Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fibre, and other

products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science.

SHIFTING AGRICULTURE

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

SUBISTENCE AGRICULTURE

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

INTENSIVE FARMING

EXTENSIVE FARMING

Shifting agriculture is also known as slash and burn cultivation. (i) Shifting agriculture is practiced by tribal communities of tropical forest lands. (ii) The people make a small clearing in the forest by cutting the trees and burning them. (iv) It causes soil erosion.

In subsistence agriculture, farmer and his family produce cereals for themselves only or for local market. Cereals like wheat, rice, millets are mainly raised. This is practiced in most parts of India even today.

(i) Intensive farming aims at maximum possible production on the limited farms with all efforts possible under the circumstances. (ii) Intensive farming is capable of raising more than one crop a year. (iii) It is practiced in most parts of densely populated areas.

(i) It is the modern

system of farming done on large farms. (ii) It is also known as mechanical farming due to extensive use of machines.

(iii) Extensive farm raises only one crop a year.

(i) In plantation agriculture, bush or tree farming is done on huge areas. (ii) It is capitalcentered and needs good managerial ability, technical knowledge, improved machineries, fertilizers, irrigation and transport facilities.

(i) Commercial Agriculture is practiced to raise crops on a large scale with a view to export them to other countries and earn money. (ii) It is done mostly in sparsely populated areas. (iii) Purpose of commercial agriculture is to sell the produce for money.

The term Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) can refer to any collection of specific methods, which when applied to agriculture, results that are in harmony with the values of the proponents of those practices. There are numerous competing definitions of what methods constitute "Good Agricultural

Practices", so whether a practice can be considered "good" will depend on the standards you are applying. The remainder of this article describes one particular definition of "Good Agricultural Practices" as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

ORGANIC FARMING

BIODYNOMIC AGRICULTURE

NATURE FARMING

ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

PERMACULTURE

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers

Natural farming is an ecological farming The title refers not to lack of labour, but to the avoidance of manufactured inputs and equipment., Eco agriculture and pe rmaculture but should be distinguished from biodynamic agriculture.

Regenerative Agriculture reminds us of the true importance of farmers in our society. The ridiculous image of the farmer as hick and redneck is forgotten. We remember that agriculture is the foundation of all civilization, that when you improve agriculture, you elevate the whole society.

Permaculture is a theory of ecological design which seeks to develop sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems, by attempting to model them on natural ecosystems. Permaculture draws from several other disciplines including organic farming, agroforestry .

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system.