Agriculture
(Wet and dry agriculture; Crop
Rotation, Crop combination and Intensity
of cropping and types of irrigation; Problems of Bhutanese agriculture; Use of
technology in agriculture (GREEN REVOLUTION)
What is “Agriculture”?
A –The word agriculture
is derived from Latin words-“ager’ meaning land and culture meaning
cultivation. Thus agriculture means cultivation of land. The science or
practice of farming, including the growing of crops and rearing of livestock
which provide main source of income and livelihood in all the developing
countries. All countries of the world depend directly or indirectly in
agriculture
Bhutan being a
developing nation and the maximum number of people in Bhutan are farmers who
directly depend on agriculture. Thus, agriculture is one of the most important
sources of income and employment and livelihood for Bhutanese people
Agriculture as resources
What is “Resource”?
“Resources” in short
means those things that have utility for human being. Resources mean things
which are helpful in meeting the endless needs of human being or things which
provide utility / usefulness to human being.
However, all things
available on the earth’s surface cannot be classified as resources.
Characteristic of Resources
Following are the characteristics
of resources.
1. Resources
give utility:
The most important
characteristic of resources is that it gives utility, which is in fact
satisfaction of needs. Human beings derive the satisfaction from the use of
thing, and such satisfaction is called as utility.
2. Accessibility
of Resources:
The utility of
resources will depend on human accessibility. If there are some mineral
resources in a place which is beyond human accessibility, it cannot be classed
as resources.
To include any
substances or minerals in the class of resources they should be within the
human accessibility and at the same time some utility is derived from them.
Therefore, accessibility is of great importance in the availability and utility
of resources.
3. Adequate
supply:
The next important
quality of a resource is adequacy / quantity. A thing / substance can be
included in the class of resources only when it is available in huge
quantities.
The minerals present in
the various parts of the world can be categorized as resources only when their
amount is comparatively large and their mining may lead to the supply /
satisfaction of human needs. Therefore, it can be rightly said that “resources
are not but they become”. It actually means that the substances found in nature
cannot considered as resources directly but they can become resources for human
beings if they posses all three characteristics.
Note- a
satisfaction a man derived from the use of thing is called utility
Questions to check your understanding
1. Define
the term “Resources”.
A - Resources mean
things / any substances which are helpful in meeting the endless needs of human
beings or things which provide utility / usefulness to human being.
2. The
utility of resources will depend on human accessibility”. Support the given
statement with your own reasons.
A – It is indeed true
that the utility of resources will depend on human accessibility. This is
because even if the minerals are of high value and found in huge quantity but
if they are found in a place which is inaccessible for human beings then no
satisfaction can be derived from it. Thus, it cannot be classed as resources.
E.g. The mineral wealth
found buried deep in the earth cannot give any utility to us and thus, they
cannot be classed as resources.
Wet and dry agriculture
Farming practiced in
regions with less than 75 cm annual rainfall is called dry farming.
E.g. Farming in Haa and
Bumthang where farmers grow mainly crops like wheat, barley, millets which require
less moisture.
Farming practiced in
areas receiving more than 75 cm annual rainfall is called wet farming.
E.g. Farming in Samtse
and Sarpang where farmers mainly grow rice which requires more water. When rain
is the only source of moisture for crops, it is called rain fed crop.
What is rain feed?
When rainwater is only source of moisture for crop is
called rain feed
Crop Rotation
Growing of different
crops one after the other in a specified order on the same piece of land during
one agricultural year, mainly to maintain soil nutrients are called crop
rotation.
E.g. growing of cereal
crops like maize or wheat after leguminous crop like peas or beans.
