Agriculture of Rajasthan

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Major Agricultural Issues of Rajasthan are:-

To achieve self-sufficiency in food production.
To increase Agricultural production and income of farmers / farm labours.
To promote sustainable use of Natural Resources such as Land and Water.
To promote Soil Health Management and Integrated Nutrient Management.
Promote Crop Diversification.
Promote use of agricultural inputs based on recommendation of soil and water testing.
To ensure availability and quality of agricultural inputs.
Promote Organic Farming.
To promote Integrated Pest – Disease Management system.
To transfer modern agriculture technique developed by technical institutes and scientists.
To promote agricultural mechanization to carryout agriculture operation timely.
To promote mixed-intensive farming for increased EMPLOYMENT opportunities and income per unit area.
To develop scientific farming techniques for making agriculture more remunerative for farmers.
To increase the production of certain agricultural commodities, so that raw material for industries is available for increased exports.
To reduces cost of cultivation and strive for holistic development of farmer.
Crop insurance to protect farmer against natural disasters and monsoon failure.
To initiate programme that help to increase per capita incomes of farmer in back ward areas as well as for SC/ST.
To promote Women–Empowerment/”>Women Empowerment in agriculture.
Organize training on various aspects of agro techniques for their mass dissemination.
Quick and effective solutions of day to day problems of farmers

Agricultural Zones of Rajasthan:-

Zone	Area	District Covered	Average Rainfall (mm)	Major Crops		Soils	Agriculture Research Station	Adaptive Trial Centres
Zone	Area	District Covered	Average Rainfall (mm)	Kharif	Rabi	Soils	Agriculture Research Station	Adaptive Trial Centres
IA	Arid western plain	Barmer & part of Jodhpur	200-370	Pearlmillet Mothbean Sesame	Wheat, Mustard, Cumin	Desert soils and sand dunes aeolian soil, coarse sand in texture some places calcareous	Mandore, Jodhpur	Rampura
IB	Irrigated north western plain	Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh	100-350	Cotton, Clusterbean	Wheat, Mustard, Gram	Alluvial deposites calcareous, high soluble salts & exchangeable sodium	Ganganagar	Shri Karanpur, Ganganagar & Hanumangarh
IC	Hyper arid partial irrigated zone	Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Churu	100-350	Pearlmillet Mothbean Clusterbean	Wheat, Mustard, Gram	Desert soils and sand dunes aeolian soil, loamycoarse in texture & calcareous	Beechwal Bikaner	Loonkaran Bikaner
IIA	Internal drainage dry zone	Nagaur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Part of Churu	300-500	Pearlmillet Clusterbean Pulses	Mustard, Gram	Sandy loam, sallow depth red soils in depressions	Fatehpur, Sikar
IIB	Transitional plain of Luni basin	Jalore, Pali, Part of Sirohi, Jodhpur	300-500	Pearlmillet Clusterbean sesame	Wheat, Mustard	Red desert soils in Jodhopur, Jalore & Pali sierzems in Pali & Sirohi	Keshwana, Jalore	Sumerpur, Pali
IIIA	Semi arid eastern plains	Jaipur, Ajmer, Dausa, Tonk	500-700	Pearlmillet Clusterbean Sorghum	Wheat, Mustard, Gram	Sierozens, eastern part alluvial, west north west lithosols, foot hills, brown soils	Durgapura, Jaipur	Tabiji, Ajmer
IIIB	Flood prone eastern plain	Alwar, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Karoli, S.Madhopur	500-700	Pearlmillet Clusterbean Groundnut	Wheat, Barley, Mustard, Gram	Alluvial prone to Water Logging, nature of recently alluvial calcareous has been observed	Navgaun, Alwar	Malikpur, Bharatpur
IVA	Sub-humid southern plains	Bhilwara, Sirohi, Udaipur, Chittorgarh	500-900	Maize, Pulses, Sorghum	Wheat, Gram	Soil are lithosolsat foot hills & alluvials in plains	Udaipur	Chittorgarh
IVB	Humid sothern plains	Dungarpur, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh	500-1100	Maize, Paddy Sorghum Blackgram	Wheat, Gram	Predominantly reddish medium texture, well drained calcareous, shallow on hills, deep soils in valleys
V	Humid south eastern plain	Kota, Jhalawar, Bundi, Baran	650-1000	Sorghum Soyabean	Wheat, Mustard	Black of alluvial origin, clay loam, groundwater salinity	Ummedganj, Kota	Chattarpura, Bun

