Watering of agricultural plants through artificial means is called irrigation. Being a hot country with seasonal and irregular rainfall, it always needs irrigation to carry out agricultural activities during the dry periods.

1. Afforestation
2. Constructing dams and barrages
3. Prevention of Overgrazing
4. Improved methods of Agricultural practices
5. Contour method, Rotation of crops, Contour bunding, Strip cropping, Planting of shelter belts, Adopting the techniques of sustainable agriculture are different conservation methods for better soil management.

1. Small and fragmented landholding
2. High costs of input
3. Infertile soil
4. Lack of irrigation
5. Lack of mechanization
6. Soil erosion
7. Agricultural marketing
8. Inadequate storage facilities 
9. Inadequate transport
10. Scarcity of capital

The following are the five leading states which account for 78% of the total progress under Micro Irrigation scheme
(i) Andhra Pradesh
(ii) Karnataka
(iii) Gujarat
(iv) Maharashtra
(v) Tamil Nadu

Cotton is the most important cash crop of India. It provides raw material to the largest industry of India. India ranks second next to China in the production of cotton.

It is used for manufacturing of gunny bags, carpets, hessian, ropes and strings rugs, clothes, tarpaulins, upholstery, etc.

The major pulse growing areas are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh

Rice in India is sown in three ways:
(i) Broadcasting
(ii) Ploughing or drilling
(iii) Transplanting

The major crops of India are divided into four major categories as follows:
(i) Food crops (wheat, maize, rice, millets, pulses, etc.).
(ii) Cash crops (sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, jute, oilseeds, etc.).
(iii) Plantation crops (tea, coffee, and rubber).
(iv) Horticulture crops (fruits, flowers, and vegetables).

Agriculture in India is determined by a set of factors.
They are:
 (i) Physical factors: relief, climate, and soil.
 (ii) Institutional factors: Size of farm holdings, land tenure, and land reforms.
 (iii) Infrastructural factors: Irrigation, power, transport, credit, market and insurance.                      
 (iv) Technological factors: High yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides etc.

The main sources of irrigation used in different parts of the country are
(i) Canal irrigation
(ii) Well irrigation and
(iii) Tank irrigation

Methods of Conservation and Management of Soil
(i) Contour method
(ii) Rotation of crops
(iii) Contour bunding
(iv) Strip cropping

Saline and Alkaline Soils
(i) These are formed due to ill drainage which causes water logging. Area covered by these soils is 68,000 sq.km and constitute 2.8 % of soil in India.
(ii) These soils contain many salts like sodium, magnesium, and calcium, which make them infertile and unfit for agriculture.
(iii) These types of soil are found in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and in the drier parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

The main problems of the Indian soils are
(i) Soil erosion
(ii) Degradation of Soil
(iii) Water-logging
(iv) Saline and Alkaline, and
(v) Salt Flats, types of soils have different erosion.

i) Multipurpose Project is a scientific management of water resources in our country. Construction of dam across rivers is aimed at many purposes.
ii) The various purposes of a dam serves are irrigation, hydro power generation, water supply for drinking and industrial purpose, controlling floods, development of fisheries, navigation, etc. Irrigation and hydro-power are the major aims of the projects.