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Data Analysis of Agricultural Product

Agriculture is the production, processing, marketing, and use of foods, fibers and byproducts from plant crops and animals. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. Agriculture is also observed in certain species of ant and termite. Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture). Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, but at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production. The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials. In the 21st century, plants have been used to grow biofuels, biopharmaceuticals, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals. Specific foods include cereals, vegetables, fruits, and meat. Fibers include cotton, wool, hemp, silk and flax. Raw materials include lumber and bamboo. Other useful materials are produced by plants, such as resins. Biofuels include methane from biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel. Cut flowers, nursery plants, tropical fish and birds for the pet trade are some of the ornamental products. In 2007, one third of the world's workers were employed in agriculture. The services sector has overtaken agriculture as the economic sector employing the most people worldwide. Despite the size of its workforce, agricultural production accounts for less than five percent of the gross world product (an aggregate of all gross domestic products). After 1492, a global exchange of previously local crops and livestock breeds occurred. Key crops involved in this exchange included the tomato, maize, potato, manioc, cocoa bean and tobacco going from the New World to the Old, and several varieties of wheat, spices, coffee, and sugar cane going from the Old World to the New. The most important animal
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exportation from the Old World to the New were those of the horse and dog (dogs were already present in the pre-Columbian Americas but not in the numbers and breeds suited to farm work). Although not usually food animals, the horse (including donkeys and ponies) and dog quickly filled essential production roles on western-hemisphere farms.

The potato became an important staple crop in northern Europe. Since being introduced by Portuguese in the 16th century, maize and manioc have replaced traditional African crops as the continent's most important staple food crops. By the early 19th century, agricultural techniques, implements, seed stocks and cultivated plants selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics had so improved that yield per land unit was many times that seen in the Middle Ages. Although there is a vast and interesting history of crop cultivation before the dawn of the 20th century, there is little question that the work of Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel created the scientific foundation for plant breeding that led to its explosive impact over the past 150 years. With the rapid rise of mechanization in the late 19th century and the 20th century, particularly in the form of the tractor, farming tasks could be done with a speed and on a scale previously impossible. These advances have led to efficiencies enabling certain modern farms in the United States, Argentina, Israel, Germany, and a few other nations to output volumes of high-quality produce per land unit at what may be the practical limit. The Haber-Bosch method for synthesizing ammonium nitrate represented a major breakthrough and allowed crop yields to overcome previous constraints. In the past century agriculture has been characterized by enhanced productivity, the substitution of labor for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, water pollution, and farm subsidies. In recent years there has been a backlash against the external environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic movement. The cereals rice, corn, and wheat provide 60% of human food supply. Between 1700 and 1980, "the total area of cultivated land worldwide increased 466%" and yields increased dramatically, particularly because of selectively bred high-yielding varieties, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and machinery. For example, irrigation increased corn yields in eastern Colorado by 400 to 500% from 1940 to 1997. However, concerns have been raised over the sustainability of intensive agriculture. Intensive agriculture has become associated with decreased soil quality in India and Asia, and there has been increased concern over the effects of fertilizers and pesticides on the environment, particularly as population increases and food demand expands. The monocultures typically used in intensive agriculture increase the number of pests, which are controlled through pesticides. Integrated pest management (IPM), which "has been promoted for decades and has had some notable successes" has not significantly affected the use of pesticides because policies encourage the use of pesticides and IPM is knowledge-intensive.
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Although the "Green Revolution" significantly increased rice yields in Asia, yield increases have not occurred in the past 1520 years. The genetic "yield potential" has increased for wheat, but the yield potential for rice has not increased since 1966, and the yield potential for maize has "barely increased in 35 years". It takes a decade or two for herbicide-resistant weeds to emerge, and insects become resistant to insecticides within about a decade. Crop rotation helps to prevent resistances. Agricultural exploration expeditions, since the late 19th century, have been mounted to find new species and new agricultural practices in different areas of the world. Two early examples of expeditions include Frank N. Meyer's fruit- and nut-collecting trip to China and Japan from 1916-1918 and the Dorsett-Morse Oriental Agricultural Exploration Expedition to China, Japan, and Korea from 1929-1931 to collect soybean germplasm to support the rise in soybean agriculture in the United States. In 2009, the agricultural output of China was the largest in the world, followed by the European Union, India and the United States, according to the International Monetary Fund (see below). Economists measure the total factor productivity of agriculture and by this measure agriculture in the United States is roughly 2.6 times more productive than it was in 1948. Six countries - the US, Canada, France, Australia, Argentina and Thailand - supply 90% of grain exports. The United States controls almost half of world grain exports.[43] Water deficits, which are already spurring heavy grain imports in numerous middle-sized countries, including Algeria, Iran, Egypt, and Mexico,[44] may soon do the same in larger countries, such as China or India.
Below is a list of countries by agricultural output in 2009. Output is in millions of US$. Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Country China Output 520,352

European Union 312,498 India United States Brazil Japan Russia Spain France Australia Italy 210,116 171,075 96,016 81,089 57,774 48,313 48,167 40,885 38,129

