Agriculture

Agriculture in India has a long history, dating back to ten thousand years.

Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and
logging accounted for 16.6% of the GDP in 2007, employed 52% of the total workforce[1] and despite a
steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest economic sector and plays a significant role in
the overall socio-economic development of India.

India is the largest producer in the world of fresh fruit, anise, fennel, badian, coriander, tropical fresh
fruit, jute, pigeon peas, pulses, spices, millets, castor oil seed, sesame seeds, safflower seeds, lemons,
limes, cow's milk, dry chillies and peppers, chick peas, cashew nuts, okra, ginger, turmeric guavas,
mangoes, goat milk and buffalo milk and meat.[2][3] Coffee.[4] It also has the world's largest cattle
population (281 million).[5] It is the second largest producer of cashews, cabbages, cotton seed and lint,
fresh vegetables, garlic, egg plant, goat meat, silk, nutmeg. mace, cardamom, onions, wheat, rice,
sugarcane, lentil, dry beans, groundnut, tea, green peas, cauliflowers, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes,
gourds and inland fish.[2][6] It is the third largest producer of tobacco, sorghum, rapeseed, coconuts, hen's
eggs and tomatoes.[2][6] India accounts for 10% of the world fruit production with first rank in the
production of mangoes, papaya, banana and sapota.[6]

India's population is growing faster than its ability to produce rice and wheat

Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. This
transformation can be carried out via both biological and non-biological processes. Important processes in the
nitrogen cycle include fixation, mineralization, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth's
atmosphere (approximately 78%) is nitrogen,[1] making it the largest pool of nitrogen. However, atmospheric
nitrogen is unavailable for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems. The
nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologists because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key
ecosystem processes, including primary production and decomposition. Human activities such as fossil fuel
combustion, use of artificial nitrogen fertilizers, and release of nitrogen in wastewater have dramatically altered
the global nitrogen cycle.
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Nitrogen is essential for all forms of life on earth. It is part of proteins and genes. Proteins are used not
only to make muscles, skin, hair and other connective tissue, but also to form the enzymes which are the
chemical workers in every cell. Genes carry the information needed to build proteins. Both these vital
chemicals contain nitrogen, so life cannot work without it.
Nitrogen makes up about 80% of the atmosphere of earth. Unfortunately it is in a form which cannot
easily be absorbed by living cells. In air nitrogen is a molecule containing two tightly bound nitrogen
atoms. Life needs to split these two atoms apart.
There are very few cells on earth that are able to do this. Only some bacteria (germs) are able to do this.
They are called nitrogen fixing bacteria, and they include the blue-green bacteria and a few others.
All higher plants and animals rely upon these nitrogen fixers to give them nitrogen in a form they can
use. Some plants achieve this by holding these bacteria in nodules on their roots. Examples are the
legumes such as peas and beans.
Animals get their nitrogen from the plants they eat. The only animal able to fix nitrogen is man, who uses
his industrial processes and ingenuity.
All molecules in living things are constantly recycled. The nitrogen in proteins and genes in an animal is
eventually broken down to urea, and excreted in the urine. This is then converted into ammonia by other
bacteria. Some of it is then converted back into atmospheric ammonia by bacteria in the soil.
 Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to
assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils
in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. Additionally, irrigation also has a few other uses in
crop production, which include protecting plants against frost,[1] suppressing weed growing in grain
fields[2] and helping in preventing soil consolidation.[3] In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct
rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dryland farming. Irrigation systems are also used for dust suppression,
disposal of sewage, and in mining. Irrigation is often studied together with drainage, which is the natural
or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area.
Irrigation is also a term used in medical/dental fields to refer to flushing and washing out anything with
water or another liquid.

Plant Fibre
Cellulose Fibers are the natural fibers from plants, and are categorized by the part of the plant used -
seed, stem or leaf. Cotton is a seed fiber, a fiber that grows within a pod or boll from developing seeds.
Flax, hemp and ramie are bast fibers, from the stem of the plant. Leaf fibers are removed from the veins
or ribs of a leaf. Sisal, a type of agave plant, is an example, as well as pina (pineapple leaves) and abaca
(banana tree family). The leaf fibers are not very commonly found as yarn or spinning fiber.
All the cellulose fibers share some desirable qualities - they are good heat conductors making them cooler
than protein fibers for summer clothing; they can withstand high temperatures; they do not build up static
and have good absorbency. They are resistant to moths although may be damaged by crickets or silverfish
and prone to mildew.