Sr. No	Scheme and Programs for Agricultural Development in Rajasthan
1	National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
	(i) NFSM – Wheat
	(ii) NFSM – Pulses
	(iii) NFSM – Coarse Cereals
	(iv) NFSM – Commercial Crops (Cotton)

2	National Mission on Oil Seeds & Oil Palms (NMOOP)
	(i) Oil Seed Crops (MM-I)
	(ii) Tree Borne Oil Seed Crops (TBO’s) (MM-III)
3	National mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
	(i) Rain-fed Area Development (RAD) Programme
	(ii) Climate Change & Sustainable Agriculture:
	Monitoring, Modeling & Net Working (CCSAMMN)
	(iii) Soil Health Management:-
	(a) Soil Health Card Scheme
	(b) Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) – Popularization of Organic Farming
4	National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology (NMAET )
	(i) Sub Mission of Agriculture Extension (SAME)
	(ii) Sub Mission on Seed & Planting Material (SMSP)
	(iii) Sub Mission on Plant Protection & Quarantine(SMPP)
	(iv) Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanization(SMAM)
5	Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY): Project Based
6	Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY)
	(i) Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)
	(ii) Har Khet Ko Pani
	(iii) Per Drop More Crop
	(iv) Watershed Development
7	Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) – 20 District
8	Modified National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (MNAIS)
9	State Plan

1 National Food Security Mission (NFSM) NFSM in the state of Rajasthan has following sub missions under it

(i) NFSM – Wheat

(ii) NFSM – Pulses

(iii) NFSM – Coarse Cereals

(iv) NFSM – Commercial Crops (Cotton)

12th Five Year Plan with new targets of additional production of food grains of 25 million tons of food grains comprising of 10 million tons rice, 8 million tons of wheat, 4 million tons of pulses and 3 million tons of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Five Year Plan.

2 National Mission on Oil Seeds & Oil Palms (NMOOP)

It has following two sub missions:-

(i) Oil Seed Crops (MM-I)

(ii) Tree Borne Oil Seed Crops (TBO’s) (MM-III)

The mission would help in boosting the production of oilseeds by 6.58 million tonnes and will bring additional area of 1.25 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation.

In addition to this, it would also lead to an enhancement in productivity of fresh fruit bunches to 15,000 kg/ha from 4927 kg/ha and increase in collection of tree borne oilseeds to 14 lakh tonne.

It would increase production of vegetable oil sources by 2.48 million tonnes from oilseeds (1.70 MT), oil palm (0.60 MT) and tree borne oilseeds (0.18 MT) by the end of the 12th Plan period.

3 National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

Rajasthan has a large tract of Arid region and thus the development of Sustainable Agriculture is of Prime Importance for the agricultural development within the state. NMSA Has the following sub missions:-

(i) Rain-fed Area Development (RAD) Programme:- The objective of the programme is to improve the Quality Of Life of the farmer, especially that of the small and marginal farmer. This would be done by offering a package that would maximize farm returns by increasing agricultural productivity, minimising adverse impact of crop failure caused by drought, floods etc and restoration of confidence in this form of agriculture by creating sustained employment opportunities through improved on-farm technologies, etc.

The strategy would focus on multi-Cropping, rotational cropping, inter-cropping, mixed-cropping along with allied activities that include Horticulture-2/”>Horticulture, Livestock etc. This would not only maximise farm returns but also mitigate impacts of floods, drought etc. To do this the programme will focus on –

Minimum Tillage practice,
Support of existing income generating activities like Fisheries-2/”>Fisheries, agriculture, mushroom etc. Conducting complementary activities like construction of ponds, land treatment, wells, supply of pumps etc,
Adoption of a cluster approach to utilize the potential of available or created common resources,
Support for value addition and storage structures to facilitate better returns for farm produce.

(ii) Climate Change & Sustainable Agriculture:Monitoring, Modeling & Net Working (CCSAMMN):- CCSAMMN, a component of NMSA will provide creation and bidirectional (land/farmers to research/scientific establishments and vice versa) dissemination of climate change related information and knowledge by way of piloting climate change adaptation/mitigation research/model projects in the domain of climate smart sustainable management practices and Integrated Farming System suitable to local agro-climatic conditions.

(iii) Soil Health Management:-

(a) Soil Health Card Scheme:- A Soil Health Card is used to assess the current status of soil health and, when used over time, to determine changes in soil health that are affected by land management. A Soil Health Card displays soil Health Indicators and associated descriptive terms. The indicators are typically based on farmers’ practical experience and knowledge of local Natural Resources. The card lists soil health indicators that can be assessed without the aid of technical or laboratory equipment.

