NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 8 Social Science Chapter 26 – Free PDF Download

Free PDF download of NCERT Solutions Social Science Class 8 Solutions Chapter 26 – Agriculture solved by Expert Social Science Teachers on CoolGyan.Org. All Chapter 26 – Agriculture Questions with Solutions for NCERT to help you to revise complete Syllabus and Score More marks.
Science Revision Notes for Class 8

NCERT SOLVED

1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What is agriculture?
Ans: The word Agriculture has been derived from a Latin word, meaning soil cultivation. It is a primary activity which includes growing of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock. It is also known as farming.

(ii) Name the factors influencing agriculture?
Ans: Favourable Topography of the Soil and Climate are the various factors influencing agriculture.

(iii) What is shifting cultivation? What are its disadvantages?
Ans: Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn cultivation is a type of farming activity which involves clearing a plot of land by felling trees, burning the felled trees, mixing the ashes with soil, and then growing crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava on the cleared land. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves on to a new plot.
This type of farming has the following disadvantages.

1. Deforestation
2. After some time the land loses its fertility.
3. Soil erosion.
4. Small patches of cultivation which is insufficient for feeding a large population.

(iv) What is plantation agriculture?
Ans: Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where a single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton is grown. Large amount of labour and capital is required in this type of farming. The produce is either processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world, like rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka, etc.

(v) Name the fibre crops and name the climatic conditions required for their growth.
Ans: Jute & cotton are known as fibre crops. The climatic conditions required for their growth are:

1. Jute (Golden Fibre): High temperature more than 25°C, heavy rainfall, warm and humid climate.
2. Cotton: High temperature around 30 – 40°C, low rainfall and most importantly 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine. Means lot of cloud-free sunny days is essential for cotton growing.

2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Horticulture means
(a) growing of fruits and vegetables
(b) primitive farming
(c) growing of wheat
Ans: (a) Growing of fruits and vegetables

(ii) Golden fibre refers to
(a) tea (b) cotton (c) jute
Ans: (c) Jute

(iii) Leading producers of coffee
(a) Brazil (b) India (c) Russia
Ans: (a) Brazil

3. Give reasons.
(i) In India agriculture is a primary activity.
Ans: Agriculture is the transformation of a plant to a finished product. It includes activities that are connected with the extraction and production of natural resources. Two-third of India’s population is dependent upon agriculture where people are engaged in growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock. Hence, in India, agriculture is a primary activity.

(ii) Different crops are grown in different regions.
Ans: Different crops are grown in different regions because growing of crops depends upon the geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour and level of technology. Favourable topography of soil and climate also play an important role in selection of crops to be grown in that area.

4. Distinguish between the followings.
(i) Primary activites and tertiary activities

(ii) Subsistence farming and intensive farming.