Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Also called: ICAR · Topic: Land Use, Farming Systems and Cropping Seasons in India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 1 "The Story of Indian Farming"
Meaning
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is India's top body for farm research and education. It was founded in 1929 and works under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE). Its institutes breed new crop varieties, test farming methods and train people for farm work.
ICAR also studies traditional farm knowledge. It has documented about 5,000 traditional farming practices and scientifically tested over a hundred of them. Over 85% of the tested practices were found to be scientifically valid. This shows that old Indian farming wisdom can support modern, sustainable farming.
Example
The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) is an ICAR institute. It divides India into 20 agro-ecological regions and 60 sub-regions, based on terrain, soils, climate and the length of the growing period (the number of days with enough moisture for crops).
Don't confuse with
- Planning Commission agro-climatic zones: these 15 regions (1988-89) were made for regional development planning. They are not ICAR's agro-ecological regions.