eChapters

Introduction

Agriculture plays a significant role in the economic development of rural networks in India and constitutes a substantial proportion of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Despite experiencing a decline in its GDP share, the agricultural sector in India continues to hold significant importance due to its modernisation efforts, which have led to a substantial boost in government GDP. In the present scenario, there is an urgent requirement for a modification in the agricultural framework within the legislative body to effectively address the challenges encountered by rural areas amidst the evolving domestic and global financial environment.

Introduction

Integrated farming systems (IFS) generate a large amount of organic waste matters. In general, these residues should can be reprocessed appropriately within agri-business systems to fulfil the nutritional and energy demands in the enterprises (IFS) in order to increase productivity. To reduce the heavy consignment of organic waste matter from the Integrated farming systems, The Multi Resource Vermicompost (MRV) was defined by the IFS as an organic fertiliser made from waste produced in crop production, farm animals, agriculture, and vegetation through bio-oxidative degradation processes facilitated by earthworms and microorganisms in the soil.

Introduction

From a scientific perspective, weeds are plants that grow in locations and times when we desire to cultivate other plants or no plants at all. Weeds are uninvited, rapidly spreading, competitive and environmentally detrimental vegetation that can be found in both cultivable and non-cultivable lands. Globally, approximately 30,000 plant species have been classified as weeds, out of which 18,000 pose significant threats to crop productivity, leading to substantial losses. Among the different factors causing crop productivity losses, weeds are a major biotic constraint and account for 33%.

Introduction

Seaweeds are referred to as the wonder plants of the sea, macrophytic marine algae which are a primitive type of plants lacking true roots, stems and leaves. They usually grow in shallow coastal and marine water. Based on the occurrence of pigments, seaweeds are classified into three groups: Green seaweeds (Chlorophyta) having the pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b; Brown seaweeds (Phaeophyta) having the pigment fucoxanthin; and Red seaweeds (Rhodophyta) having the pigment phycoerythrin.

Introduction

Beekeeping is a vital component of agriculture and rural development programmes in various Asian countries. The great role of beekeeping in supplying nutritional, economic and ecological safety to rural areas of Asia cannot be ignored, as it has always been associated with their cultural and natural traditions. Beekeeping is a landless activity and does not compete with any other resource-intensive elements of farming systems. Beekeeping is an additional income-generating activity at the household level.

Introduction

India ranks second in global silk production next to China and first in raw silk and silk fabrics consumption, accounting for 70% with a production of 34,923MT in 2021-22. In total silk production traditional crossbreed silkworms contribute 3/4th and 1/4th bivoltine breed (CSB reports). An important strategy for creating jobs and offering a variety of entrepreneurial prospects for rural development is sericulture, which has a solid agricultural foundation. Sericulture is comprised of both agro-based and industry-based activities.

Introduction

India is an agriculture dominated country. According to the report of the Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households by the NSO, 54.6% of the total workforce is engaged in agriculture and allied sectors which encompasses for 17.8% of India’s total GVA for the year 2019-20. The number of operational holdings in the country is estimated at 14.64 crores (Agriculture Census 2016). As we can see from Figure 1 the operational landholding of Indian farmers is increasing day by day. The average size of operational holdings was 1.15 hectares in 2010-11 which has declined to 1.08 hectares in the year 2015-16 (Agriculture Statistics at a Glance, 2021).

Introduction

To provide a good standard of living, food and eco-friendly natural resources are essential. It is commonly acknowledged that in the current situation, attention must be given to sustainable development, conservation, and management of natural resources if we are to ensure the future of food, living, and ecological security. By the end of the twenty-first century, it’s predicted that there will be 8 billion people on the planet, which means that 120 million tonnes of food will be needed to feed everyone (Gill et al., 2009). By the year 2050, there is expected to be a 60% global increase in food demand and a 100% increase in developing countries.

Introduction

The development of software in the sphere of information technology and agriculture currently make up the majority of the economy (Shashank et al., 2006). The majority of people in our country live in rural areas, so efforts to improve the economy must be concentrated there. To make any kind of progress in rural areas, strategies should be developed that will primarily focus on some crucial points, including the sustainable use of natural resources and their conservation, increasing production and profitability by efficiently using the resources already available, and improving quality and productivity by reducing waste.

Introduction

Two-thirds of the population make their living from agriculture, which also supplies raw materials for other businesses. To feed the growing population and decrease hunger and poverty, agricultural output must be increased. Various farming systems coexist in India depending on the resources available, agricultural methods, and location-specific demands of people to meet their needs for food, fuel, and fibre. An intricate, interconnected matrix is the integrated farming system (IFS) of soil, plants, animals, tools, equipment, labour, capital, and other inputs that are partially controlled by farming families, with varied degrees of political, economic, and institutional power and resting elements that affect farms. In India, the size of farm holdings has dropped over time.

