Agriculture  •  Vocational course for Class IX-X

Ankle-deep in muddy water, rows of tiny green seedlings are pressed into the soil by hand. That bowl of rice on your plate began exactly like this, with a paddy farmer's careful work.

A paddy farmer grows rice, the staple food for a large part of India's population. The work covers choosing the right variety for the season, preparing flooded fields, raising nurseries, transplanting seedlings and protecting the crop until harvest. Skilled paddy farmers help feed the country while earning a living from land their families may have cultivated for generations.

What the work looks like

Before sunrise, the farmer walks the bunds to check water levels in each plot and opens the channel from the pump set where fields look dry. Part of the morning goes into puddling a new plot with a rotary tiller, followed by levelling so water spreads evenly. Seedlings that are ready in the nursery are pulled, bundled and carried in plastic baskets to be transplanted. Later, the farmer inspects leaves for pests and mixes a recommended spray in a knapsack sprayer, wearing gloves and a mask. At harvest time, days shift to cutting, threshing with a paddy thresher and drying grain.

What makes a good Paddy Farmer

• Choosing paddy varieties that suit kharif or rabi seasons
• Raising healthy nurseries and transplanting seedlings at correct spacing
• Puddling and levelling fields to hold water evenly
• Spotting common pests and spraying safely with protective gear
• Threshing, drying and storing grain to prevent spoilage

Inside the syllabus

• Paddy varieties, seasons and climate needs
• Land preparation, puddling and levelling
• Raising nurseries and transplanting seedlings
• Water, nutrient, weed and pest management
• Harvesting, threshing and safe storage

Workplaces that hire

• Family-owned and leased paddy farms
• Farmer producer organisations and cooperatives
• Custom-hiring centres renting out farm machinery
• Government agricultural demonstration farms

The lab kit (32 items)

Auger	Disc Harrow	Digging Spade
Hoe	Knapsack Sprayer	Levellers
Long Handle Hoes	Paddy Thresher	Plastics Baskets
Plough	Pump sets	Rigid Tillers
Rotary Tiller	Seed Treating Equipment	Seed-cum-Fertilizer Drill
Straw Reaper	Tractor	Trowels
Soil testing kit	Measuring cylinder	Paddy rotrivator
Paddy drum seeder	Paddy transplanter	Power tiller
Power sprayer	Cono weeder	Improved paddy biasi plough
Paddy cultivator & puddler	Paddy combiner (small)	Paddy reaper
Weighing machine	Moisture meter

FAQs

Q. Why are paddy fields flooded and puddled before transplanting?
Puddling churns wet soil into a soft layer that holds water and reduces seepage. This keeps the field flooded, controls many weeds and makes transplanting easier. Learning to puddle and level properly saves water and helps seedlings settle quickly in their new place.

Q. Can a paddy farmer start a side business?
Yes. Many farmers run custom-hiring services, renting threshers, tillers or sprayers to neighbours during busy seasons. Others sell nursery seedlings, produce quality seed or join producer groups for better market prices. The Class 9-10 course gives a foundation for these ideas.

Q. What can I study after completing this course in Class 10?
You can continue agriculture as a vocational subject in Class 11-12, then move to a diploma or degree in agriculture or agricultural engineering. Short courses at agricultural science centres also teach new varieties and water-saving methods like direct seeding of rice.

What does the lab cost?

Approximate Indian market rates (Oct 2026, incl. GST) for the curriculum item list. For budget planning only; get final quotes from vendors.

Rice farming has fed India for centuries, and it still needs young, curious hands. Master the basics, stay open to new methods, and your fields can become a model for your whole village.