Agriculture and animal husbandry in tamil nadu - class-VI

In the agricultural calendar of Tamil Nadu, the Samba season is often associated with the Adipattam planting period.

The Sornavari season in Tamil Nadu typically corresponds to the period from May to October, which is a specific timeframe for certain crop cycles.

Canal irrigation is the most prominent type in the basins of Kaveri and Tamiravaruni.

Economic factors influencing agriculture include:

Kallanai built around first century, is still in use and considered to be the oldest water-regulatory structure in the world.

Sornavari is the name of Kharif season in Tamil Nadu.

In the context of Tamil Nadu's agricultural seasons, the Samba season is the primary season that spans the summer and monsoon months.

Lakes can be natural features or man-made reservoirs created for irrigation, water storage, or recreation. Therefore, they can be both.

Cotton and jute are industrial crops grown primarily for their fibers, which are used in textiles and manufacturing, thus they are classified as fibre crops.

Ponni and Kichadi samba are major varieties of paddy grown in Tamil Nadu.

Historically, temples in Tamil Nadu have played a vital role in the community by managing and maintaining temple tanks (kalyanis), which serve as essential water storage and recharge systems.

When strengthen to store water for irrigation, lakes are called Tanks. Tank irrigation is most popular in south India. Advantages are many like it acts as a good water storage option in areas where there is scanty rainfall or seasonal rainfall. Due to erratic monsoons the importance of tanks and wetlands have been increasing .

Tamil Nadu grows almost all Tropical crops.

• The black soils are also called regur soils. Cotton is the most important crop grown on these soils.
  

When
only a single crop is cultivated on an extensive scale over a large area, then
it is known as plantation crop. These crops are utilized only after processing.
In Tamil Nadu, eight plantation crops are grown. Cashew is the major plantation
crop grown in Tamil Nadu. Tea, coffee, paper and rubber are the other plantation crops
grown in Tamil Nadu.

Food crops are defined as crops grown for human consumption, which includes cereals, pulses, and millets.

Rice is the prime crop cultivated in all the districts of Tamil Nadu.

The Cauvery Delta region, which includes Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Nagapattinam, is the primary rice-producing area in Tamil Nadu due to its fertile soil and irrigation access.

Krishnagiri district in the Tamil Nadu state is the prominent region which is involved in the mango cultivation and fruit processing activity.

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fiber, milk, eggs, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. The breeding, maintenance, and slaughter of these animals, known as animal husbandry, is a component of modern agriculture that has been practiced in many cultures since humanity's transition to farming from hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Animal husbandry practices have varied widely across cultures and time periods

Agriculture is considered the primary sector of the economy in Tamil Nadu, as it has been the traditional occupation for a large portion of the population for centuries.

Government botanical garden is located in city of Ooty of Tamil Nadu state. It was laid out in the year 1848. It is spread over an area of 22 hectares. It is maintained by Tamil Nadu horticulture department. It has around 650 species of fauna.

Kerala and Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu state is the traditional rubber growing area accounting for 90 per cent of rubber production.

Theni district of Tamil Nadu is known for Grapes production.

The place where a rice research station situated in Thanjavur district is Aduthurai. The research centre was established in April 1985 in TNAU to meet the research requirements of the region. It was established to facilitate accelerated rice breeding programme of the institute, the centre contributed immensely to the early success of green revolution in rice through the development of popular Pusa rice varieties.

Thanjavur district is widely known as the 'Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu' due to its extensive rice cultivation and high productivity in the Cauvery Delta.

Tamil Nadu is a significant producer of tea in India, consistently ranking second after Assam. While other states produce tea, Tamil Nadu's output in the Nilgiris and surrounding regions secures its second-place position.

The Thanjavur delta is known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Due to the availability of water from the Kaveri river, farmers can cultivate rice three times in a single year.

Sornavari is a cropping season in Tamil Nadu that coincides with the Chitthirai month in the Tamil calendar. Therefore, it is locally referred to as Chitthiraipattam.