Two importance of crop rotation are:
1. To
increase the fertility of the soil
2. To
have different types of production of crop for use
3. To
suit the crops as per the changing climate condition during different period of
year
Crop rotation is
required in the potato growing field because potato absorbs nitrogen from soil
and exhausts the fertility where as crop rotation replaces the nutrient and
make the soil fit for cultivation
Crop combination
Growing a number of
different crops at the same time on the same piece of land to have different
agricultural crops and also to maintain the fertility of the soil is called as crop
combination. Crop combination is also known as mixed or multiple cropping
E.g. growing of
different types of vegetable such as cabbage, chilies, beans and tomatoes etc.
at the same time on the same land
Importance of crop combination
1. From
it, we can judge whether it can provide adequate dietary potentials since a
suitable crop combination can produce many crops in the same geographical area.
2. Suitable
crop combination can produce more crops in an agricultural year, which in turn
can satisfy the fast increasing demand of food especially in area with the
dense population.
3. Agricultural
land can be fully used and fertility of soil can also be maintained since the
soil nutrients absorbed by one crop will be replaced by other.
Write two advantages of growing legumes in vegetable garden?
Legumes are crops which
has ability to absorb nitrogen from atmosphere and fix into the soil. Peas,
beans, etc
Intensity of Cropping
Intensity of cropping
refers to the number of crops raised on a field during an agricultural year.
The main factors
influencing intensity of cropping are:
1. Use
of irrigational facilities.
2. Use
of fertilizer for the crops
3. Use
of early-maturing high
4. yielding
varieties of seeds
Questions to check your understanding
1. Write
down the main difference between the wet and dry farming.
A. The type of farming
practiced in areas where the annual rainfall is less than 75 cm is called dry
farming and the farming practiced in areas receiving more than 75 cm annual
rainfall is called wet farming.
2.
What do you mean by “crop rotation” and “crop combination”?
A – Crop rotation means
growing of different crops one after the other in a specified order on the same
piece of land during one agricultural year, mainly to maintain soil nutrients.
Crop combination means growing a number of
different crops at the same time on the same piece of land to have different
agricultural crops and also to maintain the fertility of the soil.
3.
Mention any two importance of crop combination.
A-1.With crop
combination, the suitability and consistency of cropping pattern can be
evaluated in the context of the local environment. 2. From it, we can judge whether
it can provide adequate dietary potentials since a suitable crop combination
can produce many crops in the same geographical area.
4.
Define Intensity of cropping.
A - Intensity of
cropping refers to the number of crops raised on a field during an agricultural
year.
5.
Calculate the intensity of cropping for a area in 2008 -2009 when the total
cropped area was 280 million hectares and the net
sown area was 208 million hectares.
A – Do it by using formula.
6.
List down the factors determining the intensity of cropping.
A – The factors
determining intensity of cropping were:
1. Use
of irrigational facilities.
2. Use
of fertilizer for the crops.
3. Use
of early-maturing high yielding varieties of seeds.
4. Mechanization
of agriculture and plant protection
5. Measures
through the use of insecticides, pesticides and weedicides
What is humid zone?
The regions having
annual rainfall more than 100cm is known as humid zone
Sub-humid
zone
The regions having
annual rainfall in between 75-100 cm is known as sub-humid zone
Semi
arid region
The regions having
annual rainfall 30 to 70 cm in a year
Arid
region
The areas having annual
rainfall less than 30 cm in year
Irrigation
Primitive methods of irrigations
Water is an important
input for successful agriculture. Water may be available to crops in natural
course by rainfall or it may be supplied to the agricultural fields
artificially by human effort.
The process of
supplying water to crops by artificial means such as canals, wells, tube-wells,
tanks, etc. from the source of water such as rivers, tanks, ponds or
underground water is called irrigation. Even in Bhutan, irrigation has played
an important role in boosting agricultural production especially for the cereal
crops like rice.
Different types of
irrigation practiced for successful agricultural production are 1. Primitive
Methods such as i. well, ii. Tanks and iii. Inundation canals and 2.
Modern Methods such as i. Tube-wells, ii. Perennial canals and iii.
Sprinkler irrigation.
