- Modern irrigation methods are scientific techniques developed to use water efficiently and overcome the limitations of traditional irrigation systems.
- Furrow irrigation supplies water through narrow channels between crop rows and is suitable where plenty of water is available.
- Sprinkler (spray) irrigation sprays water over crops like rainfall; it saves water but is costly and suitable for small areas and low-water crops.
- Drip irrigation is the most efficient method, supplying water directly to plant roots, reducing evaporation, soil erosion and fertilizer wastage.
- Bamboo irrigation, used mainly in Meghalaya, is an eco-friendly traditional-modern method that carries stream water through bamboo pipes in hilly areas.
Definitions [3]
Define viticulture.
Viticulture is grape cultivation which is speciality of the Mediterranean region.
Define truck farming.
It is the type of farming where farmers specialize in and grow vegetables only. The distance of truck farms from the market is governed by the distance a truck can cover overnight.
Define factory farming.
Factory farming is a modern development in the industrial regions of West Europe where livestock especially poultry and cattle rearing is done installs and pens and fed on manufactured feedstuff and carefully supervised against diseases.
Key Points
Key Points: Types of Soil > Alluvial Soil
- Alluvial soil is formed by river deposits (alluvium) and is also called riverine soil.
- It covers about 40% of India, mainly in the Northern Plains, coastal plains, and river deltas.
- Alluvial soil is of two types: Bhangar (old, less fertile) and Khadar (new, very fertile).
- It is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay (loam) and is rich in minerals like potash and lime.
- It is suitable for crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, jute, and oilseeds.
Key Points: Types of Soil > Black Soil
- Black soil is also called Black Cotton soil or Regur soil and is formed from weathered volcanic (basalt) rocks.
- It is an in-situ (residual) soil mainly found in the Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, Karnataka, Telangana).
- This soil is fine-grained, clayey, and highly moisture-retentive, making it suitable for dry farming.
- In dry season it develops deep cracks and is called self-ploughing soil, which helps maintain fertility.
- It is rich in iron, lime, and potash but poor in nitrogen and humus, and is ideal for cotton, wheat, jowar, and oilseeds.
Key Points: Types of Soil > Red Soil
- Red soil is formed by the weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks and gets its red colour from iron oxide.
- It is the second largest soil group in India, mainly found in the Peninsular Plateau (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and parts of North-East India).
- Red soil is porous, loose, and generally shallow, with low moisture-retention capacity.
- It is poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, humus, and lime, but rich in potash, and responds well to irrigation and fertilizers.
- It is suitable for dry farming and crops like rice, ragi, pulses, groundnut, tobacco, potatoes, and oilseeds.
Key Points: Types of Soil > Laterite Soils
- Laterite soil is formed due to heavy rainfall and high temperature with alternate wet and dry periods, causing leaching (desilication).
- It is a residual soil, red in colour due to iron oxide, and is acidic in nature.
- Laterite soil is poor in nutrients like nitrogen, lime, humus, and magnesium, and has low moisture-retention capacity.
- It is mainly found on the Western and Eastern Ghats and in parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
- It is suitable for plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cashewnut, and is also used as building material when hardened.
Key Points: Means of Irrigation
- Means of irrigation depend on factors like availability of water, soil type, crops, climate and relief.
- The main means of irrigation in India are well irrigation, tank irrigation and canal irrigation.
- Well irrigation includes surface wells and tube wells and is common in areas with good groundwater.
- Tank irrigation is mainly used in the Deccan Plateau, where the soil is hard and rivers are seasonal.
- Canal irrigation includes inundation and perennial canals, and is best suited for alluvial plains like the Gangetic and coastal plains.
Key Points: Canal Irrigation
- Canal irrigation supplies river water to distant agricultural fields through artificial channels and is the second most important means of irrigation in India.
- There are two types of canals:
Inundation (non-perennial) canals work only during floods, while perennial canals provide water throughout the year using dams or barrages. - Canal irrigation is highly developed in the Northern Plains due to perennial rivers, flat land and soft alluvial soil.
- Advantages: It supports farming in dry regions, helps flood control, supplies fertile silt and boosted the Green Revolution in Punjab and Haryana.
- Disadvantages: Excess water causes waterlogging, salinity, soil infertility and canal construction is costly and wastes cultivable land.
Key Points: Well Irrigation
- Well irrigation uses groundwater obtained by digging wells and is common where the water table is shallow (about 10–15 m) and soil is soft.
- There are two types of wells: surface wells (lined/pucca and unlined/kuchha) and tube wells, which are deeper and use pumps.
- Well irrigation is cheap and simple, suitable for small farmers, but wells may dry up if groundwater is overused.
- Tubewells are deep wells (20–30 m or more) operated by electric or diesel pumps and can irrigate larger areas.