These natural fibers are not as light weight as wool and silk but because they have less loft and they
compact well, thread can be used for high-count fabrics as well as wind-resistant fabrics. It can also feel
very heavy when wet, especially as a yarn, and doesn't hold the same shape as wool. Cellulose fibers will
also wrinkle more than wool and silk unless specially treated.

Cotton
By far, cotton is the most well-known plant-based natural fiber. Cotton grows on bushes 3-6 feet high and
the fibers grow from 7-8 seeds inside a seed pod. When ripe, the seed pod splits open and the white fibers
emerge.
One seed may have as many as 20,000 fibers. Fibers range in length from 1/2 to 2 inches. Processing
includes having to remove the fiber from the seed - a very tedious process before the invention of the
cotton gin. The fibers need to be carded before they can be spun into thread or yarn.

One controversial aspect of cotton is the environmental impact of the heavy use of insecticides. Organic
cotton is becoming increasingly available as fiber, yarn and finished fabric. A common term is
'mercerized' cotton, named for its 1844 originator John Mercer. Fibers are treated with sodium hydroxide
and results in greater strength, dye affinity, mildew resistance and luster - which is why it is also
sometimes called pearl cotton. It is available as both thread and yarn for crochet and knitting.

Cotton is available for handspinning simply as loose cotton fiber or cotton top. Cotton fibers are
relatively short and more challenging so beginning spinners are advised to try the top first. Loose cotton
fiber needs to be carded first. There are hand carders available specifically for cotton fiber - the teeth are
closer together to prevent cotton from compacting between the teeth.

Flax/linen
Flax, a bast fiber coming from the stem of the plant, is one of the oldest textile fibers. Fabric made from
flax is referred to as linen although the term is more loosely applied now to any fabric - tablecloths,
bedsheets, etc. - that used to be made from flax. In Europe this industry flourished until the 18th century
when cotton, with the invention of power spinning, became the more widely used fiber. Flax today is a
prestige fiber due to its limited production and higher cost.
It is stronger than cotton, has good abrasion resistance and has a high, natural luster. Also, because the
fiber strands are never totally separated in processing, fiber 'bundles' give it a characteristic irregular
appearance. Linen fabric also has a characteristic wrinkled look since crease-resistant finishes decrease
its strength and abrasion.

Like cotton, flax is highly absorbent and conducts heat well so it makes good summer wear. It is resistant
to alkalis, organic solvents and high temperatures so no special washing care is required. But it should be
stored dry – like cotton, it is prone to mildew.

Flax and other bast fibers can be handspun either wet or dry. Wet spinning activates the pectin that holds
the fibers together resulting in a very strong and smoother yarn than dry spun yarn, which is weaker,
softer and fuzzier. These fibers are generally used as single spun.

A distaff was designed to hold fiber, most commonly flax, to keep the fibers from tangling while
spinning. The fibers are wrapped around the staff and loosely tied with string or ribbon. It can be held
under the arm for spindling or mounted as an attachment to a spinning wheel.

Hemp
Hemp is growing in popularity, particularity as clothing, but also as yarn and spinning fiber (and food,
building materials and more). It has actually been around as long as flax and while some varieties of
hemp are difficult to distinguish from flax, most could not compete in fineness of flax. Historically it was
used as rope, twine and thread. Today it is considered one of the eco-friendly natural fibers because it
requires little to no pesticides and herbicides. It is also very fast growing so can produce a lot of fiber. It
is still somewhat expensive to produce and is often blended with cotton, flax or silk. See flax above for
spinning tips.
Ramie
Ramie is another ancient natural fiber, used for thousands of years in China. It comes from a perennial
shrub from the nettle family, a very fast growing plant. It is a long, lustrous fiber and naturally white but
can be somewhat stiff and brittle. It is often blended with other fibers. It is available as a spinning fiber
but seems to be more difficult to find than the other fibers. Spin as for flax.

