INDIAN LAND RESOURCES- Notes

 

INDIAN LAND RESOURCES

Land Use Pattern of India Meaning : The distribution of land for different uses such as forestry, cultivation, pastures etc is called ‘Land use’ or “Land utilization.” It is determined by various factors such as relief features, climate, soil, population density, socio-economic and technical factors. Land is one of the most important natural resources of a country. Its proper use is very essential for the growth of economy. Classification : In India, the land use pattern can be classified into seven categories; 1) Net area sown . 2) Forest area. 3) Land not available for cultivation. 4) Fallow land. 5) Cultivable waste. 6) Permanent pasture and other grazing land. 7) Land under miscellaneous uses. 1. Net Area Sown : It includes land that can be used to cultivate crops. This category is very important in an agricultural country like India. It accounts for about 42.42% of the total reported area of India. However it is not evenly distributed all over the country. The highest proportion is found in the states of Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. It is least in the north-eastern states and medium in other states. 2. Forest Area : In India only 22.8% of the total reported area is under forests. It is high in the Andaman and Nicobar islands and in the northeastern states. It is least in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat 3. Land Not Available for Cultivation : Land used for non-agricultural purposes like human settlements, roads, railways, canals, mountains,

sandy waste etc., come under this category. Nearly 14.1% of the total reported area of the country belongs to this category. It is largely found in Assam, Manipur and Sikkim, but in low proportion in Goa, Kerala, Odisha and Maharashtra. 4. Fallow Land : It refers to the land which is not used for cultivation. It accounts to 8.2% of the reported area. It is largely found in Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya and less in Tripura, Puduchery, Andaman and Nicobar islands. 5. Cultivable Wasteland : It includes the land which is not taken up for cultivation due to certain soil deficiencies. It is extensive in the states of Meghalaya, Goa, Nagaland and Rajasthan. It accounts to 4.3% of the reported area. 6. Permanant Pastures and Other Grazing lands : It accounts for only 3.4% of the total reporting area in India. It is largely found in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

 7. Land Under Miscellaneous Uses : It includes gardens, orchards and plantations, which account for only 1.1% of total area in the country, such land is more in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Kerala, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh etc. AGRICULTURE Meaning : Tilling of the soil for raising food crops and raw materials needed by human beings is called ‘Agriculture.” Now the term is also extended to include stock raising, poultry farming and bee Keeping. Importance : Agriculture is one of the most important and ancient occupation of human beings. India is a country known for agriculture. Nearly 65 percent of the people depend on agriculture. The economic progress of the country depends on the progress of agriculture. Agriculture in India is the main source of livelihood. It is the main source of food for the people and fodder for domestic animals. It is a source of national income and revenue. Agriculture supports tertiary sectors like trade, transport, banking, insurance etc. It also has influence on the political and social situation of the country. It supports many industries. i.e. cotton and jute textiles, sugar industry etc. Types of agriculture : On account of Geographical and socio-economic factors various types of farming are practiced in India. They are as follows.

1. Subsistence Farming : A type of farming in which the production of crops is consumed almost by the farmer and his family, leaving only a small portion for sale. Farmers used primitive methods of cultivation. It is widely practiced in the North-eastern states, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. There are two types. i) Shifting subsistence farming and ii) Sedentary subsistence farming. i) Shifting Farming : It is a type of agriculture in which a patch of forest is cleared and burnt to be cultivated for a few years until the fertility of the soil is reduced. The land is then abandoned and new forest areas are cleared and burnt for cultivation. It is practiced by the tribals in the forest area. i.e. Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha.

ii) Sedentary Farming : It is cultivation of land at a fixed location instead of shifting from one place to another. The farm land is not abandoned but cultivated year after year. 2. Intensive Farming : A method of farming in which a large amount of capital and labour are applied per unit of land is called ‘Intensive farming’. Under this type of farming, land is cultivated intensively throughout the year. Farmers try to raise two or more crops to get maximum production from small land holdings. It is common in the fertile and irrigated areas of the country. 3. Commercial Farming :

A system of farming in which crops are grown for the market is called “commercial farming.” Under this type of farming only cash crops are cultivated on a large scale. Using small amount of labour, machinery and scientific methods of cultivation. 4. Mixed Farming : Agriculture involving the cultivation of crops and livestock rearing is called ‘mixed farming.’ Farmers get income from both. It has been introduced in India since 1951. Now it has become popular in many states. 5. Plantation Farming : It refers to the cultivation of single crop on large estates for the market. It requires more labour and capital. Tea, coffee, rubber and coconut are the important plantation crops of India.

6. Dry Farming : A method of farming carried on in areas which receives scanty rainfall and where irrigation is either absent or limited is called ‘dry farming’. It is mainly practiced in peninsular India and in western Rajasthan. 7. Humid Farming : It refers to the cultivation of crops in areas which receives sufficient rainfall, crops are grown without the help of irrigation. It is found along the West Coast and other areas receives sufficient rainfall. 8. Irrigation Farming : A method of farming under which crops are grown with the help of irrigation is called ‘Irrigation farming’. It is expensive, but essential in India where the rainfall is seasonal, uncertain and insufficient. Crop Season and Cropping Pattern Crop Seasons: The proportion of area under different crops at a particular period of time is called ‘Crop season’. In India there are 3 cropping seasons :- The Kharif, the Rabi and Zaid Crop Season. i) The Kharif Crop Season : The crops grown during the rainy season are called Kharif crops.