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Agricultural Product
Wheat An Introduction Ranked next to maize in terms of consumption, wheat has been playing an important role in leveraging the agrarian scenario of India. The annual production of wheat in India stands at 65-75 million tonnes, thereby making India its second largest producer in the world after China. People in India consume 70-72 million tonnes of wheat on an average. In India, it is commonly known as 'atta' and is eaten mostly in the form of rotis, chapatis, etc. There are about 200 flour mills operating in India having a capacity to produce about 15 million tons of wheat. Wheat (Triticum spp.) is an important domesticated grass used worldwide for food, and its evolution has been influenced by human intervention since the dawn of agriculture. Wheat is a natural hybrid derived from interspecies breeding. It is theorized that wheat's ancestors (Triticum monococcum, Aegilops speltoides, and Aegilops tauschii, all diploid grasses) hybridized naturally over millennia somewhere in West Asia, to create natural polyploid hybrids, the best known of which are common wheat and durum wheat. Interspecies transfer of genes continued to occur in farmers fields during the shift from the Paleolithic diet, to the diet adopted by humans following the Neolithic Revolution, or first green revolution. Therefore, during the transition from a hunter-gatherer social structure to more agrarian societies, humans began to cultivate wheat and further transform it for their needs. Thus, the social and cultural roots of humans and the development of wheat have been bound closely together since before recorded history. This process of wheat transformation has continued for millennia, resulting in various wheat species that are grown for specific purposes and climates. Experiments by Stephen Wilson in 1873 resulted in yet another hybridization, the cross-pollination of rye and wheat to create triticale. Further transformations of wheat using cytogenic hybridization techniques enabled Norman Borlaug, father of the Second Green Revolution, to develop wheat species (the semidwarf varieties) that would grow in harsh environments. When recombinant DNA techniques were developed in the 1980s, work began on creating the first transgenic wheat, coincident with the third Green Revolution. Of the three most important cereals in the world (corn, rice and wheat), wheat was the last to be transformed by transgenic, biolistic methods in 1992, and by Agrobacterium methods in 1997, but unlike corn and rice, it's widespread use in the human diet has found slow acceptance due to cultural resistance

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Definition of Wheat Wheat is defined as a cultivated grass which is grown primarily for its nutritional grains. It grows anywhere between 2 and 4 feet. The scientific name of wheat is 'Gramineae' and belong to the genus 'Triticum'. There are a wide variety of wheat that can grow in different climatic conditions, whether it's cold, hot or dry. It is an annual crop that grows once a year, and thus, at the end of each year, the fields must be plowed and prepared to enable the grass to grow. It can be planted to some extent as a forage crop for the livestock, whereas the straw of the wheat can be used to make roof thatching or as fodder for animals. Types of Wheat A wide variety of wheat is grown in today's times. However, the three principal types of wheat that are produced in India comprise of: Hard Red Winter Wheat: It produces good quality flour used primarily in making bread, burgers, biscuits, etc. It has a high protein content of 1014%, because of which it has a high amount of gluten in it Soft Wheat: Products like cakes, doughnuts, cookies, pastries, etc. are best made with soft wheat as it does not require the same amount of leavening as yeast bread. It contains about 6-10% protein in it Durum: Durum has a very hard texture and has a high protein and gluten content in it. It contains semolina, a course, golden amber product, which, when mixed with water, forms a dough. It's this dough that is largely used in making pasta products like noodles, spaghetti, etc. White Wheat: It has a soft texture and is used in making cereals, cakes, biscuits, etc. History of Wheat Wheat is one of the oldest forms of crop to be cultivated, and is believed to have been grown in around 10,000 BC. It was first cultivated in Southwest Asia, in an area known as the Fertile Crescent. Even in the Mediterranean region, around the same time, wheat was considered to be a very important crop for cultivation. Wheat played a major role in the Roman empire, so much so that it was often referred to as the 'Wheat Empire'.

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During the Neolithic period, the production of wheat spread to India, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Spain and many other part of the world. By the 18th century, the use of seed drills replaced the practice of manual sowing and by the 20th century, many new forms of cultivation like fertilizers, threshing machines, etc. increased the yield of wheat. Today, new varieties of wheat are being developed throughout the world for better nutritional as well as commercial value. Process of Wheat Milling Wheat should be processed before it can be consumed in the form of a food product, since the insects and germs present it can cause serious health repercussions. Following is a detailed description of how the wheat is processed in a flour mill:

The first step in this process is the cleaning of wheat which is done using specially designed machines in which the impurities like straws, weeds, etc. are removed The kernel of the wheat grain is moisturized in a process known as tempering which makes the bran coat tough, thereby enabling it to separate from the endosperm in a complete manner The wheat that has been tempered is then sent for grinding, where the kernel is passed through a series of rollers to help it crack and ground. After is has passed through each set of rollers, the wheat is sifted to separate the fine flour particle from the endosperm particles and bran The wheat flour is bleached and the Vitamin B elements like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, etc. as well as iron, are added to it before it is packed to be sold to the consumers.

