Natural Science

 MAJOR CROPS CULTIVATED IN INDIA The major crops of India are divided into four major categories as follows:   1. Food crops (wheat, maize, rice, millets, pulses etc.).   2. Cash crops (sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, jute, oilseeds etc.).   3. Plantation crops (tea, coffee and rubber).   4. Horticulture crops (fruits, flowers and vegetables).  1. Food Crops       Due to its large population, Indian agriculture is largely dominated by the food crops.  Rice       Rice is an indigenous crop. India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China. It is mainly a tropical crop, growing mainly with mean temperatures of 24°C and annual rainfall of 150 cm. Deep fertile clayey or loamy soils are suited well for rice cultivation. It also needs abundant supply of cheap labour.      Rice in India is sown in three ways:   i) Broadcasting,  ii) Ploughing or drilling...

AGRICULTURE AND FARMING AND ITS TYPES            Agriculture is the process of producing food for people, fodder for cattle, fiber and many other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Determinants of Agriculture:  Agriculture in India is determined by a set of factors. Some of the important factors:  1. Physical factors: relief, climate and soil.  2. Institutional factors: Size of farm holdings, land tenure, and land reforms.  3. Infrastructural factors: Irrigation, power, transport, credit, market, insurance and storage facilities.  4. Technological factors: High yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and machinery. Types of Farming  a) Subsistence Farming       A considerable proportion of farmers in the country practice subsistence farming. Farmers grow crops with the help of family members and consumes almo...

CLIMATE      Climate is   the average weather in a given area over a longer period of time . A description of a climate includes information on, e.g. the average temperature in different seasons, rainfall, and sunshine. Also a description of the (chance of) extremes is often included Climate of India is affected by the factors of latitude, altitude, distance from the seas, monsoon wind, relief features and jet stream. Latitude       Latitudinally, India lies between 8°4'N and 37°6'N latitudes. The Tropic of cancer divides the country into two equal halves. The area located to the south of Tropic of cancer experiences high temperature and no severe cold season throughout the year whereas, the areas to the north of this parallel enjoys sub-tropical climate.  Altitude       When the altitude increases, The temperature decreases. Temperature decreases at the rate of 6.50C for every 1000 metres of ascent. It is called normal l...