Part 2 Chapter 1 The Story of Indian Farming  

The Big Questions (Page 1)

1. What are the main characteristics of Indian agriculture? Answer: Indian agriculture is a beautiful mix of old, traditional ways and new, modern ways of farming. It relies a lot on the monsoon rains to give water to the crops. Farmers grow many different types of crops based on the three main seasons, which are kharif, rabi, and zaid.

2. How are farming, climate, soil, and water interrelated? Answer: They all work together as a team to grow food! The climate (how hot or cold it is) decides what plants can grow. The soil must be exactly right because different crops need different soils to be strong. Finally, the crops need water from the rain or from irrigation so they can survive and grow big.

3. How can traditional practices and contemporary ones complement each other? Answer: Traditional practices use natural ways that are very safe for the earth and soil. Contemporary (modern) practices use machines and science to grow a lot of food quickly. By mixing them together, farmers can grow plenty of food for everyone while keeping the soil, water, and insects healthy for a long time.

THINK ABOUT IT (Page 2)

Activity Explanation: This activity asks you to imagine what a farmer looks like in your head. It points out that while many of us might picture a man, the truth is very different in Indian villages.

Question: When you read or hear the word ‘farmer’, what do you visualise? Answer: Most people might picture a man driving a big tractor. But surprisingly, in rural India, more than 75 out of 100 people working in farming are women. They do almost all the hard work, like planting the seeds, cutting the crops, and separating the grains!

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 3)

Activity Explanation: This is an observation activity. You need to look at your daily food and group them into categories like grains or fruits. Then, you look at a map of India to guess if these foods grow near your home or come from far away, and think about why the climate and soil make that happen. Question: Create a list of the foods you typically eat. Identify the grains, pulses, oils, vegetables, and fruits in them. Now locate where you live on a physical map of India. Which of the food items do you think grow in and around where you live? What do you think are the reasons that they are cultivated in your region? Which of them comes from other places? Why do you think they are not grown in your area? Answer: (Sample Answer) * My Food List: I eat rice (grain), chana dal (pulse), mustard oil (oil), potatoes (vegetable), and apples (fruit).

• What grows near me: I live in the Northern Plains. Wheat and mustard grow near my home because the alluvial soil and the cooler winter climate are perfectly suited for them.
• What comes from far away: The apples come from places very far away, like the snowy mountains of Kashmir. Apples need a very cold, freezing climate to grow, and my area is too hot for them.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 7)

Activity Explanation: This activity asks you to imagine a tough situation where the monsoon rains fail to arrive for two whole years. You have to think about how this lack of water would change the food you get to eat. Question: Imagine that your state received less than normal monsoon rains for two consecutive years. Which items are likely to disappear from your meals, or are likely to become difficult to access? Answer: If there is very little rain, the crops that need a lot of water will not grow properly. Rice, which is a kharif crop, needs a large amount of standing water to grow. So, rice might become very rare or too expensive. Juicy fruits and water-heavy vegetables would also become very difficult to find in the market.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 9)

Activity Explanation: For this activity, you need to list the crops grown in your specific state and sort them into the three Indian farming seasons: kharif (monsoon), rabi (winter), and zaid (summer). Question: Prepare a list of the crops that are cultivated in your state or union territory in a year and classify them into kharif, rabi, and zaid. Answer: (Sample Answer for a northern state like Uttar Pradesh)

• Kharif Crops (Monsoon – Hot, heavy rainfall): Rice, maize, and sugarcane.

• Rabi Crops (Winter – Cool, less water): Wheat, mustard, and peas.

• Zaid Crops (Summer): Watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin.

