Land Resources & Agriculture
Soil types, Kharif/Rabi/Zaid crops, Green Revolution.
Land Resources & Agriculture
Land Resources & Agriculture in India
What you'll learn
- Land use — how India's land is classified (forest, agricultural, wasteland, etc.).
- Soil types — alluvial, black, red, laterite, arid and their crop suitability.
- Agriculture — types (subsistence vs commercial), crop seasons (Kharif, Rabi, Zaid).
- Green Revolution — how India achieved food security; costs and benefits.
Key concepts
Land use categories in India
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Forest land | ~23% of India; legally protected |
| Agricultural land | Net sown area + fallow land; ~60% |
| Waste land | Barren, rocky, or degraded; difficult to cultivate |
| Non-agricultural uses | Roads, buildings, industry |
Major soil types
| Soil | Where found | Crops | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | Indo-Gangetic Plain, river deltas | Wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton | Most fertile; deposited by rivers |
| Black (Regur) | Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, MP) | Cotton | Retains moisture; rich in Ca, Mg, K |
| Red and Yellow | Eastern Deccan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh | Millets, pulses | Iron oxides give red colour; less fertile |
| Laterite | Western Ghats, Meghalaya | Tea, coffee, cashew | Leached by heavy rain; acidic |
| Arid / Desert | Rajasthan | Bajra, pulses | Sandy; low water retention |
| Forest / Mountain | Himalayas, NE India | Tea, fruits, spices | Humus-rich in lower zones |
Crop seasons
| Season | Hindi name | When | Major crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif | Monsoon/summer crop | June–September | Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, soybean |
| Rabi | Winter crop | October–March | Wheat, barley, mustard, peas, gram |
| Zaid | Short summer season | March–June | Watermelon, cucumber, vegetables |
Types of agriculture
- Subsistence farming — farmer grows food mainly for family; small plots; traditional tools.
- Commercial farming — large scale, mechanised; crops sold in market (e.g., tea, coffee, cotton).
- Plantation agriculture — single crop on large estate (tea in Assam, rubber in Kerala).
- Shifting cultivation (Jhum) — slash-and-burn; practised in NE India; causes soil erosion.
Green Revolution
- 1960s–70s — introduction of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds (Norman Borlaug; M. S. Swaminathan in India).
- Key crops: wheat (Punjab, Haryana), rice.
- Benefits: India became food self-sufficient; avoided famines.
- Costs: Over-use of fertilisers/pesticides → soil degradation, groundwater depletion.
- Punjab and Haryana faced soil salinity and falling water tables due to over-irrigation.
Quick check
- Name the six major soil types of India and one crop for each.
- What are Kharif and Rabi crops? Give two examples each.
- What is the difference between subsistence and commercial farming?
- What were the benefits and costs of the Green Revolution?
- Which state is the largest producer of tea in India?
Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Land Resources & Agriculture.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- What you'll learn
- Key concepts
- Quick check
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