventions, discoveries or new technologies implemented. These
revolutions change the ways of production and increase the production rate.

Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy:
Indian agriculture shares nearly 17 – 18% to the national G.D.P. and
provides employment to more than 50% population of India directly and
indirectly.
 Share in National Income,
 Largest Employment Providing Sector,
 Provides Food to the Growing Population,
 Contribution to Capital Formation,
 Providing Raw Materials to Industries,
 Market for Industrial Products,
 Importance in International Trade.
Basic facts about Agriculture:
• India ranks 2nd in the world in Agriculture production.
• Indian agricultural production has increased from 87 USD bn to 459 USD bn
in the past 15 years (12% annual growth).
• Globally India ranks 9th for the agricultural exports.

Regional Importance of Agriculture In India
I. South India:
 Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andra pradesh.
 Major crops: Mango, Banana, Guava, Coconut, Cashew, Coffee, Tea etc.
 Industries:Mango processing - Krishnagiri, Cashew processing - Shimoga,
Karnataka., Poultry - TN, AP and Telangana., Spices - Kerala etc.
II. North India:
 Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal pradesh and Shimala.
 Major crops: Apple, pear, peach & Plum.
 Basmati Rice from punjab.
III. Central India
 Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
 Major crops: Grapes, Banana, Pomegranate & Onion etc.
 Wine industry - Nashik. MP and MH.

IV. Western India
 Major crops: Rice & Oilseeds
 Gujarat
 Milk production
V. Eastern and Northn-Eastern
 Major crops: Pineapple, Tea etc.
 Assam, Darjeeling, West bengal etc.
 Fish production. Tea (Assam)

Major Problems Faced by Indian Agriculture:
 Stagnation in Production of Major crops,
 High cost of Farm inputs,
 Soil Exhaustion,
 Depletion of Fresh Ground Water,
 Adverse impact of Global Climatic Change,
 Impact of Globalisation,
 Fragmented land holdings.
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INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURE

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