Commonly used
irrigation method in Bhutan is canal irrigation (both inundation and
perennial). However now even Sprinkler irrigation and tank irrigation are used
in few places
Well Irrigation
A well is hole dug in
the ground to obtain the subsoil water. An ordinary well is about 3 to 5 meters
deep but deeper wells up to 15 meters are also dug.
Advantages
1. Well
is simplest and cheapest source of irrigation and even poor farmer can easily
afford it.
2. Well
is an independent source of irrigation and can be used as and when the
necessity arises.
3. Well
can be dug at any convenient place.
4. Several
chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, sulphate, etc. are mixed in well water
which will increase the fertility of soil.
5. Farmers
do not have to pay for well unlike canal irrigation.
Disadvantages
of well irrigation
1. Only
limited area can be irrigated (about 1 to 2 hectares of land).
2. The
well may dry up and may be rendered useless for irrigation if excessive water
is taken out of it.
3. In
the event of a drought, the ground water level falls and enough water is not
available in the well when it is needed the most.
4. Well
irrigation is not possible in areas of the brackish groundwater.
Tank irrigation
A tank consists of
water storage which has been developed by constructing a small bund of earth or
stones built across a stream. The water
impounded by the bund is used for irrigation and for other purposes. Some tanks
are built partly as dugouts and partly by enclosing bunds. Tank irrigation is
common in regions where the undulating relief and hard rock’s makes it
difficult to dig canals and wells, and also the rainfall is seasonal.
Merits of tank
irrigation
1. Most
of the tanks are natural and do not involve heavy cost for their construction.
2. Tanks
are generally constructed on rocky bed and have longer life span.
3. In
many tanks, fishing is also carried out, supplementing both resources and
income for the farmer.
Demerits of Tank
irrigation
1. Many
tanks dry up during the dry season and fail to provide irrigation when it is
needed the most.
2. Often
much water is evaporated from the large expanse of shallow water and thus not
available for irrigation.
3. Sometimes
it is difficult to carry water from the tank to the field through the rocky
terrain.
Inundation Canal
Inundation canal are
the canals taken out from the rivers without any regulating system like wires
etc. at their head. Such canals provide water mainly in the rainy season when
the river floods and there is excess water.
Merits
of Inundation canal
1. It
does not involve much expenditure.
2. Farmers
do not have pay for it.
3. Besides,
providing water for irrigation, it brings huge quantity of silt which makes the
soil more fertile.
Demerits
of inundation canal
1. Water
in the inundation canal dry up during the dry season and fail to provide
irrigation when it is needed the most.
2. It
often leads to massive floods during the rainy season destroying the entire
crop field.
3. It
can be constructed only if the source like river or stream is available and not
in other places.
Modern methods of irrigations.
Tube
-well
Tube-well is a deeper
well, generally over 15 meters deep, from which water is lifted with the help
of a pumping set operated by an electric motor or a diesel engine.
Some geographical
conditions favoring its installation are:
1. There
should be sufficient quantity of ground water.
2. The
water level should be nearly 15 meters. If the water table is more than 50 meters
deep the pumping of water becomes uneconomic.
3. There
should be regular supply of cheap electricity or diesel so that water can be
taken out from tube –well at the hour of need.
4. The
soil in the immediate neighborhood should be fertile so that there is demand
for irrigation.
Advantages
of Tube-well irrigation
1. Tube-well
can irrigate ten times more than an ordinary well.
2. Water
can be easily lifted from a greater depth since it is operated by electric
motor or diesel engine.
3. It
is suitable source of irrigation where canal irrigation is not available.
4. Several
chemicals are mixed with tube-well water, which increases the fertility of
soil.
Demerits
of Tube-well irrigation
1. 1.
The farmer has to spend money regularly on electricity or diesel.
2. 2.
This source of irrigation is not fit for brackish ground water.
3. 3.
Tube well can draw larger quantity of water which leads to decreasing of ground
water level and depletion of ground water.
4. 4.
