Agriculture

 

Agriculture

Choose the correct option:

1.   Which one of the following is not a food crop
(a) Rice               (b) wheat            (c) Cotton           (d) Maize

2.   Muskmelon grows in
(a) rabi season                              (b) kharif season
(c) zaid season                              (d) all the three seasons

3.   It takes almost a year to grow.
(a) Rice               (b) Sugarcane     (c) Maize             (d) Bajra

4.   One of the following pulses which does not help in restoring soil fertility.
(a) Moong           (b) Gram            (c) Peas              (d) Arhar

5.   The second largest producer of groundnut is
(a) Gujarat         (b) Andhra Pradesh      (c) Tamil Nadu     (d) Kerala

6.   Which of the following is known as golden fibre?
(a) Cotton           (b) Jute              (c) Hemp            (d) Silk

7.   Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as:
(a) Sericulture     (b) Aquaculture   (c) Apeculture     (d) Pisciculture

8.   Coffee cultivation was first introduced in:
(a) Himalayas                                (b) Aravalli Hills
(c) Garo Hills                                 (d) Baba Budan Hills

9.   What percentage of our cropped area is covered by oilseeds?
(a) 21                 (b) 12                 (c) 2          (d) 4

10.   Which one of the following is not true for pulses?
(a) Pulses are grown in both rabi and kharif season
(b) Pulses are leguminous crops
(c) They are grown in rotation with other crops
(d) Pulses require intensive irrigation facilities

11.   Which of the following is the example of kharif crops?
(a) Rice            (b) Wheat           (c) Gram             (d) Peas

12.   Which of the following describes a system of agriculture, where a single crop is grown on a large area?
(a) Shifting agriculture                (b) Plantation agriculture
(c) Horticulture                           (d) Intensive agriculture

13.   Which one of the following is not a cropping season?
(a) Winter                 (b) Kharif            (c) Rabi              (d) Zaid

14.   Which one of the following crops is known as ‘Golden Fibre?
(a) Wheat         (b) Rice              (c) Groundnut     (d) Jute

15.   Which one of the following crops is a beverage crop?
(a) Tea             (b) Cotton           (c) Wheat           (d) Bajra

16.   Which country is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world?
(a) Canada       (b) USA              (c) Pakistan                 (d) India

17.   Arabica variety of coffee was initially brought to India from which of the following countries?
(a) Yemen         (b) Vietnam        (c) Japan            (d) Korea

18.   Which one of the following is the example of plantation agriculture?
(a) Jute            (b) Wheat           (c) Tea                (d) Oilseeds

19.   Which country is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world?
(a) China          (b) India             (c) USA               (d) Pakistan

20.   In which type of soil does maize grow well?
(a) Black                                    (b) Light domat
(c) Old alluvial                             (d) None of these

21.   Which of the following crops is not a millet?
(a) Jowar          (b) Maize            (c) Ragi              (d) Bajra

22.   Of which one of the following beverage crops, India is the leading producer as well as exporter in the world?
(a) Coffee         (b) Pulses           (c) Tea                (d) Curd

23.   Which one is an important rabi crop?
(a) Paddy         (b) Watermelon   (c) Wheat           (d) Maize

24.   Which among the following is a fibre crop?
(a) Rubber        (b) Jute              (c) Tomato          (d) Coffee

25.   Which of the following crops is used both as a food and as a fodder?
(a) Jowar          (b) Wheat           (c) Maize             (d) Tea

Given below are names of some crops grown in India. Categorise them into rabi, kharif and zaid crops.

bajra, barley, wheat, rice, maize, peas, jute, groundnut, watermelon, muskmelon, moong, grain

Answer

Look at the given picture carefully and answer the questions that follow:

(i) What are these women engaged in?
(ii) Name the sates where it is grown.

2016

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 1.
In which season are rabi crops sown in India?
Answer:
The rabi crops are sown in India in winter from October to December.