Market gardening includes horticulture and floriculture (growing fruits, vegetables and flowers) in large scale for supply to the urban markets and also for export purposes. Districts such as Madurai, Nilgiris, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram practice this type of farming.

Plantation farming is yet another type of farming where crops are grown on large farms or estates. Plants like tea, coffee, rubber and pepper are grown as plantation crops on the hill slopes of Tamil Nadu.

Most of the farmers in Tamil Nadu practice subsistence intensive and irrigation farming. As the water requirement for each crop varies, irrigation plays a major role in the agricultural development of Tamil Nadu.

Rabi season is also known as Navarai in Tamil Nadu.

• The physical factors influencing agriculture are:
  
• 1. Temperature
  
• 2. Rainfall
  
• 3. Soil 
• 4. Humidity
• 5. Climate
• 6. Slope of land 

Mixed farming is one wherein land is allotted for more than one activity along with agriculture. The farmer grows two or three varieties of crops along with cattle rearing, poultry and fishing on a large land holding. This method is profitable to the farmer as it provides regular and continuous income. This type of farming is prevalent in the Kaveri delta.

Farmers select particular crops to be cultivated in a season, to suit soil and availability of water in that season. Thus, most farmers in Tamil Nadu cultivate crops in three different seasons, namely Sornavari (Kharif season); Samba (Summer season); and Navarai (Winter season or Rabi).

The social factors influencing agriculture include:

Market gardening includes horticulture and floriculture (growing fruits, vegetables and flowers) in large scale for supply to the urban markets and also for export purposes. Districts such as Madurai, Nilgiris, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram practice this type of farming.

Historical records and archaeological evidence in Tamil Nadu demonstrate that canal irrigation systems have been in use for approximately two thousand years, dating back to the Chola period and earlier.

Arrakankottai, Thadapalli and Kalingarayan canals are on Bhavani river, a tributary of river Kaveri.

Well irrigation is the most dominant form of irrigation in Tamil Nadu, accounting for approximately 46 percent of the total irrigated area in the state.

River Tamiravaruni and its tributaries serve Tirunelveli district with many Canals.

Tamil Nadu has a vast network of irrigation tanks, with the number exceeding 40,000. These tanks play a crucial role in water storage and irrigation for the state's agriculture.

• An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be extracted using a water well. 
• A well is a hole drilled into the ground to penetrate an aquifer.

• Green gram is one of the major pulses widely consumed next to Black gram.
• It is grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. 
  
• The crop was extensively cultivated in Thoothukudi, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Virudhunagar districts.

• Rice Breeding and Genetics Research Centre (RBGRC) of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is located inside the campus of Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) at Aduthurai.

The sedimentary basin in the Cuddalore, Chidambaram, and Viruthachalam region is well known for its high-potential artesian aquifers, which are significant for groundwater extraction.

Cotton is a major fibre crop in Tamil Nadu, and its cultivation is widespread across several districts, including Coimbatore, Thirunelveli, Cuddalore, and Villupuram.

• Red gram is sown mainly under rainfed condition.
  
• Vellore district stands first in the cultivation of Red gram. 
  
• Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode and Vellore districts together top in red gram production.

The river beds of the Kaveri and Vaigai in Tamil Nadu are characterized by diverse irrigation methods, including tank, spring, and canal irrigation, to support intensive agriculture.

• Horse gram crop is grown both in Kharif and Rabi seasons.
  
• Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts are the main districts in the cultivation of horse gram.
  

• Black gram is one of the important pulses grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
  
• This crop was extensively grown in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Villupuram districts.
  

Coimbatore district is a major agricultural hub in Tamil Nadu and is recognized for leading the production of Bengal gram among other pulses.

Tamil Nadu is the second-largest producer of coffee in India, following Karnataka, which is the primary producer of coffee in the country.

Cuddalore district is well known for its extensive cashew cultivation, benefiting from the specific soil and climatic conditions of the region.

