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    184 History of Agriculture

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    Bhupendra Punvar
    The document provides a history of the origin and development of agriculture. It discusses how modern humans evolved from Homo erectus around 135,000-200,000 years ago and lived as nomadic hunters and gatherers until around 10,000 years ago when the domestication of plants and animals began, starting in the Fertile Crescent. It then outlines the development and spread of agriculture in India, including the two centers of cereal farming in the northwest and Vindhya-Ganga region and the domestication of crops like rice, wheat, barley and millets. The document also discusses irrigation practices throughout history, the development of modern agriculture through scientific discoveries and crop improvements, and trends and challenges in Indian

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    184 History of Agriculture

    Uploaded by

    Bhupendra Punvar
    419 views25 pages
    The document provides a history of the origin and development of agriculture. It discusses how modern humans evolved from Homo erectus around 135,000-200,000 years ago and lived as nomadic hunters and gatherers until around 10,000 years ago when the domestication of plants and animals began, starting in the Fertile Crescent. It then outlines the development and spread of agriculture in India, including the two centers of cereal farming in the northwest and Vindhya-Ganga region and the domestication of crops like rice, wheat, barley and millets. The document also discusses irrigation practices throughout history, the development of modern agriculture through scientific discoveries and crop improvements, and trends and challenges in Indian

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    The document provides a history of the origin and development of agriculture. It discusses how modern humans evolved from Homo erectus around 135,000-200,000 years ago and lived as nomadic hunters and gatherers until around 10,000 years ago when the domestication of plants and animals began, starting in the Fertile Crescent. It then outlines the development and spread of agriculture in India, including the two centers of cereal farming in the northwest and Vindhya-Ganga region and the domestication of crops like rice, wheat, barley and millets. The document also discusses irrigation practices throughout history, the development of modern agriculture through scientific discoveries and crop improvements, and trends and challenges in Indian

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    419 views25 pages

    184 History of Agriculture

    Uploaded by

    Bhupendra Punvar
    The document provides a history of the origin and development of agriculture. It discusses how modern humans evolved from Homo erectus around 135,000-200,000 years ago and lived as nomadic hunters and gatherers until around 10,000 years ago when the domestication of plants and animals began, starting in the Fertile Crescent. It then outlines the development and spread of agriculture in India, including the two centers of cereal farming in the northwest and Vindhya-Ganga region and the domestication of crops like rice, wheat, barley and millets. The document also discusses irrigation practices throughout history, the development of modern agriculture through scientific discoveries and crop improvements, and trends and challenges in Indian

    Copyright:

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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 25

    HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE

    Origin of Agriculture
    Modern man (Homo sapiens) believed to have evolved from Homo erectus- 135,000-200,000 yrs ago Most of this period lived in Nomadic existence in forest as hunters & gatherers of food Process of domestication-10,000 yrs ago Sign of plant cultivation-8th-7th millennium BC Archaeological remains-wheat, barley, pea, lentils etcnear East- spread to Europe, West Asia & Nile valley More sp. domesticated What motivated them to adopt: hunting to settled agri.? People on diversified diet healthier than farmers

    FOOD & AGRICULTURE


    Food an essential need Agriculture- prime source for food History of agri.- co-terminus with civilization History of Indian agri.-complicated & controversial Absence of literary text for early period Lit. available post Gupta or early medieval era

    Agriculture in India
    Earliest source- Arthashastra of Kautilya
    Agri. is way of life, a philosophy & a culture Agri. & herding under Revenue Admn. Characterized by archaelogical evidences 1. Vindhya-Ganga region 2. North-west of Indian subcontinent Hunting-gathering in late Mesolithic period to Domestication of animals and cultivation of plants- 7-6th millenium BC

    Agriculture in India
    Indian subcontinent had 2 centres of farming of cereals :
    North-west with barley-wheat complex (Mehrgarh) Vindhya-Ganga region for rice: latter is earlier than former Domestication of rice is found at Atranjikher & Lal Qila (1200-1500 BC) Rice-wheat-barley-legume agri. Established in Narhan & Imlikhurd by the end of 3rd millennium Two crop a year started around this period

    Agriculture in India
    Millets of African origin
    -Introduced in India in 3rd millennium BC -Associated with Harappan culture (2500-2000 BC) -Came to middle Ganga plains by 1800 BC

    Border land of Afghanistan- Domestication of animals and plants


    Symbiotic development of sedentary agri. & pastoral nomadism- quite common in hills

    Agriculture in India
    Indus cvilization- Well provided with development of Agri & animal husbandry
    Higher precipitation Irrigation Cultivation of rice, wheat & barley Use of chem. Fertilizers (Gypsum & CaSO4) Raising two crops a year

    Agriculture in India
    Sixth century BC to 6TH century AD-Variety of sources: -Pali, Sangam, Sanskrit -Kautilyas Arthsastra & Dharmsastra
    Classification of land Irrigation Export of items-sugar Taxes & Meditional & aromatic plants

    Agriculture in India
    Early medieval Period (600 AD to 1200 AD)
    Agrarian structure New type of tools & technology Regional agri. South India, Bengal & Gujarat

