Ans) Primitive subsistence farming is still practised in few pockets of India. It is practised on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour. This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown. It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family.

Ans) Intensive subsistence farming is practised in areas of high population pressure on land. It is labour intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.

Features of intensive subsistence farming: –

1. More than one crop are grown in a year.
2. High yielding variety (HYV) seeds are used to obtain higher productivity and increased in intensity.
3. Agricultural works can be done speedly with the use of agricultural equipments.

Ans) Tea is an important beverage crop which was introduced in India initially by the British.

Geographical conditions required for tea cultivation. The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Tea bushes requires warm and moist-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tenda leaves. Tea is a labour-intensive industry.

Ans) Important characteristics of kharif cropping season are as follows: –

1. Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and harvested in September-October.
2. Important crops grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean.
3. These crops are also known as monsoon crops.

Ans) Food Crops By food crops we meant those crops which serve as main food items. Food crops include pulses and grains such as-rice, wheat, jowar, maize, bajra, gram, tur (arhar) and other pulses.

Kharif	Rabi
These are grown with the onset of monsoon.	These are grown after monsoon in winter.
Major crops are rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, jute, groundnut, etc.	Major crops are wheat, barley, gram, mustard and linseed like oil producing seeds etc.
These crops need less time to ripe.	The crops need comparatively more time to ripe.
Per hectare production is less.	Per hectare production is more.
These crops are harvested in September-October.	These crops are harvested in March- April.

Ans) Use of Pulses- India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world. These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet. Major Indian pulses are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.

Geographical conditions- Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions. These are mostly grown in rotation with other crops. Being leguminous crops, all pulses except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. Major producing states-Important pulse producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Ans)

Rice	Wheat
Rice is mainly a crop of hot and humid monsoon climate.	Wheat is a crop of temperate climate.
Rice requires temperature of 20°C at sowing, 24°C at growing and 27°C at the ripening time.	Wheat needs 15°C temperature for sowing and high temperature 20°C- 25°C for ripening.
It needs clayey and loamy fertile soil through which paddy roots can bind up and plants can stand up properly.	Wheat needs clayey and loamy soil for growth. It can grow in black soil also.
Rice needs annual rainfall from 150- 200 cm. It can grow in less rainfall areas with the help of irrigation.	Wheat requires rainfall from 50 to 70 cm. Strong winds and clouds are harmful.

Ans) Geographical conditions- Wheat is the second most important food crop of India. It is mainly grown in north and north-western parts of the country. This rabi crop needs a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening. It needs 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.

Production areas- Major wheat producing areas in India are the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and black soil region of the Deccan. The major wheat producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

Ans) Following institutional reforms were introduced by the government in the interest of farmers: –

1. Priority was given to collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, co-operation and abolition of zamindari etc. ‘Land reform’ was the main focus of the First Five Year Plan.
2. In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated which was based on both institutional and technical reforms. Some important steps in this direction were provisions for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of Grameen banks, co-operative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest.
3. Kisan credit card and personal accident insurance scheme are also introduced by the government for the benefits of the farmers.
4. The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.

Ans) In 2015, India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits. Indian fruits in which mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunji (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, grapes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great demand the world over.

Ans)

1. Cotton producing states- Major cotton-producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
2. Geographical conditions- India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant. India is the second largest producer of cotton after China. Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black soil of the Deccan plateau. It needs high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.

Ans) Indian coffee is known for its good quality. The Arabica variety of coffee is produced in our country which was initially brought from Yemen. This variety is in great demand all over the world. Initially its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Ans) Jute is called the golden fibre. Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year. High temperature is required during the time of growth. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states. It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts. Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials, particularly the nylon.

Ans) Refer Ans. 15 (Short Answers Type Questions).

Ans)

1. Importance- Rubber is an important raw material which is used in industries. It is used in tyre-tubes of vehicles, waterproof shoes, toys and electrical equipment.
2. Geographical conditions- Rubber is an equitorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm. and temperature above 25°C.
3. Producing states- It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karanataka and Andaman and Nicobar islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.