(b) Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) – to support and promote organic farming and thereby improving soil health. This will encourage farmers to adopt eco-friendly concept of cultivation and reduce their dependence on Fertilizers and agricultural chemicals to improve yields.

4 National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology (NMAET )

(i) Sub Mission of Agriculture Extension (SAME)

(ii) Sub Mission on Seed & Planting Material (SMSP)

(iii) Sub Mission on Plant Protection & Quarantine(SMPP)

(iv) Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanization(SMAM)

5 Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY): Project Based

6 Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY)

(i) Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)

(ii) Har Khet Ko Pani

(iii) Per Drop More Crop

(iv) Watershed Development

7 Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) – 20 District

8 Modified National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (MNAIS)

9 State Plan,

Agriculture is the backbone of the Rajasthan economy, employing over 50% of the state’s Population. The state is home to a wide variety of crops, including wheat, rice, cotton, and pulses. Rajasthan also has a significant livestock population, including cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats.

The Climate of Rajasthan is arid, with hot summers and cold winters. The soil is mostly sandy and infertile. These conditions make agriculture challenging in Rajasthan, but farmers have developed a number of ingenious methods to overcome these challenges.

One of the most important crops in Rajasthan is wheat. Wheat is grown in the winter months, when the weather is cooler and there is more rainfall. Wheat is a staple food in Rajasthan, and it is also used to make flour, bread, and other baked goods.

Another important crop in Rajasthan is rice. Rice is grown in the summer months, when the weather is hot and humid. Rice is a staple food in many parts of the world, and it is also used to make noodles, sushi, and other dishes.

Cotton is another important crop in Rajasthan. Cotton is grown in the summer months, and it is used to make textiles, clothing, and other products. Rajasthan is one of the largest producers of cotton in India.

Pulses are also an important crop in Rajasthan. Pulses are a type of legume, and they are a good source of protein. Pulses are used to make a variety of dishes, including dal, curry, and soup.

Rajasthan has a number of irrigation systems, including canals, wells, and tube wells. These irrigation systems help to provide water to crops during the dry season.

The farmers of Rajasthan are a hardy and resilient people. They have developed a number of ingenious methods to overcome the challenges of agriculture in Rajasthan. The government of Rajasthan has also implemented a number of initiatives to support agriculture in the state. These initiatives include providing subsidies for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. The government has also implemented a number of programs to improve the irrigation system in Rajasthan.

The future of agriculture in Rajasthan looks bright. The state has a number of advantages, including a large land area, a favorable climate, and a skilled workforce. The government of Rajasthan is committed to supporting agriculture in the state, and it is working to improve the Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE and provide more support to farmers.

The following are some of the agriculture-related problems in Rajasthan:

Water scarcity: Rajasthan is a desert state, and water is a scarce resource. This is a major challenge for agriculture in the state.
Soil degradation: The soil in Rajasthan is mostly sandy and infertile. This makes it difficult to grow crops.
Pests and diseases: Rajasthan is home to a number of pests and diseases that can damage crops. This is a major challenge for farmers in the state.
Low productivity: The productivity of agriculture in Rajasthan is low. This is due to a number of factors, including water scarcity, soil degradation, and pests and diseases.
Low prices: The prices of agricultural products are low in Rajasthan. This is due to a number of factors, including the low productivity of agriculture, the high cost of inputs, and the competition from other states.

The following are some of the government initiatives for agriculture in Rajasthan:

Providing subsidies for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides: The government of Rajasthan provides subsidies for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. This helps to reduce the cost of production for farmers.
Implementing irrigation schemes: The government of Rajasthan has implemented a number of irrigation schemes. This helps to provide water to crops during the dry season.
Providing training to farmers: The government of Rajasthan provides training to farmers on modern agricultural techniques. This helps to improve the productivity of agriculture.
Providing credit to farmers: The government of Rajasthan provides credit to farmers at low interest rates. This helps farmers to purchase inputs and equipment.
Providing Marketing assistance to farmers: The government of Rajasthan provides marketing assistance to farmers. This helps farmers to get a fair price for their produce.

The future of agriculture in Rajasthan looks bright. The state has a number of advantages, including a large land area, a favorable climate, and a skilled workforce. The government of Rajasthan is committed to supporting agriculture in the state, and it is working to improve the infrastructure and provide more support to farmers.

