Agriculture is an art, science and industry of managing the growth of plants animals for human use. It includes cultivation of the soil, growing and harvesting crops, breeding and raising livestock, dairying and forestry.

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE

1. Traditional agriculture

2. Modern (or) industrialised agriculture

Traditional agriculture

Small plot, simple tools, surface water, organic fertilizer and a mixture of crops constitute traditional agriculture. They produce enough food to feed their family and to sell it for their income.

Modern agriculture

Hybrid seeds of single crop variety, high tech equipments, lot of fertilisers, pesticides and water to produce large amount of single crops.

EFFECTS OF MODERN AGRICULTURE

1. Problems in using fertilizers

a. Excess of fertilizers causes micronutrient imbalance. (e.g) Punjab and Haryana deficiency of nutrient zinc in the soil affect the productivity of the soil.

b. Blue baby syndrome (nitrate pollution): Nitrate present in the fertilizer causes blue baby syndrome, when the amount exceeds the limit leads to death.

c. Eutrophication: Nitrogen and phosphorus in the crop fields washed out by runoff water in the water bodies, which increases the nourishment of the lakes called eutrophication. Hence algal species increases rapidly. Life time of the species is less and they decompose easily and pollute the water which affects the aquatic life.

2. Problems in using pesticides

Death of non target organism.

Producing new pest – super pest

Bio magnification – Most of the pesticides are non bio degradable, keep on concentrating in the food chain and it is harmful to human beings.

Risk of cancer: a. It directly acts as carcinogen b. It indirectly supports immune system.

3.Water logging:

Land where water stand for most of the year. Causes of water logging:

1. Excessive water supply 2. Heavy rain 3. Poor drainage Remedy: 

1. Preventing excessive irrigation 

2. Subsurface drainage technology 

3. Bio drainage like trees like Eucalyptus 

4.SALINITY

Water not absorbed by soil, is evaporated leaving behind a thin layer of dissolved salts in the top soil. This is called salinity of the soil. Saline soils are characterized by accumulation of soluble salts like sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium sulphate, sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonates. Saline conditions are exhibited when pH is greater than 8.0

PROBLEMS IN SALINITY

1. Saline soils yield less crop In order to remedy the condition of saline soils the following two techniques may be used:

1. Salt deposit is removed by flushing with good quality water

2. By using a sub-surface drainage system, the salt water is flushed out slowly