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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, BHUBANESWAR.
                                Class VIII: SOCIAL STUDIES – GEOGRAPHY

                                         CHAPTER - 4- AGRICULTURE

                                               (VIRTUAL CLASSES)


                                     NOTES FOR CHAPTER-4- AGRICULTURE

            •  SUBTOPIC-  INTRODUCTION.-  Agriculture word comes from Latin word ‘ager’ or ‘agri’
               meaning field and ‘culture’ meaning, cultivation.
            •  Agriculture, also known as farming, is the art and science of cultivating the soil, raising
               crops and rearing livestock.
            •  The transformation from a plant to a finished product involves three types of economic
               activities
                   ➢  Primary Activities
                          1.  are those activities which are connected with extraction and production of
                              natural resources, for example – agriculture and fishing
                   ➢  Secondary Activities
                          1.  are concerned with the processing of natural resources to manufacturing
                              products like baking of bread, weaving of cloth and steel manufacturing
                   ➢  Tertiary Activities
                          1.  provide services like transport, trade, banking, insurance and advertising
            •  Agriculture is a primary activity which includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers
               and rearing livestock.
                   ➢  50% of persons in the world are engaged in agricultural activity.
                   ➢  2/3 of India’s population is dependent on agriculture as India has the land and
                      climatic conditions favourable for carrying out agricultural activities.
                   ➢  The land which can be used for cultivation and on which the crops are grown is
                      known as arable land.

                   ➢  Apart from soil conditions, different climatic factors that affect the cultivation
                      of crops in an area are rainfall or precipitation, temperature, and light. Different
                      crops require different climatic conditions for a healthy growth.
            •  Other forms of cultivation are
                   Sericulture
                          1.  is the art and science of rearing silk worms to produce raw silk
                   ➢  Pisciculture
                          1.  is the science of breeding fish in specially designed ponds, tanks or lakes
                   ➢  Viticulture
                          1.  is the science of study and production of grapes
                   ➢  Horticulture
                          1.  is the science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers or ornamental
                              plants

        Farm System
        The farming system has three components:


            ❖  Input includes seeds, fertilisers, machinery and labour.
            ❖  Process is the processing activities, like tilling, ploughing, sowing, irrigating, weeding and
               harvesting or breeding in case of an animal farm, by which the output is obtained.
            ❖  Output is the end product including crops, wool, dairy and poultry products.
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