• Sugarcane is the most important commercial crop grown in Tamil Nadu. 
  
• Villupuram, Erode, Cuddalore, Thiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Salem districts are the major sugarcane producing areas of the state.
  

Tobacco is widely grown in Dindigul, Theni and Madurai district.

Coimbatore and Erode districts are known for their Banana production.

Tamil Nadu has a long coastline and a significant fishing industry, consistently ranking fourth among Indian states in terms of total fish production.

Pepper production is confined to the warm and wet slopes of Kanyakumari and Thirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu.

Namakkal, Erode, Coimbatore, and Salem are famous for their high concentration of poultry farms, making this region the 'Poultry Hub' of Tamil Nadu.

Dharmapuri district is recognized for its focus on horticulture, with significant land area dedicated to fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Tamil Nadu grows a variety of oilseeds, including groundnuts, sunflower, safflower, castor, and linseed, to meet the demand for vegetable oils.

In mixed farming, the farmer grows two or three varieties of crops along with cattle rearing, poultry, fishing, etc. It comprises farming along with the raising of livestock simultaneously. 

Government has set up agricultural export zones in Nilgiris and Krishnagiri. An Agri Export Zone for flowers at Ooty covering Nilgiris district is being established with the participation by private promoter at a project cost of Rs. 15.89 crores.  Electronic Flower Auction center at a cost of Rs. 11 lakhs has been opened in Nilgiris and it is utilized by the farmers to sell their flowers. For the interest of the small and marginal farmers action is being taken to establish market complex with cold storage facility at Pongalur in Coimbatore District for Onion and at Krishnagiri in Krishnagiri District for Mango at a project cost of Rs. 2 crores each.

Globalization has introduced modern technology, better market access, and international trade opportunities, which have positively influenced agricultural production in Tamil Nadu.

Post-independence, Tamil Nadu implemented various land reforms, including the abolition of the Zamindari system, land ceiling acts, and consolidation of landholdings to improve agricultural equity and productivity.

Farming that is carried on small land holdings that produces food crops for local consumption is known as Subsistence intensive farming. It is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families. The output is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus trade. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to feed and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made principally with an eye toward what the family will need during the coming year, and secondarily toward market prices.

Fish farmers development agency at Karaikal encourages farmers with a slogan "to grow fish and grow with fish."

Pearl fishing is predominant in Gulf of Mannar region. Of the world’s great pearl fisheries, none can compare with the fishery of the Gulf of Mannar. The Pearl Banks stretch from the island of Mannar, off the northwestern tip of modern-day Sri Lanka, south to Chilaw, at depths ranging from five to 15 fathoms. Pearl fishing was such an important industry that it was a government monopoly from the earliest times

• Thoothukudi is known as 'Pearl City' due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. 
• The majority of the people of the city are employed in salt pans, seaborne trading, fishing, and tourism.
  
• The major harbour of Thoothukudi is well known as a pearl diving and fishing centre. 

Before the advent of modern agricultural practices and the Green Revolution, agriculture in Tamil Nadu relied heavily on traditional, time-tested methods of cultivation.

Tamil Nadu government supplies quality and certified seeds to the farmers. All farmers who produce and supply the seeds to the Department of Agriculture on Contract basis are eligible to enroll and register their seed farms under this programme.

Rice, maize, and jowar are all significant food crops grown in Tamil Nadu, contributing to the state's food security.

The Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) is located in Aduthurai, which is in the Thanjavur district, the heart of the state's rice-growing region.

Rice requires abundant water and nutrient-rich soil, and alluvial soil, which is found in river deltas and plains, is ideal for its cultivation.

Well irrigation is the most common and predominant method of irrigation in Tamil Nadu, providing water to a large portion of the state's agricultural land.

Agmark is a certification mark employed on agricultural products in India, assuring that they conform to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection.

In the context of animal husbandry, the seasonal shearing of fur from animals in captivity is a form of conservation and management of the animal's resources.