Question 2.
Which is the leading sugarcane producer state of India?
Answer:
Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of sugarcane in India.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 3.
Explain any five steps taken by the central and state governments to improve
Indian agriculture after independence.
Answer:
Various initiatives taken by the central and state governments to ensure the increase in agricultural production after independence are as follows.

·         Collectivism, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence.

·         Land reforms were the main focus of the First Five Year Plan.

·         The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve Indian agriculture.

·         Minimum Support Price Policy, provisions for crop insaurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilisers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme are some of the reforms brought by the government.

·        Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development and weather forecast etc. were given priority for improving Indian agriculture.

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 4.
What term is used for grouping of small land holdings with bigger ones?
Answer:
The term used for grouping of small land holdings with bigger ones is consolidation
of land holdings.

Question 5.
What is White Revolution related to?
Answer:
White Revolution is related to the production of milk. It is also called Operation Flood.

Long Answer Type Questions [5 Marks]

Question 6.
Describe the conditions required for the cultivation of tea. Name two major tea-producing states of India.
Answer:
Tea is an important beverage crop. The following are the conditions required for its cultivation.

·        The tea plant grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions, which have deep, fertile and well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.

·        Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year.

·        Tea bushes require frequent showers throughout the year to ensure continuous growth of tender leaves. It needs abundant, cheap and skilled labour.

·        Two major tea-producing states are Assam and West Bengal.

Question 7.
Name the two most important staple food crops in India. Mention the geographical conditions required for their growth.
Answer:
The two most important staple food crops in India are rice and wheat.
The geographical conditions required for the growth of rice are as follows.

·         It requires high temperature—above 25°C.

·         It requires high humidity for its growth.

·        It requires annual rainfall above 100 cm.
The geographical conditions required for the growth of wheat arenas follows.

·         It is a rabi crop and needs cool growing season.

·         It requires bright sunshine at the time of ripening.

·        It also requires 50 to 70 cm of annual rainfall, well distributed over the growing season.

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 8.
By what other name is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture known?
Answer:
‘Slash and burn’ agriculture is also known as jhumming.

Question 9.
Of which agricultural product is India the largest producer as well as consumer in the world?
Answer:
India is the largest producer as well as consumer of pulses in the world.

Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 10.
Mention any three geographical conditions required for rice cultivation in India.
Answer:
The term used for grouping of small land holdings with bigger ones is consolidation
of land holdings.

Question 11.
Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of wheat in India.
Answer:
The term used for grouping of small land holdings with bigger ones is consolidation
of land holdings.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 12.
Suggest any five measures to enhance the agricultural production in India
Answer:
Agricultural is an important economic activity in our country. I would like to suggest the following measures to enhance the agricultural production in India.

·        Each district and block can be made self-sufficient in agricultural production if the government provides proper agricultural infrastructure, irrigation facilities, electricity, etc.

·        Loans can be provided at lower interest rates to cultivator.

·        The use of latest techniques can be encouraged.

·        Instead of concentrating only on rice or wheat, the food crop with a better growth potential in that particular area must be encouraged.

·         attracting foreign investment in agriculture and also free trade in grains will not only increase agricultural production, but will also create massive employment and reduce poverty in rural areas.

·        Farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops.

Question 13.
Name the state which is the largest producer of ragi.
Answer:
Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 14.
Mention the geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton along with any four cotton-producing states.
Answer:
Cotton is a kharif crop. India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plants. The geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton are as follows.

·        Cotton grows in the drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan Plateau.

·        Cotton needs high temperature, light rainfall, 210 forest-free days and bright sunshine for its growth.

·        It requires 6 to 8 months to grow.

·         Major cotton-producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka

2012

Very Short Answer Type Question [1 Mark]

Question 15.
Name the crop of which India is the largest producer and consumer.
Answer:
India is the largest producer and consumer of the pulses in the world.

Question 16.
Distinguish between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming.
Answer:
The following are the differences between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming.

Question 17.
Define plantation agriculture. Explain any four characteristics of plantation agriculture.
Answer:
Plantation is a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area. The following are the four characteristics of plantation.

·        Plantations have very large areas.

