Geography · Economics

Agricultural Practices in India

2,453 Questions

Agricultural practices in India form a core segment of geography and economics syllabi. This hub covers crop distribution, farming techniques, and land measurement terms. These concepts regularly appear in SSC, state PSC, and civil services examinations.

Plantation and food cropsCrop cultivation regionsLand measurement unitsAgricultural storage techniquesIntercropping systemsWater resource management

Agricultural Practices in India Questions

Multiple choice

The main crop of India is

  1. barley

  2. corn

  3. cotton

  4. rice
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Rice is India's primary crop and staple food, cultivated extensively across the country, especially in regions with high rainfall. India is one of the world's largest producers of rice. Cotton is a cash crop but not the main crop, while barley and corn have limited cultivation compared to rice.

Multiple choice

Which word means the same as 'fertilise'?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Hemp is a strong, cane–like plant known throughout the world for its durability and versatility. In the US, however, the hemp industry and supporters struggle. The US government worries that citizens might figure out a way to turn durable hemp into illegal marijuana.
As a result the US government discourages the production and use of hemp and its products in America. Instead, it approves the destruction of million of tress annually to produce newspapers and hundreds of other paper products which get thrown away every day. All those paper products can be made from hemp.
Hemp was discovered in Asia thousands of years ago. It is cultivated worldwide. Hemp can grow quickly to heights of 15 feet or more in many different climates and soils. It needs little care or protection to achieve its full growth.
Hemp matures in one growing season. It’s used in many products, from paper to beauty products to clothing. Like bamboo, it is used in the construction industry. Hemp is even good for you. Its seeds produce a nutritious flour or oil.
Supporters of hemp production and products struggle to overcome the US government belief that the use of hemp might lead to the use of marijuana. Marijuana, says the US government, is the gateway drug to more dangerous drugs like cocaine.
Meanwhile, the US government does little to prevent the thousands of deaths, injuries and illnesses caused annually by tobacco and alcohol – two of the most addictive, dangerous, popular (and profitable) – drugs in the world.

  1. Hemp

  2. Cultivate

  3. Construction

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'Cultivate' is a synonym of 'fertilise'.

Multiple choice

Indian farmers are unhappy over the introduction of “Terminator Seed Technology” because the seeds produced by this technology are expected to

  1. show poor germination

  2. give low-yielding plants despite the high quality

  3. give rise to sexually sterile plants

  4. give rise to plants incapable of forming viable seeds
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The terminator gene is a specific genetic sequence inserted into a seed’s DNA. Once activated by a synthetic chemical catalyst of the manufacturer’s choosing, the sequence renders the seed and crop it produces sterile. This means that the farmer cannot retain seeds for future crops, as is the practice in India. The farmer has to repurchase the seeds at a heavy cost.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. Maharashtra has the highest area under jawar in India.
  2. Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnut in India.
  3. Rajasthan has the largest area of cultivable wastelands in India.
  4. Andhra Pradesh has the highest per hectare yield of maize in India.

Which of these statements are correct?

  1. 1 and 4

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 2 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Maharashtra produces 52% of the total production of jawar in India. Groundnut production is the maximum in Andhra Pradesh, not in Gujarat. Maize production is the highest in Karnataka, not in Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan has the maximum cultivable wasteland in India.

Multiple choice

India continues to be dependent on imports to meet the requirement of oilseeds in the country because:

  1. farmers prefer to grow food grains with highly remunerative support prices
  2. most of the cultivation of oilseed crops continues to be dependent on rainfall
  3. oils from the seeds of free origin and rice bran have remained unexploited
  4. it is far cheaper to import oilseeds than to cultivate oilseed crops

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 1, 2 and 3

  3. 2 and 3

  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The reduction of rainfall and leak of seed preservation technology are the main causes.

Multiple choice

The chiefly used crop for producing biodiesel is

  1. kikar

  2. jatropha

  3. coconut

  4. mustard
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Jatropha curcas is the most widely used crop for biodiesel production, especially in India and other tropical countries. It is preferred because it grows on marginal, arid land without competing with food crops, produces seeds with high oil content (around 35-40%), and requires minimal maintenance. The oil is processed into biodiesel.

Multiple choice

Bollgard is a/an

  1. variety of Bt. cotton

  2. insurance scheme for spice corps

  3. pest that affects apples

  4. trade initiative to raise the output of cotton in India
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bollgard is a genetically modified variety of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton that produces its own insecticide to resist bollworms. It was developed by Monsanto and significantly reduced pesticide use in cotton farming while improving yields.

Multiple choice

The Green Revolution in India been the most successful in

  1. wheat and potato

  2. jowar and oil seeds

  3. wheat and rice

  4. tea and coffee
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Green Revolution in India was most successful in wheat and rice cultivation. Introduced in the 1960s, high-yielding varieties of wheat (initially in Punjab, Haryana) and rice (later) dramatically increased production. India became self-sufficient in food grains, with wheat showing particularly remarkable success.

Multiple choice

Agricultural land was divided by Akbar into four categories. Polaj land came under which category?

  1. Land left uncultivated for more than five years.

  2. Land left fallow for one year.

  3. Land used regularly for cultivation.

  4. Barren land not fit for cultivation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In Akbar's land classification system, Polaj land was the highest category - land regularly cultivated and capable of producing good crops year after year. The other categories were: Parati (land left fallow for one year to recover fertility), Chachar (land left uncultivated for 2-3 years), and Banjar (barren land unfit for cultivation). Polaj represented the most productive and valuable agricultural land in the empire.

Multiple choice

Bollgard is a/an

  1. New variety of Bt. Cotton.

  2. A new insurance scheme for spice corps.

  3. A new pest that affects apples.

  4. A new trade initiative to raise the output of cotton in India.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bollgard is a genetically modified Bt cotton variety developed by Monsanto (now Bayer). It contains genes from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that make it resistant to bollworm pests, significantly reducing pesticide use and improving yields.

Multiple choice

Several crops ........ by the government.

  1. will have been subsidizing

  2. being subsidized

  3. are subsidizing

  4. are being subsidized
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is 'are being subsidized'. The sentence describes something happening now (present continuous) in the passive voice. 'Several crops are being subsidized by the government' shows current action. The other options are grammatically incorrect: 'will have been subsidizing' is future perfect active, 'being subsidized' lacks the auxiliary verb, and 'are subsidizing' is active voice when we need passive.