Agricultural practices underwent significant transformation during this period, though the extent of change varied across regions and social groups.

One major strategy was the shift to plough agriculture, which spread in fertile alluvial river valleys like the Ganga and the Kaveri from around the sixth century BCE. The iron-tipped ploughshare was used to turn the alluvial soil in high rainfall areas, leading to a growth in agricultural productivity. Additionally, in parts of the Ganga valley, transplantation of paddy was introduced, which dramatically increased production, though it meant back-breaking work for producers.

Another important development was the use of irrigation through wells and tanks, and less commonly, canals. Both communities and individuals organised the construction of irrigation works. Powerful men, including kings, often recorded such activities in inscriptions.

However, these technologies had regional limitations. The iron ploughshare was not adopted in semi-arid areas like parts of Punjab and Rajasthan till the twentieth century. In hilly tracts of the north-eastern and central subcontinent, hoe agriculture remained prevalent as it was better suited to the terrain.

The new technologies led to increased production but benefits were uneven. There was growing differentiation among people engaged in agriculture. Buddhist texts refer to landless agricultural labourers, small peasants, and large landholders. The gahapati was used for small peasants and large landholders. Large landholders and village headmen emerged as powerful figures. Early Tamil literature mentions categories like vellalar (large landowners), uzhavar (ploughmen), and adimai (slaves). These differences were based on differential access to land, labour, and new technologies.