AGRICULTURE, ITS HISTORY & SCOPE IN INDIA AND MAHARASHTRA

AGRICULTURE, ITS HISTORY &
SCOPE IN INDIA AND MAHARASHTRA

2. Title: Introductory Agriculture
Prof. ShivajiR. Suryavanshi
Asst. Professor of Agronomy,
Dr. D.Y. Patil College of Agriculture,
Talsande.

3. LECTURE NO.1.
AGRICULTURE, ITS HISTORY &
SCOPE IN INDIA AND MAHARASHTRA

4. •Agricultureistheoldestandmost
importantoccupationoftheworld.
•Indianagricultureisknownforits
multifunctionalitiesofproviding
employment,livelihood,food,
nutritionalandecologicalsecurities.

5. Oneoftheprincipleaimsof
agricultureistochannelasmuchas
possibleoftheenergyfrom
incomingsolarradiationinto
selectedcropsandorlivestock
throughefficientmanagement
practicesandtominimizethatused
bysuchpotentialcompetitorsas
weedandpests.

6. •Agricultureisaverybroadterm
encompassing(comprising)allaspectsof
cropproduction,livestockfarming,fisheries,
forestryetc.
•Agriculturemaybedefinedasanart,the
scienceandthebusinessofproducingcrops
andlivestockforeconomicpurposes.
•Thetermsagricultureisderivedfromlatin
words‘ager’oragrimeaningsoilandcultura
meaningcultivation.

7. •Theartofcropproduction:-Asan
artitembracesaknowledgeofthe
waytoperformtheoperationsof
thefarminaskilfulmannerbut
doesnotnecessarilyincludean
understandingoftheprinciples
underlyingfarmpractices.Theskill
maybebothphysicalandmental.

8. •Somefarmersareabletodofarmoperations
quickly,moreefficientlythanothersandwith
greatease.Theyaresaidtobeskilfulintheir
art.Theabilityandcapacitytoploughwell,
tomakeagoodhaystack,tohandlethe
animalproperly,tohandlefarmimplements
andpropersowingofseeds,manures,
fertilizersetc.,areexamplesofphysicalskills
whichareobtainedthroughexperience.

9. •Similarly,decidingthepropertimefor
agriculturaloperationlikeploughing,
selectionofappropriatecropping
patterntosuitthesoilandclimate,
timingofproductiontogetbetterprices
areexamplesofmentalskillsinvolvedin
farming.Thusbothphysicalandmental
skillsareessentialforsuccessful
farming.

10. •TheScienceofcropproduction:-
Scienceisdefinedasabodyoftruths,
systematizedandarrangedinsucha
wayastoshowtheoperationofgeneral
lowsandprincipal.
•Suchabodyofknowledgeisobtained
throughsystematicstudyandresearch.
•Scientificprinciplesarefreelyusedin
ourquestforincreasingtheproduction
ofqualitycropsandintheirultimate
disposaltoearnbetterpriceand
income.

11. •Recentadvancesmadeinthefieldsof
plantbreedingandgenetics,production
technology,useoffertilizers,pesticides,
fungicides,herbicidesandgrowth
regulators,introducingoflaboursaving
machineries,theoriesandconceptsin
thefieldsofmathematics,statisticsand
economicsetchavecompletely
revolutionizedagricultureforincreased
cropproduction.

12. •Similarly,strainswereevolvedtosuit
differentagroclimaticandsoilconditions.
Strainsresistanttopestsanddiseases,
fertilizerresponsive,photo-insensitiveand
highyieldingstrainsareavailablefor
increasingagriculturalproduction.
•Therecentfindingsinthefieldofatomic
sciencehadgreatlyhelpedinthestudiesof
soils,nutritionofcrops,movementofwater
insoilandtherelatedfields.

13. •TheBusinessofcropproduction:-
Agricultureisconsideredasawayof
lifeinmostoftheunderdeveloped
countries.Traditionallyfarmingis
handedoverfromfathertosonand
noeffortistakentoincrease
agriculturalproductiononbusiness
lines.

14. •Anindustryrunonbusinessmotivewillwork
moreefficientlyanddiligentlywiththeobject
ofgettingmoreprofitfromlessinvestment.
Similarly,inagriculturethelandisthe
workshopfromwheregreaterreturnsare
expected.Toobtainthesereturns,thefactors
likeland,labourandcapitalareutilizedin
suchawaythatgreaterprofitsareobtained.
Agriculturehasbeenmechanizedand
commercializedwiththemainobjectof
promotingbusinesstogreaterprofits.