·        Capital-intensive inputs are used.

·        Migrant labourers are used.

·        All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.

·        The development of plantations is the result of a well-developed network of transport and communication, connecting plantations to markets

Question 18.
What are the two cotton-producing states of north India? Describe four geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton.
Answer:
The two cotton-producing states of north India are Punjab and Haryana. It is a kharif crop.
For geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton.

Question 19.
How has irrigation changed the cropping pattern in many regions of India. Explain with examples.
Answer:
Irrigation has changed the cropping pattern of many regions, with farmers shifting to water-intensive and commercial crops.

·        Due to the success oi the Green Revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, these states have started growing rabi crops like wheat, barley, peas and gram.

·        Paddy has become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Orissa, three crops of paddy are grown in a year. They are Aus, Aman and Boro.

·        The development of canal irrigation and tubewells has made it possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

·        The use of modem inputs like HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, fertilizers and irrigation has contributed to high production of maize.

Question 20.
“Wheat and rice farming in India are fairly different from each other.” Support the statement with five suitable examples.
Answer:

2011

Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 21.
Explain rubber cultivation in India under the following heads.
(a) Importance
(b) Geographical conditions
(c) Any two rubber-producing states
Answer:

·        Importance: Rubber is an important industrial raw material.

·         Geographical conditions: It is an equitable crop, which is grown in tropical and subtropical areas. It requires moist and humid climate with temperature above 25°C and rainfall above 200 cm.

·        Two rubber-producing states: It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Garo hills of Meghalaya

Question 22.
Explain rice cultivation in India under the following heads.
(a) Temperature (b) Rainfall
(c) Agricultural season (d) Major producing areas
Answer:

·        Temperature: Rice requires a high temperature of above 25°C.

·        Rainfall: It requires high humidity with an annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, irrigation is essential.

·        Agricultural season: It is a kharif crop, which is grown with the onset of monsoon and is harvested in September-October.

·        Major producing areas: Rice is cultivated in the plains of north and northeastern India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions. Development of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it possible to grow rice in areas of low rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

Long Answer Type Questions [5 Marks]

Question 23.
What is intensive subsistence farming? Write three features of intensive subsistence farming.
Answer:
Intensive subsistence farming is practised in areas of high density of population, where pressure of population is high on agricultural land.
The following are the three features of this type of farming.

·        It is labour-intensive farming.

·         High doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher , production.

·         Farm size is small and uneconomical due to the division of land.

·         Farmers take maximum output from the limited land.

·         Farmers do not have any alternative source of livelihood. Thus, there is enormous pressure on agricultural land.

Question 24.
24. Write the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of rice and tea.
Answer:
Various initiatives taken by the central and state governments to ensure the increase in agricultural production after independence are as follows.

·        Collectivism, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence.

·         Land reforms were the main focus of the First Five Year Plan.

·        The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve Indian agriculture.

·        Minimum Support Price Policy, provisions for crop insaurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilisers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme are some of the reforms brought by the government.

·         Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development and weather forecast etc. were given priority for improving Indian agriculture.
The term used for grouping of small land holdings with bigger ones is consolidation
of land holdings.

Question 25.
Explain any five features of Indian agriculture.
Answer:
The following are the five features of Indian agriculture.

·        Indian agriculture is mainly of intensive subsistence type.

·        It is mainly practised in areas of high population pressure on land.

·        It is labour-intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining high yields.

·         Farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternate source of livelihood, which leads to enormous pressure on agricultural land.

·        The right of inheritance has led to division of land among successive generations and rendered the size of land holding uneconomical.

Question 26.
Explain any five characteristics of commercial farming in India.
Answer:
The following are the five characteristics of commercial farming in India.

·        The main characteristic of commercial farming is the use of high doses of modern inputs, like HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides, in order to obtain higher productivity.

·        The degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another, for example rice is a commercial crop in Punjab and Haryana but in Odisha it is a subsistence crop.

·        Plantation is also a type of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large area.