Animal Fibres
Animal fibers are natural fibers that consist largely of particular proteins. Instances are silk, hair/fur
(including wool) and feathers. The animal fibers used most commonly both in the manufacturing world
as well as by the hand spinners are wool from domestic sheep and silk. Also very popular are alpaca fiber
and mohair from Angora goats. Unusual fibers such as Angora wool from rabbits and Chiengora from
dogs also exist, but are rarely used for mass production.
Not all animal fibers have the same properties, and even within a species the fiber is not consistent.
Merino is a very soft, fine wool, while Cotswold is coarser, and yet both merino and Cotswold are types
of sheep. This comparison can be continued on the microscopic level, comparing the diameter and
structure of the fiber. With animal fibers, and natural fibers in general, the individual fibers look different,
whereas all synthetic fibers look the same. This provides an easy way to differentiate between natural and
synthetic fibers under a microscope.

Silk
Silk is a "natural" protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of
silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity
(sericulture). Degummed fibers from B. mori are 5-10 μm in diameter. The shimmering appearance for
which silk is prized comes from the fibers' triangular prism-like cross-sectional structure which allows
silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles. Silk is also the strongest natural fiber known.[citation
needed]

The length of the silk fiber depends on how it has been prepared. Since the cocoon is made of one strand,
if the cocoon is unwound carefully the fibers can be very long.
[edit] Wool
Wool is the fiber derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of
certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas, and rabbits may also be called wool.

[edit] Alpaca
Alpaca fiber is that of an alpaca. It is warmer than sheep's wool and lighter in weight. It is soft, fine,
glossy, and luxurious. The thickness of quality fiber is between 12-29 micrometres. Most alpaca fiber is
white, but it also comes in various shades of brown and black.

[edit] Angora
Angora wool or Angora fiber refers to the down coat produced by the Angora rabbit.There are many
types of Angora rabbits - English, French, German and Giant. Angora is prized for its softness, thin fibers
of around 12-16 micrometres for quality fiber, and what knitters refer to as a halo (fluffiness). The fiber
felts very easily. Angora fiber comes in white, black, and various shades of brown.

[edit] Bison Down

Bison Down is the soft undercoat of the American Bison. The coat of the bison contains two different
types of fiber. The main coat is made up of coarse fibers (average 59 micrometres) called guard hairs, and
the downy undercoat (average 18.5 micrometres). This undercoat is shed annually and consists of fine,
soft fibers which are very warm and protect the animal from harsh winter conditions.
[1]

[edit] Cashmere
Cashmere wool is wool obtained from the Cashmere goat. Cashmere is characterized by its luxuriously
soft fibers, with high napability and loft. In order for a natural goat fiber to be considered Cashmere, it
must be under 18.5 micrometers in diameter and be at least 3.175 centimeters long. It is noted as
providing a natural light-weight insulation without bulk. Fibers are highly adaptable and are easily
constructed into fine or thick yarns, and light to heavy-weight fabrics.

[edit] Mohair
Mohair is a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. It is both durable and resilient.
It is notable for its high luster and sheen, and is often used in fiber blends to add these qualities to a
textile. Mohair also takes dye exceptionally well.

[edit] Sheep's wool

Wool has two qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it has scales which overlap like shingles on a
roof and it is crimped; in some fleeces the wool fibers have more than 20 bends per inch. Wool varies in
diameter from below 17 micrometres to over 35 micrometres. The finer the wool, the softer it will be,
while coarser grades are more durable and less prone to pilling.

[edit] Qiviut
Qiviut is the fine underwool of the muskox. Qiviut fibres are long (about 5 to 8 cm), fine (between 15
and 20 micrometers in diameter), and relatively smooth. It is approximately eight times warmer than
sheep's wool and does not felt or shrink.

[edit] Fibre from other animals

Hand spinners also use fibre from animals such as llamas, camels, yak, and possums. These fibres are
generally used in clothing.
Hair from animals such as horses is also an animal fibre. Horsehair is used for brushes, the bows of
musical instruments and many other things. Chiengora is dog hair.