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

CHAPTER - 4- AGRICULTURE

(VIRTUAL CLASSES)

NOTES FOR CHAPTER-4- AGRICULTURE

SUBTOPIC-Major Crops

 Crops are plants that are grown and harvested for eating or selling.

 A variety of crops are grown to meet the requirement of the growing population
 On the basis of usage, crops are classified into three types:-

 Crops grown for food - like rice, wheat, millets and maize

1. need a specific environment and geographical conditions to grow

2. different crops are produced at different places
1. Rice
1. is the main food crop
2. is a staple diet in the tropical and subtropical regions
3. crops show best yield with high temperature, high humidity and
rainfall
4. Alluvial clayey soil is the best for growing rice as it can retain water.
5. China is the leading producer of rice followed by India which
together account for half of the world’s total rice production.
6. Japan, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Bangladesh are the other major
producers of rice.
7. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, due to the favourable climatic
conditions, two to three crops are grown in a year.

2. Wheat
1. requires a well-drained loamy soil
2. grows best in moderate rainfall and moderate temperature and
requires loads of sunshine in the harvest season
3. Bangladesh, West Bengal, the Prairies of the USA, Canada,
Russia, Argentina, Australia, Ukraine and Pakistan are major
producers of wheat.
4. In India, wheat is sown in the winter season and harvested in the
summer.

3. Millets
1. are also known as coarse grains
2. grow well on soils of relatively low fertility or sandy soil
3. require low to adequate rainfall and temperatures ranging from high
to moderate
4. In India Jowar, bajra and ragi are grown.