 The sowing takes place in June-July, when the South-West Monsoon starts and the crops are harvested in SeptemberOctober. Rice, jowar, ragi, cotton, groundnuts, tobacco etc., are the main kharif crops. ii) The Rabi Crop Season : The sowing takes place in OctoberNovember when the North-East Monsoon begins and are harvested in February-March. This is known as Rabi season and crops are called Rabi crops. i.e. Wheat, barley, gram, linseed etc. iii) Zaid Crop Season : The crops are grown in between the Kharif and the Rabi crops are known as zaid crops. They are water melon, cucumber, oilseeds, some pulses, vegetables etc. Cropping pattern : The cropping pattern of a region refers to the proportion of an area under different crops at a given time. The cropping pattern of any region in India changes from time to time. It is due to several factors such as relief features, soil, climate, size of farms, water supply, income of farmers, technology etc. MAJOR CROPS OF INDIA A wide variety of crops are grown in different parts of India. They can be classified as food crops, commercial crops, oil seeds and plantation crops. Food crops : The crops which are grown to provide food for people are called ‘food crops’, for example : Rice, wheat, jowar pulses etc.,

Rice : Rice is the most important food crop of India. It is the staple food of the people in the eastern, southern and south-western parts of the country. India has the largest area under rice in the world. But it is the second largest producer of rice, only after China. Rice is the major Kharif crop of India. It is primarily tropical crop, it requires high temperature of 180 to 250 c and heavy rainfall of 100- 200cm per year. Alluvial, and clayey loam soils are best suited for its cultivation. Rice needs standing water and it needs level land. Irrigation is necessary wherever rainfall is less.

Minor Major Rice is grown in almost INDIA all the states of India. West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in the country. The other important producers of rice are Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Karnataka. Wheat : It is the second important food crop and major Rabi crop of India. Wheat is an important staple food in the northern and north western parts of the country. It is a crop of temperate regions. It  requires moderate temperature of 100 to 150c and annual rainfall of 50 to 70 cm per year. Heavy loams and black soils are best suited for wheat cultivation. Wheat is mainly grown in the Northern plains including Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and northern part of Karnataka. Of which Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of wheat in India. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world next to China. Commercial crops :

 A crop that is grown for sale is called ‘Commercial crop’. i.e. Sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, oil seeds etc., INDIA Sugarcane Growing areas Nepal Major Minor Sugarcane : I t is the most important commercial crop of India. India has the world’s largest area under Sugarcane. It is second largest producer o f sugarcane in the world next only to Brazil. Sugarcane is the native of India.

 It is the main source of sugar, gur and khandasari. Sugarcane is an annual crop and it is grown in irrigated areas. It requires high temperature of 210 to 260 c and heavy rainfall ranging from 100 to 150cm per annum. It thrives best in alluvial and loamy soils. The most important sugarcane producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gajarat and Andhra Pradesh Tobacco : It is one of the important cash crop of India. Tobacco is used for smoking. i.e. Beedi, cigarette, cigar, cheroot, hookahs etc. Very little is used for chewing, snuff and insecticides. It is a tropical crop which requires high temperature of 210 to 230 c and moderate rainfall of 50 to 100cm a year. Sandy loamy soil is the best suited for it. It requires chemical fertilisers. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Bihar are the leading producers of tobacco in India. Now India is the third largest producer and fourthlargest exporter of tobacco in the world.

Fibre Crops : The crops which provide raw materials for textiles industry are called “fibre crops”. Cotton and jute are the most important fibre crops of India. Cotton : Cotton is an important industrial and fibre crop. It provides raw material for the cotton textile industry in India. Cotton is a tropical and sub-tropical crop. It requires 210 to 240c temperature and rainfall of 50-100cm in a year. Black cotton soil is the best suited for its growth. It is grown as a Kharif crop. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the major producers of cotton in India. India has the largest cotton growing area and is the third largest producer of raw cotton in the world. Beverage crops: The crops which are used to produce stimulating drinks are called ‘beverag crops’. Coffee and tea are the most important beverage crops of India.

Tea : Tea is the most important and cheapest of all the beverages. India is the second largest producer of tea in the world after China. Tea is also a plantation crop. It is a tropical and sub-tropical crop. It requires a temperature of 210-300c and heavy rainfall of 150-250cm in a year. It grows best in deep and fertile soil, rich in humus. It require hill slopes with an altitude of 1200 to 2400mts above sea level. Tea is mainly grown in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Role of Horticulture and Floriculture Horticulture : The intensive cultivation of fruit, vegetables, flower, medicinal and aromatic plants is called Horticulture. In India horticulture provides an incentive for making agriculture more profitable through efficient land-use, optimum utilization of natural resources and generating skilled employment for the rural masses. It enhances exports and provides nutritional security. India with its wide variety of climate and soil has good potential for growing a variety of horticultural crops. Now, India has emerged as an important producer of horticultural crops. It is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world next to China. Its share in the global production of fruits is 11% and that of vegetables is 7percent. Horticulture is carried on mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Floriculture:

 It is the cultivation of flowers for commercial purpose. India is known for the art of growing flowers since time immemorial. It plays a significant role in Indian agriculture. It has the potential of generating income and providing employment opportunities for farmers, especially women and add to the export of the county. India’s agro-climatic conditions are very suitable for the cultivation of a variety of flowers.India is knownfor growing traditional flowers suchas jasmine, marigold, rose, crossandra and aster. Cut flowers includes archids, gladiolus, carnation, anthurium and lilies. Floriculture is mainly developed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, and West Bengal.