    British Period :
    -Initialy concerned with development - Ignored agriculture -Led to Bengal Famine

    Origin of Agriculture- Hypothesis


    Several hypotheses but debate continues as none of then wholly satisfactory:
    Climate change- ice age-11,000 yrs ago- favourable environment for farming Population pressure Resource concentration from desertification Land ownership Natural selection Greg Wadley & Angus Martin (1993)- cereals and milk contain Exorphins- drug like addictive properties

    Origin of Agriculture
    Origin of agri. Cant be because of particular invention Why it took so long to settle and cultivate? Gifted individuals hunting cant go forever, lets change- is it better way of life? Change is not easy to humans- discarding old and adopting new, nevertheless Change is difficult but change is must for progress

    Domestication
    First domestication to modern crop production: wild sp. HYVs MVs- through selection
    Grain size, colour, tolerance to drought, disease and insect pests Creation of agrobiodiversity Movement with people land races were created with variability Natural and human selection for countless generations Supported nearly 1 billion people in early 19th century

    Hybridization and heredity- Mendel- modern crops

    Crop Nutrition, Production and Protection


    Application of chemical fertilizer in early 20th century Humus-the main source of nutrition Understanding of photosynthesis came much later Pest management- balanced ecosystem- 1200 BC botanical pesticidesused in China Dams on river Nile in Egypt, Euphrattes and Tigris in Mesopotamia- Iraq Irrigation practices- Mesopotamians evolved sophisticated irrigation system Dams in Asia- Cauvery river in 1900 by Chola king Farm implements- scratch plough moldboard, sickles, spades and hoes

    Modern Agriculture
    Till 18th century- traditional way Scientific discoveries helped in modernization
    Origin of Species Darwin in 1859 Mendels law of inheritance - 1869- 1900 Leibigs discovery in 1840 killed humus theory chemical fertilizers industry in 1894 Steam engine in 1858 VISIT AGRICULTURE SCIENCE MUSEUM in NASC

    Trends in foodgrain production in India

    Per capita net availability of foodgrains


    (g/capita/day)
    520 500

    480 460 440


    420 400

    1971

    1981

    1991

    2000

    2007

    2008

    Incidence of malnutrition among children (< 3 years)

    Wide inter-regional variations in yield


    State
    1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 Punjab Tamil Nadu West Bengal Uttar Pradesh Bihar Orissa Madhya Pradesh

    Foodgrain yield, 2006-07 (t/ha)


    4.0 2.6 2.5 2.1 1.7 1.4 1.2

    Focus on high potential eastern & central region for immediate yield gains

    Average Yield of selected crops in different countries


    Crop USA China Pakistan Japan India World Average

    Paddy Wheat Maize

    7748 2974 8924

    6074 3907 4854

    3055 2381 1475

    5850 -

    2077 2617 2114

    3837 2665 4472

    China uses 2.5 times more fertilizer than India

    Resources and Liabilities


    Fresh Water Resources 4 % Land 2.3 %
    Past and Projected Water Demand

    Population 16 % Rainfall 1170 mm

    Dr. S. Raman, New Delhi Winter School, XXXXXXXXXXXX 20/3/09

    MIS-A Success Story


    Components Water conveyance from natural spring harvesting System Catchpit and 25.4 mm plastic pipe Farmers MIS (MM-1) contribution Contribution 18,000 Nil

    Earthwork/ embankment
    Tank lining Anchorage Irrigation system and accessories Fencing

    LDPE Film Tarfelt sheet Drip irrigation system Wire mesh

    16,800
    Nil Nil Nil

    Nil
    10,530 6,300 25,000

    4,000

    Nil 42,730 (52.4 %)

    Total 38,800 (47.6%)

    Reduction in yield gap has been the main approach for increasing wheat production
    6 Potential yield 5 Actual yield

    Wheat yield, t/ha

    0 1960

    1965

    1970

    1975

    1980

    1985 Year

    1990

    1995

    2000

    2005

    Source: IARI/ ICAR network

    Steps for
    bridging of yield gap and increasing productivity

    1. Transfer of Technology
    a. Improved variety - Cereals, pulses and vegetables b. Use of fertilizer 107 kg/ha India against 245 kg/ha in China c. Water harvesting - LDP-lined tanks and other methods d. Increase in cropping intensity - 150 to 200 in two years
    Spring Rice - Wheat Millet Fallow to Spring Rice - Wheat Millet Toria

    e. Vegetable-based crop sequences - prod. per unit area & profitability f. Diversion of areas with assured input to high value crops g. Seed production / replacement- very low rate

    2. Watershed approach 3. IPNM 4. IPM

    5.Soil And Water Conservation


    Average soil loss in Indian Himalaya 20 t/ha/year Maize in NW Hill 21 t/ha/yr to- bare fallow 92 t/ha/yr
    Year 1950 2001 2025

    Water availability/ annum/person

    5000 m3 2000 m3

    1500 m3

    6.PHT/value addition-High volume-low value to low vol.-high valu 7.Biotechnology- micropropagation to genetic engg. for stresses 8.Empowerment of women farmers- Women-dominated agriculture 9.Increased investment in agricultural research

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