·        Plantations cover large areas using capital intensive inputs with the help of migrant labourers.

·        In India tea, coffee, rubber, sugar cane and banana are important plantation crops.

2010

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 27.
Mention the sowing period of kharif crops.
Answer:
Kharif crops are sown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country.

Question 28.
Mention the sowing period of rabi crops.
Answer:
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December.

Question 29.
Which is the main food crop grown in north and northwestern parts of India.
Answer:
Wheat is the main food crop grown in the north and northwestern parts of India.

Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks]

Question 30.
Write four geographical requirements each for the growth of tea and sugar cane.
Answer:
For geographical conditions required for the growth of tea.
The following are the geographical conditions required for the production of sugar cane.

·        It is a tropical as well as sub-tropical crop.

·        It needs hot and humid climate with temperature of 21°C to 27°C.

·        It requires annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm.

·         It can grow on a variety of soil.

Question 31.
Describe any four institutional reforms introduced by the government of India
in the interest of the farmers.
Answer:
The institutional reforms introduced by the government of India in the interest of formers are as follows.

·         Collectivisation and consolidation of land holdings and abolition of zamindari system.

·        Provision for crop insurance against droughts, floods, cyclone, fire and diseases.

·        Establishment of grameen banks and cooperative societies to give loans to the farmers at low rate of interest.

·        Announcement of minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to check exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.

·         Introduction of schemes like Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) for the benefit of the farmers. (any four)

Question 32.
“Agriculture and industry are complementary to each other.” Justify the statement.
Answer:
Agriculture and industry are complementary to each other in the following ways.

·        Agro-based industries in India have given a major boost to agriculture by raising its productivity.

·         Industry has contributed to agriculture by using the implements like irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, plastic and PVC pipes, machines tools, sprinkles and drip irrigation systems.

·        Thus, development and competitiveness, and manufacturing industry has not only assisted agriculturalists in increasing their productivity, but also made production process very efficient.

·        In the present day world of globalisation, industry needs to be more efficient
and competitive.

·        Today we are not only self-sufficient in agriculture but our farmers are able to compete with other farmers in the world. Today, we are able to produce goods for international market.

Question 33.
Why is the growth rate in agriculture decelerating? How did the Government
of India make efforts to modernise agriculture? Explain.
Answer:
The growth rate in agriculture is decelerating due to the following reasons.

·        Reduction in public investment in agriculture especially for irrigation, power, rural roads, etc.

·         Subsidy on fertilisers has decreased leading to increase in the cost of production.

·        Reduction in import of agricultural goods

·         Lack of employment in agriculture

·         Erratic nature of monsoon rainfall

To modernise agriculture the Government of India has taken concerted efforts
like the following.

·        Setting up of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

·         Setting up of agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres.

·        Horticulture development

·         Research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast

·        Improvement of rural infrastructure

2009

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 34.
Explain any four features of intensive subsistence farming in India.
Answer:
The following are the differences between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming.

MAP QUESTIONS

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

One item is shown in the given political outline map of India. Identity this item with the help of the following information and write its correct name.

A type of soil
B Type of soil
C Type of soil
D Type of soil
E Type of soil
F Type of soil
G Type of soil

FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

On the given political outline map of India, locate and label the following items.

A Reserved forests
B Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary
C Corbett National Park
D Periyar Tiger Reserve
E Largest area under permanent forests
F Bhandavgarh National park
G Manas National Park
H Sunderbans National Park
I Protected forests

WATER RESOURCES

On the given political outline map of India, locate and label the following items.

A Salal Project
B Tungabhadra Dam
C Rana Pratap Sagar Dam
D Koyna Dam
E Hirakund Dam
F Tehri Dam
G Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

 

AGRICULTURE

One feature is shown in the given political outline map of India. Identity this feature with the help of the following information and write its correct name.

A A tea-producing state [Delhi 2010]
B A coffee-producing state [AI2010]
C A rubber-producing state [Foreign 2011]
D A wheat-producing state [2012]
E The largest producer state
F The largest producer state