- Tubewell irrigation is reliable and perennial, but it is costly, needs power supply, and excessive use can deplete groundwater.
Key Points: Tank Irrigation
- Tank irrigation stores rainwater in natural or artificial depressions by building earthen or masonry bunds.
- It is common in the Deccan Plateau (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka) due to uneven land, hard rock and seasonal rivers.
- Advantages: It conserves rainwater, raises groundwater level, is cheap to construct and supports irrigation and drinking water supply.
- Disadvantages: Tanks lose water by evaporation, depend on monsoon, get silted quickly and are mostly non-perennial.
- Tank irrigation is useful where wells and canals are difficult, but needs regular desilting and proper maintenance.
Key Points: Modern Irrigation Methods
Key Points: Agriculture
- Govt aimed at growth with equity via land reforms + Green Revolution.
- Land reforms: removed zamindars, gave land to tillers; land ceiling planned but weakly implemented, real success mainly in Kerala, West Bengal.
- Green Revolution: HYV seeds + fertilisers + irrigation → big rise in wheat/rice, richer states first, later spread → self-sufficiency in food grains and more marketed surplus.
- Subsidies (water, power, fertilisers): helped small farmers use new tech but caused waste, environmental damage, and burden on govt, so there is debate on reforming them.
- 1950–1990 problem: agri share in GDP fell, but most people still in agriculture because industry and services did not absorb extra workers → seen as policy failure.
Key Points: Types of Farming in India > Subsistence Farming
- Subsistence farming is done mainly to meet the food needs of the farmer and their family, not for sale.
- Landholdings are small and scattered, and farming is done using traditional tools and methods.
- It largely depends on monsoon rainfall, natural soil fertility and favourable weather conditions.
- Use of modern inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and machinery is very limited.
- Productivity is low, food crops dominate, and there is usually no surplus for the market.
Key Points: Types of Farming in India > Shifting Agriculture
- Shifting agriculture is a primitive method of farming, also called the slash and burn method, where forest land is cleared by cutting and burning trees.
- The ash acts as manure, and crops are grown for 2–3 years until the soil loses its fertility.
- When fertility decreases, the land is abandoned, and the farmer shifts to a new forest area.
- It mainly depends on monsoon rainfall and natural soil fertility and uses no modern inputs or fertilizers.
- This method causes deforestation, soil erosion, floods and land degradation, so it is discouraged by the government.
Key Points: Types of Farming in India > Intensive Farming
- Intensive farming is practised on small farms with high use of labour, fertilizers, manure and irrigation.
- The main aim is to increase yield per hectare by using HYV seeds and modern inputs.
- Two or more crops are grown on the same land in a year, keeping the land under continuous use.
- It is mainly found in densely populated areas, especially the plains of North India and coastal regions of South India.
- Rice and wheat are the main crops grown under this system.
Key Points: Types of Farming in India > Mixed Farming
- Mixed farming involves growing crops and rearing animals simultaneously on the same farm.
- Two or more crops with different maturing periods are cultivated together.
- Farm residues are efficiently reused (crop waste as fodder, dung as manure).
- It maintains soil fertility through crop rotation and organic manure.
- It ensures steady and secure income for farmers by reducing risk.
Key Points: Major Crops> Food Crops
- Rice is a kharif crop needing 150–300 cm rainfall and a warm climate; major producers are West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
- Wheat is a rabi crop requiring about 80 cm of rainfall, cool winters, and a warm harvest season; it is grown mainly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Millets (jowar, bajra, ragi) are dry crops needing low rainfall and grow in the poor soils of semi-arid regions.
- Pulses need 20–25°C temperature and 50–75 cm rainfall, grow on light soils, and are mainly produced in MP, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
- India grows crops like rice, wheat, millets, maize, and pulses based on soil and climate conditions.
Concepts [30]
- Types of Soil
- Types of Soil > Alluvial Soil
- Types of Soil > Black Soil
- Types of Soil > Red Soil
- Types of Soil > Laterite Soils
- Forest and Mountain Soils
- Arid and Desert Soils
- Saline and Alkaline Soils
- Peaty and Marshy Soils
- Improved methods of agriculture
- Means of Irrigation
- Canal Irrigation
- Well Irrigation
- Tank Irrigation
- Modern Irrigation Methods
- Agriculture
- Types of Farming in India
- Types of Farming in India > Subsistence Farming
- Types of Farming in India > Shifting Agriculture
- Types of Farming in India > Intensive Farming
- Dry Farming
- Types of Farming in India > Mixed Farming
- Terrace Farming
- Major Crops Cultivated in India
- Major Crops: Food Crops
- Cash Crops
- Plantation Crops
- Horticulture Crops
- Introduction to Fisheries
- Major Issues Faced by Farmers in India