15. •Bymakinginventoriesontheavailabilityof
land,labourandcapital,theselectionof
differentbranchesoffarmingsuchascrops
production,livestockrearing,growing
horticulturalcrops,dairyingetcaredecided.
Afterthedecisionhasbeentakenfor
farming,thechoiceofgrowingaparticular
croptoaparticularareaisdecided,on
gettingmaximumprofit.Thefarmerwhohas
takenupagricultureonthesebusinesslines
iswelleducatedandknownthetricksofhis
tradeandenjoysthemostmodernamenities.

16. Features of Crop production:
•Artofcropproductionisorderthancivilizationandits
essentialfeaturesremainunchangedsincedownof
history.
1.Gatheringandpreservingseedofdesiredcropplants.
2.Destroyingotherkindofvegetationgrowingonland.
3.Stirringthesoiltoformseedbed.
4.Plantingwhenseasonandweatherarerightasshown
bypastexperience.
5.Destroyingweeds.
6.Protectingcropfromnaturalenemiesand
7.Gathering,processingandstoringtheproducts.

17. History of Agriculture in India and Maharashtra:
•Agriculturehasnosingleandsimpleorigin.It
wasstartedindifferentpartsoftheworld
duringdifferentperiods.Indusvalleyand
harppancivilizationflourishedfromthecloseof
thirdmillenniumB.C.
•Itappearsfromexcavationandremote
sensingteststhatabout10,000yearsagothe
maninventedagriculture.Aprimitiveformof
Agriculturewasshiftingcultivationinwhicha
partoftheforestwascut,burntandusedfor
cultivationofcrops.Afterafewyears,when
theseplotslostfertilityandheavilyinfested
withgrassandsoilbornepests,cultivators
wouldshifttoanewsite.

18. •India’smostimportantcontributiontoworld
agricultureisrice(staplefoodofAsia),sugar
cane,numberoflegumesandtropicalfruit
likemangoarealsonativesofIndia.
•Itisestimatesthatmostefficienthunting
andgatheringcanhardlysupportoneperson
persquarekilometerwhilepastorallife
(shepherdslife)cansupportthreeand
agricultureaboutahundred.Theimportant
eventsinthehistoryofagricultureareas
below.

19. Important Events in the
History of AgriculturePeriod Event
Earlier than 10,000 B.C. Hunting and Gathering
food from forest
8700 B.C Domestication of Sheep
7700 B.C Domestication of Goat
7500 B.C Cultivation of wheat and
Barley
6000 B.C Domestication of Cattle
and Pigs
4400 B.C Cultivation of maize

20. Period Event
3500 B.C Cultivation of potato
3400 B.C Wheel was invented
3000 B.C Bronze was used to make tools
2900 B.C Plough was invented, Irrigated
farming started
2300B.C Cultivation of chickpea, sarson and
cotton Domestication of birds,
buffalo, elephant
2200 B.C Cultivation of Rice

21. Period Event
1800 B.C Cultivation of Finger millet (Ragi)
1725 B.C Cultivation of sorghum
1500 B.C Cultivation of Sugarcane and Irrigation from
well
1400 B.C Use of iron
15 Century A.D - Sweet orange, Pomegranate
16 Century A.D.- Several crops introduced in India by
Portuguese potato, sweet potato, tomato,
chilies, pumpkin, papaya, pineapple, guava,
gr-nut, tobacco, cashew nut, American
cotton, rubber etc.

22. Period Event
1577-1644
A.D.
Experiment in respect to plant nutrition in
a systematic way were initiated by Van
Helmont .
1577-1644
A.D.
Experiment in respect to plant nutrition in
a systematic way were initiated by Van
Helmont .
1674-1741
A.D.
Jethro Tull – Experiment on tillage
(cultural practices) published Book- Horse
Hoeing Husbandry

23. Period Event
1834 Field experiments were stated in
Rothamstead Experiment station, England
1866 Gregor Johann Mendel discovered the
laws of heredity and ways to cause
mutation, which led to modern plant
breeding.
1870 A Joint Department of Agriculture,
Revenue and commerce was established
in India.
1880 Agriculture Department started in India
and true approach to scientific farming
started.

24. Period Event
1903 Imperial Agricultural Research Institute
Started at Pusa in Bihar and in 1936
shifted to New Delhi at IARI - Indian
Agricultural Research Institute
1912 Sugarcane Breeding Institute, was
established at Coimbatore (T.N.)
1929 Imperial Council of Agricultural
Research. at New Delhi for coordinating
work of Agricultural Research in country
Now ICAR –Indian Council of
Agricultural. Research.

25. Period Event
1958 First P.G. school at IARI New
Delhi.
1960 First Agricultural. University at
Pantnagar GBPATU.
1963 Agriculture College, Kolhapur.
1964 Agricultural University in
different states
1970 M.P.K.V., Rahuri,