Various Stages of Wheat Plant Following are the various stages through which the wheat plant goes, before it is sent to the mills for processing : Planting: The soil required for planting seeds requires sufficient moisture as this helps in germinating the seeds at a faster pace Growing: The head of the wheat plant is developed at the tip of the stem. This head contains the kernel and is pushed up as the stem grows at a fast pace. Once the kernel in the head is fully developed and become mature, the green color present in the leaves and the stem disappears and the kernel is dried quickly Harvesting: Harvesting of the wheat plant is done when the kernel has lost around of 15% of the moistur

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Wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. More wheat flour is produced than any other flour. Wheat varieties are called "clean," "white," or "brown" if they have high gluten content, and they are called "soft" or "weak" flour if gluten content is low. Hard flour, or bread flour, is high in gluten, with 12% to 14% gluten content, and has elastic toughness that holds its shape well once baked. Soft flour is comparatively low in gluten and so results in a finer or crumbly texture. Soft flour is usually divided into cake flour, which is the lowest in gluten, and pastry flour, which has slightly more gluten than cake flour. In terms of the parts of the grain (the grass fruit) used in flourthe endosperm or protein/starchy part, the germ or protein/vitamin-rich part, and the bran or fibre partthere are three general types of flour. White flour is made from the endosperm only. Whole grain or wholemeal flour is made from the entire grain, including bran, endosperm, and germ. A germ flour is made from the endosperm and germ, excluding the bran.

Wheat flour types

All-purpose or plain flour is a blended wheat flour with a protein content lower than bread flour, ranging between 9% and 12%. Depending on brand or the region where it is purchased it may be composed of all hard or soft wheats, but is usually a blend of the two, and can range from low protein content to moderately high. It is marketed as an inexpensive alternative to bakers' flours which is acceptable for most household baking needs. Bleached flour is a white flour treated with flour bleaching agents to whiten it (freshly milled flour is yellowish) and to give it more gluten-producing potential. Oxidizing agents are usually employed, most commonly organic peroxides like acetone peroxide or benzoyl peroxide, nitrogen dioxide, or chlorine. A similar effect can be achieved by letting the flour oxidize with oxygen in the air ("natural aging") for approximately 10 days; however, this process is more expensive due to the time required. Bread flour is always made from hard wheat, usually hard spring wheat. It has a very high protein content, between 10% and 13%, making it excellent for yeast bread baking. It can be white or whole wheat or in between. Bromated flour has a maturing agent added. The agent's role is to help with developing gluten, a role similar to the flour bleaching agents. Bromate is usually used. Other choices are phosphates, ascorbic acid, and malted barley. Bromated flour has been banned in much of the world, as bromate is classified as possibly carcinogenic in humans (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), but remains available in the United States. Cake flour is a finely milled white flour made from soft wheat. It has very low protein content, between 8% and 10%, making it suitable for soft-textured cakes and cookies. The
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higher protein content of other flours would make the cakes tough. Highly sifted cake flours may require different volume amounts in recipes than all-purpose flour. Using the scoop and level method, well-sifted flour usually produces 125g per cup. However, most American recipes are written with 140 grams of flour per cup, so weighing and experimentation can be helpful in baking unfamiliar recipes. Small weight differences can greatly affect the texture. Related to cake flour are masa harina (from maize), maida flour (from wheat or tapioca), and pure starches. Graham flour is a special type of whole-wheat flour. The endosperm is finely ground, as in white flour, while the bran and germ are coarsely ground. Graham flour is uncommon outside of the USA and Europe.[citation needed] It is the basis of true graham crackers. Many graham crackers on the market are actually imitation grahams because they do not contain graham flour or even whole-wheat flour. Instant flour is pregelatinized (precooked) for easier incorporation in gravies and sauces. Pastry flour or cookie flour or cracker flour has slightly higher protein content than cake flour but lower than all-purpose flour. Its protein content ranges between 9% and 10%. It is available as a white flour, a whole-wheat flour, or a white flour with the germ retained but not the bran. It is suitable for pie pastry and tarts, some cookies, muffins, biscuits and other quick breads. Flour is shaken through a sieve to reduce the amount of lumps for cooking pastry. Self-rising or self-raising flour is white flour that is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents. It was invented by Henry Jones. Self-rising flour is typically composed of the following ratio: 1 cup (100 g) flour 1 and 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder a pinch to teaspoon (1 g or less) salt Sharp flour is produced in Fiji and primarily used in Indian cuisine. Spelt flour is a flour produced from the type of wheat called spelt. It is less commonly used in modern cooking than other wheat varieties. It is still used for speciality baking. Tang flour or wheat starch is a type of wheat flour used primarily in Chinese cooking for making the outer layer of dumplings and buns. It is also used in Vietnamese cuisine, where it is called bt lc trong. Health Benefits Associated with Wheat Wheat bring with itself loads of health benefits that can be discussed as follows:

Bread, which is made of wheat flour, is extremely nourishing and gives strength and vitality to people with high appetite. It also helps in curing nose bleeding when wheat, dissolved in milk and sugar, is consumed by the victim It is a rich source of Vitamin B and basic amino acids, including arginine and lysine Wheat also helps in curing constipation and is beneficial for people suffering from cancer The whole grain in wheat helps in preventing diabetes as it influences the insulin level through maintaining the body weight.

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