During drought, the ground water level falls below the required level and the
water is not available when it is needed the most.
CANAL IRRIGATION
Canals are used for carrying water from one place to
another. Farmers rely on irrigation canals to bring water to their
crops.
Merits of canal irrigation:
1. Most of the canals provide perennial irrigation saving
the crops from drought conditions.
2. Canals carry a lot of sediment brought by river which
adds to the fertility of soil.
3. Some canals are parts of multipurpose project and
therefore, provide cheap source of irrigations.
4. 4. Although the initial cost involved in canal
irrigation is much higher, it is quite cheap in the long run.
Demerits
of Canal irrigation:
1. 1.
Canal water soaks into the ground, leading to the problem of water-logging
along the canal route.
2. 2.
The marshy areas near the canals acts as breeding ground for mosquitoes,
resulting in widespread malaria.
3. 3.
Many canals over flow during the rainy season and flood the surrounding areas.
4. 4.
Canal irrigation is suitable in plain areas only.
Sprinkler Irrigation
In this type of irrigation
sprinklers are set up in the fields and supplied with water by hoses from the
source water.
Advantage:
1. No
loss of water by seepage because water is supplied to sprinkler from the source
water through pipes.
2. No
water is allowed to be wasted by evaporation because water is sprayed directly
on the field with the help of sprinkler.
3. Crops
get water from surface as well as from ground.
Demerits
of sprinkler irrigation:
1. Farmers
need to pay extra for sprinkler and pipes.
2. It
cannot be used if there is no source water.
3. This
type of irrigation is not available in rural areas.
Problems
of Bhutanese agriculture
Following are the main
problems of Bhutanese agriculture system.
1. Farm
Constraints.
2. Wild
animal damage.
3. Limited
access to market.
4. Lack
of irrigation.
5. Labour
shortage.
6. Steep
terrain.
7. Lack
of literacy among the farming community.
8. Storage
problems.
1. Farm Constraints.
More than 50% of the
farming community faces the problem of effective farming such as the use of
modern technology, good seeds and new methods of farming. Constraints like
drought, flood and hailstorm etc. are unpredictable and have been taken as
non-remedial (without any remedy or cure).
2. Wild animal damage.
One of the serious
problems faced by the Bhutanese farmers is the wild animal damage, leading to
substantial amount of food grain losses in rural areas. About 42% of the
farmers have reported wild animal damage of their crops especially in Bumthang,
Ha, Trongsa, Zhemgang, Mongar, Yangtse, Pemagatshel and Samdrupjongkhar. About
37% of the farm households were affected by wild boar, 22% by the deer, 24% by
the monkey, 2% by elephant, 5% by the bear and 10 % by other animals.
3. Limited access to road and market.
Many rural areas of
Bhutan have very limited access to roads and market. Gasa and Zhemgang are the
two most inaccessible Dzongkhag since more than 55% of households of both the
Dzongkhags still take more than 8 hours to reach the nearest road point.
Similarly in other
Dzongkhags, the places like Lingshi, Naro, Soe, Denchukha, Dungtoe, Mayona,
Gongdue, Silambi, Dungme and Lauri also have more than 90% of the households
taking more than 8 hours to reach the nearest road point. Thus, farmer even if they produce surplus
grains they are not able to sell them due to limited accessibility to road or
market.
4. .Lack of irrigation.
Though Bhutan has
enough water resources to produce more than 30,000 megawatts of electricity,
but there is scarcity of water for irrigation. One of the main reasons of this
scarcity is the terrain, which has river flowing in the deep gorges, while the
agricultural land is on the slopes and valleys. Thus, about 31% of the farm
household is constrained by lack of irrigation.
5. Labour shortage.
The labour shortage is
one of the rising problems in rural Bhutan. This shortage is caused mainly by
the rural to urban migration. Thus, the rural areas are left with less working
population leaving the productive land resources under-utilized. Now a day’s
mostly old aged people are found in rural areas.