DON’T MISS OUT (Page 10)

Activity Explanation: A very old Indian text called the Arthashastra explains what makes a perfect rainy season. It says some rain should fall at the start, most in the middle, and a little at the end. You need to guess why the ancient writer observed this. Question: Why do you think this statement was made? (Hint: Did it have anything to do with the crop cycle?) Answer: This statement was made because it matches the life cycle of a crop perfectly! A little rain at the beginning makes the hard soil soft for planting the seeds. The heavy rain in the middle helps the small plants drink water and grow tall. A little rain at the end helps the crops finish their growth right before it is time for the farmers to harvest them.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 11 – Soils of India)

Activity Explanation: This activity has three steps. First, pick states matching different climates. Second, find out the main soil of your state. Third, become a soil scientist by looking at real soil from outside your home and guessing its history. Question: Try to name at least two states in each of the zones mentioned above. Which type of soil is predominantly found in your state or union territory? Take a few samples of soil from your neighbourhood. Look carefully at them. What do the samples consist of? What might be the origins of the soil? Are there signs of human activity that you notice? What might happen to the soil over time on account of this? Answer: * States in Zones: Alpine climate: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Arid climate: Rajasthan and Gujarat.

• My State’s Soil: (Sample) I live in West Bengal, so the main soil here is Alluvial soil, which is brought down by the big rivers.
• Soil Samples: When I look at soil from my park, I see tiny grains of sand, small rocks, and dried pieces of leaves. The origin of this soil is from giant rocks breaking down over millions of years. Yes, I can see human activity because there are tiny bits of plastic mixed in. Over time, this plastic will make the soil sick, and plants will not be able to grow well in it.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 11 – Soil-crop linkages)

Activity Explanation: This is a group activity where you map out which plants like which soil. Then, you take your favorite family meal and trace its ingredients backward to the soil they grew in! Question: Take up a small group project. Identify the types of vegetables, fruits, and trees that grow in the different soil types. Create a family food flowchart that connects your favourite dishes to the different crops they are prepared from and the corresponding soil types in which they are cultivated. Answer:

• Soil and Crops: Black soil is great for cotton and sugarcane. Sandy soil is good for bajra and groundnuts. Alluvial soil is excellent for wheat and rice.

• Family Food Flowchart: My favorite dish is Roti and Chana Dal (chickpea curry).
  • Roti -> is made from Wheat -> which grows in Alluvial Soil.

• • Chana Dal -> is a type of Chickpea -> which also grows in Alluvial Soil.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 22)

Activity Explanation: This asks you to find smart, new ways of farming today that are actually inspired by the wise, traditional habits of our ancestors.

Question: Identify modern agricultural solutions inspired by traditional practices (for example., neem-based practices). Answer: A great example is modern “Organic Farming”. Today, many farmers have stopped using harmful factory chemicals on their crops. Instead, they are going back to using natural things like cow dung manure, compost, and sprays made from neem leaves. This is a modern solution to keep the environment safe, completely inspired by how ancient Indians farmed!

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 25)

Activity Explanation: You get to be a reporter for this activity. You need to watch a farming show on TV or listen to one on the radio, write down what the experts talk about, and then make a short report with questions you have. Question: Listen to the special programmes for farmers on the radio or watch a programme on television for a few days. Write down carefully the information that is shared through these mediums. Make a short report on the categories of information you gathered as well as questions that came to your mind during this activity. Answer: (Sample Answer)

• My Report: I watched “Krishi Darshan” on television. The experts talked about three main things: 1. A warning about upcoming heavy rains (Weather Forecast). 2. How to use less water for wheat crops. 3. The current prices of seeds in the government market.
• My Questions: How do the weather experts know exactly when the rain will fall? What happens if a poor farmer doesn’t own a TV or radio to hear this important news?

Questions and Activities (End of Chapter)

1. Why do farmers in Kerala grow rice while farmers in Punjab grow mostly wheat? What would happen if they swapped? Answer: Farmers in Kerala grow rice because rice needs a tropical wet climate with lots of heavy monsoon rain, which Kerala has. Farmers in Punjab grow wheat as a rabi crop because it needs a cool winter, which Punjab has. If they swapped, the crops would fail. Wheat planted in Kerala would rot from too much water and heat, and rice planted in Punjab in the winter would die because it is too dry and cold.