Introduction

Agriculture and livestock agribusiness techniques are assessed as the backbone of the Indian economy. Since the livelihood of the population depends on these traditions, the practice is more common in rural regions. Farm owners find it impossible to make a living with traditional farming methods, nevertheless, because of inflation. Integrated farming, a contemporary agricultural practice that increases production and resource effectiveness while lowering the threat to small-scale farming homeowners through crop diversity, is regarded as a sustainable farming approach.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship is considered one of the most significant variables influencing the economic development of society and the growth of every country. In addition to human resources, effective resource management is also essential for a nation’s success. Entrepreneurship involves the act of creating something as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are thought to play a key function in initiating and maintaining socioeconomic development. As women cover up approximately half of the population their societal status significantly significantly impact the country’s development.

Introduction

The ongoing need to create effective agricultural systems that can meet a farmer’s needs is driven by the demand for food, feed, fodder, and natural resources. More than 86 percent of Indian farm families, compromising marginal and small farmers, live in risky, diversified production conditions. There is limited room for horizontal growth of land for agriculture due to the increasing population and declining land per capita. Small and marginal farmers, who make up 84.97 percent of all operational holdings and operating 44.31 percent of the area, need a powerful tool to ensure income, livelihood security, nutritional security and employment in a sustainable manner.

Introduction

We live in India, a country which is in its developing phase and would be developed soon and also where most of the population is concentrated in the rural areas. So, eventually, rural development emerges to be of much importance for the overall economic development of the nation. But it’s a big disgrace for us that the population in the majority lies below the line of poverty. The development of households in rural areas is of much significantly related to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship can be regarded as a tool to fasten up the process of rural development.

Introduction

The total geographical area for farming is 328.7 million hectares whereas, only 139.4 million hectares are a net sown area in India (NHB). India is known as an agricultural powerhouse where small and marginal farmers are at the centre of the Indian rural economy. States like Punjab and Haryana have 80% of the net sown area whereas, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur have only 10% of the net sown area. With the population increasing every year, innovative farming method should be used to feed the large population, utilising vertical space to make the most limited space and time.

Introduction

Both the technology generation system and the technology transfer system play crucial roles in agriculture. For a very long time, research through the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), such as the Department of Agriculture Services (DARS), and other research institutions, such as Universities, has produced a vast body of innovations and technological information (Drechsel et al?, 2004). Despite the many promising improvements that researchers have produced, there is still very little application for them (Doss, 2005). A greater knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the distribution and acceptance of agricultural research output is necessary to know the cause of the low levels of technology uptake (Garforth, 1998).

Introduction

The seventh-largest country in the world, India has a total size of 328 million hectares (mha). As of 2015–16, only 42.6% of the overall geographical area, or around 140 mha, is under cultivation, with nearly half of this land (156.4 mha) being arable. Despite accounting for only 16.5% of India’s GDP, the agricultural industry employs the greatest percentage of people (about 42.3% in 2019), including 71% of women working in rural regions.  

Introduction

Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the global economy and provides food, fibre, and other crucial commodities to the world’s population. With the increasing global population, there is a need to improve agricultural efficiency and productivity to fulfil the growing demand for food. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been recognized as a critical factor in the development of agriculture and rural areas. In recent years, e-extension has emerged as a promising ICT tool for agriculture development, enabling farmers to access information and services remotely.

Introduction

There is a large market for organic products, growers worldwide are faced with a potentially dangerous situation. While the majority of organic farmers prioritize soil quality, encompassing the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of soils, they often employ several inversion tillage techniques (Ploughing, disking and cultivating) to prepare seedbeds, integrate cover crops, and control weeds. These actions may worsen the condition of the soil. (Bruulsema et al?, 2003).

Green Marketing

Agriculture is one of the foremost vital divisions of India’s economy given its tremendous land resources and conducive climate the share of agriculture within the Indian economy was as high as 35 within the 1960s which has reduced over time with the advancement in manufacturing and services segment within the nation within the late 1950s and early 1960s the nation had been ridden with different issues counting serious nourishment insufficiency different endeavors have been made since independence to implement successful rural arrangements to move forward the generation level in agriculture and hence supporting both producers and consumers post-independence the center of agrarian arrangement was on guaranteeing nourishment security to fight with emergency like shortage of nourishment and low yield rates between 1960 and 1970 the far reaching selection of rice and wheat was advanced together with a cluster of steady activities around production subsidies minimum support prices public procurement storage and distribution of nourishment grains and trade protection.