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Chapter 10 - Types of Agriculture

The document discusses various types of agriculture, including sericulture, apiculture, horticulture, and pisciculture, along with methods such as shifting, intensive, extensive, and commercial agriculture. Each method has its own definitions, processes, advantages, and disadvantages, highlighting the impact on productivity, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity. Key concepts include sustainability, biodiversity, monoculture versus polyculture, and crop rotation.

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42 views5 pages

Chapter 10 - Types of Agriculture

The document discusses various types of agriculture, including sericulture, apiculture, horticulture, and pisciculture, along with methods such as shifting, intensive, extensive, and commercial agriculture. Each method has its own definitions, processes, advantages, and disadvantages, highlighting the impact on productivity, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity. Key concepts include sustainability, biodiversity, monoculture versus polyculture, and crop rotation.

Uploaded by

saanve0703
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 10 - Types of Agriculture

Sericulture is an agro-based industry. It involves the rearing of


silkworms for the production of raw silk, which is the yarn
obtained out of cocoons spun by certain species of insects.

Apiculture or beekeeping is the rearing of bees for collecting


honey and wax. The place where honey bees are reared is
called an apiary ((also known as a bee yard). The workers are
known as apiarists or apiculturists.

Horticulture, is the branch of plant agriculture dealing


with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables, and ornamental
plants.

Pisciculture is the rearing and breeding of fishes under


controlled conditions. It can be grown in freshwater or salt
water.
1. Shifting Agriculture
● Definition: A farming method where plots of land are
cultivated temporarily, then abandoned when they
become less fertile.
● Process:
○ Clearing: Land is cleared by cutting and burning
vegetation (slash-and-burn).
○ Cultivation: Crops are grown on the cleared land for a
few years.
○ Abandonment: When soil fertility decreases, the land
is left to recover, and farmers move to a new area.
● Advantages:
○ Allows soil to regain nutrients naturally.
● Disadvantages:
○ Can lead to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

Types of Agriculture Based on Intensity

1. Intensive Agriculture

● Definition: Farming that aims to maximize output from a


small area of land using high levels of input.
● Characteristics:
○ High use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation.
○ Often involves multiple cropping (growing more than
one crop in a year).
○ Requires significant labor or mechanization.
● Advantages:
○ High productivity per unit of land.
● Disadvantages:
○ High cost of inputs.
○ Potential environmental damage.

2. Extensive Agriculture

● Definition: Farming that uses large areas of land with


minimal inputs and lower output per unit area.
● Characteristics:
○ Low use of fertilizers and pesticides.
○ Often relies on natural rainfall.
○ Less labor-intensive compared to intensive
agriculture.
● Advantages:
○ Lower costs and less environmental impact.
● Disadvantages:
○ Lower productivity per unit of land.
○ Requires large areas to be profitable.

4. Commercial Agriculture
● Definition: Farming aimed at producing crops and
livestock for sale in the market.
● Characteristics:
○ Large-scale operations.
○ Use of modern technology and machinery.
○ Focus on high-yield crops.
○ Often involves monoculture (growing one type of
crop).
● Advantages:
○ High production levels.
○ Significant profits.
● Disadvantages:
○ Can lead to soil degradation.
○ May involve use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Key Concepts to Remember

● Sustainability: Practices that maintain productivity


without harming the environment.

● Biodiversity: The variety of life in a particular habitat or


ecosystem.
● Monoculture vs. Polyculture: Monoculture is growing one
type of crop, while polyculture involves growing multiple
types of crops.
● Crop Rotation: The practice of growing different types of
crops in the same area in sequential seasons to maintain
soil fertility.

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