Agriculture – Definition – Importance and scope – Branches of agriculture One Liner

Agriculture – Definition & Importance

1. Agriculture is derived from Latin words ager (soil) and cultura (cultivation).
2. Agriculture is an applied science focused on crop production, livestock, fisheries, and forestry.
3. Agriculture is a combination of art, science, and business for producing crops and livestock.
4. As an art, agriculture focuses on skillful farm operations without underlying scientific principles.
5. As a science, agriculture uses technology to maximize crop yields and profits.
6. Agriculture as a business aims for maximum net return through efficient resource management.
7. The Agriculture Act (1947) defines agriculture as including various farming activities like horticulture and livestock breeding.
8. Agriculture contributes 16% to India’s GDP.
9. Two-thirds of India’s population depends on agriculture for livelihood.
10. Agriculture provides employment to 58% of India’s workforce.
11. Agriculture accounts for about 15% of India’s total export earnings.
12. Agricultural sectors contribute to industries like textiles, dairy, and sugar.
13. Rural markets are key for low-priced consumer goods in India.
14. Agriculture is vital for ensuring food security and national security.
15. Allied sectors like horticulture and animal husbandry improve rural health and nutrition.
16. Sustainable agricultural development is crucial for ecological balance.
17. Agriculture helps transform communities socially, culturally, and economically.
18. Agriculture maintains a biological equilibrium and enhances prosperity.
19. Agricultural productivity has plateaued in irrigated areas, requiring scientific attention.
20. Healthy agricultural production promotes peace, prosperity, and harmony.

Revolutions in Agriculture

21. The White Revolution quadrupled India’s milk production from 17 million to 108.5 million tonnes.
22. The Blue Revolution increased fish production from 0.75 million to 7.6 million tonnes.
23. The Yellow Revolution boosted oilseed production fivefold from 5 million to 25 million tonnes.
24. Egg production grew from 2 billion to 28 billion after independence.
25. Sugarcane production increased from 57 million to 282 million tonnes.
26. India’s cotton production grew from 3 million bales to 32 million bales.
27. India is the world’s largest producer of fruits.
28. India is the second-largest producer of milk and vegetables globally.

Branches of Agriculture

29. Agronomy focuses on the production of food, fodder, fiber, and oilseed crops.
30. Horticulture deals with the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants.
31. Forestry involves cultivating trees for wood, timber, rubber, and raw materials for industries.
32. Animal husbandry focuses on breeding and raising livestock for food and power.
33. Fishery science deals with breeding and rearing fish, shrimp, and prawns for food and feed.
34. Agricultural engineering involves machinery for farming, water conservation, and post-harvest processing.
35. Home science applies agricultural produce for nutritional security and value addition.

Evolution of Man and Agriculture

36. Early humans lived as hunters, relying on wild food sources.
37. The pastoral stage involved domestication of animals for food and labor.
38. Crop culture marked the shift to settled farming near riverbeds.
39. Trade emerged as surplus agricultural production was exchanged.
40. Agriculture became more advanced during the crop culture stage.
41. The invention of the wheel in 3400 BC revolutionized agriculture.
42. The plough was invented around 2900 BC, enabling efficient farming.
43. Iron tools were used by 1400 BC, enhancing agricultural productivity.
44. Rice cultivation began around 2200 BC, transforming agriculture.
45. The use of iron ploughs around 1000 BC increased efficiency in farming.
46. By 1500 AD, crops like oranges, brinjals, and pomegranates were cultivated in India.
47. European crop introductions in the 16th century included potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco.

Development of Scientific Agriculture (Global)

48. Francis Bacon (1561-1624) initiated experimentation in plant nutrition.
49. Jan Baptiste Van Helmont’s “willow tree experiment” proved that water is essential for plant growth.
50. Arthur Young (1741-1820) published Annals of Agriculture, promoting agricultural experimentation.
51. Theodor de Saussure contributed to understanding plant photosynthesis.
52. Justus von Liebig, the father of agricultural chemistry, developed the “law of minimum.”
53. G.R. Glanber discovered the role of saltpeter as a plant nutrient.
54. Jethro Tull advocated for fine soil particles as essential plant nutrients.
55. Priestley (1730-1799) discovered oxygen, crucial for plant respiration.
56. Thomas Jefferson developed the mouldboard plough in 1793.
57. Liebig’s law of minimum emphasizes the need for minerals in soil for plant growth.
58. The agricultural experiment station at Rothamsted, UK, began in 1843 to study soil nutrients.
59. U.S. land grant colleges promoted agricultural education and research in the 19th century.
60. In 1866, Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of heredity, advancing plant breeding.
61. Charles Darwin’s work on cross and self-fertilization in plants (1876) influenced genetics.
62. Thomas Malthus proposed that food production might not keep up with population growth.
63. Blackman’s theory of limiting factors (1905) explained how multiple factors affect plant growth.
64. Mitscherlich’s law of diminishing returns showed smaller growth increases with each added nutrient.
65. Wilcox’s inverse yield nitrogen law (1929) relates nitrogen levels in soil to crop yield.

Development of Scientific Agriculture in India

66. Scientific agriculture gained momentum in India during the 19th century.
67. Famine in the late 1800s prompted agricultural reforms by the British government.
68. The Upper Bari Doab Canal was constructed in Punjab during Lord Dalhousie’s period (1848-1856).
69. The Imperial Agricultural Research Institute was established in Pusa, Bihar, in 1905.
70. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was founded in 1929 to lead research efforts.
71. The Green Revolution in India began in the 1960s with high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.
72. Pantnagar in UP became India’s first agricultural university in 1962.
73. ICAR’s multi-dimensional research now includes biotechnology and tissue culture.
74. The first agricultural university in Tamil Nadu, Madras Agricultural College, was established in 1876.
75. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University was founded in 1971.
76. The Imperial Agricultural Research Institute was relocated to New Delhi after the Bihar earthquake.

Agricultural Research Institutions in India

77. ICAR is the central body controlling agricultural research institutes in India.
78. The Central Rice Research Institute is located in Cuttack.
79. The Sugarcane Breeding Institute is based in Coimbatore.
80. The Central Institute of Cotton Research is located in Nagpur.
81. The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research is located in Bangalore.
82. The Central Potato Research Institute is based in Shimla.
83. The Central Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute is in Dehradun.
84. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute is in Kochi.
85. The Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums is located in Ranchi.
86. The National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology is in Bangalore.
87. The National Academy of Agricultural Research & Management is based in Hyderabad.
88. The National Centre for Integrated Pest Management is located in New Delhi.
89. The National Research Centre for Pomegranate is in Solapur.
90. The National Research Centre on Orchids is based in Sikkim.

International Agricultural Research Institutions

91. AVRDC (Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre) is in Taiwan.
92. CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical) is located in Colombia.
93. CIP (Centro Internacional da la Papa) is based in Lima, Peru.
94. CIMMYT (International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement) is in Mexico.
95. IITA (International Institute for Tropical Agriculture) is located in Nigeria.
96. ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) is in Syria.
97. ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) is in India.
98. IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) is located in the Philippines.
99. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is based in Rome, Italy.
100. WMO (World Meteorological Organization) is located in Vienna.