6. Steep
terrain.
Steep terrain is
another difficulty faced by Bhutanese farmers, as it makes farm mechanization
almost impossible in remote areas. Moreover, the percentage of cultivable land
is very low in Bhutan due to steep terrain. For instance only 7.8% of the total area of the
country is used for agriculture.
7. Lack
of literacy among the farming community.
Since the farmers are
mostly illiterate, they cannot adapt themselves easily to the new methods of
farming. Moreover, it takes time to
create awareness and convince them on the use of modern methods of farming.
Thus, they still depend on traditional methods in which the outcome is very
less.
8. Storage problems.
The poor place of
storing the agricultural products is another problem faced by the farmers.
Thu, even if they produce
in excess the surplus products gets spoiled because there is neither any
storage house (granaries) in the village nor a market nearby to buy their
products. Hence, farmers practice subsistence farming under which the products
are grown just for their own consumption only and not for sale or storing.
Use of technology in agriculture
The agriculture sector
in Bhutan has seen a great deal of development since the implementation of the
first five year plan in 1961.
Some indicators of progress are:
1. Introduction
of new and high yielding crop varieties.
2. Development
of improved agronomy practices for both traditional and new varieties.
3. Improvement
of nutrient management methods – use synthetic fertilizers.
4. Improvement
of weed pest control method – integrated pest management and use of pesticides
and herbicides.
5. Introduction of farm machinery, effective hand
tools and equipments.
6. Introduction
of post- harvest technologies such as storage, packing and processing.
Bhutan being a
developing country, livestock is an integral part of the farming system. They
are the source of draught power, manure, meat and dairy products. The livestock
rearing in Bhutan consists of mainly of cattle, yak, pig, poultry and sheep.
Name four main components of modern technologies input in agriculture
The four main components are as follows
1. High
yielding varieties of seeds
2. Chemical
fertilizer
3. Proper
irrigation
4. Farm
mechanization
What is mean by HYVS? What is an advantage of HYVS?
HYVS stands for high
yielding varieties of seeds. These seeds are scientifically developed which has
more production in shorter period of time. They have more power of resistance
from pest, insect and microbes. The advantages of HYVS are as follows:
1. Crop
production increases several times
2. They
require less time in providing production
3. Pests,
insects, and microbes least damage them
Note –the advantages of
using farm mechanical devices means machine in agriculture are as follows:
1. They
do more work effectively and save lots of time. E.g. ploughing of field by
tractor takes less time than human labour and work done by tractor is much
better
2. In
long run, the cost of production is less, if machines are used for agriculture
Technology package is not successful in Bhutan du e to following reasons:
1. In
Bhutan irrigation facility is not available equally every where
2. Chemical
fertilizer are not available everywhere in Bhutan or in another words it is
said that farmer do not use adequate fertilizer
3. The
economic condition of farmers are not good to use modern technologies
4. Most
of the farmer in Bhutan are uneducated the size of land is too small
What do you mean by area not available for cultivation?
Ans- the land which is
used for other than agriculture purpose due to infertile, desert, shortage of water
etc. example- building, canals, desert fall under this category
Area
sown more than once
The part of agriculture
land which is used for growing crops more than one crop in a year because of
high fertility, constant water supply and other favorable condition for
agriculture is known as area sown more than once
FALLOW LAND
The land which is used
for cultivation, but temporary out of cultivation is known as fallow land.
There are two types of fallow land
1. Current
fallow- the agriculture land which is not used for one year is called current
fallow
2. Fallow
other than current fallow- the agriculture land which is no used for two to
three years is known as fallow other than current fallow
Why it is necessary to
reduce extends of fallow land? How can we reduce the current fallow land?
It is necessary to
reduce extend and frequency of fallow land in order to increases the
agriculture production. This can be done with proper does of fertilizer,
providing irrigation facilities, crop rotation, crop combination and several
other farm techniques
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