Agriculture (UPSC) (Part-I)

B. Flax cultivation needs 600-800 mm and temperature varies from 5°-18° C.

C. The suitable climatic condition for sugar beet requires 500-600 mm and temperature 18°-22° С.

D. Jute cultivation needs 500-1000 mm rainfall and temperature between 18°-22°C

Principles of Organic Agriculture emphasise sustainability and responsibility across four key areas that are Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care.

• Health: Organic agriculture prioritises the health of soil, plants, animals, humans, and the planet, avoiding practices and substances harmful to these interconnected systems.
• Ecology: It aligns with natural ecological systems and cycles, working to protect and sustain the environment, including biodiversity, climate, and water resources.
• Fairness: It fosters equitable relationships in production, distribution, and trade, ensuring justice and accountability for environmental and social impacts.
• Care: Organic farming takes a precautionary and responsible approach, considering the well-being of present and future generations through transparent and inclusive decision-making.

Bt Cotton

• Genetically Modified (GM) and pest-resistant Bt cotton hybrids have captured the Indian market since their introduction in 2002.
• They now cover over 95% of the cotton area, with the seeds produced entirely by the private sector.
• Maharashtra has the largest area under Bt cotton, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Punjab and Haryana are known for cultivating Bt cotton in the north. Bt stands for the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.
• Bacillus thuringiensis produces a toxin called Bt toxin, which is detrimental to certain kinds of pests (bollworms) that infect cotton crops.
• This trait of Bacillus thuringiensis is induced into cotton by genetic modification.

• • However, yields have decreased sharply over time due to other pest populations that Bt cotton could not control.

• The Bt toxin controls only bollworms, while cotton attracts more than 100 pests.

  • Another concern with Bt cotton is that the bollworm may develop resistance, similar to what happened in China.

In Australia farmers rear cattle for meat export, and most of the Australian people are non-vegetarian.

According to the Livestock census, India is

• World’s highest livestock owner at about 535.78 million
• First in the total buffalo population in the world – 109.85 million buffaloes
• Second in the population of goats – 148.88 million goats
• Second largest poultry market in the world
• The second-largest producer of fish and also the second-largest aquaculture nation in the world
• Third in the population of sheep (74.26 million)
• Fifth in the population of ducks and chickens (851.81 million)
• Tenth in camel population in the world – 2.5 lakhs

• It is the longest river in the world.
• It rises south of the Equator and drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
• Its basin includes parts of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and the cultivated part of Egypt.
• Two main branches

  • Blue Nile coming from the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands (Source of 85% of total flow).

  • White Nile, coming from the Great Lakes region.

• The White Nile meets the Blue Nile at Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
• The Blue Nile originates from Lake Tana in Ethiopia.

• Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. They are grown in pods and vary widely in shape, size, and colour.
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognises 11 types of pulses, including chickpeas, dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, cow peas, pigeon peas, lentils, bambara beans, vetches, and lupins.
• Beyond being an essential source of protein for a significant portion of the global population, pulses also contribute to healthy soils and climate change mitigation through their nitrogen-fixing properties.
• India is the leading producer of pulses, accounting for 25% of global production, the largest consumer, with 27% of world consumption, and a significant importer, representing 14% of global imports.

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
• Formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
• The ICAR has its headquarters in New Delhi.
• The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture, including horticulture, fisheries, and animal sciences, throughout the country.
• India has one of the largest agricultural systems in the world, with 113 ICAR institutes and 74 agricultural universities across the country.

India is having 2nd place in the world with estimated production of 343.47 lakh bales (5.84 Million Metric Tonnes) during cotton season 2022-23 i.e. 23.83% of world cotton production of 1441 lakh bales (24.51 Million Metric Tonnes)