184 history of agriculture

7/29/2019 184 History of Agriculture

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HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE


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Origin of Agriculture

Modern man (Homo sapiens) believed to have evolvedfrom Homo erectus- 135,000-200,000 yrs ago

Most of this period lived in Nomadic existence in forestas 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 etc-

near 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


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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


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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 evidences1. 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


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Indian subcontinent had 2 centres of farming ofcereals :

North-west with barley-wheat complex (Mehrgarh)

Vindhya-Ganga region for rice: latter is earlier thanformer

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


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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


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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


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Origin of Agriculture- Hypothesis

Several hypotheses but debate continues as noneof then wholly satisfactory:

Climate change- ice age-11,000 yrs ago- favourable

environment for farming Population pressure

Resource concentration from desertification

Land ownership

Natural selectionGreg Wadley & Angus Martin (1993)- cereals and milk

contain Exorphins- drug like addictive properties


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Origin of Agriculture

Origin of agri. Cant be because of particularinvention

Why it took so long to settle and cultivate?

Gifted individualshunting 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


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Domestication

First domestication to modern crop production: wildsp.HYVs MVs- through selection

Grain size, colour, tolerance to drought, disease and insectpests

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


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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 sophisticatedirrigation system

Dams in Asia- Cauvery river in 1900 by Chola king

Farm implements- scratch ploughmoldboard, sickles,spades and hoes


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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


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Trends in foodgrain production in India


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Per capita net availability of foodgrains

400

420

440

460

480

500

520

1971 1981 1991 2000 2007 2008

(g/capita/day)


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Incidence of malnutrition among children (< 3

years)


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Wide inter-regional variations in yield

State Foodgrain yield, 2006-07(t/ha)

1. Punjab 4.0

2 Tamil Nadu 2.6

3 West Bengal 2.5

4 Uttar Pradesh 2.1

5 Bihar 1.7

6 Orissa 1.4

7 Madhya Pradesh 1.2

Focus on high potential eastern & central region for

immediate yield gains


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Average Yield of selected crops in different

countries

Crop USA China Pakistan Japan India World

Average

Paddy 7748 6074 3055 5850 2077 3837

Wheat 2974 3907 2381 - 2617 2665

Maize 8924 4854 1475 - 2114 4472

China uses 2.5 times more fertilizer than India


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

Fresh Water Resources 4 %

Land

2.3 %Population 16 %

Rainfall

1170 mm

Resources and LiabilitiesPast and Projected Water Demand

XXXXXXXXXXXX

MIS A S St


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MIS-A Success StoryComponents System Farmers

contribution MIS (MM-1)ContributionWaterconveyance

from natural

spring

harvesting

Catchpitand 25.4

mm

plastic

pipe

18,000 Nil

Earthwork/

embankment - 16,800 Nil

Tank lining LDPEFilm Nil 10,530

Anchorage Tarfeltsheet Nil 6,300

Irrigation

system andaccessories

Drip

irrigationsystem

Nil 25,000

Fencing Wiremesh 4,000 NilTotal 38,800

(47.6%) 42,730(52.4 %)


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Reduction in yield gap has been the main approach for

increasing wheat production

Source: IARI/ ICAR network

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

Wheatyield,

t/h

a

Potential yield

Actual yield


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Steps forbridging of yield gap and increasing productivity

1. Transfer of Technologya. Improved variety -Cereals, pulses and vegetablesb. Use of fertilizer107 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

Toriae. 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


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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

5.Soil And Water ConservationAverage soil loss in Indian Himalaya 20 t/ha/year

Maize in NW Hill 21 t/ha/yrto- bare fallow 92 t/ha/yr

Year 1950 2001 2025

Water availability/

annum/person5000 m3 2000 m3 1500 m3

184 history of agriculture

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