Non Food Crops - Concepts - Chapter 4 Class 10 Geography - Agriculture - Geography

Rubber 

• Rubber is an equatorial crop. 
• Grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas
• Climatic Condition
  •   Moist and humid climate.
  • High Precipitation (above 200cm).
  • Annual temperature above 25°C.
• Major rubber producing states : Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman, and Nicobar islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.

Fibre Crops

• The four main fibre crops grown in India are cotton, jute, hemp, and natural silk .
• Cotton, jute, and hemp are obtained from crops cultivated in the soil . 
• Silk is obtained from the cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves, particularly mulberry.
• Sericulture is the practice of rearing silkworms to produce silk fibre .

COTTON

• Cotton is one of the main raw materials for the cotton textile industry .
• After China, India was the second-largest cotton producer in 2017 .
• Cotton grows well in the Deccan plateau .
• Black cotton soil (regur soil) is required for the growth of cotton . 
• Climate conditions to grow cotton
  • High temperature and bright sunshine 
  • Low rainfall or irrigation
• 210 frost-free days
• It is a Kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
• Major cotton-producing states : Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana

JUTE

• It is referred to as the golden fibre.
• Jute cultivate on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where the soil is continually replenished .
• During the growing phase , a high temperature is necessary .
• It is used to create many artifacts, including gunny bags , mats, ropes, yarn , and carpets .
• Due to its expensive price , it is losing market share to synthetic packaging materials and fibres, particularly nylon.
• Major jute-producing states :  West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, and Meghalaya