CBSE Class 10 Geography Notes Chapter 4 Agriculture

With the CBSE Class 10 Social Science board exam scheduled on March 7, 2026, revising Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture is important for scoring well in SST. These Agriculture Class 10 Notes help students quickly revise important concepts related to Indian agriculture, farming practices, and food security.

Chapter 4 explains agriculture as the backbone of the Indian economy and highlights how climate, soil, irrigation, and technology affect crop production. These Class 10 Geography Chapter 4 Notes are written in simple language and strictly follow the latest CBSE Class 10 Geography syllabus  and marking scheme, making them useful for last-minute revision.

What is Agriculture?

Agriculture forms the backbone of the Indian economy and provides livelihood to a large section of the population. As the CBSE 10th Social Science board exam is scheduled, understanding this concept clearly is important because definition-based and short-answer questions are frequently asked from this topic.

These Agriculture  explain different farming methods, cropping patterns, and agricultural products in a clear and structured way to help students revise quickly before the exam.

Agriculture Class 10 Notes

Agriculture is one of the oldest economic activities in India. Nearly two-thirds of India’s population depends on agriculture for employment and income. It provides food grains and raw materials for many industries, making it an important topic for 2-mark and 3-mark questions in the CBSE board exam.

Revising this section properly helps students write precise, scoring answers in the Geography paper.

Types of Farming

Farming methods range from basic subsistence to commercial production.

• Primitive Subsistence Farming: This is often called 'slash and burn' agriculture. Farmers use simple tools on small land patches. Production depends on natural fertility and monsoon. When soil fertility drops, farmers move to a new plot, letting the old one recover.

• Intensive Subsistence Farming: This farming type is common in densely populated areas. It uses high biochemical inputs and modern irrigation. The goal is to get maximum output from limited land.

• Commercial Farming: This method uses modern inputs like HYV seeds, fertilisers, insecticides, and pesticides for high productivity. Rice, for example, is a commercial crop in Haryana. Plantation agriculture, growing a single crop over a large area, is a form of commercial farming. Tea, coffee, rubber, and sugarcane are important plantation crops in India.

Cropping Patterns

India has three main cropping seasons based on monsoon cycles.

• Rabi Crops: These are sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in summer (April-June). Key rabi crops include wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard. They are grown mainly in North and Northwestern India.

• Kharif Crops: Sown at the start of the monsoon (June-July), these are harvested in September-October. Important kharif crops are paddy (rice), maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, and jute. Major rice-growing areas include Assam, West Bengal, and coastal regions.

• Zaid Crops: This is a short summer season between rabi and kharif. Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, and various vegetables are common zaid crops.

Major Crops

India produces a wide variety of crops for food and industry. These agriculture notes class 10 highlight key examples.

Food Grains

• Rice: A kharif crop. Needs high temperature (above 25°C), high humidity, and over 100 cm annual rainfall. India is the world's second-largest producer.

• Wheat: A rabi crop. Requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at harvest. Needs 50 to 75 cm annual rainfall. Grown in Ganga-Satluj plains and Deccan's black soil region.

• Millets: Jowar, bajra, and ragi are important millets. They are known for high nutritional value and grow in dry regions.

• Maize: A kharif crop. Needs 21°C to 27°C temperature and grows well in old alluvial soil.

• Pulses: Major pulses include tur (arhar), urad, moong. They are leguminous crops, helping restore soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Other Food Crops

Sugarcane

• This crop is both tropical and subtropical in nature.

• It thrives in hot, humid regions with annual rainfall between 75 and 100 cm and temperatures between 21 and 27°C.

• It grows well in a range of soil types.

• Human work is required for planting through harvesting.

• Only after Brazil is India the world's second-largest producer of sugarcane.

• The primary source of sugar, molasses, gur (jaggery), and khansari is sugarcane.

• Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana are the states that produce the most sugarcane.

Oil Seeds

Different oil seeds are grown, covering approximately 12% of the total cropped area of India. The main oilseeds produced in India are:

• Groundnut: is a Kharif crop and accounts for half of the major oilseeds produced in India. Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts.

• Mustard: is a rabi crop.

• Sesamum (til): is a Kharif crop in the north and rabi crop in south India.

• Castor seeds: It is grown as both Rabi and Kharif crop.

• Linseed : is a rabi crop.

• Coconut

• Soyabean

• Cotton seeds

• Sunflower

Tea

• The British introduced this significant crop for beverages to India.

• Tropical and subtropical regions with deep, fertile, well-drained soil that is rich in humus and organic matter are ideal for tea plant growth.

• Tea bushes need a year-round climate that is warm, humid, and free of frost.

• The tea industry is labor-intensive.

• Assam, the highlands of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are the states that produce the most tea.

Coffee

Yemen coffee is a highly sought-after coffee varietal worldwide, with production located in India. Its cultivation is limited to the Nilgiri region of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, having begun on the Baba Budan Hills.

Horticulture Crops

India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits. Major crops produced are pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato. Some of the famous horticulture crops grown in India are:

• Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

• Lichi and Guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

• Pineapples of Meghalaya

• Grapes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra

• Apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh

Non-Food Crops

• Rubber: Requires moist, humid climate with over 200 cm rainfall and temperature above 25°C. Grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

• Fibre Crops:

• Cotton: A kharif crop. Grows in drier parts of the Deccan plateau's black cotton soil. Needs high temperature, light rainfall, 210 frost-free days. India is a major producer.

• Jute: Known as the 'golden fibre'. Needs high temperature. Grown in West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam.

Technological and Institutional Reforms

The Indian government has introduced many reforms to improve agriculture.

• Land Reforms: First Five Year Plan focused on land reform, abolishing the zamindari system.

• Green and White Revolutions: Introduced in the 1960s-1970s. Green Revolution used HYV seeds for food grain production. White Revolution (Operation Flood) boosted milk production.

• Comprehensive Land Development: In the 1980s-1990s, this included institutional and technical changes.

• Farmer Support Schemes: Crop insurance against natural calamities. Establishment of Grameen banks and cooperative societies to provide loans. Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) aid farmers.

• Price Support: Government announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement prices for major crops. This secures farmers' income.

Contribution of Agriculture

Agriculture significantly contributes to the national economy, employment, and output. In 2010-11, about 52% of India's workforce was in farming. Research and development by ICAR and agricultural universities are vital for improving Indian agriculture.

Food Security

Food security means everyone has access to enough nutritious food.

• Buffer Stock: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures and stores food grains from farmers at MSP. This creates a buffer stock.

• Public Distribution System (PDS): This system distributes stored food grains at subsidised prices to the poor through ration shops. PDS ensures food availability, especially in remote and disaster-prone areas.

Impact of Globalization on Agriculture

Globalization has created new challenges for Indian farmers. Post-1990, Indian agricultural products face stiff competition in the international market. Developed countries offer highly subsidised agriculture, making their produce cheaper. Genetic engineering and organic farming are emerging trends to enhance production and profitability.

How to Revise Agriculture Chapter 4 in the Last Week Before the SST Exam

With CBSE Class 10 Social Science board exam scheduled in March, students should focus on effective revision of Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture:

• Revise types of farming (subsistence, commercial, plantation) with examples

• Memorise major crops, conditions of growth, and producing states

• Practice short answers on cropping patterns and food security

• Use tables and flowcharts to remember farming types and crops

• Revise NCERT keywords to match CBSE’s marking scheme