Is agriculture possible in Himalayas?
ABSTRACT. The focus of agriculture in the Himalayan region is slowly shifting from traditional cereal crops to high-value cash crops farming such as fruits and vegetables. This transformation from subsistence systems to commercial agriculture poses new challenges for improving and maintaining productivity and quality.
Which farming is Practised in Himalayas?
Terrace farming
Terrace farming is an ancient agricultural practice used to grow crops on the steep sides of mountains and hills. Flat areas out of a hilly or mountainous landscape are cut in order to grow crops. Therefore, terrace farming is practised in the Himalayas.
What crops can be grown in Himalayas?
The main crops of the region are paddy (ie rice), wheat, finger millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, foxtail millet, barley, buckwheat, bitter buckwheat and amaranth. Pulses grown in the region include Himalayan black soybean, blackgram, pink lentil, rice bean and horsegram.
What fruit grows in the Himalayas?
Farmers of Indian Himalayan region grow many fruit crops, including pomes (apple and pear) and stone fruits (peach, plum, apricot and cherry) in considerable quantity [7]; however apple has the preference over all other horticultural crops [8]. Worldwide, there are over 7,500 known cultivars of apples [9].
How Himalayas are helpful for agriculture?
Himalayas act as a barrier for the chilly or cold winds coming from north. Therefore, provides a suitable environment for the growth of agriculture crops. The rivers flowing through Himalayas are snow fed and hence perennial. These rivers provide water for irrigation and fertile alluvial soil in northern plains.
In which state of India terrace farming is Practised?
In India, terrace cultivation takes place in the states of Uttaranchal, Punjab, Meghalaya, Haryana, Plains of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Terrace farming is easily seen on the roadside valleys of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Why are mountains not suitable for agriculture?
Mountains and plateaus are not suitable for agriculture as the soil in these areas lack humus and some other nutrients. Explanation: Mountains are formed from lava and consists of hard rocks with very little amount of soil naturally covered with snow during winters.
What fruits grow in mountains?
Fruit Trees and Berries for the Mountain States
- Apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, and pears add edible interest when planted right into your flower borders.
- Raspberries can be grown at high elevations and in the valleys.
- Apples are grown in almost every part of our region.
Which region of the Himalayas is famous for apple farming?
Himachal Pradesh
Apple is known in Himachal Pradesh as a most significant commercial fruit crop. However, in the study area, the farmers are mainly customized to follow the traditional and age-old practices of cultivation.
What is the influence of Himalayas?
The Himalayas play a very important role in influencing the climate of India. India is a monsoon land only because of the presence of Himalayas. It traps the monsoon winds from Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal and forces them to shed their moisture content within the Indian sub-continent in the form of snow and rain.
What is the importance of Himalayas?
The Himalayas are of utmost importance because: i) It is the origin of many rivers that serve as a great source of water in the Indian subcontinent. ii) They prevent dry winds south, which keeps South Asia much warmer than corresponding temperate regions in the other continents.
