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Abstract
India as a predominantly agricultural country attributes a major share of its overall development to the agricultural sector. Up to 1990, agriculture played a vital role in the Indian economy. At present large number of people are employed in this sector. After the consecutive three great famine (1880, 1898, 1900) the Government of India wanted to set up a central department of agriculture. The prime motive of the department was, to look after the agricultural development and famine relief in the country. In 1890 Dr. J.A. Voelcker,[i] an agricultural chemist of the Royal Agricultural Society of England was sent to India to advise on the best course to be taken for improving Indian agriculture. In his report on “Improvement of Indian Agriculture”, he recommended systematic prosecution of agricultural enquiry, and the spread of general and agricultural education through research and teaching in India. In this way the colonial government taken so many initiatives to improve the agricultural production. Then the need to bring about a rapid increase in food production in the years after independence necessitated for the re-examination of the existing system of agricultural research and education. It was realized that the goals of increased production could be achieved only through application of science and technology to agriculture. An attempt has been made in this paper to understand, the methods of agricultural production in pre-colonial period. The importance also given in this paper to understand, each process of production and understand it from the realm of modern science.