What is agriculture?

Agriculture is the practice of cultivating Plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. The history of agriculture began thousands of years ago. After gathering wild grains beginning at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers began to plant them around 11,500 years ago. Pigs, sheep and cattle were domesticated over 10,000 years ago. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world.

What are the different types of agriculture?

There are many different types of agriculture, but some of the most common include:

Subsistence agriculture: This type of agriculture is used to meet the basic needs of the farmer and their family. It is often practiced in developing countries, where there is a lack of resources and infrastructure.
Commercial agriculture: This type of agriculture is used to produce crops or livestock for sale. It is often practiced in developed countries, where there is a large market for agricultural products.
Industrial agriculture: This type of agriculture is characterized by the use of large-scale machinery and technology. It is often used to produce crops or livestock on a large scale.
Organic agriculture: This type of agriculture is based on the principles of sustainability and environmental protection. It does not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.
Sustainable agriculture: This type of agriculture is designed to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is often based on the principles of organic agriculture.

What are the benefits of agriculture?

Agriculture provides many benefits, including:

Food: Agriculture is the primary source of food for humans and animals.
Fiber: Agriculture provides fibers for clothing, paper, and other products.
Fuel: Agriculture provides biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.
Jobs: Agriculture employs millions of people around the world.
Economic Development: Agriculture is a major driver of economic development in many countries.
Environmental protection: Agriculture can help to protect the Environment by conserving water and soil, and by reducing pollution.

What are the challenges of agriculture?

Agriculture faces many challenges, including:

Climate change: Climate change is causing changes in temperature, Precipitation, and sea level, which are having a negative impact on agriculture.
Pests and diseases: Pests and diseases can damage crops and livestock, causing economic losses.
Water scarcity: Water scarcity is a major challenge for agriculture in many parts of the world.
Soil degradation: Soil degradation is a major problem in many parts of the world, and it is caused by a number of factors, including erosion, Salinization, and acidification.
Overpopulation: Overpopulation is a major challenge for agriculture, as it puts a strain on resources and increases the demand for food.
POVERTY: Poverty is a major challenge for agriculture, as it prevents farmers from investing in their farms and adopting new technologies.

What is the future of agriculture?

The future of agriculture is uncertain, but it is likely that it will be shaped by a number of factors, including climate change, technological advances, and population Growth. It is important to develop sustainable and resilient agricultural practices that can meet the challenges of the future.

Sure, here are some MCQs on the topics of agriculture, Rajasthan, and the environment:

Which of the following is not a major crop grown in Rajasthan?
(A) Wheat
(B) Rice
(C) Cotton
(D) Sugarcane
The Thar Desert covers most of Rajasthan. What is the main source of water for agriculture in this region?
(A) Rainfall
(B) Rivers
(C) Wells
(D) Canals
Rajasthan is a major producer of which of the following Minerals?
(A) Coal
(B) Iron Ore
(C) Copper
(D) Zinc
The Indira Gandhi Canal is a major source of irrigation water for Rajasthan. Where does this canal start?
(A) The Himalayas
(B) The Arabian Sea
(C) The Bay of Bengal
(D) The Ganges River
Rajasthan is home to a number of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Which of the following is not a National Park in Rajasthan?
(A) Ranthambore National Park
(B) Sariska National Park
(C) Keoladeo National Park
(D) Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The Great Indian Bustard is a critically endangered bird that is found in Rajasthan. What is the main threat to this bird?
(A) Habitat loss
(B) Hunting
(C) Poaching
(D) Pollution
The Thar Desert is home to a number of different types of wildlife, including camels, snakes, and lizards. Which of the following is not a type of wildlife found in the Thar Desert?
(A) Tigers
(B) Leopards
(C) Wild boars
(D) Desert foxes
The Thar Desert is a hot and dry desert. What is the average temperature in the Thar Desert?
(A) 25 degrees Celsius
(B) 35 degrees Celsius
(C) 45 degrees Celsius
(D) 55 degrees Celsius
The Thar Desert is a very dry place. What is the average annual rainfall in the Thar Desert?
(A) 100 millimeters
(B) 200 millimeters
(C) 300 millimeters
(D) 400 millimeters
The Thar Desert is a very windy place. What is the average wind speed in the Thar Desert?
(A) 10 kilometers per hour
(B) 20 kilometers per hour
(C) 30 kilometers per hour
(D) 40 kilometers per hour

I hope these MCQs were helpful!