Agriculture Class 10 NCERT Solutions 2026 PDF Download
📝 Introduction
Agriculture is the primary economic activity in India, engaging two-thirds of the population. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of Indian farming. You will learn about different types of farming (Primitive Subsistence, Intensive Subsistence, and Commercial), various Cropping Patterns (Rabi, Kharif, Zaid), and major crops like Rice, Wheat, Millets, and cash crops like Sugarcane and Cotton. The chapter also discusses technological and institutional reforms (Green Revolution, White Revolution, Bhoodan Movement) introduced to boost productivity and ensure food security.
🔑 Key Concepts & Terms
- Jhumming: A slash-and-burn agriculture practiced in North-Eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
- Cropping Seasons:
- Rabi: Sown in winter (Oct-Dec), harvested in summer (April-June). E.g., Wheat, Barley.
- Kharif: Sown with the onset of monsoon (June-July), harvested in Sep-Oct. E.g., Paddy, Maize.
- Zaid: Short season between Rabi and Kharif (Summer months). E.g., Watermelon, Cucumber.
- Plantation Agriculture: A type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area (e.g., Tea in Assam, Coffee in Karnataka).
- Green Revolution: The introduction of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds and modern irrigation methods to increase food grain production.
- Bhoodan-Gramdan: A bloodless revolution initiated by Vinoba Bhave where landowners voluntarily donated land to the landless.
📚 Part 1: NCERT Solutions (Textbook Questions)
Q1: Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for its growth.
Ans: Tea is an important beverage crop.
Geographical Conditions:
1. Climate: Tropical and sub-tropical climates.
2. Soil: Deep, fertile, well-drained soil rich in humus and organic matter.
3. Rainfall: Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year (150-200 cm) to ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
4. Temperature: Warm and moist frost-free climate ($20^\circ C - 30^\circ C$).
Q2: Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced.
Ans: Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of people in India.
Regions: It is grown in the plains of North and North-Eastern India, coastal areas, and the deltaic regions (West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana).
Q3: Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government in the interest of farmers.
Ans:
1. Land Reforms: Collectivization, consolidation of holdings, cooperation, and abolition of the Zamindari system.
2. Crop Insurance: Insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire, and disease.
3. Grameen Banks: Establishment of Grameen banks and cooperative societies to provide loans at low interest rates.
4. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS).
5. MSP: Announcement of Minimum Support Price to check exploitation by speculators.
Q4: The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine its consequences?
Ans:
1. Food Security: Decline in cultivated land will lead to a shortage of food grains for the growing population.
2. Raw Materials: Shortage of raw materials for agro-based industries.
3. Price Rise: Increase in the price of food grains, affecting the poor.
4. Imports: India may have to import food, increasing the economic burden.
Q5: Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural production.
Ans:
1. Green Revolution: Use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.
2. White Revolution (Operation Flood): Increasing milk production.
3. Modernization: Subsidizing agricultural machinery and equipment.
4. Research: Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agricultural universities.
5. Infrastructure: Improvement in rural infrastructure (roads, electricity, markets).
Q6: Describe the impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture.
Ans:
1. Competition: Indian farmers face stiff competition from developed countries where agriculture is highly subsidized.
2. Quality: Indian products have to match international quality standards.
3. Diversification: A shift from traditional food grains to high-value crops (fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants) which have higher export value.
4. Genetic Engineering: Use of new technologies to improve crop yield.
⚡ Part 2: 15 Extra Practice Questions (PYQ Style)
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1: Name the crop used both as food and fodder. What are the climatic conditions required for it?
Ans: Maize.
Conditions: Temp $21^\circ C - 27^\circ C$, grows well in old alluvial soil. It is a Kharif crop.
Q2: What is 'Slash and Burn' agriculture?
Ans: Farmers clear a patch of land by cutting and burning trees. The ash acts as manure. Crops are grown for a few years until soil fertility decreases, then they move to a fresh patch. It is also known as Jhumming.
Q3: Which state is the largest producer of Rubber in India?
Ans: Kerala.
Q4: Define 'Gross Sown Area'.
Ans: Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus the net sown area is known as gross cropped/sown area.
Q5: What is the main characteristic of Commercial Farming?
Ans: Use of higher doses of modern inputs (HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides) to obtain higher productivity for market sale.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q6: Explain the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of Cotton.
Ans:
1. Soil: Grows best on drier parts of black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
2. Temperature: Requires high temperature.
3. Rainfall: Light rainfall or irrigation.
4. Frost-free Days: Requires 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine for growth.
5. Season: Kharif crop, requires 6-8 months to mature.
Q7: Distinguish between Primitive Subsistence Farming and Intensive Subsistence Farming.
Ans:
Primitive Subsistence:
1. Practiced on small patches with primitive tools (hoe, dao).
2. Depends on monsoon and natural soil fertility.
3. Land productivity is low (e.g., Jhumming).
Intensive Subsistence:
1. Practiced in areas of high population pressure on land.
2. Labour-intensive farming with high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation.
3. Land productivity is high.
Q8: Write a note on the Bhoodan-Gramdan movement.
Ans:
1. Initiated by Vinoba Bhave.
2. During his lecture in Pochampalli (Andhra Pradesh), landless villagers demanded land. Shri Ram Chandra Reddy offered 80 acres to 80 landless farmers. This was known as Bhoodan (Land Gift).
3. Later, some zamindars offered to distribute whole villages to the landless. This was known as Gramdan.
4. It is also known as the Bloodless Revolution.
Competency Based Questions
Q9: Why are pulses grown in rotation with other crops?
Ans: Pulses (except Arhar) are leguminous crops. They help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. Therefore, farmers grow them in rotation with other crops (like wheat or rice) to naturally replenish the soil nutrients.
Q10: "Agriculture and Industry are not exclusive of each other." Explain.
Ans: They move hand in hand.
1. Input: Agro-industries depend on agriculture for raw materials (cotton, sugarcane).
2. Output: Agriculture depends on industries for inputs like fertilizers, pumps, tractors, and pesticides.
3. Industry has not only assisted agriculture in increasing production but also made the production processes very efficient.
Q11: Which country is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world?
Ans: India (Second largest after China).
Q12: What is the 'Golden Fibre' of India?
Ans: Jute.
Q13: Name the major oilseeds produced in India.
Ans: Groundnut, Mustard, Coconut, Sesame (Til), Soyabean, Castor seeds, Cotton seeds, Linseed, Sunflower.
Q14: What is 'Horticulture'?
Ans: The cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
Q15: What is the full form of ICAR?
Ans: Indian Council of Agricultural Research.