2. Match the following: Answer: (a) Kharif crops -> (ii) Crops grown during the monsoon (b) Rabi crops -> (i) Crops during the winter (c) Alluvial soil -> (v) Soil rich in nutrients deposited by rivers (d) Terrace farming -> (vi) Method of farming on hillsides (e) Alpine soil -> (iii) Thin, rough, and rocky soil found in mountainous regions (f) Zaid crops -> (iv) Crops grown in summer

3. Why do certain crops thrive in specific regions? Answer: Certain crops thrive (grow very well) in specific regions because every plant has different needs! They require the right type of climate (the right amount of sunshine and rain) and the correct type of soil. For example, bajra grows beautifully in dry, sandy soil, while rice demands sticky soil and heavy rainfall.

4. How has modern technology helped farmers? Answer: Modern technology has made the hard work of farming much faster and easier. Tractors help plough large fields very quickly. Farmers now use special high-yielding seeds to grow a lot more food. Modern tools like drip and sprinkler irrigation also help farmers give crops exactly the water they need without wasting any.

5. Why is sustainable agriculture important? Write a short note on this. Answer: Sustainable agriculture is very important because it means farming in a way that protects our earth. When we use too many chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it poisons the water, hurts the soil, and kills helpful insects like bees. Sustainable farming mixes smart modern technology with traditional, natural ways (like using cow dung and neem) so we can grow enough food today while keeping the land healthy for the future.

6. Name some challenges that farmers face today. What might be their impact for people? Answer: Farmers face huge challenges today. Their farming lands are becoming very small as they get divided among families. It is also hard to afford expensive tractors. Another big danger is climate change, which brings sudden droughts or heavy floods that ruin crops. When crops are ruined, the farmer loses money. For other people, it means less food in the market, making everyday things like vegetables and grains very expensive.

7. Have a debate in class on the topic “Traditional irrigation methods are better than modern ones.” Answer: Activity Explanation: A debate is a fun activity where you take sides on a topic and argue respectfully. Half the class will argue that old water methods are the best, and the other half will argue that new machine methods are the best.

• If you are on the Traditional Side: You can say traditional methods like bamboo pipes and small ponds are wonderful because they are cheap, use natural materials, and respect the environment.

• If you are on the Modern Side: You can say modern methods like drip and sprinkler pipes are better because they save a massive amount of water and can reach huge fields quickly, which is needed to feed a growing country.

8. Write a short essay describing what farming might be like when you are 60 years old. You could also draw / paint a picture to illustrate what you envision. Answer: Activity Explanation: Close your eyes and imagine the future. Think about robots, flying machines, and magical ways of growing plants when you become an older person. Then write a short story about it!

• Essay: When I am 60 years old, farming will look like a science-fiction movie! Tractors will drive themselves across the fields using computers. Farmers will stay inside and use flying drones to check if the crops are thirsty or sick. Instead of flat dirt fields, we might have tall glass towers in the middle of cities where vegetables grow in special nutrient-water without any soil at all, which is called hydroponics. Farming will be super smart and completely safe for nature.

9. Form small groups and discuss the issues affecting the Ganga basin. Prepare a presentation proposing your solutions and their rationale (your reasons). Share and discuss in class. Your teacher will guide you in this exercise. Answer: Activity Explanation: Sit with your friends and talk about why the mighty Ganga river is drying up and getting stressed. Then, brainstorm ideas on how to save it and present your plan to the class.

• The Issues: The Ganga is suffering because global warming is melting its ice glaciers too fast. Also, factories and farms are pumping out way too much groundwater, and dams are blocking the natural flow of the river.

• Our Solutions: To fix this, we need to teach all farmers in the basin to use modern drip irrigation so they use only tiny drops of water instead of flooding their fields. We also must plant millions of trees along the river to hold the soil and keep the earth cool.

10. Looking at the crops listed in the section ‘Echoes from the Past’, which ones do you find in use in your home? What conclusion can you draw from your observations? Answer: Activity Explanation: Read the list of ancient crops from the “Echoes from the Past” section (like barley, wheat, rice, mustard, green gram, dates, and mangoes). Then, check your kitchen to see which ones your family eats today, and write what that teaches you.

• What I use at home: In my kitchen, we still use wheat, rice, mustard seeds, green gram (dal), and mangoes.

• My Conclusion: My conclusion is that our ancient ancestors were brilliant! The crops they figured out how to grow thousands of years ago were so healthy, tasty, and perfect for the Indian climate that we are still eating the exact same foods today!